The New Jersey Devils got a much-needed win on Sunday night, just 24 hours after their worst loss of the season. That loss came to the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 6-3. Johan Hedberg was pulled for the second time in three starts after the second period and gave way to rookie goaltender Jeff Frazee.

However, Hedberg and the Devils rebounded nicely on Sunday, defeating the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 in a shootout. Ryan Carter and Stephen Gionta netted Jersey's goals and Patrik Elias' put the icing on the cake in the shootout.

The Devils have now won two of their last three games; Elias has sealed the deal in the shootout on both occasions. Elias' late game heroics have become a theme as of late--he netted the game tying goal against Buffalo just a few nights ago with a little over a minute remaining in regulation.

Tonight's game was a good sign for the Devils Army. Coach Peter DeBoer said after the game, "Tonight I thought we put it all together for the first time in a while." This could not be more accurate.

The Devils jumped out to an early 2-0 lead as a result of some hard work by the former fourth (now third) line. Ryan Carter got things started 8:47 into the opening frame. His goal came off a net-mouth scramble and was assisted by Travis Zajac and Anton Volchenkov. For the first time since February 18, New Jersey had netted the first goal of the game. Stephen Gionta added to the lead less than two minutes later with his third tally of the season. Ilya Kovalchuk and Adam Larsson added assists.

One thing is for certain--Johan Hedberg's play tonight will instill a big boost of confidence for not only him, but for his teammates, as well. Despite what the scoreboard says, Hedberg really should have had a shut-out tonight. Andy Greene deflected a shot on goal past Hedberg in a play that should have been left alone. Mark Stuart fluttered one towards the net and it would have been an easy stop for Moose if Greene had not touched it.

Evander Kane tied things up in the middle frame on an odd-man rush. Larsson got caught up in the offensive zone and was late getting back. Kane's wrister beat Hedberg up high and just caught the inside of the post. I'll be honest, not too many goalies in the National Hockey League were going to stop that shot.

What really impressed me tonight was the added physicality that the Devils brought to the table. I noticed Steve Bernier a lot tonight as a result of his hard checks and physical play. In order to continue on their winning ways, New Jersey will have to play physical. They are not an oversized team, so any advantage they can get is a good one.

Both teams were denied several scoring opportunities in the third period and overtime. Ilya Kovalchuk and David Clarkson failed to convert on their shootout chances; Blake Wheeler and Evander Kane produced the same results for Winnipeg. Patrik Elias slid one in past Ondrej Pavelec's five hole before Moose denied Andrew Ladd to send the Devils to victory.


Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images.

Final Thoughts

• The Devils have not played as well as they did tonight in a long time. Let's hope they keep it up.
• Jersey squares up against Philadelphia on Wednesday night in the first leg of a home-and-home series. As always, Devils fans, we need to ROCK the ROCK. I will be cheering from Section 123 in my brand-new Adam Henrique jersey, so stop by and say hello. I am usually in the Digital Zone after the first period. Belated birthday presents will be accepted at that time!
• With the win tonight, Jersey stayed in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Over the next few games, the Devils should be able to make a push to move higher up if they continue to play like they did this evening.
• Still no word on when Martin Brodeur will return. As soon as I know, I will certainly pass it on to the followers here at Running With The Devils.

For all of your latest Devils news, analysis, and reaction, be sure to follow us (me and Joey, as well!) on twitter. You can "like" us on facebook, too! Until Wednesday night, Devils fans, sleep tight and Let's Go Devils!

The eight year term is now the maximum allowed under the new rules of the CBA.  In January, Travis Zajac was able to garnish such a contract of that length and with the cap hit size that goes along with an eight year contract you HAVE to assume a team knows what it is going to get out of that player.   Want to hear some cap hit comparables? Lucic, Franzen, Jordan Staal, Pavelski, Perron, Parenteau, and even Giroux (Yuck, Philly).  Not a bad list, right?  Well here is the “bad” part of it, Zajac on the year has four goals, three assists, is a zero plus/minus, and has no/none/zip/zilch special teams points.

In the past month alone Zajac has alone produced two goals, two assists, and is a +/- rating of (-3).  Leaving everyone in New Jersey scratching our heads and asking ourselves “Are we witnessing Travis struggling or is this life post-Parise on his line?”  But I think we are getting what we should have been expecting with Travis (Maybe a bit less than what we expected). Travis is a great two-way player in the NHL, but the guy was never a sniper or premium playmaker by NHL standards.  He is a Devil, he plays like a Devil, and it's in his DNA.  He knows it and Lou knows it.  And thats why it was easy deciding he should stay here for the next decade.  Is he worth upwards of almost 50 million? No.  

Lets be real for a second.  Does he play hard? Absolutely.  Can he play both ends of the ice? Absolutely.  But has Zajac ever blown you off the the Scoring Summary Reports? No.  I think Zajac is the right type of player to fit in between guys that can jump off the ice at you.  He is a complementary type player.  You do not put on a Zajac on a line and find players to fit Zajac’s skill set, you put a Zajac on a line to fit a Kovalchuk’s skill set.  You Follow?

A big problem here is that the Devils do not have a lot of offensive depth and it has been showing the past couple of weeks.  If we mash up the Devils top two profile players (Zaj and Kovster) on one line and it doesn’t produce? Yikes...  Yes, we are that thin.  Yes.. I know who Henrique and Clarky are, but did you know Clarkson hasn’t scored a goal since Feb 15? Just about a month ago, #ClarksonAWOL?  That is why Kovy plays with Lokti and Ponik, which may be the least intimidating line Kovy has ever played on. 

Which is why this team has Dany Heatley rumors following them.  In Lou we trust, of course, but I’d imagine four goals is not what he anticipated from Zajac this year.  I think a problem many fans and front office’s can have is that we tend to overvalue or overrate some players after a nice playoff run.  And 2012-13 was such a sweeeet playoff run too, so sweet  Zajac cashed in on it. The burning question will be, was Zajac worth it come the offseason because remember our own upcoming FA list which will include, Elias, Zub, Clark, Henrique, Ponik, and Lokti. 

(Getty Images)

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Sleep easy Devils Army, the streak is over!

Patrik Elias and David Clarkson were able to score on Ryan Miller, who backed up the injured Jhonas Enroth, and gave the Devils a much needed win snapping their six game losing streak. Hedberg made some huge saves including the two in a shootout to help end the streak.

With the Devils needing a win they turned to Johan Hedberg who was going through a tough stretch between the pipes. Adam Larrson and Mark Fayne were healthy scratches and Anton Volchenkov and Mark Fayne stepped in to take their spots. RW Tom Kostopoulos made his Devils debut after being claimed off waivers from Pittsburgh.

Thomas Vanek and Brian Flynn, who tallied his first NHL goal, had a commanding 2-0 lead for Buffalo. Once again, the Devils were on their heels looking for an answer for this scoring drought.

Adam Henrique was the answer after he scored on the powerplay on a beautiful feed from Ilya Kovalchuk cutting the lead down to one early in the second half of the third. With almost a minute to go in regulation, Patrick Elias was able to knock the rebound from David Clarkson into the back of the net, tying the game 2-2. With that goal Jhonas Enroth was also chased after apparently overstretching on a save attempt and was helped off the ice. In came Ryan Miller.

Jason Pominville had arguably the best shot in the overtime as he ripped a slapper of the post which Hedberg was able to cover and preserve the tie and send it into a shootout.

In the shootout, Hedberg stop all the Buffalo shots from Vanek and Pominville while Clarkson and Elias scored for New Jersey giving them the victory 3-2!

(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

The Devils will be in Raleigh, North Carolina, Saturday night to take on the Carolina Hurricanes.

For the latest news, reaction, and analysis, like our Facebook page! Follow me on twitter: @joeypona

Are you kidding me?

The New Jersey Devils dropped their sixth (yes, sixth) consecutive contest on Tuesday evening at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts beat the Devils for just the third time in the Prudential Center by a score of 5-2. Adam Henrique and Patrik Elias netted goals for New Jersey.

This is the Devils' first losing streak of six or more games since December, 2010.

Jersey's Team allowed the opposition to score the first goal of the game for the seventh straight time. Nate Thompson tallied his fourth of the season 17:04 into the opening frame. Another defensive breakdown led to the early deficit; the Devils had a great forecheck going at the other end of the ice before Henrik Tallinder (still not sure why he's in the lineup) turned the puck over. The Lightning swooped down the ice and cashed in on the opportunity.

Things did not get much better in the second period. Martin St Louis scored his sixth goal of the year on an odd-man rush 5:53 into the middle frame. Alexander Killorn scored his fourth of the season 13:13 in.

Enter Keith Kinkaid.

Johan Hedberg was lifted for the Devils' rookie prospect after allowing his third goal of the night before the mid-way point of the game. The highlight of the night came when number thirty-five in red stone-walled Steven Stamkos on a breakaway attempt. I am standing by my tweet that I sent out earlier regarding the save. I'll let you check it out for yourself.

Keith Kinkaid was strong in his NHL debut tonight, surrendering just one goal, but his efforts were not enough as the Devils lost their sixth consecutive game. Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images.

Perhaps the third period was the light at the end of the tunnel. After the Devils had fallen behind by a score of 4-0, on a goal that came as a result of a bad no-call for goalie interference, Adam Henrique slid a short-handed goal past Tampa Bay goaltender Anders Lindback. Patrik Elias netted a power play goal just a few minutes later to pull the Devils within two.

The comeback was too little, too late, however, as an empty-net goal from B.J. Crombeen sealed the victory for the Lightning.

Final Thoughts:

• We played better at the end of the third. I finally made the trek across my living room to pick up my Devils hat, which had been thrown violently against the wall earlier in the game. Maybe this will be the spark that the Devils need to get something going.
• Pete DeBoer said in his post-game interview that Johan Hedberg will start in goal on Thursday evening. I am really not sure what his thought process is behind this move, but I guess that is why he gets paid to make decisions and I do not. Maybe he knows something that the fans do not.
• Not making excuses, but the Devils got a bad game out of the officials tonight. Again, this is not the reason that they have lost six games in a row, but it does not help. The first two Tampa Bay goals came immediately following bad no-calls that could have put New Jersey on the power play. Steve Bernier was hit with a high stick in the offensive zone just seconds before the Bolts broke out and scored. Ryan Carter was interfered with prior to the second Bolts' goal. Keith Kinkaid was also somewhat interfered with on his only goal against tonight.
• I have full confidence in saying when Marty and Dainius Zubrus are ready to return, this team will get it going.
• Remember when Krys Barch was productive? Yeah, neither do I.
• Here's what needs to happen: Stefan Matteau comes back in and plays in Janssen/Barch's place. When Zubrus comes back, he replaces the other. Tallinder needs to sit and Anton Volchenkov needs to play. And for the love of hockey, Pete DeBoer has got to stop jumbling the lines so much during the game. It's one thing to do it in practice, but these guys need to get used to each other out on the ice! Set the lines at the beginning of the game. Keep it that way until the final buzzer rings.

The Devils are back in action on Thursday evening against the Buffalo Sabres. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM. Devils Army, you have got to ROCK the ROCK! This game will be interesting after the two teams battled out a tough game last Saturday afternoon.

For all of your latest Devils news, reaction, and analysis, follow Running With The Devils (and me) on twitter. "Like" us on facebook, as well! Keep your eyes peeled for a new writer within the next few days, as well...

Until Thursday, Go Devils! Gotta keep the faith.

This is going to be a very brief recap. As a die-hard Devils fan, it is very hard for me to continue writing about such horrible displays of hockey. I am really not sure where to start on this one: bad goaltending, even worse defense, or so many missed opportunities? Wherever I begin, the New Jersey Devils had all three of those things tonight, and it was extremely evident. As if you did not already know, this was the Devils' fifth straight loss.

The Maple Leafs opened the scoring 10:34 into the game on a fluke goal from Nazem Kadri (his ninth of the season). Johan Hedberg was caught out of position when Kadri went to center the puck; Moose was late with the poke check and was too far off of the goal post. The puck deflected off Hedberg's stick and through his legs into the back of the net. New Jersey out-shot the Maple Leafs, 8-5, in the first, but trailed heading into the locker room.

Marek Zidlicky took matters into his own hands in the middle period. Zidlicky scored off the faceoff just 5:43 into the second to tie the game at one. Zidlicky's second goal of the year came on an assist from Ryan Carter and shifted the momentum to the Jersey side.

In a carbon copy of the first Devils goal, Zidlicky scored on a beautiful feed from Carter 11:18 into the second. The goal solidified the momentum shift and put New Jersey out in front for the first time by a score of 2-1. Again, the Devils out-shot Toronto, 10-5, in the middle frame. This time, however, they skated to the locker room with the lead.

The lead did not last too long, however, as Toronto was able to tie things up just 39 seconds into the third. Jay McClement netted his third of the season to pull the Leafs even. His goal came unassisted and was also the result of some questionable goaltending. McClement's shot hit off the pipe (which Hedberg SHOULD have been hugging) and deflected off Hedberg into the net. A very easy shot that could have been saved led to a tie game and a momentum shift.

And when it rains, it pours.

Andrei Loktionov was called for tripping 7:17 into the final period. Toronto wasted no time capitalizing on the opportunity; Clarke MacArthur tallied his sixth goal of the season just eight seconds later to put his team out in front. Moose's five hole tonight was wide enough to parallel park a car in.

As the Devils looked to even things up, they had a few good chances. Elias, for the second time in as many games, had a golden opportunity to bury a one-timer while wide open in front of the net. Yet again, however, Elias failed to elevate the puck and was denied the opportunity by Toronto goalie James Reimer.


Missed chances were the story of the game for the Devils tonight. Photo by REUTERS/Mark Blinch.

Phil Kessel put the game out of reach for the Devils 9:52 into the third. Marek Zidlicky got caught in the offensive zone and left Andy Greene back to defend a 2-on-1 that came as a result of a quick outbreak from Toronto. Greene left the passing lane wide open and allowed James van Riemsdyk an easy pass across to Kessel. Greene HAS to dive in this situation in order to eliminate the pass; Hedberg can cover the short-side shot if the pass is defended against.

Final Thoughts:

• The Devils missed several opportunities to score tonight, and that is not going to help win hockey games. Alexei Ponikarovsky did his best Mark Fayne impression by missing a wide open net in the first period when New Jersey was trailing by one. Elias could not come through in the clutch (again). It is getting redundant.
• Johan Hedberg did not play his best game tonight. I have defended Moose since the beginning of this rough stretch, but three of the four Toronto goals were on him tonight. Rookie Keith Kinkaid needs to play tomorrow against Tampa. We have nothing to lose.
• I am not sure what will turn this team around and provide a boost of energy. But it has to happen soon. The Devils are slowly falling in the Eastern Conference standings and need to get back on the right track. I know, I am preaching to the choir with this one, but it needed to be said.
• And for the love of hockey, can we please bench Henrik Tallinder tomorrow? He has literally done nothing to help the Devils since his goal against the New York Islanders back on January 31. That goal was not spectacular, either; The Devils dropped that game by a score of 5-4 in overtime.

The Devils will be back at it again tomorrow night on home ice. New Jersey will square up against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 4-3 this evening. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM.

For all of your latest Devils news, reaction, and analysis, follow us (and me) on twitter. "Like" Running With The Devils on facebook, as well. Until tomorrow, goodnight Devils fans. Keep the faith.

The New Jersey Devils lost their fourth straight contest on Saturday afternoon at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres. Jersey's Team fell by a score of 4-3 in a shootout; the Devils missed out on a point in a game in which they dominated the opposition. Johan Hedberg stopped 20 of 23 shots but could not get the job done for the third consecutive game.

David Clarkson and Steve Ott got things started with a brief scrap just 27 seconds in. Clarkson took Ott down and provided an early energy boost for the Devils. New Jersey and Buffalo played a chippy opening period; both Hedberg and Sabres' goalie Ryan Miller were strong throughout. The teams headed into the locker room at the end of the first locked in a scoreless tie. The Devils out-shot the Sabres 13-6 in the opening period and seemed destined to score first.

The Devils picked up where they left off in the middle period. Kevin Porter was called for boarding just 1:53 into the second period and sent the Devils to the power play. Jersey was unable to capitalize on the opportunity.

At 7:02 of the second period, Tyler Myers was called for cross checking. Again, the Devils had a chance to put a goal on the board; however, it was Buffalo who cashed in. Jason Pominville netted his eighth of the season 15 seconds into the New Jersey power play and put the Sabres up 1-0. Bobby Butler got caught gazing at the puck and left the Buffalo captain wide open out in front. The one time shot got by Hedberg in a flash.

Steve Bernier responded quickly for the Devils to tie the game at one. His sixth of the season came 9:24 into the middle period. The Devils out-shot Buffalo 13-8 in the second, but headed into the locker room tied at one.


Photo by Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Adam Henrique put New Jersey out in front 1:21 into the third while shorthanded. The Devils had energy early on in the third and were in a great position to win.

Enter Jason Pominville. Again.

Pominville scored his second goal of the game 3:10 into the third to knot things up. Jochen Hecht scored his first goal of the year six minutes later to send the Sabres out in front.

Andrei Loktionov tied things up for the Devils with less than 10 minutes to play. Loktionov's third goal of the year extended his point streak to five games (3 G, 2 A).

Both teams played fire-wagon style in the overtime period; Buffalo was gifted a power play just 37 seconds in on a phantom roughing call on Marek Zidlicky. Unable to cash-in, both teams headed to a shootout.

Jason Pominville and Tyler Ennis netted the first two chances for the Sabres in the shootout. Ilya Kovalchuk hit the cross bar on New Jersey's first attempt; Adam Henrique was stopped by Miller to win the game.

Final Thoughts:

• There's not much to be said for a team that was in first place in the east just a week ago that is now in seventh.
• The Devils have to play more physical. Anything to get the energy level back up.
• KOVY: WHERE ARE YOU? I need to see more offensive production out of Kovalchuk in order to convince me that the Devils are serious Cup contenders again this season. Kovy's numbers just are not there (yet) this season.
• The Devils and Sabres square off again on Thursday evening at the Rock. This will be an interesting game. Ryan Miller and Adam Henrique were involved in some smack-talking at the end of the shootout; not to mention, the Sabres got away with some of the most blatant interference/cross-checking/roughing penalties I have ever seen. The Devils were definitely not happy after this one and will look to turn the tables on Thursday night.

The Devils are back in action on Monday night, March 4, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM. The Devils will get out of this slump. It is only a matter of time. Just a side note, Martin Brodeur is eligible to play on Monday night. We will see who gets the call for the Devils between the goal pipes.

For all of your latest Devils news, reaction, and analysis, follow us on twitter and like us on facebook. Senior Editor Scott Robb can also be found on twitter. Go Devils!

Things are changing drastically here at Running With The Devils.

Since our last blog post on February 12, which recapped the Devils' loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, our staff has shuffled around. Former writers Devin Mattera and Raj Vaidya left Running With The Devils to join the Devils Army Blog staff; additionally, former editor Darren joined the crew over at The Hockey Writers. Writer Scott Robb has taken over the operation of the blog.

Running With The Devils will be returning from its brief hiatus on Saturday, March 2, to recap the Devils' contest against theBuffalo Sabres.

Visit us on our brand new twitter page and like us on facebook. There are a lot of great things in store for this site in the near future! Stay tuned.

The New Jersey Devils' five-game winning streak came to an abrupt end on Tuesday evening. The Devils were defeated by a fiesty Carolina Hurricanes team in a game that could have easily gone the Devils' way. After falling behind 2-1 going into the third, the Devils tied the game at two, but allowed two more unanswered goals before time ran out.

While the game did not turn out the way New Jersey had hoped, they remain at the top of the Eastern Conference at 8-2-3.

The Devils hit a road bump last week in Pittsburgh and responded well. Hopefully, they can do the same after yesterday's loss. The focus in the locker room must now be on the fact that the Philadelphia Flyers are rolling into town on Friday night.

Ilya Kovalchuk collected his fifth goal of the season last night on a first period Devils powerplay. The play was ruled "no goal" on the ice, but upon further review, the call was overturned. The powerplay was decent at best last night; good puck movement, as usual, just not enough shots.

Jussi Jokinen tied the game for Carolina early on in the second period. The Canes added another goal 18:29 into the middle frame to take the lead. Patrick Dwyer tallied his fourth of the season to put Carolina in front 2-1.

New Jersey made some clear adjustments in the locker room between the second and third periods. They came out with a faster pace of play and had several quality chances. Ryan Carter took a loose puck away from a Carolina defender and sneaked one by goaltender Cam Ward to tie the game at two. Carter's second goal of the season came 1:34 into the third and shifted the momentum back to the Jersey side.


Photo: Elsa/Getty Images

Mark Fayne, who missed the morning skate yesterday due to a death within his family, took a useless (a very useless, that is) penalty 6:31 into the third which sent the Hurricanes to the powerplay attack. Jiri Tlusty wasted no time and scored less than a minute later what would be the game-winning goal.

The Devils had a chance to tie the game late in the third but were shorthanded, yet again, after Andy Greene was called for tripping with under three minutes to play. Jiri Tlusty iced the game with his second goal of the night (an empty-netter) and propelled the Hurricanes to a 4-2 victory.

Final Thoughts

• The Devils did not play their best game of the year last night. You win some, you lose some. New Jersey has a big divisional match-up coming up this Friday night and can make a quick response to last night's game by beating the Flyers on home ice.
• The stupid penalties have to stop. Nothing more to say here.
• Despite not playing so great, the Devils had a chance to win this game. Clarkson could not connect on a golden opportunity early on in the third in which he and Henrique had a 2-on-1. Butler also fanned on a shot as the puck was trickling across the crease with under a minute to play. It was a difficult shot, but one that he could have made.
• Dainius Zubrus has been placed on Injured Reserve. Andrei Loktionov has been recalled from Albany. I am excited to see what this kid's got. Hopefully, he gets a solid opportunity to play and produces.

As mentioned, the Devils are back in action on Friday night against the Philadelphia Flyers. I will be at the game, so stop by and say hello. Section 107, row 7, first seat! We have to ROCK the ROCK on Friday and say NO to orange! Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM EST.

For all of your latest Devils news and reaction, follow Running With The Devils (and me) on twitter. Let's go Devils!

Carolina Hurricanes (6-4-1) @ New Jersey Devils (8-1-3)

This is Carolina’s first trip to the rock this season. The Canes are 6-3-1 in their last 10 and 4-2-1 on the road. Carolina is currently sitting in 1^st place in the Southeast Division and in 3^rd place overall in the Eastern Conference

The Devils Last Game

They rolled into Pittsburgh and behind Clarkson’s two goal night and another from Ilya Kovalchuk, the Devils completed a weekend sweep of the Penguins. You can read Scott’s recap on that game right here.

The Hurricanes Last Game

They traveled to Long Island last night to take on the Islanders which turned out to be a very high scoring affair. Carolina, who battled back a number of times in this game was able to grab the lead at 4-3 in the third and hang on for a 6-4 victory.

Tonight’s Game

The Canes have speed and talent. The Staal brothers, Jeff Skinner, Alex Semin and as of very recently, Jiri Tlusty are guys that can give you problems. The Devils will need to play disciplined hockey, stay out of the box and stick to the PDB system and I think we can stop the Canes top guys and get pucks into their net. Too many chances on the PP might be a deadly scenario for us tonight, despite our recent PK success.

The Penguins were successful at clogging the middle of the ice on Saturday afternoon but then got away from that on Sunday night which allowed David Clarkson to get back to doing his thing, which apparently is pumping pucks into the net on a nightly basis. I would expect that the Canes saw that on tape and will take that approach tonight.

NJ’s Possible Line Combinations

LW	C	RW

Zubrus will be scratched again tonight and Tallinder looks to be a healthy scratch again.

Guys I Will Be Watching Tonight

For Carolina – Jiri Tlusty has 3 goals and 2 assists in his last 2 games and points in four of his last five. Jussi Jokinen is having the best season but he ALWAYS seems to be a pest when the Canes and Devils get together.

For NJ – Of course we have to keep our eye on Clarkson. The guy is having a tremendous season and you have to hope it can continue, no matter what that means come July. Elias just keeps piling up the assist numbers and while I’d like to see more goals, assists are important as well. And finally, Adam Larsson who is coming off arguably his best game of the season.

Catch us on Twitter during the game (@RWTDBlog, @shetldar27 and @RealScottRobb) and come back after the game for our recap.

So I used to be all over this guy because every training camp I would pick that year to be the year Clarkson broke out. And every year he would disappoint me. That is until Pete DeBoer got here. Clarkson is thriving under DeBoer and this season seems to be no expection. 12 games, 9 goals, 6 assists, 15 points. Show of hands, who predicted this kind of season for Clarkson? I'm keeping my hand down because I certainly did not. 

I always thought David Clarkson could be this generation's Randy McKay. You know, the type of player that gets in front of the net, pesters the goalie, is there to jump on rebounds and not afraid to mix it up when push comes to shove.The thing is, Randy McKay never turned heads like David Clarkson is doing...

Keep it up Clarky!!