When New Jersey rang in the new year on Jan 1, 2010, the Devils found themselves a top the Eastern Conference and tied for 2nd overall in the NHL with 57 points. Yes, they were dealing with injuries as Zubrus, Clarkson and Martin were out but as a whole the team was responding well to the game plan that Jaques Lemaire was laying out for them.

On January 17th, Patrice Cormier, a highly regarded prospect of the New Jersey Devils viciously elbowed Mikael Tam in a QMJHL game and found himself suspended for the remainder of the season. He was a player that was getting a repuatation for being physical and often times a little dirty but had a great hockey sense. The Devils never really weighed in with their thoughts until a few weeks later.

By the time February had rolled around, the Devils had fallen a bit in the Eastern Conference and were trailing the Washington Capitals by 8 points but were still leading the Atlantic Division and everything seemed to be going in the right direction. Pittsburgh was pressuring NJ for the Division lead but the Penguins couldn't find a way to beat NJ all season. As a fan, you couldn't complain at the product that was on the ice but had to be a little concerned that NJ was starting to not score goals.

Yes, there was a snow storm but really, are the Devils worth the price of admission?I decided that in the best interest of following the Devils, that I would step away from this team for a few days. Who am I kidding, it was Christmas and I've been a bit busy wrapping gifts, unwrapping gifts, hanging a new TV and playing with toys and Wii games that I didn't have time to jump on this blog and write about the Devils. BUT, that time has ended so here we go, strap in!!

* Thoughts on the John Maclean / Jacques Lemaire  situation: The Devils gave John Maclean the pink slip on Thursday, making it the worst thing to happen to a John Maclean at Christmas since Hans Gruber ruined the  Nakatomi Corporation Christmas Party in 1988. I'll admit, I wasn't surprised NJ let MacLean go but extremely shocked Lemaire is back, again. Oh wait, no I am not..it's just what we do. We take back players and coaches that have repeatedly quit on this team and give them another chance.

The only thing obvious about Lemaire taking a spot behind the bench is that the Devils will once again be looking for a coach this summer. I can't see Lemaire staying after this season.

* Lemaire's First Two Games: Granted he had about an hour to prepare for the game against the Islanders but the Devils didn't even find any kind of spark with the coaching change. They were flat, they made a ton of mistakes and the Islanders handed it to the Devils in a very bad way. In fact, this game bugs me more now that I watched the Rangers completely destroy the Islanders last night.

The game against the Leafs wasn't any better. In fact, once that game was done, I realized there is no making excuses for the Devils, they are just a BAD hockey team. In one years time they've gone from first to worst. Believe it or not, this time last year, the Devils owned the best record in the NHL, now they own the worst. Their passing is awful but they are able to put shots on net, its just that their shot selection is about as bad as their passing. There isn't a guy on the team that I wouldn't trade right this minute.

* Time For Lou To Go: He can go upstairs and remain President of this team but as far as his GM duties, he needs to give those up. I don't think he was ever for signing Kovalchuk, I think that came from the owner so I am not saying step aside for that. It's the other things, like the constant retreads we get in NJ. It has happened over and over. Mogilny, Rolston, Arnott, the list goes on and on. To be honest, I am shocked that Bill Guerin wasn't offered a contract with NJ before retiring. On top of the retreads and overpaying those retreads, his ability to find the right players is gone. He used to have that ability. Think back to 2003 when he traded Petr Sykora for Jeff Friesen and Friesen had an incredible Spring, helping NJ to win the cup. Or when he originally brought in Mogilny who helped NJ to a cup in 2000 and back to the Finals in 2001. Now, we sign guys like Zubrus, Tallinder and Volchenkov who do nothing but fill a roster spot and collect a paycheck because lets be honest, that's all they are doing.

* Marty Brodeur: Truth, your goalie is only as good as the guys in front of him but Marty looks old this year. He lets in too many goals on too few shots and does so while he has a good look at the puck. If goals where being scored through screens, I'd say OK, the D need to clear the lane a little better but that's not the case. Marty, please retire...I beg you. You've done so much for this team but we don't want to see you play like this.

* Brian Rolston: Assigned to Albany this morning... Good, oh wait, he's over 35 and we are still on the hook for his salary. What's that?? Lou plans on putting him on re-entry waivers later this week hoping someone takes his old, decrepit ass off our hands?? Fat chance that happens. See my Lou rant above.

The Devils better figure out whats wrong and do so in a hurry or someone might be throwing around the name of that cartoon character with those big ears and fun World to visit real soon!! 

After the performance the Devils put on the ice Friday night, I shut the TV off in disgust and didn't feel like writing a recap because I wouldn't have been able to say anything positive. The Devils played so poorly on Friday night that it took NJ almost 50 minutes to put more than 10 goals on net. They got beat and they deserved every part of the beating they got.

I thought for sure that they would come out on fire against the Thrashers, especially since Kovalchuk was returning to the place he called home for so many years. I was wrong. They didn't just get beat, they got embarrassed. In fact, even when the Thrashers had this game in the bag and pulled up a little, they still got a lot of shots, a lot of chances and even more goals.

I thought the 2-0 loss to the then win-less in 14 games Islanders and the embarrassing show they put up at home a week later against the Canadiens were the lowest points of the season, I was wrong. This weekend, the Devils didn't even look like they cared to be out there. They've given up and its very clear. The worst part of the game last night was that the Thrashers entered the Devils zone with basically a 2 on 5, found a little room in the middle to complete a pass to the left side of the ice and Ladd ripped one, top corner right over Marty's glove. AWFUL!!

Clearly the Devils need something more than waiving a player and continuing to put that player in the lineup after he clears. David Clarkson is a non-factor on this team. Trade his ass. Jamie Langenbrunner isn't a leader this season. Trade his ass as well. Marty seems lost out there, like he can't find the puck. When John MacLean became coach in June, I thought he was planning on implementing a system that demands offense from every player. That CLEARLY has not happened.

Most people get on me because I am complaining after years and years of making the playoffs. That's where I tell them they are wrong about me. Sure, I don't like losing but NJ has been good for so long, so if a losing season is in the cards, fine. But I can't take watching a team just not try. If you go out there, give it your best and still lose, fine but going out there, not competing and giving up 7 goals on 22 shots in UNACCEPTABLE. If you don't want play, please if you have a NTC, give it up and lets ship you out of town.

This team doesn't have much hope of climbing back into the playoff picture, even though its only December but lets just try to change the image this team has at the moment. Right now, EVERYONE is laughing. At the Kovalchuk signing, at the way the Devils play, pretty much everything surrounding this team. Lou, DO SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT!!

The Devils were supposed to be awesome this season...so far it has been anything butThere is a lot of chatter on the various Devils forums and websites that I browse throughout the day about the need to get rid of John MacLean. While I can't say that this seasons shortcomings aren't his fault, I honestly believe that 27 games is far too quick to let a coach go. If you want to take that as "keeping our heads in our asses" then ok, that is what I am suggesting. Maybe we need to look at guys like Larry Robinson and Adam Oates first. I mean Larry didn't have the greatest time coaching this team his last time around and Oates was brought in to help the PP score, which it hasn't.

The Devils could probably benefit from getting rid of a few players and bringing in some new faces to maybe spark this team into actually looking like a professional hockey team. But, before I start naming players that should go, lets give some thought to having Lou himself leave this team.

Many analysts, coaches and front office personnel believe in evaluating their teams in 10-game segments. The ten games give a broad enough spectrum to evaluate the team’s strengths and weaknesses.

Through the New Jersey Devils first 10 games, several disturbing trends arose. A lack of consistency and scoring were some of the team’s several issues. They stumbled out of the gate, playing to a 2-7-1 record.

We all know how the last ten games have went. The Devils played slightly better, going 3-6-1 over the last ten games. Not only that, but the play improved dramatically. The results, however, still aren’t there. The team sits near the bottom of the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference. They can’t afford many sub-.500 ten game segments from here on out.

There’s still several issues plaguing this team. Here are some of the main issues during the team’s recent 3-6-1 stretch:

1. Scoring

The Devils currently sit dead last in the NHL in goals for (36) and goals per game (1.8). New Jersey is the only team in the NHL averaging less than two goals per game. The scoring drought hit every single player, from Ilya Kovalchuk down to Adam Mair. Jason Arnott leaves all scorers with six goals, and Patrik Elias leads all scorers with 12 points. Those are abysmal numbers through twenty games. Most of these players are point-per game producers, but they haven’t reached those levels this season.

Despite the bleak scoring output, there have been abundant signs of offensive life. As a team, the Devils have put 628 shots on net. During these past 10 games, New Jersey produced more quality scoring chances. They’re putting quality shots on net, and they’ve been making opposing goalies work. The effort is there, but the results are not. The coaching staff can’t put the pucks in the back of the net. The team’s average goals per game increased (1.7 to 1.9) despite being shut out three times in the ten games. It’s not a great number, but it’s an increase nonetheless. The Devils look close to breaking out of their slump. Hopefully it’ll come soon.

2. The Power (less) Play

MacLean brought in assistant coach Adam Oates over the summer to improve the team’s offense. Oates was expected to improve the team’s powerplay and finally give the Devils man advantage a punch. Through 20 games, the powerplay can only be described as abysmal. The Devils’ powerplay is 6-for-59 this season, ranking it – you guessed it – last in the league. At first, I believed the struggles stemmed from struggles to adjust to a new system. But it’s now laughable, and the Devils powerplay scares no team.

The Devils powerplay began to look better, especially at home. But it’s not up to par, even by Devils’ standards. The team never had a great powerplay, but this is a joke. They’ve shown now creativity and a lack of ability to develop plays. The team flashes that ability, but those instances are few and far between. It’s been difficult to figure out exactly how the team can improve. The players are too tentative with the puck, leaving no passing or creativity with the man advantage. They’ve drilled it in practice and had their opportunities in games. Maybe it’ll click one game, but I’m not sure how the powerplay can improve.

For more analysis of the past ten games, read after the jump!

To call Ilya Kovalchuk's start to this season unexpected would be an understatement.

The talented Russian left-winger, who scored 338 goals over eight seasons, lost his scoring touch. Kovalchuk currently has four - yes, four - goals on the season. He hasn't been the explosive force the Devils expected when they inked him to a monster 15-year, $100 million dollar contract. Kovalchuk seems to be stuck in neutral, and his decision process suffers because of this. The left-winger passes up too many opportunities, opting to dish the puck to Travis Zajac or Alexander Vasyunov when he should put the puck on net. When he charges into the offensive zone and three defenders collapse around him, Kovalchuk holds on to the puck instead of passing it. He's pressing, hoping to get other teammates involved while finding his own game.

But all hope isn't lost. Kovalchuk can fix his problem with one simple, easy solution:

SHOOT THE DAMN PUCK!

Photo Credit: Getty ImagesThrough 17 games, Kovalchuk put 47 shots on net, good for 2.8 shots per game. In the past three games, Kovalchuk put six total shots on net. A player who scored 50+ goals twice in his career should not average two shots a game. Hockey players are creature of habit, and each individual needs to find their rhythm. Three shots a game will never allow Kovalchuk to find a rhythm on the ice. He needs to up that number and average four of five shots a game. If Kovalchuk continued on this pace, he'd put 229 shots on net, his lowest total since his rookie season in 2001-02.

Defenses will continue to collapse toward Kovalchuk, and putting shots on net won't come easily to the left-winger. But the only way to break his scoring funk is to shoot the puck. Kovalchuk can't score goals if he doesn't put the pucks on net, and he's not going to score putting a measly 2.8 shots on net. He'd have to convert almost 33% of his opportunities in a game just for one goal. A shooting percentage that good is unheard of in the NHL, and while Kovalchuk has exceptional talent, no scorer is that good.

In Atlanta, Kovalchuk had free reign of the ice, with the team running their offense through him. But in New Jersey, where other talented players surround him, there are options on every line. Kovalchuk needs to find that happy balance between getting teammates involved and being selfish with the puck. One place he should look to is Washington, where Alexander Ovechkin has found a near perfect balance of scoring and facilitating. Ovie has yet to record a season where he puts less than 400 shots on net, an astronomical number. But despite the heavy shot total, Ovechkin finds ways to involve his teammates. As a matter of fact, Ovechkin has 279 career goals and 275 career assists. Though he's an exceptional talent, Ovechkin has found ways to bring teammates into the fold while still taking care of his end of the offense.

With Zach Parise out, Kovalchuk is this team's best scoring option. He needs to embrace this role and step up to its challenges. I wouldn't mind seeing Kovalchuk be a little more selfish with the puck. The Devils signed the left-winger for his 50-goal potential. Kovalchuk won't even sniff that plateau if he doesn't shoot the puck.

To break his slump, Kovalchuk simply needs to shoot the damn puck. Increase the shots, and hopefully the rest falls into place.

To say the Devils injury problems are severe would be an understatement.

Since the preseason, the team lost Bryce Salvador (concussion), Brian Rolston (hernia surgery), Zach Parise (torn meniscus) and Mark Fraser (broken hand). New Jersey also began the season without Anssi Salmela, who tore his ACL during the World Championships this year. In total, the Devils lost a combined 339 games between those five players. It's a shocking number, and one that's certainly contributed to their abysmal start.

With the rash of injuries, the Devils needed to depend on rookies to fill several spots in the roster. The Devils have already used seven rookies this season, and that number could rise throughout the season. Some rookies looked good, others overwhelmed, and others in between. Here is our evaluation of every Devils rookie who took the ice this season, in order of games played.

1. Matt Taormina (15 games, 5 points, +1 rating)

Taormina is the Devils best rookie so far this season. The undrafted forward from Providence College (where Lou Lamoriello first got his start) is in the top ten in points on the team and is tied for second in goals. Taormina stepped up and became the team's best offensive option along the blue line, supplanting Andy Greene from that position. The defenseman earned the trust of coach John MacLean, and now gets regular time on the powerplay.

The rookie defensemen continues to get it done in the defensive zone as well. He's not a Scott Stevens or Ken Daneyko, but Taormina is generally solid in his own end. Sometimes he makes a dumb mistake, as every rookie does, but he's by far made the best impression this season.

2. Olivier Magnan (9 games, 0 points, -2 rating)

Magnan made his debut in Montreal on October 21, and he made his presence known immediately. The rookie threw his body around and looked strong in his own end, drawing rave reviews from Devils color commentator Chico Reesch. Since that game, Magnan continued to earn the trust of MacLean, gaining significant minutes in his following games.

Magnan isn't going to light the lamp or make dazzling offensive rushes. His job is to play physical defense and use the body. Through nine games, he's looked good doing just that. Like Taormina, he's going to make mistakes throughout the course of a game. But his have been limited, and he's outplayed veterans like Henrik Tallinder during his time with New Jersey.

3. Tim Sestito (9 games, 0 points, -1 rating)

Sestito did his job during his time with the Devils, filling in along the fourth line and generally playing around eight minutes a night. He didn't do anything spectacular, but wasn't depended on for his offensive skill. The Devils looked for him to fill space and play well, and he generally gave them what they asked.

As a center, however, Sestito struggled from the faceoff circle. In eight games, Sestito only won 43 percent of his faceoffs (in his ninth game, against the Blackhawks, he didn't record a faceoff attempt). That ineffective play brought down the amount of shifts MacLean could use Sestito, because his faceoff percentages were so weak. In the minors, he'll have to work on that weakness.

4. Alexander Urbom (7 games, 0 points, -3 rating)

I've got to admit, the struggles Urbom underwent through seven games were a bit surprising. The rookie made the team out of training camp, even though he never played North American hockey. As a result, he looked a step too slow on the ice. He never seemed to flash the offensive potential shown during his time with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL last year either.

Urbom needs to get his feet wet in the AHL before anyone can give him a true judgment. The NHL looked too fast for him, and some seasoning should help him learn proper positioning and when to be aggressive. Secretly, I wanted him to score so Doc and Chico could do some type of John Sterling-esque goal call. Maybe it'll come next year.
For the rest of the review, follow after the jump!

The Devils early season struggles point to several deficiencies with New Jersey, but one trend became evidently clear - the inability to win on home ice.

New Jersey's struggles at The Rock, while loudly pronounced, should come as no surprise to Devils fans. Since it's opening in 2007, Prudential Center hasn't provided an overwhelming home-ice advantage, and this year continues to display the Devils' struggles at home.

Photo Credit: Noah K. Murray/The Star-LedgerWhen the Prudential Center opened in 2007, it gave the Devils a building exclusively for their use. True, Seton Hall Basketball played its home games there, but the building was dedicated to the Devils. But in it's first season, the Devils couldn't establish a home-ice advantage. During the 2007-08 season, the Devils went 25-14-2 at home, good for a .609 winning percentage. The winning percentage looks gaudy, but the team only went nine games above .500 at home. The Devils matched their home winning percentage on the road, carrying a lofty .609 winning percentage on the road. The advantage, therefore, was negligible, as both percentages cancelled out. The Prudential Center became even more unwelcoming during the postseason, as the Devils lost all three games on home ice in a 4-1 first-round loss to the New York Rangers.

The 2008-2009 season presented the first definitive home-ice boost for the Devils. During the regular season, the team went 28-12-1, good for a .683 winning percentage. The team finished 15 games above .500 at home, still the high water mark for the franchise. On the road, the Devils held a .561 winning percentage, which is still a respectable number. During the playoffs, the team won half of their playoff games at home, but suffered a crushing, Game 7 defeat against the Carolina Hurricanes on home ice.

Last season, the Devils continued to improve on their own ice. Their 27-10-4 mark was the second-best record at the Prudential Center. The team once again finished with a high winning percentage (.659), helping them to clinch the Atlantic Division crown. The team once again turned in a worse performance on the road, playing to a .512 save percentage while finishing just one game above .500. But once again, The Rock failed to provide a playoff victory, as the Devils won only one home playoff game.

In the three years since its opening, the Devils compiled an 80-36-7 record, which isn't bad. But, underneath the record, there's an ugly number. The Devils have only a .491 winning percentage at the Prudential Center. The team was far more successful on the road, playing to a .528 winning percentage. Struggling at home is nothing new for the Devils, but this year has been more pronounced.

There isn't any one thing to improve the Devils home play. The same problems that plague this team on the road hurt them at home. It could be the attendance numbers or the neutral site feel of some games against the New York Rangers and other rivals. While those would be valid reasons, I believe it simply deals with the Devils play. The Devils need to play better at home. They need to match the energy of a home crowd and make it tough for opponents. That deals with crowd atmosphere, but a fan base can only support a team that gives it a consistently good effort.

While they've struggled this season at home, the Devils' struggles at home aren't unusual because they haven't been a great team at The Rock. The Devils need to reverse the trend and make the Prudential Center a tough place to play.

Coming into this season, the Devils faced some major question marks with the young players in camp. One of the biggest mysteries was Rod Pelley, who failed to impress both Brent Sutter and Jacques Lemaire.

But under John MacLean, Pelley has flourished into a “John Madden“-esque role, providing the lineup with a solid defensive forward.

Photo Credit: Richard Lam/Getty ImagesThe Devils signed Pelley as an undrafted free agent in 2006, after the center finished playing for Ohio State University. Coming out of Ohio State, Pelley was expected to be an offensive center. As one scouting report read:

Pelley is a tough, hard-hitting forward who excels in the faceoff circle. He plays with an edge and is fiercly competitive. Pelley’s skating ability combines power with good speed and quickness. He is strong on skates and is tough to move off of the puck. He has great on-ice vision and hockey sense. He anticipates were plays are going quite well too.

One of Pelley’s best attributes is his cannon-like shot. He’s a player who also loves to shoot and has a superb wrist shot. He has a real nose for the net and is willing to pay a price in high traffic areas to make the plays.

Pelley caught fire with the Lowell Devils, scoring 17 goals and leading all rookie skaters with 29 points. That play earned Pelley a NHL callup, and he dressed for nine games, failing to record a point. He stuck with the Devils in 2007-08, playing 58 games. Pelley recorded six points and 19 penalty minutes, but didn’t impress Brent Sutter enough to stick with the club for the entire season. After those 58 games, Pelley was sent down to the AHL, where he remained from the end of 2007 until the 2009-10 season.

Lemaire gave Pelley another shot last season, and the center stayed with the team the entire season. Pelley dressed for 63 games, recording 10 points and 40 penalty minutes. But Pelley couldn’t break the fourth line role, and he never earned the type of penalty kill time to prove his worth.

Instead of just sticking Pelley on the fourth line, current coach John MacLean used the center in different situations. He put Pelley on the penalty kill, increasing his responsibilities. Not only did Pelley step up to the challenge, he excelled at it. His good play (and injuries) brought him the opportunity, and Pelley took full advantage. He’s moved up to the center the second or third line, and MacLean turned to him in several key situations.

Pelley won’t score goals or create any highlight reel plays. But he’s been a solid producer for the Devils this season, and one of the only constants in the lineup. MacLean finally gave Pelley an opportunity, and we’ve seen him excel. Pelley is finally fulfilling the “John Madden” role on this team. Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello continually praised Pelley, and the patience and faith shown has finally paid off.

Several NHL coaches believe in breaking the season down into 10 game segments and evaluate the team within that window.

What could John MacLean take from the first 10 games this season? Little to nothing. The Devils need to wipe the slate clean and start over in their next 10 games. In order to start from scratch, the team needs to identify the root of their issues.

There’s clearly a myriad of problems, but I believe these are the main culprits behind the Devils 2-7-1 start this season:

1. Consistency

While it’s a broad topic, consistency covers a vast amount of the issues with the Devils. The first place inconsistency occurred through the first ten games was on the ice. In the Devils two shutout wins, the team gave complete, 60-minute efforts. But in their eight losses this season, the Devils went through stretches of bad play, where they lacked creativity, execution and hustle. It’s the reason why they’ve allowed five-plus goals in three of their ten games.

No where has this been more evident than the second period of games. Through 10 games, the Devils have been outscored 18-4 in the second period of games. The Devils will bring energy in the first and third periods, but the team's play significantly decreases during the middle period. There have been some exceptions, but the team can't afford to be that inconsistent in one period of a game.

The inconsistency also occurs throughout the Devils’ locker room. Players say the right things, citing the need to work harder, create chemistry, etc. It’s all lip service until it’s seen on the ice, and so far, the players struggled to translate their talk to on-ice success. Combined with the on-ice consistency, the erratic play is causing frustration throughout the locker room and coaching staff.

What can the Devils do to fix their consistency issues? It seems like a no-brainer to me - focus on the ice. Don’t take a shift off. Keep up the intensity. These aren’t hard things to accomplish. The players need to play with a purpose. There’s been too many times when the Devils stand around or glide rather than skate hard. When the team plays consistently good hockey, the results are great. For some reason, the Devils’ players take shifts, periods and even games off. Instead of playing like a two win team, they’re acting like an undefeated squad who can afford a few nights off. Giving a consistent effort will lead to better performances and, hopefully, more wins.

2. The System

The Devils don’t have the proper players for whatever “system” MacLean attempted to install during training camp. The defensemen haven’t moved the puck well, and the scorers look lost on the ice. MacLean wanted to install a puck-possession mentality, but the Devils simply can’t play that style of hockey right now. The team looks lost in the system.

MacLean needs to realize this and change it accordingly. Yesterday’s successful powerplay conversion showed the importance of tailoring the system to the players. Instead of fancy passing and holding on to the puck to long, the Devils fired a shot on net and crashed it, looking for rebounds. Surprise, surprise, the play led to a goal. MacLean had ten games to tinker with his offensive system, and it failed. The team needs to return to the “Devils” game - solid defensive hockey, capitalizing on opportunities, slowly squeezing the life out of an opponent. It’s not interesting or exciting, but that’s not what the Devils need right now. They need wins.

3. The Power Play

Once again, the Devils have an issue with their man advantage play. The Devils powerplay is 3-for-33, including 1-for-20 on the road. Those are absolutely miserable numbers, and inexcusable for a team with this much talent. The Devils haven’t even scored a 5-on-3 goal! The organization brought in Adam Oates to help the powerplay, but his influence has been nonexistent. The Devils are already the lowest scoring team in the NHL (17 goals for), and they need the  special teams to get the ball rolling. The opportunities are there, but the team can’t cash in.

The Devils need to find consistency and communication during their extra-man opportunities. Last night, the players passed the puck to open points, ran into each other and looked out of sync. The team continually practices the powerplay, but they haven’t found something concrete to work. The team needs to simplify the powerplay. Work it around, get a shot, follow it up with a body crashing the net. It’s the simple plays that will lead to goals, and may be the best strategy for the Devils anemic powerplay.

4. Lack of Scoring

This goes hand in hand with the Devils powerplay struggles. New Jersey can’t score goals. Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise and Jason Arnott have three goals each, which leads the team. It took David Clarkson 29 shots to get his first goal. Jamie Langenbrunner is goal-less, and Patrik Elias and Travis Zajac each have one. Right now, the Devils can’t score goals. They’re missing opportunities, trying to force passes, and taking shots. It's not exactly a recipe for success.

So what’s the solution? SHOOT THE PUCK! The only way to score goals is to shoot the puck at net. The only bad shot is one that’s not taken. The players don’t need to score highlight reel goals. Put the puck on net and see what happens. Get to the front of the net to clean up the rebounds and score “dirty” goals. If a couple of guys get rolling, then the scoring will pick up.

5. Defensive Play

This one is the toughest of all for the Devils. For so many years, the team plugged in players along the blue line and continued to chug along. But it’s been a complete 180 degree turn this season. With the injuries to Anton Volchenkov and Bryce Salvador, the team dresses three rookies on a consistent basis. While they’ve played o.k., the rookies are making mistakes that lead to goals. We talked at the beginning of the season about whether or not the Devils could live with rookie mistakes. So far, the team hasn’t been able to deal with those errors.

There’s no real solution to this issue. Larry Robinson needs to drill his younger guys, but the team also desperately needs their defenseman back. Volchenkov will help bring toughness and shot-blocking back to the blue line, and Salvador brings a physical, veteran presence. While Volchenkov may return during this road trip, Salvador has yet to skate after being concussed during the pre-season. The Devils will play with rookies this year, but the return of Volchenkov allows the team to have at least one shutdown pair of defenders.

These are just some of the Devils issues through the first 10 games of the season. I’m sure there are several others we can identify, including the pedestrian play of Martin Brodeur, the awful play of the veterans (Arnott is a -10!), and the terrible home record. But it hasn’t been all terrible. Dainius Zubrus looks good in the early going, and Matt Taormina is quickly becoming the Devils best offensive defenseman. Rod Pelley grew into a John Madden-esque role, including the lack of scoring, but became an important penalty killer and energy player.

Clearly, the first 10 games haven’t been what the Devils expected. The next 10 games present an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start fresh. We’ll see if the Devils make any changes and can find a way to improve through games 11 - 20.

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Here’s the Devils next ten games:

Devils vs. Anaheim Ducks - October 29

Devils vs. Los Angeles Kings - October 30

Devils vs. Canucks - November 1

Devils vs. Blackhawks - November 3

Rangers vs. Devils - November 5

Sabres vs. Devils - November 10

Oilers vs. Devils - November 12

Devils vs. Bruins - November 15

Devils vs. Maple Leafs - November 18

Devils vs. Blues - November 20