N.H.L. G.M.’s Proposed Rule Change Doesn’t Go Far Enough

Written by AJ Manderichio on Mar 09, 2010 17:41.

With the N.H.L. general managers meeting underway in Boca Raton, Florida, only one proposed change to the on-ice product surfaced. General managers are leaning toward recommending a rule change that would penalize some, but not all, hits to the head under current NHL rules.

I italicized the words leaning toward to highlight the current language of the rule change. The general manager’s haven’t gone far enough. To make the game safer, N.H.L. general manager’s need to ban hits to the head.

David Booth The numbers on head hits in N.H.L. games are revealing. According to Colin Campbell, the N.H.L. director of operations, and Gary Meagher, a league spokesman, noted about seven hits a game are shoulder-to-head hits. Both studied 21 league games, which showed an average of 22 hits to the head per game, from a light brush with a glove to a heavy blow. In all of those games, or 462 instances, there was one penalty called.

Clearly, there is an issue here with needs to be fixed. While the general managers don’t want to see any of the physical aspect taken out of the game, they need to institute a safer rule on head hits. Just look at the recent hits from Matt Cooke, Chris Neil, Jeff Carter and Mike Richards. This is an issue which needs to be addressed. The N.H.L. Players Association proposed a rule change last season to ban shoulder checks to the head, such as in the Ontario Hockey League and the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hits like these aren’t a new problem. With the players calling for a change last year, these problems existed before. With the speed of the game increasing, especially after the lockout, hits became more violent, and the chances of injury increased significantly. But the league has been slow to respond, and they need to step up and address this issue. The league needs to follow the call of the N.H.L. Players Association and ban shoulder-to-head hits.

By banning shoulder-to-head hits, the N.H.L. can control the physical aspect of the game. We all enjoy the big hit. And it has its place in the game. A big hit can change momentum or send a message to the other team. But these hits should be delivered in a way that can still protect the players. Without that insurance, we can continue to see players laying face down or back up, lost as to where they are.

As Doug Wilson, general manager of the San Jose Sharks said, “We all like hitting; it’s a big part of this Marc Savard game. But there’s a line that gets crossed, and people are getting injured.”

If general managers ban these hits now, they can be almost eliminated by the end of the season. Yes, it’s going to be difficult to adjust for players. There may be an increase in penalties called, which can be frustrating. But in the long run, it’s better to be frustrated to make the game safer than blatantly allow a dangerous hit to continually take place. The N.H.L. can also ease players into the transition. Begin giving players a two-minute minor for hits to the head. Creating a penalty would begin to eliminate the use of the hit throughout the lead. I could even see giving a five-minute major for the hit as well. Both would begin to transition the players into the new rules. Starting next season, each hit to the head should carry a mandatory game suspension, with length depending on the severity and intention of the hit. While this may not eliminate every hit, it will vastly reduce the number of instances these dangerous hits could possibly occur.

Limiting these hits wouldn’t take away from the physical nature of hockey. Trust me, the N.H.L. won’t becoming a no-check roller hockey league. Players can still take the body and make huge, earth-rattling hits. Banning shoulder-to-head hits makes those hits, and the game overall, safer. In the end, that’s what players, coaches and fans want to see.

Photo Credit: The Hockey News

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Devils Continue Slumping Down The Stretch

Written by AJ Manderichio on Mar 08, 2010 15:30.

With only 18 games left in the regular season, most playoff contenders are fine-tweaking their game and preparing for the rigors of the postseason.

The Devils, however, are trying to figure out a way to right the ship.

Last night’s loss shows the problems facing the Devils in their final 18 games. They were shutout, 2-0, to an Edmonton team that allowed a league-high 217 goals. They’ve only won five games since December 11 – including three in regulation. The Devils only generated 20 shots last night, and only had one quality scoring chance. Meanwhile, the Devils were outshot 32-15 in the final two periods of yesterday’s game.

The only reason the score stayed 2-0 was the play of goalie Martin Brodeur. But even his play hasn’t been stellar as of late.

The team only has six wins in their past 20 games (6-12-2). They’ve lost 10 of their past 13 road contests, and they’ve now fallen five points behind Pittsburgh in the Atlantic Division. They’re only ahead of Ottawa by two points in the conference.

Zach Parise said the team needs to play better to keep up with the “hot” teams in the conference.

“It’s been going on for way too long,” Parise said to Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record. “It seems that Pittsburgh right now is catching their stride and winning all of these games and we’re going to find ourselves far away from them pretty soon if we keep it up. We’ve had pretty good success against them this year. We’ve beaten them four times. But, regardless of what they do, we’ve got to play better. We can’t be doing this going into the playoffs or we’re going to be done pretty quickly.”

What’s the solution? The Devils need to play like their playoff lives are on the line. Watching the game last night was the most frustrating game I’ve seen in quite some time. They couldn’t get any pressure on the Edmonton defense, and they were continually beat to the puck. They showed no punch and no fire. It looked like the team was going through the motions.

I believe Jacques Lemaire needs to shake-up the lineup, and he should start along the defense. Either bench Colin White or Mike Mottau and play Mark Fraser. The rookie, who should have earned more minutes, will probably be sent down with the arrival of Martin Skoula. But White and Mottau haven’t played well enough this season to warrant immunity. Bench one of them and let the rookie log some minutes. Fraser already netted three goals this season (two against the Penguins), and his potential is far higher than that of White and Mottau.

The Devils, who didn’t arrive in New Jersey until 5 a.m., but they will practice at 3 p.m. today. They face a pivotal game with the Rangers on Wednesday. If the Devils can’t get motivated to turn their streak around against their bitter rivals, than I don’t know what will motivate this team.

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Game 64: Edmonton Blanks New Jersey, 2-0

Written by AJ Manderichio on Mar 08, 2010 03:57.

The New Jersey Devils hadn't won in Edmonton since Halloween in 1995.

After tonight's loss, the Devils will have to wait to break that streak.

The Edmonton Oilers scored two goals to blank the Devils, 2-0, tonight at Rexall Place.

Jamie Langenbrunner After a quiet first period, Oilers' forward Gilbert Brule struck at 1:23 of the second period to break the scoreless tie. Devils 'goalie Martin Brodeur went behind the net to play the puck. It took a bad hop off the boards and came to Oilers' forward Andrew Cogliano. Cogliano pushed the puck past Devils' defenseman Anssi Salmela on the side boards, and it rolled to Oilers' forward Patrick O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan sent a quick pass to Brule in front, and Brule one-timed the puck past Brodeur for his 14th goal of the season.

The Oilers outshot the Devils, 16-9, in the second period.

Devils' center Dean McAmmond left the game with an injury 6:43 into the second period. McAmmond was driven in to the boards by the Devils' bench by Oilers forward Zach Stortini. McAmmond immediately clutched his arm and came off the ice. He went down the tunnel and into the visitor's dressing room.

The Devils released no news on the severity of the injury. McAmmond did not return to the game.

Marc Pouliot extended the lead to two at 8:28 of the third period. Oilers' forward Sam Gagner began the play in the neutral zone, taking the loose puck and passing it ahead to Robert Nilsson. Nillson deked around Devils’ defenseman Colin White and drove to the slot. As he fell to the ice, he passed to an open Pouliot in the slot. Pouliot sent the puck to the top of the net for his fourth goal of the season.

Pouliot's goal came right after a great breakaway save by Oilers' goalie Jeff Deslauriers. Devil's left-winger Ilya Kovalchuk split two defenders in the neutral zone, grabbing a loose puck and heading in alone on Deslauriers. Kovalchuk attempted to put the shot through Deslauriers' legs, but the goalie closed his pads and made the save.

Deslauriers finished with 22 saves in the win. Brodeur finished with 33 saves in the loss.

The Devils finish their road trip with a 1-4-0 record. They've only won six of their last 20 games (6-12-2). The loss drops the Devils five points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the Atlantic Division lead. The team plays Wednesday night against the Rangers at the Prudential Center.

Game Notes
Devils' "enforcer" Andrew Peters, playing in his first game since the Olympic break, received a game misconduct at 9:25 of the third period. Peters and Ryan Whitney drew matching roughing penalties, but Peters continued to talk and taunt Whitney. The refs gave him the game misconduct, ending his night...Edmonton remains one of three teams Brodeur has never shut out...Oilers' goalie Deslauriers defeated the Devils for the second time in his career. He previously defeated them on November 9, 2008.

Photo Credit: John Ulan, The Canadian Press/AP Photo

Live Game Blog: Poulit's Goal Doubles Oilers Lead, 2-0, In The Third Period

Written by AJ Manderichio on Mar 08, 2010 01:07.

njd edm

Marc Pouliot's goal at 8:28 increased the Oilers lead to two goals in the third period of their game at Rexall Place.

Sam Gagner began the play in the neutral zone, taking the loose puck and passing it ahead to Robert Nilsson. Nillson deked around Devils' defenseman Colin White and drove to the slot. As he fell to the ice, he passed to an open Pouliot in the slot. Pouliot sent the puck to the top of the net for the goal.

That goal came right after a Kovalchuk breakaway. Kovalchuk split two defenders in the neutral zone, grabbing a loose puck and moving in alone on Deslauriers. Kovalchuk attempted to put a wrist shot through Deslauriers' legs, but the Oilers goalie closed his pads and made the save.

Soon after the second goal, Devils' enforcer Andrew Peters tried to begin a fight with Ryan Whitney. Both went off for roughing penalties, but Peters earned a game misconduct for continuing to talk to the officials and Whitney.

Gilbert Brule scored 1:23 into the second period to put the Oilers ahead, 1-0.

Brodeur came behind the net to play the puck. It took a bad hop off the boards and came to Andrew Cogliano. Cogliano put the puck past Anssi Salmela on the side boards, and it rolled to Patrick O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan sent a quick pass to Brule in front, and the forward one-timed the puck past Brodeur for his 14th goal of the season.

At the 15 minute mark of the third period, the Devils still don't have a shot on net. Edmonton has put four on Brodeur.

The Devils had their best opportunity of the third period at the 14 minute mark. Edmonton goalie Jeff Deslauriers stopped an initial shot, but the rebound came to the front. Several players crashed the net, but Gilbert seemed to protect the puck from the oncoming Devils. He slid the puck to Deslauriers to freeze the puck.

Gilbert should have been called for a penalty for closing his hand around the puck in the crease.

All you have to do is look at the quality of shots, and it's understandable why the Devils are down 1-0. It seems like every forward is trying to take on the entire defense or forcing passes to the slot. The Oilers, on the other hand, are working the puck and getting high-quality scoring chances, usually from the low areas of the points to the slot.

Brodeur had to make another spectacular save with 25 seconds left in the period. Bryce Salvador passed the puck to the front of the net, where O'Sullivan intercepted it. O'Sullivan tried a spin-o-rama shot, but Brodeur stacked the pads and made the save.

The Oilers outshot the Devils, 16-9, in the period. They lead the overall shot total, 19-15.

Lemaire changed the lines here in the second period. Kovalchuk skated on the top line, and Langenbrunner shifted down to the second line. Lemaire restored the lines at 3:54 of the period.

The Devils had a great penalty-kill during a Dainius Zubrus slashing penalty. The Devils didn't allow the Oilers to set up their powerplay, possessing the puck and pressuring the Oilers defense. They tallied three shorthanded shots, and it's seemed to bring the Devils to life a bit in the period.

Dean McAmmond went to the locker room after a hit from Stortini at 6:30 of the second period. Stortini put McAmmond into the bench area, and McAmmond hit the boards with the side of his body. He immediately came off the ice and went to the tunnel.

Soon after the goal, Zach Parise took a holding penalty 2:09 into the second period. The Devils' forwards seem to be getting frustrated with their play thus far.

Brodeur made a great pad save on a re-directed shot by Tom Gilbert. Gilbert directed a shot from the point on Brodeur, and he had to quickly put out the right pad to make the save.

The Oilers have had the better play so far in the second period. They've continually pressured the Devils on the forecheck, and they haven't let the forwards or defenseman get quality scoring chances.

The Devils held the edge in shots, 6-3. The advantage, however, isn't an accurate indicator of period. Most of the first period was played in the neutral zone and on the Devils side of the ice. They need to come out in the second period more aggressive and take control of the period.

Although the Oilers have only recorded two shots, Brodeur has been busy in his own zone. Most of the play has been in the Devils zone thus far, and he's had to be sharp. He made a very nice right pad save on Ryay Potulny in front 2:52 into the game.

The Devils 12th ranked powerplay (18.8% prior to the game) couldn't do much with their first chance of the night. With Zach Stortini in the box for roughing, the Devils couldn't generate a shot on net.

Interesting decision by Jacques Lemaire tonight for his starters. Lemaire is sending out the Ilya Kovalchuk - Dainius Zubrus - Patrik Elias line to start the game instead of the top line of Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Jamie Langenbrunner.

Defenseman Martin Skoula will make his debut for the Devils tonight. He replaces Mark Fraser in the lineup. Andrew Peters gets the start over Jay Pandolfo. Rod Pelley and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond (upper body injury) also will not play.

Martin Brodeur gets the start in net for the Devils. Jeff Deslauriers will start for the Oilers.

*********************

I talked to Jay from Low On Oil, an Edmonton Oilers blog. I asked him a few questions about the team coming into this matchup. Here are the questions and his responses.

1. With the team mired in last place, what is there to look forward to coming into the end of the season?

That’s pretty easy to be honest—drafting in the top two at the 2010 NHL Entry draft. The harder question to answer is what there is to look forward after that entry draft. It looks like the Oilers are going to be in a two or three year rebuild which means the 2011 entry draft will be the next thing to look forward to.

2. Give us your take on the trade for Ryan Whitney.

Even with the trades at the deadline, the Oilers are still in salary cap hell heading into next season. There’s a long list of players who are pending RFA’s that will be looking for varying degrees of raises for next season including Sam Ganger, Gilbert Brule, and Ryan Potulny among others.

I had mixed feelings about the Ryan Whitney trade. On the one hand, Lubomir Visnovsky is an exceptionally talented player and a joy to watch. In fact, he was one of the few players that I enjoyed watching on this team this season.

On the other hand, the Oilers had to move salary and there wasn’t much of a market for Souray with his current health problems. As good as Visnovsky currently plays, he’s 32 years old and headed for a decline in performance due to age. The Oilers won’t likely be a competitive team during that time period, so trading him made sense in that regard.

As for the Ryan Whitney trade, I like the fact that it adds size and youth to the blue line. His contract also saves $1.6 million in cap space. However, there’s no question that the Ducks got the best player in this trade. As well, I don’t like the fact that Whitney has lingering issues with his feet. Signing another player with ongoing injury concerns is disconcerting.

3. How have injuries de-railed the team?

It’s actually been one hell of a year for injuries. I myself get sickened when I hear Oilers management use the injuries as an excuse for the team’s performance this season. At the same time, the litany of injuries is getting pretty remarkable.

To an extent, the injuries have resulted from a combination of bad luck and poor management. The single biggest injury to impact this team was the season ending back injury for Nikolai Khabibulin.

Now, signing an over 35-year-old player to a 4 year contract at nearly twice the next highest goaltender signing of last summer, was monumentally stupid. Most feel that Steve Tambellini, the Oilers GM, should have been fired for signing Khabibulin to that contract. Really, there probably a few teams if any that could ride the goaltending tandem of Deslauriers and Dubnyk to a playoff spot this season.

After that, the Oilers fielded a roster of sub 200 lbs/sub 6’ tall players which has probably contributed to a degree to the injuries this season. I think that many teams took liberties while playing against the Oilers which they might not have under different circumstances.

Finally, I think if nothing else, the injuries have exposed the lack of depth and poor construction of the Oilers roster. At the end of the day, all things considered, the silver lining in the clouds are that the injuries will help the Oilers to get a higher draft pick than they would have had they not been plagued with injuries. Either way, the Oilers current roster this season was a long way from being a competitive team.

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Here are tonight's line combinations:

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Jamie Langenbrunner

Ilya Kovalchul - Dainius Zubrus - Patrik Elias

Brian Rolston - Rob Niedermayer - David Clarkson

Andrew Peters - Dean McAmmond - Vladimir Zharkov

Bryce Salvador - Andy Greene

Colin White - Mike Mottau

Anssi Salmela - Martin Skoula

Martin Brodeur

Game 64: Looking To Strike Oil

Written by AJ Manderichio on Mar 07, 2010 19:41.

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (38-22-3) face off against the Edmonton Oilers (20-38-6). This is the first and only meeting between the two teams this season.

The Last Devils Game: The Devils faced off against the Calgary Flames (and ex-coach Brent Sutter) Friday night. Zach Parise scored the game's first goal, but Calgary reeled off five unanswered to take the lead. Ilya Kovalchuk and Parise scored late goals but it wasn't enough as the Devils lost, 5-3.

The Last Oilers Game: The Oilers faced off against the Minnesota Wild Friday night in Edmonton. Mike Comrie scored a goal in regulation and the shootout winner as Edmonton defeated the Wild, 2-1.

The Last Devils - Oilers Game: The teams played last season on November 9. In that game, Sheldon Souray and Ales Hemsky scored second period goals for the win, 2-1. Jeff Deslauriers made 37 saves in his third NHL appearance for the win.

Tonight's Matchup: These are two teams headed in different directions. While the Devils are making their playoff push, the Oilers sit near the bottom of the league. But Edmonton isn't a team to overlook. They've got a lot of young guys trying to stick around the league, and we've seen those teams give the Devils fits (think last year's Islanders). This won't be an easy game, and the Devils have to play a 60-minute game. I put that in bold because, for some reason, this team hasn't been able to put together a concentrated, 60-minute effort. Their play in the second period proves that point. If the team can play a complete game, there should be no reason why they can't win the final game of this four-game road trip.

There was also a bit of interesting news coming from Edmonton today. When talking with Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record, Devils goalie Martin Brodeur admitted he's been in a lull. The Devils' goalie has allowed three or more goals in nine of his last 10 starts. We've all seen his play drop as of late. Brodeur even admitted he was fighting the puck a bit against Calgary, which was evident from the amount of rebounds he gave up. Brodeur hasn't been right, and his play will dictate how far the Devils can go.

Coming into today, the Devils sit three points behind Pittsburgh for the Atlantic Division lead. The Penguins have played two more games than the Devils this season. A win tonight would be a nice ending to the four-game road trip, and it would keep the pressure on Pittsburgh.

Game time is 8 p.m., and you can catch the game on MSG Plus. Make sure you check out Running With The Devils for a live game blog of tonight's action.

Five Goal Outburst Sinks Devils

Written by AJ Manderichio on Mar 06, 2010 05:01.

The former coach versus his old team.

Tonight’s matchup between the New Jersey Devils and the Calgary Flames came down to a matchup between Devils former coach Brent Sutter against the team he led to two straight playoff appearances.

The Flames scored five unanswered goals and beat the Devils, 5-3, at the Pengrowth Saddledome.

Rene Bourque Trailing 1-0 after the first period, Daymond Langkow scored 1:43 into the second period to tie the game. The Flames were able to catch the Devils top line of Zach Parise, Travis Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner on the ice for an extended period of time. After a faceoff win, Christopher Higgins took the puck behind the net. Higgins took a shot from the goal line hit the stick of Devils’ goalie Martin Brodeur and went right to Langkow in the slot. Langkow backhanded the puck past Brodeur for his 12th goal of the season.

Curtis Glencross gave the Flames the lead with a shorthanded goal at 5:41 of the period. Devils’ left-winger Ilya Kovalchuk took the puck at the point after a Devils face-off win. He tried to make one too many moves, and Glencross stripped him of the puck. Glencross chased it down at center ice and broke in alone on Brodeur. He put the puck high over the glove for his third shorthanded goal of the season.

That was the fourth shorthanded the goal the Devils allowed this season.

Eric Nystrom added the third unanswered goal at 16:04 of the period. Glencross created the opportunity for Nystrom’s goal. After coming off the bench for a change, Glencross beat Devils’ defenseman Andy Greene and eliminated the icing. He checked Greene into the sideboards, and the Devils defenseman turned the puck over to Nystrom. Nystrom drove to the front of the net, and Brodeur tried to poke the puck away. It snuck under Brodeur’s pads and across the crease, and Nystrom backhanded the puck past a diving Brodeur for his seventh goal of the season.

Flames forwards Matt Stajan and Brandon Moss scored 33 seconds apart in the third period to extend the Flames lead to 5-1.

David Clarkson 3 Stajan scored his 19th goal at the season at 9:29 of the third period. Flames forward Rene Bourque took a shot from the slot that bounced off of Brodeur’s right pad and back into the slot. Stajan collected the loose puck and put it through Brodeur’s pads for the Flames fourth-straight goals.

Moss created a turnover after a hit in the Devils zone almost thirty seconds later. Niklas Hagman took a shot that hit Moss in front of the net. The puck slid by Brodeur and toward the right post. Moss put the puck past Brodeur for his eighth goal of the season.

The Devils staged a comeback late in the third period, scoring two goals in 1:18 seconds.

Parise tallied his second goal of the game at 16:08. With Mark Giordano in the box for roughing, Zajac carried the puck into the zone. Two Flames pinned him on the side boards, but Zajac found a way to get the puck to Langenbrunner in the slot. Langenbrunner one-timed the shot, and Flames goalie Mikka Kiprusoff made the initial save. The puck trickled behind him, and Parise tapped the puck into the open net for his 30th goal of the season.

Kovalchuk scored 1:18 seconds later to pull the Devils within two. Patrik Elias passed the puck to Kovalchuk, who took a shot from the right circle. The puck trickled through Kiprusoff and over the goal line for Kovalchuk’s 34th goal of the season.

But the effort would fall short as the Devils lost for the 11th time in 19 games. They’re 6-11-2 during the streak.

Brodeur finished with 20 saves in the loss. Kiprusoff, who beat the Devils for the first time, stopped 22 shots in the win.

Game Notes:

David Clarkson and Jamal Mayers fought twice in the game. While they didn’t throw many punches in the first go-around, both threw several rights in the second bout. Clarkson won both of the fights…Martin Skoula was a healthy scratch for the Devils tonight. The Devils acquired Skoula at the trade deadline from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a fifth-round draft pick in this year’s draft…The Devils have not won two consecutive games since January 9 (2-1 overtime win agains the Canadians) and January 12 (1-0 shootout win over the Rangers)…The Devils allowed five goals in a game for the fifth time this season. Brodeur played in each of those games.

Photo Credit: Jeff McIntosh, The Canadian Press/AP Photo

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GameDay 63: Devils Visit Sutter and the Flames

Written by Darren S on Mar 05, 2010 15:14.

njd

Take yourselves back to the afternoon of June 23, 2009 when Brent Sutter was named the head coach of the Calgary Flames. If I remember right, my emotions were full of hatred and anger because I felt lied to. It wasn't that I thought Brent Sutter was the greatest coach in the Devils history, no, it was because he promised to do something for this organization and hadn't delivered and now lied his way out of town. Hindsight is a wonderful thing because Jaques Lemaire has turned out to be everything Sutter wasn't. I was recently on a Flames discussion board and I saw a post that said, "Flames are pissing me off. Sutter needs to get a clue" and I relized how much good he did for us by leaving. That said, tonight's matchup is one that got circled on the calendar right away when the schedule was announced, although it would have been nicer to have the game in NJ where fans could really let Sutter know what they think of him, regardless of how well the Devils have done this season.

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (38-21-3) at the Calgary Flames (30-24-9). This is the one and only meeting this season. (Lets hope that if the Devils get to the Cup Finals, Sutter isn't the other team there!)

The Last Devils Game: Offensively, I don't think you could have asked for more. Goals by Zajac and Kovalchuk made Devils fans smile but defensively it was a crazy game. After being up 4-0 in the third, the Devils surrendered 3 quick goals and allowed the Sharks to make a game of it but in the end were able to hold them off. We aren't sure if the Devils short-comings on defense that night was the reason the Devils traded for Martin Skoula at the deadline.

The Last Flames Game: The Flames were shutout 4-0 by the Minnesota Wild. Calgary got 29 shots on Backstrom but never really made him work. Calgary is stuggling for playoff position and that type of loss didn't help.

Tonight's Matchup: If the Devils can do what they did in San Jose the othe night, strike hard and strike often, the Flames will break...easily. If you can get an early lead against the Flames, they don't really do well. The Flames aren't known for a potent offensive, they just don't have that type of team but their defense can be strong. Putting the first game back and the Olympics aside, Miikka Kiprusoff is one of the better goalies in the league. Did you know that Calgary is tied with Edmonton for the second lowest goals scored per game average?

The important thing for the Devils tonight is to not get caught up in playing Sutter. There were a lot of guys here last year that felt terrible when he left and I am sure would like to stick it to him but you have to be careful with things like that. I'm going to keep my eyes on Zubrus and Rolston tonight because both never liked how Sutter used them on the offense last season. They both knew they could do more but were never really given the oppurtunities.

Lastly, we will not see the debut of Martin Skoula tonight. Lou said on Thursday that Skoula would arrive in Calgary to with the team, but he won't play. All eyes will be on Mark Fraser and Anssi Salmela because I expect Jacques Lemaire base Skoula's playing time on their performance, so a good game from either of them will play a big role as to whether Skoula will be on the bench in Edmonton on Sunday.

Taking a stab at the lines tonight, I'll go with:

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Jamie Langenbrunner
Ilya Kovalchuk - Dainius Zubrus - Patrik Elias
Brian Rolston - Rob Niedermayer - David Clarkson
Jay Pandolfo - Dean McAmmond - Vladimir Zharkov

Andy Greene - Bryce Salvador
Colin White - Mike Mottau
Anssi Salmela - Mark Fraser

Martin Brodeur

Devils Notes: Skoula Joins Team Tonight; Players Indifferent About Facing Sutter

Written by AJ Manderichio on Mar 05, 2010 05:04.

Only one more day until the Devils take the ice in Calgary to face off against the Flames. Here’s some news to hold you over:

Martin Skoula Joins Team In Calgary Tonight

Newly-acquired defenseman Martin Skoula joined the team tonight in Calgary. Lou Lamoriello assigned him number 28 – the number Valdimir Zharkov had all season. Zharkov has been reassigned number 18, which previously belonged to Niclas Bergfors and Sergei Brylin.

In an interview with Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record, Devils coach Jacques Lemaire seemed high on Skoula, who played for him in Minnesota.

“I think he can play as good as some of the guys we have,” he said to Gulitti. “I think he’s very solid in the defensive zone. He knows the game well. He’s a big body (6-3, 225). He protects the puck along the boards. He can make that first pass. When he’s got his game straightened up, he can do good stuff. It doesn’t mean he’s going to go ahead of our guys right away, but we’ll see what he can do and if he shows that he’s doing more things, then we’ll put him in the lineup. That’s how it works.”

Although Skoula arrived tonight, he is not expected to play in tomorrow night’s game.

Devils Players Don’t Seek Revenge Against Sutter

With the Devils facing their ex-coach tomorrow night, there would seem to be some extra incentive for the players to beat the Flames.

If there is, no one is saying it.

When interviewed today, many Devils players were indifferent about facing Brent Sutter, their coach for two seasons.

“I haven’t quite thought about it,” Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner said after today’s practice in Calgary. “We’re more concerned about starting to get something rolling than doing something him. I think they’ve got their own things to worry about trying to get into the playoffs. We’re trying to stay on top of our division.”

Sutter stepped down after the 2008-2009 campaign to be closer to his family in Red Deer, Alberta. Some players thought it was fishy when Sutter agreed to coach the Flames two weeks after leaving the Devils. His brother, Daryl, is the general manager of the Flames. But players aren’t showing any emotion about that situation either.

“That was a litle weird because we didn’t think (he was leaving) for that,” goalie Martin Brodeur said. “But, knowing the situation with his brother here and everything, if there was a place he was going to go this was it.”

There were some players, like Dainius Zubrus, who felt they were restricted in Sutter’s system.

“I’m happy now,” Zubrus said. “This year I’m way more involved in different things, whether it’s special teams. I’ve had more responsibilities than I had the past couple of years and that’s something I wanted. That’s about it.”

*Quotes from Fire and Ice Blog by Bergen Record reporter Tom Gulitti

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Live Blog: Devils Cut Lead To Two, 5-3, In The Third Period; Kovalchuk OK After Hit In First

Written by AJ Manderichio on Mar 06, 2010 01:51.

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The Devils scored two goals in 1:18 and cut the Flames lead to two, 5-3, in the third period of tonight's game at the Pengrowth Saddledome.

Kovalchuk followed with his 34th goal of the season. Elias passed the puck to Kovalchuk, who took a shot from the right circle. The puck trickled through Kiprusoff and over the goal line.

Parise's second goal of the game at 16:08 cut the Flames lead, 5-2.

With Mark Giordano in the box for roughing, Zajac carried the puck into the zone. Two Flames pinned him on the side boards, but Zajac found a way to get the puck to Langenbrunner in the slot. Langenbrunner one-timed the shot, and Kiprusoff made the initial save. The puck trickled behind him, and Parise tapped the puck into the open net for his 30th goal of the season.

Matt Stajan and Brandon Moss scored 33 seconds apart to extend the Flames lead to 5-1.

Moss created a turnover after a hit in the Devils zone. Niklas Hagman took a shot that hit Moss in front of the net. The puck slid by Brodeur and toward the right post. Moss put the puck past Brodeur for his eighth goal of the season.

Stajan scored after Brodeur gave up another big rebound in the zone. Rene Bourque took a shot from the slot that bounced off of Brodeur's right pad. Stajan collected the loose puck in the zone and put the puck through Brodeur's pads for his 19th goal of the season.

That makes five straight goals for the Flames.

Clarkson and Mayers fought again at 10:34 of the third period. They both threw some big punches, but Clarkson landed more and took Mayers down again.

After the fight, Clarkson went back to the locker room.

Clarkson has been the only Devil to be physical tonight. Calgary used their physical game to set the tone, and they've absolutely dominated the game.

It hasn't helped that Brodeur continues to give up rebound after rebound. After looking sharp in the first period, his play has regressed greatly.

The Flames scored three straight goals in the second period to take the lead, 3-1.

The Flames outshot the Devils, 11-8 in the period. The Devils lead in overall shots, 17-16.

Eric Nystrom's goal at 16:04 put the Flames ahead by two.

Glencross was the key to that goal. After coming off the bench for a change, Glencross beat Andy Greene and eliminated the icing. He checked Greene into the sideboards, and the Devils defenseman turned the puck over to Nystrom. Nystrom drove to the front of the net, and Brodeur tried to poke the puck away. It snuck under Brodeur's pads and across the crease, and Nystrom backhanded the puck past a diving Brodeur for his seventh goal of the season.

That makes three unanswered Flames goals in the period.

Curtis Gelncross' shorthanded goal at 5:41 put the Flames ahead, 2-1.

Kovalchuk took the puck at the point after a Devils face-off win. He tried to make one too many moves, and Glencross stripped him of the puck. Glencross chased it down at center ice and broke in alone on Brodeur. He put the puck high over the glove for his third shorthanded goal of the season.

The Devils are 0-for-3 tonight on the powerplay.

Calgary has absolutely dominated the Devils this period. They've played a physical game, putting a hit on any Devil who touches the puck. Their forcheck has been aggressive, and the Devils can barely get anything going in the zone.

David Clarkson and Jamal Mayers fought at 9:10 of the period. None of them really threw many punches, but Clarkson body-slammed Mayers down to the ice to end the fight.

Daymond Langkow's goal at 1:43 tied the game at one.

The Flames were able to catch the Devils top line of Parise, Travis Zajac and Langenbrunner on the ice for an extended period of time. After a faceoff win, Christopher Higgins took the puck behind the net. Higgins took a shot from the goal line hit the stick of Brodeur and went right to Langkow in the slot. Langkow backhanded the puck past Brodeur for his 12th goal of the season.

Zach Parise broke the scoreless tie 13:37 into the opening period.

Andy Greene broke up a clearing attempt on the forecheck in the Flames zone. The defenseman shot the puck, but it missed and bounced out from behind the net. Jamie Langenbrunner grabbed the puck at the goal line and sent a pass between his legs to Parise. Parise let go a shot from the right side of the net that beat Mikka Kiprusoff for the goal.

The Devils led the period in shots, 9-5.

Brian Rolston made a great defensive play with 16 seconds left in the period. With the Flames on a 3-on-2 break, Rolston skated in behind the play. As Jarome Iginla got ready to fire a one-timer, Rolston put his stick blade down and stopped Iginla from getting off the shot.

There was a scary collision between Devils left-winger Ilya Kovalchuk and Flames defenseman Steve Staois. Kovalchuk got in front of Staios on a race to the boards for a puck. As Kovalchuk went to get the puck, he lost an edge. He went down to the ice, and Staois' knee hit Kovalchuk in the head. Staois hit his face off the top runner of the boards. Both players were able to skate back to their respective benches.

Kovalchuk went back to the locker room after the hit. He returned to the ice at 8:20 and played on the second line.

Brodeur looks sharp so far, and the defense has blocked five or six shots so far this period.

Calgary has controlled the pace of play so far. They've been getting quality shots on net, and the Devils haven't been able to get anything going.

Here are the starting lineups:

DEVILS

Forwards: Zach Parise-Travis Zajac-Jamie Langenbrunner. Defensemen: Bryce Salvador-Andy Greene. Goaltender: Martin Brodeur.

FLAMES

Forwards: Rene Bourque-Matt Stajan-Jarome Iginla. Defensemen: Ian White-Robyn Regehr. Goaltender: Miikka Kiprusoff.

Before the game, the Flames honored five members of the Canadian women's hockey team. They also brought out other gold-medal winners.

The Devils will face former coach Brent Sutter for the first time. Sutter stepped down last year to be closer to family, but took the Flames coaching job.

New Jersey is also looking to win back-to-back games for the first time since January. The team defeated Montreal Canadians 2-1 in overtime January 9 and defeated the Rangers, 1-0, in a shootout January 12. They haven't won two consecutive regulation games since January 2 in Minnesota and January 5 at home against Dallas.

Martin Brodeur will start in net for the Devils.

With Pittsburgh's win last night, the Devils fall into second in the Atlantic Division. They are one point behind the Penguins.

Rod Pelley, Andrew Peters and Martin Skoula are the Devils healthy scratches. Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond remains on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

Devils Notes: Martin Unlikely To Play Next Week; Devils Prospects Earn ECHL Honors

Written by AJ Manderichio on Mar 04, 2010 06:03.

Here's a few Devils' news stories to keep you updated:

Paul Martin Unlikely To Play Next Week

Paul Martin continues to skate on his own, and he's began to shoot pucks.

Though he's been shooting, the defenseman hasn't been able to give 100%. Although he wanted to play next week, the chances are slim to none.

"As soon as he’s ready, it will come quick," general manager Lou Lamoriello said of Martin’s return to Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record. "It’s like with Marty (Brodeur) last year (when he was returning from a 50-game layoff with a torn biceps tendon). As soon as the doctor says he’s ready, he’ll be back."

Martin has missed the past 52 games after fracturing his forearm on a shot by Bill Guerin.

Trenton Devils Prospects Earn ECHL Awards

Devils prospects Matt Vokes (Rookie of the Month) and Dave Caruso (Goaltender of the Month) were given ECHL honors for February.

Vokes had 20 points in nine games (nine goals, 11 assists), including three game-winning goals, to lead Trenton to an 8-3-0 in February. Vokes led rookies in goals, assists, game winners and plus minus and was tied for the rookie lead with three powerplay goals and one shorthanded tally.

The rookie also was named ECHL Player of the Week February 15-21. He leads the Trenton Devils in assists and a plus-minus rating of +12. He's second on the team with 38 points.

Goaltender Dave Caruso was named the ECHL Goaltender of the Month for February.

Caruso was 7-2-0 with a 2.00 goals against average and a .942 save percentage for Trenton. He ended the month with a career-best six game winning streak, and allowed one goal in five of his nine starts. His play helped the Trenton Devils improve to 24-23-9 overall.

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