In Lou We Trust

"I know that if you’re close to making it [the playoffs], you think about that. It’s something that ...

2010-03-20T00:26:19Z

"I know that if you’re close to making it [the playoffs], you think about that. It’s something that is going to push you, maybe. But I thought that the job was to be at your best, to play at your best. I don’t think it says to be at your best only when there’s something on the line. I don’t know. An athlete plays a sports and he’s got to play his best every time he plays."

Jacques Lemaire tells Tom Gulitti why he doesn't think the Devils need any extra motivation.

Interesting quote, to say the least. Thoughts?

New Jersey Devils Morning News, Mar 19

2010-03-19T13:28:50Z

Devils notes: Lou Lamoriello wants old uniform tradition - (The Bergen Record)
Devils fall to Maple Leafs, 2-1, in shootout - (The Bergen Record)

New Jersey Devils Pick Up a Road Point but Fail in the Shootout to Toronto Maple Leafs, 2-1

2010-03-19T03:53:43Z

More photos » Darren Calabrese - AP

New Jersey Devils goalie Yann Danis shined for the Devils tonight. Except in the shootout, but can you really be mad for that given that he ensured one to happen at all? (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darren Calabrese)

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The last time the New Jersey Devils beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, they went on the road the next night to play against Long Island and didn't have a very good game. They decisively lost 4-2. Tonight, the Devils went on the road the night after beating the Pittsburgh Penguins and only lost 2-1 through a shootout to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Were I to compare the two losses, far and away the loss to the Leafs was a better loss because the Devils got a point out of it, they didn't fall flat on their faces in the second period, and didn't give up a shorthanded goal to scuttle a chance at any points.

However, that's all of the comparison I'm going to do. This was a game filled with highs and lows for both teams, ending up to be even overall. The Devils would look lethargic at times and then have some shifts where they just take it right to the Leafs. Likewise, while the Leafs would look poor for a stretch of time, they would go and hit back with a couple of shifts where they would nearly score. I think the only part of the game where the Devils looked really out of sorts was in overtime, where the Leafs generated some opportunities but the Devils didn't respond in kind.

I will say that Yann Danis was excellent tonight, shootout notwithstanding. He had zero chance on the goal Phil Kessel scored; he made an initial save on Dion Phaneuf's blast, the puck rebounded at a wide angle right to Kessel on Danis' flank. On the other 24 shots he faced, he came up with some tough saves including an absolute robbery of Mikael Grabovski on the power play with his stick stopping him from cashing in at the front of an otherwise-empty net. The Leafs' offense challenged Danis and he wasn't fazed. The only time he looked poor was in the shootout; Kessel, Nikolai Kulemin, and John Mitchell made great moves in the shootout, Danis didn't. But without Danis, there wouldn't even a shootout. He did as well as anyone could have expected in my opinion.The media at the game recognized that by giving him the third star of the game.

I don't think anyone is pleased with the loss, but it wasn't as if the Devils flopped in Toronto like they did back on February 2. I'm sure some people are still lamenting Paul Martin's shanked shot at an empty net on the Devils' last power play of the night; but really, the Devils could have done much better tonight and perhaps wouldn't have needed a late chance like that at all. Just doing better on their three other power plays, that alone could have made the difference. Alas, "could have" is the equivalent to "did not" in sport.

For tonight's stats, check out NHL.com for their recap. Check out Pension Plan Puppets later on for their recap. They are currently praising Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Mitchell, the man who sealed the shootout win for Toronto. Read on after the jump for my further thoughts.

I can't help but feel that the Devils went with the flow instead of dictating it at times. They started off slow, then they responded with some good shifts, then the Leafs hit back, and so forth throughout the game. I know on the road you want to be a bit more careful, but I wonder if the Devils

While they had some fine chances on their own - including one where Jean-Sebastian Giguere absolutely robbed Travis Zajac on an open chance in front with his toe - the Devils only managed to finish an equalizer. Granted, the equalizer was pretty sweet. Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond pinned the puck on the half-boards, curled around Luke Schenn, and fed David Clarkson in the high slot. Clarkson just beats Giguere with an absolutely sweet goal. It was the highlight for both players as both the pass and the shot were perfect. Heck, the 6:33 Leblond played was fine and that he actually contributed something on offense is laudable. Consider yourself lauded, Mr. Leblond.

Alas, the other shots weren't so perfect. For both teams really. The Leafs out-shot the Devils 26-25, but the blocks and the misses. Oh, talk about missed opportunities for both teams. The Devils were blocked 22 times tonight (Carl Gunnarsson stopped 5, no idea if it included a Dainius Zubrus wraparound) and missed the net 12 times. The Leafs were even less efficient; 23 times they were blocked (Kessel and Viktor Stalberg were each blocked 4 times) and 21 times they missed the net. And some of these misses were dire. Like re-directing a puck across a crease while Danis was beaten, dire. Like putting rebounds wide from up front dire. There were some bad, bad misses by both teams, but the Leafs were consistently missing. At least the Devils were dominant on faceoffs (61%, all centers did better than 50%); that was clear - unlike the shooting accuracy.

On the Leafs, the most dangerous forward, Phil Kessel, was all over the place. He had 6 shots on net, was blocked 4 times, and missed the net 5 times. Not exactly efficient, but attempting 15 shots in a game is excellent. I don't think the defense handled him well at all. But like most of the game, the defense had it's good moments - Paul Martin forcing Tyler Bozak to hit the outside of the net when he had the puck down low - as well as it's poor moments - John Mitchell burning Martin with an individual move that drew a weak hooking call, and then firing a puck (what else) that missed the net. If you're looking for a positive, why not Mike Mottau? No costly giveaways, 5 blocked shots, 3 hits, and generally steady play.

The Devils didn't really have that one skater that stuck out in a game where both teams played off each other's momentum swings. Sure, Clarkson had that goal and 3 shots on net; he was good but did he perform at a high level like Kessel tonight? No. Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk both had 5 shots each but they tended to drift in and out of the game. Parise created some excellent chances for Zajac only to be denied by Giguere. In fact, according to this post-game post by Gulitti, Lemaire said he didn't like how Kovalchuk played tonight. I don't agree, I thought he was fine; he did create both of those rebounds for Martin and Parise on that fateful fourth power play. I felt he contributed moreso than, say, Jamie Langenbrunner who had 0 shots, 3 blocked, and took a dumb, dumb, dumb call within the last two minutes of regulation.

Once again, the penalty kill was fine if bailed out by Danis more than a few times. The Maple Leafs put up 7 shots on 3 power plays, and as mentioned earlier, Danis absolutely robbed Grabovski of a goal. The Devils' power play stats of 6 shots on 4 power plays are a bit misleading. The fourth one was as good as you could have wanted - they stormed Giguere with shots, Paul Martin had a wide open net to score early on, and it ended with Kovalchuk driving to the net and Parise attempting to put the rebound home (he missed). Disappointed with the misses, but I was pleased with the effort on that.

The first three power plays for New Jersey, on the other hand, were bad. The pressure on Toronto was not nearly enough as it needed to be. The first one didn't even have any shots on net, and the second and third one combined for only three. Yes, the last one featured 3 shots on goal and an actual scoring chance. I mean, I was highlighting simple shots on net as small steps in the GameThread. That's where the Devils are with their power play - needing to praise even little things they should be doing. If you want to talk about opportunity lost, don't forget about the first three PPs whilst lamenting Martin's miss. As an attempt at solace, Lemaire's not happy with the power play, as reported by Gulitti:

"We don’t build any confidence with our power play," Lemaire said. "The first two power plays, I think we had one shot on net."

The Devils have a lot of talented forwards. Why can’t they score on the power play?

"They don’t play together on the power play," Lemaire said. "One guy will try it. The other guy will try it. When it’s time to skate, we don’t skate. We shoot the puck in and nobody goes in to get the puck or one guy goes and they have two. If they have two, we’ve got to be three. If they have three, it’s got to be four. And they can’t be five. So, that’s how you get the puck back."

At least he's being candid about it. But I have to take a step back and say that it's not just the power play not converting, but just the general flow of the game that hurt the Devils' performance. Despite all of these faults, they managed to get a point by virtue of playing at Toronto's level. Granted, Toronto played well at home, Giguere had a good night and their main scorer remains hot. But the Devils never really took that step up to make this game their own. Not after Clarkson's goal. Not after some of the odd man rushes the Devils got. Not even after they killed Langenbrunner penalty in overtime. Had they done any of that, perhaps this game ends with a win in regulation.

Again, "had they" is also the equivalent to "did not" in sport. They didn't fall flat, they didn't look miserable for a period, but the result ends up the same on the road: not a win. So the Devils remain with only one road win in March (over San Jose, of all teams), they dropped their fifth straight second-half of a back-to-back (0-3-2), and have to retool for Saturday's game against St. Louis. That's a concern since the next two road games will be in a back-to-back set in Montreal and in Philadelphia. Of course, the next three home games are of more immediate concern.

In either case, thanks for reading and commenting in the GameThread. Please leave your thoughts, corrections, complements, concerns, and criticisms in the comments. And now, a video of the highlights from tonight's game by NHL.com in case you want to see Clarkson's sweet goal and Danis' saves in regulation:

Game #70 - Devils at Toronto Maple Leafs

2010-03-18T21:30:15Z

TV: MSG Plus

Radio: WFAN 660 AM

Previews: Read Fischer's here, and the Pension Plan Puppets gang will be your best friends for Leafs news.

Song to Get You Pumped Up But Also Make You Think Deeply About Tonight's Game: How about the constantly-overlooked-in-America Tragically Hip with "Yer Not the Ocean".

Join Fischer in the comments, I'm at work tonight. Da' Rules: Tangents are acceptable and talking about the Leafs or Devils in general is OK. Keep it clean and relevant at all times. But please do not use this for other purposes and to talk about why The Hip never made it here. Above all, go Devils! Get outta' yer' own way.

New Jersey Devils Morning News, Mar 18

2010-03-18T13:32:57Z

Devils draw even with Pens atop Atlantic - (The Bergen Record)
Pelley: "I’m not trying to hit anyone from behind"; Zubrus’ goal sparks surge - (Fire & Ice)

Brodeur would like to see retro jerseys again; Elias enjoys St. Patrik’s Day - (Fire & Ice)
Storybook return for Devils defenseman Paul Martin in 5-2 win over Penguins - (Fire & Ice)
Lemaire mum on Devils’ starting goalie in Toronto Thursday - (Fire & Ice)
Live post: Devils lead Pens, 4-2, in third period, chase Fleury; Martin scores in return - (Fire & Ice)
Extra protection for Martin’s arm - (Fire & Ice)
Devils getting their green on; Guerin green with envy - (Fire & Ice)
Malkin won’t play for Penguins tonight against Devils; Guerin feels bad about hurting Martin - (Fire & Ice)
It’s official: Martin will play tonight - (Fire & Ice)
Devils in St. Patrick’s Day spirit for morning skate; Looks like Martin is playing. - (Fire & Ice)
Paul Martin's comeback for NJ Devils better than he dreamed - (The Star Ledger)
Rod Pelley fortunate to escape without misconduct penalty on hit from behind - (The Star Ledger)
Devils continue domination of Penguins, gain tie for Atlantic Division lead with 5-2 victory - (The Star Ledger)
NJ Devils-Pittsburgh Penguins: As they played - (The Star Ledger)
Paul Martin's left arm and wrist will be protected by two guards - (The Star Ledger)
'Meat' the press: Devils' Sherry Ross will be honored by NJ State House - (The Star Ledger)
Bill Guerin: Devils deserve to be 5-0 against Penguins this season - (The Star Ledger)
NHL to adopt new rule to curb hits to head, according to reports - (The Star Ledger)
Your comments on Devils throwback uniforms - plus, win Rangers tickets - (The Star Ledger)
Martin Brodeur excited to wear original Devils colors and replica mask - (The Star Ledger)
Paul Martin will make Devils return against Penguins - (The Star Ledger)
NJ Devils prepare for wearin' of the green, red and white against Penguins - (The Star Ledger)
Devils enjoy St. Patrik's day again - (The New York Daily News)
Just like old times: Retro Devs take Atlantic lead - (The New York Post)
Devils' Martin finally makes return - (The New York Post)
Penguins: Devils 'not in our heads' - (The New York Post)
Ol' Devils didn't wear Prada - (The New York Post)
Watch Postgame Reactions - (Msgnetwork)
Watch the Latest Chico Eats - (Msgnetwork)
NHL Standings - (Yahoo NHL)
New Jersey Devils' players stats - (Yahoo NHL)
New Jersey Devils Team Report - (Yahoo NHL)
Vintage Devils sweep season series with Pens - (NewJerseyDevils.com)
Martin returns tonight vs. Penguins - (NewJerseyDevils.com)
Retro Night: Photo Gallery - (NewJerseyDevils.com)
Winning anniversary - (NHL.com)
St. Patrik's Day in NJ - (NHL.com)
Penguins not concerned with sweep by Devils - (NHL.com)
New Jersey Devils vs Toronto Maple Leafs Live - (FOXSports.com)
Devils bring out brooms on rival Penguins - (Tribune Review)
Cooke not concerned with Bruins retribution - (Tribune Review)
How to Hang Your Goalie out to Dry 101 - (PensBurgh)
NHL on TSN Quiz: Who is your Stanley Cup favourite right now? - (TSN)
The 15 Most Underrated Active Hockey Players - (Bleacher Report); Jamie Langenbrunner
Christmas in March... Playoff hockey starts tonight! - (hockeybuzz.com)

LOWELL DEVILS
New Jersey Devils ' AHL team courted - (Albany Times Union)
The Eagle Tribune's Bill Burt takes on Jeff Frazee - (The Eagle Tribune)

AROUND THE NHL
Hasty headshot rule unlikely: Lamoriello - (CBC.ca)

Game 70 Preview: New Jersey Devils at Toronto Maple Leafs

2010-03-18T08:00:42Z

Bill Kostroun - AP

Raise your hand if you'd like the Devils to snap their 3 game road losing streak in Toronto tonight. (Note: I'm using this picture as a surrogate for my hand being raised). (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

View full size photo »

The Time: 7:30 PM EDT/4:30 PM PDT

The Broadcast: TV: MSG+ (HD); Radio: 660 AM WFAN

The Team's Official Watch Party: The Devils are having an official watch party at the Hoboken Bar & Grill. If you're 21 or older and in the area, why not watch the game with your fellow Devils supporters? The official site has further details.

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (42-24-3) at the Toronto Maple Leafs (24-34-12)

The Last Devils Game: Last night, the New Jersey Devils swept the season series against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 5-2 win. The game featured some stout defense, a good game from Martin Brodeur, five different goal scorers, two shorthanded breakaways, one shorthanded goal, and the return of Paul Martin (who scored one of those goals). All in front of an electric crowd at the Rock. It was a great game and I still feel great about it: I mean, 6-0 against Pittsburgh! WHOO! Here is my recap of that game.

The Last Maple Leafs Game: They may be in dead-last in the East; but don’t tell the Ottawa Senators. The Leafs lit up the Senators in Ottawa 4-1 in a decisive performance among province rivals. Jonas Gustavsson stood tall, and Rickard Wallin scored. PPP at Pension Plan Puppets, like most Leafs fans, had much to be thrilled about Toronto’s win over the "SNES."

The Last Devils-Maple Leafs Game: So far this season, the games against Toronto have ranged from bad (3-0 in Toronto) to not good but miraculously salvaged. The last game between these two were in that range as the Devils scored three goals in under the last four minutes to turn around a 3-1 deficit to a 4-3 New Jersey win. The game was Ilya Kovalchuk’s debut as a Devil and he wasn’t too bad with two assists. Yet, the heroes of the night were Dean McAmmond, Travis Zajac, and Jay Pandolfo for scoring those late goals to steal a win outright from the Maple Leafs. I recapped the game here. PPP was disappointed in the loss and how Toronto literally blew it at the end. The Devils are 2-1 against Toronto this season.

The Goal: Wake up, wake up, wake up. Wednesday was a big game with a historic promotion, the return of Paul Martin, the one-year anniversary of history being made on the ice (Martin Brodeur’s 552nd win), and all against a very good division rival that the Devils swept in all 6 games this season. The last time the Devils played the Penguins, they literally faded the next night in Long Island – blowing a good start with horrid puck movement and unable to catch up. The Devils have been very poor on the road as of late with only one road win in this month and losing their last three road games. While the team has looked far better at the Rock, if they want get back to winning ways away from the Rock, then they’re going to find something left in them to get up for this one. Toronto may be in last place in the East, but as the Senators would be happy to tell you, that really doesn’t mean anything in a game. The Devils shouldn’t have to even ask – just recall their other three games against them from this season should suffice.

Check out Pension Plan Puppets for a Toronto-based perspective on tonight’s game. Read on after the jump for some brief further thoughts about the game.

Now, with the game taking place right after a win, it's not very clear what the Devils will do. Per Tom Gulitti's post-game post about Paul Martin, Jacques Lemaire had this to say:

Martin would now hopes to play again Thursday night in Toronto. He is flying with the team tonight to Toronto. Devils coach Jacques Lemaire said this morning that Martin "probably" would not play Thursday because he thought it would be difficult for him to play on consecutive nights after such a long layoffs.

Lemaire seemed to be wavering on that after tonight’s game, though.

"We haven’t decided that yet," Lemaire said. "We’ll just talk briefly about it and then we’ll get the decision either on our way there or tomorrow morning."

When I asked Lemaire if Martin’s play tonight was making him think about changing his mind, he replied. "I just don’t know."

Incidentally, Martin himself would like to play, but it's not his call. So whether or not Martin plays tonight is a good question. He did play well in his 18:05 of ice time. All but a minute of it was on even strength. If the issue is rust, then playing him tonight would help in that regard. If it's fatigue, resting him for Saturday wouldn't be a bad idea. Besides, I'm sure either Anssi Salmela or Mark Fraser would jump at the chance to make a case to play for Lemaire.

The other issue is at goaltender: who will be starting in net for New Jersey? Martin Brodeur had a good workout with 26 shots against Pittsburgh, some difficult, some easy. given that the Devils have only won one road game this month and that they fell apart on Long Island last Saturday, maybe playing Brodeur wouldn't be such a bad idea. I think winning the game is more important than some may realize because of the Devils' own recent road woes and the trouble they've had with Toronto this season. I'd like to see Yann Danis get the start to spell Brodeur in the back-to-back anyway. Most of those struggles have come from the play on the ice, not necessarily the play by the goaltender. Besides, Brodeur did pretty well against Boston after the two days of rest. Of course, according to this post-game post by Gulitti, Lemaire isn't saying.

The only other lineup changes I can anticipate for New Jersey may be on the fourth line. Toronto's "truculence" may behoove Lemaire to insert some beef (e.g. Leblond) into the lineup. Rod Pelley got a major penalty for shoving Alex Goligoski in the numbers into the boards; he could possibly see a suspension for the move. It was similar to what Alex Ovechkin did to Brian Campbell, fortunately without the injury. If that happens, perhaps we could see Vladimir Zharkov back in the lineup for Pelley (which is what I'd favor). Or just some more beef. If Pelley's not suspended, then by all means, he should play - he has done well recently, dangerous hit aside.

That all said, I'm going to wildly guess at this lineup for the Devils. Expect this to be wrong by Thursday afternoon. I may be so bold to suggest the top 6 forwards are beginning to "click" with each other in spite of variations from game to game.

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

Bryce Salvador - Andy Greene
Colin White - Mike Mottau
Paul Martin - Martin Skoula

Yann Danis
Martin Brodeur

As for Toronto, it's clear from the standings that their goal is to finish as well as possible to avoid handing the Boston Bruins a really high draft pick in the first round. Brian Burke is still rebuilding the team and how each player performs will speak largely as to whether they'll stick around after this season. So forget where they are in the standings; they're looking at this game as a chance to impress the coaches and management. I reiterate that a lackadaisical performance or letting the game slip away during a period largely due to, say, bad passing is only going to lead to a ruin against the Maple Leafs. If the recent loss to the Islanders has taught the team, if not us, the fans, anything it's that there are absolutely no easy games in the NHL.

There are definitely a few players on Toronto who will not make this easy for New Jersey. Phil Kessel is back at frightening defenses and goaltenders with his skill, he's got 4 goals and 3 assists in his last 5 games. He's had at least 4 shots in each of those 5 games and has put up as many as 7 in two of them. Sure, Frederick Sjostrom will be back in the lineup according to this video at the team's official website; but Kessel is truly the man at forward that will command much of the focus for the Devils. They shut down Sidney Crosby, but Kessel's recent form may make him more of a challenge to contain, much less stop.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Phil Kessel	58	26	23	49	-5	17	8	0	5	0	257	10.1

In net, Jonas Gustavsson has also done pretty well as of late. He's won four games in row. He looked very good in his last start against Ottawa. Will he start tonight? I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if the Devils see Jean-Sebastian Giguere instead. Giguere shut the Devils out the last time New Jersey visited the ACC. He's certainly talented enough to get the Leafs through it. Either way, the Devils' forwards aren't going to have an easy time with either the hotter goalie (Gustavsson) or the veteran who has seen all of these guys except for Kovalchuk on New Jersey earlier this season (Giguere).

	GP	MIN	W	L	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Jonas Gustavsson	36	1971	13	13	97	2.95	974	877	.900	1
2009 - Jean-Sebastien Giguere	29	1654	7	13	82	2.97	850	768	.904	3

Until the GameThread is up, please leave all your thoughts, complaints, criticisms, concerns, news updates (with links), corrections, and other feelings about tonight's game here. This means when the GameThread is up, go there for comments. Let's hope the Devils have enough left in the tank to beat Toronto tonight and finally get the current 3-game road losing streak put to bed. Thanks for reading. Go Devils!

New Jersey Devils Sweep the Season Series Against Pittsburgh Penguins with 5-2 Win

2010-03-18T03:43:13Z

More photos » Bill Kostroun - AP

Together again. Paul Martin returned to the Devils and played pretty well in the Devils' 5-2 win over Pittsburgh. By the way, click on the photo to see more from the game, including Patrik Elias with a plastic green hat. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Browse more photos »

The end of the game may have had a few people at the Rock leave their seats early. But the sound of the crowd was so substantial, they probably could have been heard throughout the city of Newark. They were all saying one thing:

"YOU CAN'T BEAT US"

What's more, they were absolutely right.

Once again the New Jersey Devils prevailed over the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the sixth and final contest between these two teams, the Devils won 5-2. The total of the series was impressive. A total score of 22-5 in favor of New Jersey. No power play goals conceded to Pittsburgh. Sidney Crosby (who was a non-factor tonight) and Evgeni Malkin (who did not play tonight) were rendered ineffective.

Was history made other than that the Devils played in a third uniform within a season for the first time in team history? Not really. Yet, tonight was momentous because of the opponent, because of the retro look spiking interest, and most of all, because the Devils were entirely healthy for the first time all season. Paul Martin returned to the blueline and proved those worried about his condition like myself completely wrong. Martin's arm is fine. He played 18:05 tonight and scored his first goal of the season (and in a long, long time) on a fantastic individual effort late in the first period. He didn't just return and have a decent game, he played very well.

I don't think Martin was the best player on the ice tonight, but his return does warrant special noting. For the game's official stats, here is the official NHL.com recap. If you want the Pittsburgh perspective on their sixth loss to New Jersey, then please go to PensBurgh later. Please don't be jerks or sore winners if you do go there; please be nice. For additional thoughts about tonight's game, please read on after the jump.

Before continuing, here are the video highlights from tonight's game from NHL.com:

For the most part the Devils as a whole did very well. Was it a perfect, all-around effort? No. Let's talk about that first. For starters, the first 7 to 9 minutes of the game, the Devils looked lethargic and Pittsburgh were the better team. The Penguins had possession, moved the puck well, and cashed in on a long rebound by Chris Kunitz.. The Devils faded offensively in the third period and didn't keep Pittsburgh honest enough as I'd like. Really, only 4 shots? Lemaire, you need to instruct this team to push a little back in the third instead of playing safe hockey. Especially considering the Devils nearly got a fifth goal shortly after Brent Johnson entered the game for Marc-Andre Fleury. I'm not asking for ultra-aggressive attacking, just some more puck control on offense and a few more shots on net.

Also, the Devils got a power play in the third period and did nothing with it. Literally, nothing. The five-forward unit was repelled over and over. The third line got a PP shift just because the five-forward unit was doing nothing and the Devils were already leading. I know it wasn't a must-score power play. I know it killed 2 minutes off the clock. But seriously: no shots on net. Just one attempted shot right at the end that missed. A better effort would have given the group confidence, yet it is still in a mire of sorts.

I'd also like to make a quick point about the shove from behind on Alex Goligoski. It was dangerous and stupid; completely worthy of both the major and a possible suspension. A shove isn't even a check, so don't even tell me he was "finishing" anything. I understand according to this Chere article that Lemaire's opinion of Pelley's night wasn't dampered by it. Well, it was to me, he was otherwise having a good game, a few fits, gave some good energy, but he crossed the line there. It's great that Goligoski was OK. That garbage needs to leave the game post-haste.

Yet, despite those issues, I still think the Devils had a good game against Pittsburgh. Let me be the first to congratulate the PK units. The penalty killing tonight was fantastic. Two shorthanded breakaways, the first one forced Fleury to make a huge save on Travis Zajac, and the second had Patrik Elias freeze him for the goal. Granted, Pittsburgh's power play was worse than New Jersey's tonight. Take your pick which of these two reasons stuck out more. A) The Penguins giving up two shorthanded breakaways on the same power play - the second one leading to Patrik Elias freezing Fleury for the eventual game winning goal. B) The fact that Pittsburgh got 3 power plays totaling 7 minutes (Kris Letang decided to stick up for Goligoski after Pelley's shove - understandable - and took 2 minutes off the Pelley major with a roughing call.) and came up with only three shots on net. Keep in mind for reason B that the Devils got two shots on net shorthanded. Regardless, a bad Pittsburgh PP was preyed upon by smart penalty killing by the Devils. They knew exactly when to step up to make a play, when to carry it out, and when to just fire it out of the zone. Great job.

Of course, the PK literally got a few timely saves from Martin Brodeur. Brodeur also had a solid game. Pittsburgh's shooting wasn't very good tonight. Sure, they outshot the Devils 26-19 but they also got blocked more often (15-6), and missed the net more often (12-6). That's just poor efficiency They had a few loose pucks right in front that they just fired right into Brodeur. Their shooting at times was like in Monday's Boston game: quantity but not at all quality. A lot of credit goes to the defense for not conceding many odd man rushes or not letting so many rebounds get to Pittsburgh sticks. But Brodeur came through on some big saves, most notably denying Kris Letang of a rebound in the first period and Mark Eaton of a wrap around attempt early in the third. Of the goals against, I felt he could have had the Kunitz shot; he had enough time to turn to face him. I didn't think he had a chance on Ruslan Fedotenko's shot if only because there were two Penguins right in front of him on the screen. Still, he had a good night.

In contrast, Fleury did not have a good night. 4 goals on 13 shots; and he didn't look good on three of them. He fell down allowing Dainius Zubrus to turn him into a highlight for the Devils' first goal. While shorthanded breakaways aren't his fault alone; after robbing Zajac of the first one, he just froze on Elias' breakaway. Then he just flopped literally out of position and the only reason why Parise's initial shot didn't go in was because of Mark Eaton's leg - which just meant Parise took a second whack at it for the goal. Bad night for a talented goaltender. Brent Johnson looked decent, I just wished the Devils challenged him more beyond the Pittsburgh defense melting down against the Elias line after the goalie change (a shift where I'm pretty sure half the Rock thought they scored on).

As noted, the defense did have a good game. Andy Greene and Bryce Salvador looked solid, combining for 7 of the Devils' 15 blocks tonight. Martin looked good next to Martin Skoula who now has an assist streak of two games. Colin White was fantastic in his own end tonight, in my view. Sidney Crosby played 23:35 tonight and yet only got 2 shots on goal, a big reason why was that White (among other Devils) played him perfectly. White made Penguins players eat their lunch going forward. You normally want a defensive defenseman to just be solid and not make too much noise, kind of like Mike Mottau tonight (this is not a knock on him, he did well). But White's defensive play was very noticeable in a very positive way tonight. In general, the unit played well despite the shot disparity; I feel they were a big reason why Pittsburgh struggled to get quality shots and chances like the Devils did on offense.

In my opinion, despite some shortcomings on the box score, several of the Devils' forwards had a good game. Whereas the only Pens who looked good going forward were their most prolific shooters - Chris Kunitz and Ruslan Fedotenko, each with 4 shots, and each with a goal - the Devils forwards were threatening despite not shooting as much.

Patrik Elias' game was great tonight, fully deserving of the game's first star. He was instrumental in setting up Dainius Zubrus' breakaway goal as well as scoring his own sweet goal. Sure, he only had one shot on net and he was bad at the faceoff dot going 1-for-9. You can't argue the results, his forechecking, and that he was the straw that stirred the drink when the Devils were rolling.

Likewise, Travis Zajac may have only had 3 shots on net, but he made that first shorthanded breakaway happen, he set up Zach Parise for his goal that chased Fleury, and was good on faceoffs by winning 8-for-12. Parise himself was the same way: not a lot of shots, but he banged in his goal past Mark Eaton right in front and set up the game-icing empty net goal for Rob Niedermayer. Also, while Ilya Kovalchuk, Jamie Langenbrunner, and David Clarkson didn't score any points, I felt they all played important roles in keeping the Devils play hard against Pittsburgh. They looked good for the most part. What I noted the most was that Kovalchuk rarely tried to take the puck up ice himself on even strength - maybe Lemaire talked to him after the Boston game to look for his linemates?

The only question I have is about Brian Rolston. Per the stats, he only played 13 shifts for 8:45. I know he normally doesn't get big minutes, but this is small for him. Was he hurt? Did he have an extended equipment issue? I didn't think he was playing that poorly at all. The penalty he took wasn't a good call (Pittsburgh, let's just say, got away with some moves tonight) - not his fault; and he did get two shifts in the third period. But was he benched for a period of time? Was he just moved to the fourth line for match-up purposes? Anyone?

Devils fans brought the thunder at the Rock tonight and the atmosphere was great. They stuck it to Sidney Crosby with boos and "CROSBY SUCKS!" chants - which, truth be told, he wasn't very good tonight. The cheers for the Devils were even louder. The ending chant of "YOU CAN'T BEAT US!" was perfect as it came right after the big kill and Niedermayer's empty net goal.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the retro look, but the players got a kick out of it (per Tom Gulitti, Brodeur wouldn't mind doing it again) and so did many of the fans. Depending on the business it made, it might be back. I'm glad that the return of Paul Martin was not only good but garnering some attention like this post game post from Gulitti calling it a "storybook" return. I don't know if I'd go that far; but I am very happy to be proven wrong about my concerns about Martin's return all the same. What every Devils fan can completely agree upon was that tonight's win just feels so good. The Devils are definitely back in the fight for the Atlantic Division and sent a message to the rest of the league that news of the team's demise was premature. The Devils just swept the defending Stanley Cup champions 6-0.

But we can delight in the victory. The Devils need to get back to work with a trip up to Toronto for a game tomorrow. The Devils didn't look so good the last time they went on the road after beating Pittsburgh; hopefully we will see a better result on Thursday against the Maple Leafs.

Thanks for reading and commenting in the GameThread. A preview for tomorrow's game will be forthcoming (hopefully) shortly. Please leave all your thoughts, complaints, criticisms, corrections, and other feelings about tonight's game in the comments.

Game #69 - Devils vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

2010-03-17T21:00:28Z

Happy St. Patrick's Day, and 1-Year Anniversary of St. Marty's Day Edition

TV: MSG Plus

Radio: WFAN 660 AM

Previews: Check out Fischer's here, and our pals at Pensburgh have the black and gold news.

Songs to Get You Pumped Up But Also Make You Think Deeply About Tonight's Game: How about one from the year the Devils came to New Jersey and first donned the red and green (1982) and the final year until now that they wore those colors (1992). 1982 was kind of a lame year for music until Thriller showed up, so let's use "Beat It" from that record, something the Devils would very rarely do during that inaugural year.

1992 is another curious year. Many of the greatest albums released in my lifetime were either 1991 (Which might be rock n' roll's best post-Beatles/Stones/Zep/Sabbath year ever: Nevermind, Ten, The Black Album, Achtung Baby, Out of Time, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Use Your Illusion I and II) or 1993 (Siamese Dream, August and Everything After, In Utero), 1992 is kind of light. So let's give Alice in Chains some love and go with "Would?", my favorite tune off of '92's Dirt.

I'm actually at the game tonight! So is Fischer, but he'll be mobile commenting. Behave yourselves. Da' Rules: Tangents are acceptable and talking about the Pens or Devils in general is OK. Keep it clean and relevant at all times. But please do not use this for other purposes and to talk about your favorite albums of yesteryear. Above all, go Devils!

New Jersey Devils Morning News, Mar 17

2010-03-17T13:26:46Z

Martin may return tonight - (The Bergen Record)
Reviewing the Devils’ green old days - (Fire & Ice)

Devils love idea of going green; Brodeur’s record anniversary - (Fire & Ice)
Skoula’s wife and new baby headed home from hospital today - (Fire & Ice)
Devils defenseman Paul Martin not ruling playing out Wednesday vs. Penguins - (Fire & Ice)
Devils wearing some green for optional practice - (Fire & Ice)
Devils radio analyst Sherry Ross to be honored by New Jersey State Assembly - (Fire & Ice)
Oh, baby! Martin Skoula thrilled about new son and old Devils uniform - (Fire & Ice)
NJ Devils afternoon links: Penguins forward Malkin's status uncertain for Devils game - (The Star Ledger)
Paul Martin isn't ruling out making his return Wednesday against Penguins - (The Star Ledger)
Your comments on the Devils win over the Bruins - (The Star Ledger)
Devils wear green pants and red helmets during optional practice - (The Star Ledger)
Martin may return to Devils tonight - (The New York Post)
Cangialosi: Pens Up Next - (Msgnetwork)
Matchup By the Numbers - (Msgnetwork)
Martin possible for Wednesday - (NewJerseyDevils.com)
Mystery Pucks: March 20th - (NewJerseyDevils.com)
Brodeur to go retro for St. Paddy's - (NHL.com)
NHL Standings - (Yahoo NHL)
New Jersey Devils' players stats - (Yahoo NHL)
New Jersey Devils Team Report - (Yahoo NHL)
The Andy Greene Fan Interview - (Inside Hockey)
Penguins-Devils Preview - (SportingNews.com)
Welcome Back, Red and Green - (SpeakingOfTheDevils.com)

LOWELL DEVILS
Devils Fall to Pirates in Shootout, 3-2 - (LowellDevilsHockey.com)
Devils lose, but they sit alone in third place - (The Lowell Sun)
Talks may end with new beginning for Devils -- in Albany - (The Lowell Sun)

AROUND THE NHL
NHL: Impose head shot rule now - (NHL.com)
The NHL's All-Patrick team - (NHL.com)

Game 69 Preview: New Jersey Devils vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

2010-03-17T04:00:22Z

More photos » Bill Kostroun - AP

More of these kind of events would be great tonight, Devils. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Browse more photos »

The Time: 7 PM EST/4 PM PST

The Broadcast: TV: MSG+ (HD); Radio: 660 AM WFAN

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (41-24-3) vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins (41-23-5)

The Last Devils Game: A great start gave away to the Boston Bruins trying to claw their way back into the game. Or did they? While the Bruins had the quantity in shots, the quality wasn't really there and Martin Brodeur stopped all he had a chance on. The first period explosion of three goals by Rob Niedemayer, David Clarkson, and Zach Parise was enough to yank Tim Thomas and hold on for the win. The Devils won 3-2 and I recapped the game here.

The Last Penguins Game: The Penguins got two scares on Sunday against Tampa Bay: a slewfoot by Steve Downie on Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin leaving the game early after taking a Kris Letang shot off his foot. Crosby was OK and played a ton of minutes in the third to make up for his absence. The score may have been close at 2-1, but the Penguins outshot the Lightning 39-22 and Marc-Andre Fleury played very well against those 22 shots. Hooks Orpik at PensBurgh recapped the game.

The Last Devils-Penguins Game: This seems a bit daft given that it was just on Friday. All the same, the game itself was emotional, intense, physical, and loaded with action. Both goaltenders played well, but the Devils got the better of the bounces - be it off the boards for Patrik Elias to score, off Fleury's pads setting up Andy Greene for a pile driver of a shot, or a deft push of a glove allowing Ilya Kovalchuk's shot to get through. The Devils won 3-1 and it was big not just because of the opponent but it was a second consecutive win at the time - their first since the second week of January. I recapped the game here; and Justin M of PensBurgh had his take over here. The Devils are 5-0 against the Penguins this season and are looking for the season series sweep tonight.

The Goal: Don't get caught up in the hype. The night Scott Stevens' number was retired. The night Ken Daneyko's number was retired. The nights honoring the Stanley Cup Championship winning teams. The night were Martin Brodeur had a chance to win his 552nd career game (a year ago to this date!). They weren't just memorable games, they were games where the Devils won - often with a dominating performance. Tonight's game has the same feeling of history as for the first time in the team's history, they will wear throwback jerseys from the 1980s. Some players love the look; Brodeur's going to rock his original mask from his 1992 call up; and it's going to be big atmosphere at the Rock tonight what with the promotion and it being St. Patrick's Day.

You know who doesn't care? Pittsburgh. They bounced back from Friday's loss and they want this game. They don't want to go 0-6 against New Jersey. They don't want to give up the Atlantic Division lead. They don't want to falter yet again to Martin Brodeur and his crew. They definitely didn't forget about Friday's game and more than a few Pens would love to have a crack at a few players. If the Devils get too caught up in the day, they're going to suffer at the sticks of the Penguins. The Devils knows what it takes: consistent effort, consistent puck movement, consistent shots, and smart decision making in their own zone. But they're not going to be able to do it one more time if they're just showing up happy to be there.

Check out PensBurgh for the Penguins' side of things in tonight's game. Please read on after the jump for my additional thoughts.

It's always difficult previewing a game between two opponents who just played each other because there's usually not a whole lot left to say. Well, PensBurgh has two items of importance. First, a breakdown of Marc-Andre Fleury's stats by month. March has been very good to Fleury. The 3-1 loss he suffered last Friday was only the fourth time he lost a decision in the month of March in his career. That makes the win all the more impressive - but can the Devils do it a second time? The Devils are going to be quick about any loose pucks or available rebounds or be incredibly aggressive with screens to have the best chances to beat him. He seemed to have picked up his groove again in Sunday's game against the offensive wizards of Tampa Bay. Expect him in net tonight to duel with Martin Brodeur:

	GP	MIN	W	L	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Martin Brodeur	64	3726	38	22	146	2.35	1694	1548	.914	7
2009 - Marc-Andre Fleury	55	3128	32	17	138	2.65	1482	1344	.907	0

Second, despite the X-rays showing negative for any damage, Evgeni Malkin is officially day-to-day with a foot injury. (hattip: PensBurgh). Now, per this post at PensBurgh, he didn't practice with the team today. This doesn't mean he's not playing tonight. I'm sure that will be a gametime decision. If he does, then he could possibly less than effective out there. If he doesn't play, the Devils defense should expect to see a lot more of Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal. Malkin has missed games earlier this season due to injury so it's not as if the Penguins haven't played without him tonight; don't expect the team's attitude or confidence to suffer should Malkin not play.

As for the Devils, a bombshell of sorts was dropped at the optional practice on Wednesday. As reported by Tom Gulitti, Rich Chere, and the team's official site: Paul Martin is a possible return tonight. Martin himself said that he's "50-50" about playing. From his quotes in the article, I get the sense that he wants to return to playing games ASAP PDQ. Understandable. After all, the last game he played was on October 29, against the Penguins. I and the Devils faithful would love for him to return when he's ready. Apparently, the bone is healed - the question is whether his arm and wrist are strong enough And even if Martin and his physical therapist say "yes," it's up to Jacques Lemaire as to whether to put him in.

Let me make this uninformed opinion: Say no, Jacques. I'd rather have Martin wait it out until tomorrow's game in Toronto or Saturday's game against St. Louis. I'm not so much concerned about a possible re-injury, but I don't want him to rush himself back into a game where the opposition is very good and will be quite possibly very fierce tonight. I'd prefer he get back into his playing habits against offenses that don't feature the best player in the world or will be desperate to avoid losing a sixth game to New Jersey. When he's more than just "50-50" about playing, then by all means, let Martin do his thing. But I don't think tonight is the best situation for a return.

That said, like Malkin, Martin will probably be a gametime decision. As for the Devils' lineup, I think the group that played on Friday would suffice for another go around. So I will wildly and blindly guess that they will be in tonight. Except I'd replace Mark Fraser in for Anssi Salmela. Fraser was OK against Boston, I don't see a reason to switch him out. Of course, if Lemaire does decide that Paul Martin is ready, then I would expect him to be in for Fraser/Salmela.

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Dainius Zubrus
Ilya Kovalchuk - Patrik Elias - Jamie Langenbrunner
Brian Rolston - Rob Niedermayer - David Clarkson
Jay Pandolfo - Dean McAmmond - Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond

Bryce Salvador - Andy Greene
Colin White - Mike Mottau
Mark Fraser - Martin Skoula

Martin Brodeur
Yann Danis

Do I think the Devils can succeed? Of course. But they need to sharpen up the passing and if they get a lead, they need to continue attacking until it's a comfortable lead. Malkin or no Malkin, the Penguins aren't to be trifled with. They also need to absolutely avoid playing like those Devils teams in those red-white-and-green jerseys. Tom Gulitti compiled the Devils' record and top players in those jerseys and, quite frankly, they weren't good then.

In any case, this game will be huge for the Atlantic Division. A Devils win will put them (temporarily) right back into first place with a game in hand on Pittsburgh. A Penguins win will give them a 4 point lead and control their own destiny for the moment. I'd love to see the Devils sweep a divisional rival and send what will likely be a sellout crowd at the Rock home very happy. I'll be in my usual seat in Section 1, Row 16; if you can make it, then make it - if not, watch it on TV or by radio or NHL GameCenter because this should be one entertaining game.

A GameThread will be up later for comments during the game. In the meantime, please place all your thoughts, complaints, concerns, corrections, and any news updates (with actual links to the news reporting) in the comments. Go Devils!

The Margin of Wins and Losses by the New Jersey Devils and the NHL

2010-03-16T23:46:53Z

In the comments of the recap of the recent 3-2 win by the New Jersey Devils over the Boston Bruins, user max16s had this question to say:

I wasn't impressed with this victory. The devils—for a while now—-have been a one goal win team. I’d like to see a stat on what percentage of Devils wins are by a single goal (even including empty netters) compared to the league average. I would not be surprised if a disturbing number of Devil wins are by a single goal. And this has been a trend over the past few seasons—-of course we all remember not being able to stretch the lead to two against Carolina. In the past we have attributed it to poor offense, but with the offensive skill on this team, I am really wondering why we very rarely "put a team away" as it were and grab that extra goal to ice it. This sense of urgency needs to change if the team is looking to make a long run. Especially if you want to have a long run, in that first round against a team like Boston you have to simply put them away.

Well, I have to disagree with the initial thought, and I don't know how it would bear out over past season. However, I can answer the initial question about the Devils' margin of victories for this season. It's a feature, not a bug.

Fortunately, the NHL keeps track of the team's record in games decided by one goal, two goals, or three and more goals. However, rather than just linking to this and saying, "Have at it," I dug a little deeper to see how the Devils stack up against the league in each category. Are the Devils relying on too many wins in one goal games? Or is it in line with the rest of the league? What else can be learned from the breakdown of the Devils' 41-24-3 record?

Note: The following numbers were compiled from NHL.com and before tonight's games were played.

One Goal Games

The Devils: In the 28 games decided by one goal that they have played this season, the Devils have earned a record of 20-5-3. Approximately 41.18% of all Devils games have been decided by one goal this season. 48.78% of the Devils' 41 victories have come in one-goal games; as are 20.83% of their 24 regulation losses.

The NHL: So far, the NHL has played a total of 1,027 games. A total of 483 victories have come in one goal games, or 47.03% of the season. Incidentally, there have been a total of 243 regulation one goal losses and 240 overtime or shootout losses, which are one goal losses by default. An average of all 30 teams yields 16.1 wins by one goal. The Vancouver Canucks have played least amount of games decided by one goal this season with 24 games, a record of 14-7-3. The Atlanta Thrashers have played the most amount of one goal games this season with 39 games, a record of 14-14-11.

In Comparison: Only four teams have more than the Devils' 20 one-goal wins this season: Phoenix (23), Pittsburgh (22), Chicago (21), and Los Angeles (21). Three other teams have matched the Devils' 20 win total: Nashville, Minnesota, and Colorado. In terms of regulation losses, only three teams have fewer losses by one goal: San Jose, Ottawa, and Dallas each have 4. The Devils are tied with Vancouver with the fewest amount of overtime/shootout losses with 3.

Incidentally, Edmonton, Carolina, and the Rangers have won the fewest one-goal games this season with 10. The worst record in one-goal games belongs to the New York Rangers. While the Thrashers have the most one goal losses with 14; the Rangers' 10-9-9 record yields a mere .357 winning percentage in the NHL. In contrast, the Devils can boast that they have the best winning percentage in games decided by one goal with .714.

Nevertheless, the Devils have been successful in one-goal games and the four teams with more wins by one goal either currently has as many points in the standings as the Devils or more. A plurality of the Devils' wins do come by one goal; however, I don't think it's significantly higher than the league breakdown of their wins. What makes the Devils stick out is that they don't often lose by one goal in addition to several wins; hence, they have more one goal wins than the league average.

I can't say from these numbers alone whether this is a result of the Devils not being able to put a team away, that would require looking closely at but it does suggest how effective they generally are in close games. I do think this evidence that in a tied or a one goal game, we can be confident in the Devils pulling through most of the time. I also think this answers the initial question. But why stop there? Besides, in the other margins of victory, it's not as good looking for New Jersey.

Two Goal Games

The Devils: They have played 21 two goal games this season, putting together a record of 11-10. 30.88% of the season so far has led to two-goal games. The 11 wins represent 26.83% of the Devils' 41 wins; whereas the 10 regulation losses represent 41.67% of regulation losses.

The NHL: Only 220 of the NHL's 1,027 games have ended by a margin of two goals: 21.42% of the season. The average number of wins by two goals this season has been 7.33. The Edmonton Oilers and Nashville Predators have each played more games that ended by two goals with 22. The Oilers have a record of 7-15 in those games, while the Predators have went 14-8. In contrast, the Tampa Bay Lightning have played the fewest amount of games that ended by two goals with 8, a record of 5-3.

In Comparison: The New Jersey Devils' record of 11-10 isn't so great, but they are in the top half of the league with a winning percentage of .524 (13th to be precise). Five teams are dead even at .500; but the range of winning percentage is very wide. The Washington Capitals are by far the best with a perfect 11-0 record in games ending by two goals. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche are both tied with the fewest amount of wins by two goals and the worst winning percentage (.231, each with a record of 3-10). Interestingly, the Devils are tied with Washington and Ottawa for the second more wins by two goals; Nashville leads the league with 14.

So the Devils are decidedly average in two goal games in terms of winning percentage. Yet, they are one of the few teams with more than 10 wins by two goals - well above the league average. Initially, in my opinion, I thought this made some sense. If they are up by one late, adding an empty net goal makes it a two goal game. Likewise, if they are down by one, an empty net goal against will also make it a two goal game. However, the numbers break that down only one way for New Jersey. While I can't say for certain that all empty net goals are like that, the Devils do have 10 empty net goals (tied for the league lead) yet only 2 (second fewest in the league) allowed. So much for that initial thought. I found a similar situation for the Devils in three or more goal games.

Three or More Goal Games

Note: In the NHL.com stats, this is just listed as three goals. Yet, all the numbers add up to a team's record; so it really represents all wins and losses by three or more goals.

The Devils: They have played 19 games where the margin of victory was by three or more, earning a record of 10-9. The 19 games represent 27.94% of the Devils season; while the 10 wins are 24.39% of all Devils' wins and the 9 losses are 37.5% of all regulation losses.

The NHL: 324 of the league's 1,027 games have been decided by three goals or more, or 31.54% of the season. The average number of wins by three goals or more this season has been 10.8. Four teams have played 27 games that ended by three goals or more, the most in the league: Pittsburgh (14-13), Ottawa (9-18), Philadelphia (16-11), and Tampa Bay (11-16). Nashville has played the fewest amount of games this season that were decided by three goals or more with 13: a record of 4-9.

In Comparison: Like with two goal games, the Devils' 10-9 record won't wow anyone. However, this is good enough for the eleventh best winning percentage in the league at .526. The Devils' 10 wins are just below league average, but their 19 games played is also below the average of 21.6 in the league. To give you some context for those numbers, the Devils are tied with Detroit, Boston, and Calgary with only 10 wins and are tied for 9th (there are a lot of ties, so among all 30 teams it'll show 17th). Vancouver has the most wins by three goals or more with 20; Edmonton, Atlanta, and Nashville have the fewest with 4; the best winning percentage goes to Chicago with an 18-4 record (.816); and the worst winning percentage is owned by Edmonton with a record of 4-16 (.200).

I think the wins by three or more goals may happen more than wins by only two goals because if a team can go up by two goals, they'll generally have the momentum within the game or part of the game to tack on additional goals to preserve their lead. For example, there's the recent 6-3 win by the Devils over the Rangers; it was 5-3 for the most of the third period until Travis Zajac slotted one through on a counter-attack to ensure the lead.

Again, like with the one goal games, the numbers alone don't suggest too much as to how the Devils need to perform in those games. A loss by three goals or more is usually the result of a poor performance by the team. A win by three goals or more is usually the result of a great performance the team. We want the Devils to have the latter, but that's not only easier said than done - getting the win alone is the goal in any game. Any margin is normally satisfactory.

Overall Comments

I do think it is clear that the Devils have not played in a disturbing amount of games in either category (though they are close to the highest number of two goal games played); but for a variety of reasons have an excellent record in one goal games and are just above .500 in the other two. More games in the NHL have been decided by one goal than the other two categories so far this season. Unless the whole league has a problem in getting that extra goal to put teams away, I don't think that's a fault for New Jersey.

With games becoming more and more vital for playoff positioning or just making the playoffs, it wouldn't surprise me if the Devils are more involved in close games. They will definitely be close in the playoffs, as teams and players work real hard to minimize mistakes. Given their success at one goal games so far this season, this shouldn't be a concern for the Devils going forward. That's why I see it as a feature and not a bug.

I will say that how the Devils' record breaks down is a bit surprising. I expected the Devils to do well in all three categories given their record of 41-24-3; but with such excellence in one goal games did strike me. I wish I had a better idea as to why. Is it Martin Brodeur? The mentality of the team? The Devils truly not being able to add to leads? The Devils able to make a lot of comeback wins? All of this? Something else entirely? Whatever you may think, I offer my thanks to max16s for the question leading to this post and to you for reading this. Please leave your thoughts, additional questions, corrections, and other pointers in the comments.

New Jersey Devils Morning News, Mar 16

2010-03-16T13:16:05Z

Devils notes: Martin Skoula earns first point as a Devil - (The Bergen Record)
Devils hold off Bruins at The Rock, 3-2 - (The Bergen Record)

Langenbrunner stands up for Parise - (Fire & Ice)
Skoula celebrates birth of son with first point as a Devil - (Fire & Ice)
Clarkson leads the way in 3-2 victory over Bruins - (Fire & Ice)
Live post: Devils lead 3-1 in third period; chase Thomas to bench - (Fire & Ice)
Versus to return to DirecTV today - (Fire & Ice)
Devils climb to 25th in The Hockey News’ 2010 Future Watch rankings - (Fire & Ice)
Devils forcing plays on power play; Jennings Trophy within reach - (Fire & Ice)
Paul Martin hoping for good news from doctor today; slim chance he’ll play before Saturday - (Fire & Ice)
Fraser, Leblond back in Devils’ lineup tonight vs. Boston; Salmela, Pandolfo to sit - (Fire & Ice)
Elias, Salvador on ice for Devils’ morning skate - (Fire & Ice)
Devils GM Lou Lamoriello on wearing old colors: Once a season is enough - (The Star Ledger)
Should Devils winger David Clarkson have been credited with two goals? - (The Star Ledger)
Devils beat Bruins, 3-2, as David Clarkson gets some payback - (The Star Ledger)
NJ Devils-Boston Bruins: As they play - (The Star Ledger)
Jacques Lemaire: NJ Devils aren't playing smart on power play - (The Star Ledger)
Your comments and poll: Paul Martin closer to returning; could be final weeks with Devils - (The Star Ledger)
Paul Martin moves closer to return; Mark Fraser back in Devils' lineup - (The Star Ledger)
Patrik Elias, Bryce Salvador take part in NJ Devils' morning skate - (The Star Ledger)
Ross due honor for historic broadcast - (The New York Daily News)
Devils extend over-.500 streak - (The New York Post)
Devils top Bruins for fourth straight home win - (NewJerseyDevils.com)
Devils' Martin hopes for Saturday return - (NewJerseyDevils.com)
Retro Revealed - (NewJerseyDevils.com)
Devils' Martin still hoping for Saturday return - (NHL.com)
NHL Standings - (Yahoo NHL)
New Jersey Devils' players stats - (Yahoo NHL)
New Jersey Devils Team Report - (Yahoo NHL)
Bruins can't climb back from early 3-goal deficit; fall 3-2 to Devils - (Stanley Cup of Chowder)
Tim Thomas out of position - (Boston Herald)
After Tough Loss to Devils, Bruins Look to End Road Trip With Win Over Hurricanes - (NESN.com)
Slow start burns the Bruins in New Jersey - (Comcast SportsNet New England)
Devils vs. Bruins, 3/15/10 - (Interchangeable Parts)

LOWELL DEVILS
Arena turns eye to Devils - (Albany Times Union)

TRENTON DEVILS
Week 22: Devils Rising in Playoff Hunt - (TrentonDevils.com)

AROUND THE NHL
The Hockey News Power Rankings: - (SportingNews.com); Devils in 13th position

New Jersey Devils Dazzled Boston Bruins in First Period, Held them Off to Win 3-2

2010-03-16T04:03:56Z

More photos » Bill Kostroun - AP

David Clarkson fell after shooting this puck, but thanks to Rob Niedermayer's deflection, it led to Boston falling in the first period to three Devils goals. The Devils went on to win 3-2. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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Tonight's game between the New Jersey Devils and the Boston Bruins could have easily come in December. By that I mean the Devils played an excellent period (the first in tonight's case) but their overall performance wasn't nearly as solid. Yet, despite that, the Devils go on to win the game anyway. Several of the Devils' wins in December of this season were like that. At the end of the day, this is a results-oriented business, and the Devils got it with a 3-2 win over the Bruins.

Still, there's plenty about the game to discuss. Some praise for the Devils, for after all they won in part of their good work. The first period by the Devils ranks up there with some of the best single period performances the Devils have had in recent weeks: like the 3 goal second period against San Jose on March 2. It took a few minutes, but the Devils got rolling and rolled up Boston's defense and Tim Thomas (he was replaced by Tuukka Rask for the second period).

But there is also criticism, some areas where I wished the Devils could do a lot better. Namely, the offense in the second and third periods. While they held onto win, it's not something the team can afford to turn into a habit - especially this late in the season. It may be unreasonable to have expected carbon-copy performances of the first period; but that doesn't excuse just fading from the game on offense as they did. A more potent team would have made New Jersey pay for this; it is vital to at least keep the other team honest in their own end.

For the Boston side of this game, Stanley Cup of Chowder has a recap up already. I agree with the general sentiment that it was case of getting dug in too deep too early. If you want the official stats from the game, NHL.com has that along with their recap. For my further thoughts, please read on after the jump. Lastly, based on this post game post by Tom Gulitti, congratulations to Martin Skoula for the birth of his second child. May he enjoy his new life, and I suppose, the assist his dad got tonight.

Before jumping right in, here is a video of the highlights from tonight's game from NHL.com:

Tonight's game was an odd one in that despite the Devils faded from the game offensively, going from 12 shots and 3 goals in the first period to just 10 shots in the second to only 6 in the third period. At the same time, I never felt that the Devils never really faded out of the game. The two teams battled throughout the game. The Devils' defense wasn't at all effective in preventing shots, but they were able to force Boston to take a lot of easy shots for Martin Brodeur to stop as well as clean up any rebounds available. Mike Mottau and Colin White played a clean game in that regard. Don't look now, but the pairing some fans love to hate have been playing fairly well recently. The backchecking efforts by the forwards were successful if only coming after initial shots - I felt Dainius Zubrus and

So Boston ran up the shot total to 36, put up 15 in the third period, but most of them weren't very dangerous shots. The Devils' 6 shots in the third were probably more problematic for Tuukka Rask as most of those 15 were for Brodeur. Not to sound presumptious or smug, but I got a sense as to why Boston is able to get shots on net regularly but score so few goals. They do know to not keep firing pucks at the goalie's chest, right? They do know they are in a playoff battle and need the points, right? When they get an early goal in the second period they need to build on it not just hope for another break or a very late comeback (which is hard enough to do when down by one goal, much less two). They didn't really do that. Did they not learn from their 3-2 loss to Montreal, another game where the scoreline flattered the losing team?

That being said, Brodeur was definitely the single most consistent player on the ice for both teams (though you can make an argument for Tuukka Rask). He was only beaten twice. The first was a fluke deflection, Blake Wheeler re-directing Mark Stuart's sharp angle shot. The second was another deflection right in front of him by Patrice Bergeron while Boston pulled Rask for an extra skater and tired the Devils' skaters out on a long shift. None of those can be faulted on Brodeur, especially after calmly stopping 34 shots tonight. The lofted pass that sprung David Clarkson for his breakaway goal was sublime.

Still, this leads me to think that while it's great that the Devils won, I'd really like to see some improvements. What was great about the wins over Pittsburgh and the Rangers last week was that the Devils kept the opposition honest with the lead. That didn't happen nearly enough as it should have tonight. I give credit to Ilya Kovalchuk for trying to bust through a number of defenders - which incidentally bought time for the rest of the team to change, so it wasn't totally pointless - but the effectiveness wasn't there. No one really took his lead. This in of itself was also odd because Kovalchuk couldn't be stopped by Boston, only contained in the first period. I think Dennis Wideman is going to have nightmares about how Kovalchuk not only chased him down for a stray puck cleared in his own end, but knocked him flat down and just took it away. What happened going forward, I don't know - the energy was there but not the space. I think he'll be fine.

Also, was it just me, or did I see Kovalchuk play on a number of different lines tonight throughout the first and second periods. I don't think Lemaire was experimenting, was there a match-up that Lemaire liked? I couldn't figure it out from where I sat, but perhaps I'm mistaken.

Nevertheless, while I understand Boston's position was to do whatever they can to make up two goals in the final 20 minutes, they weren't really pressing the issue. They moved at their own pace, made simple passes up front, and attempted to find seams. It wasn't effective until they got caught on a long shift after an icing when Boston pulled the goalie. In retrospect, I'm sure Jacques Lemaire wished he had his time out still, instead of using it in the middle of the second period to give a breather to the fourth line and third pairing after they iced the puck. It would have been far more useful there,

A couple of the Devils' top forwards had mixed games. Patrik Elias picked up an assist and went 7-for-14 on faceoffs; but didn't get a shot on net. Jamie Langenbrunner only got one shot on net, took an unnecessary minor in the first period (Standing up for Parise? For a clean hit? Really, Jamie? Whatever). Dainius Zubrus had some moments of greatness, but was more effective in his own end than in the attack. Zach Parise (who scored tonight's eventual game winner) and Travis Zajac combined for six shots in the game, but only one in the third period (by Zajac).

If there's a forward to praise for his play throughout the game, it's David Clarkson. He fell down taking the shot that Rob Niedermayer re-directed for the game's first goal. He took Brodeur's pass in and schooled Tim Thomas on the breakaway. He had 3 shots, hustled all game long, and really made that third line go with Rob Niedermayer (who also did well) and Brian Rolston (fit in well, but didn't register a shot on net). In one of his post-game posts, Tom Gulitti said that tonight was "perhaps his best game since returning from a fractured right fibula." With a goal, an assist, a few shots, a few hits, and generally lively play, it's hard to disagree.

I also want to highlight the special teams tonight. The Devils only got one power play and it wasn't bad. It wasn't great, but they got two shots on net and perhaps if they got another power play, there could have been more results. The penalty killing by the Devils was great. The Devils only got two shots at that, but they were excellent on the first one and thanks to Brodeur and some timely clearances, did a good job on the second. They only allowed 4 shots against and most of those went easily into Brodeur's chest and covered up. Good special teams tonight for the Devils.

Now, getting the win is a good thing overall. It builds confidence, it helps the Devils in the standings, and it creates momentum. However, the Devils can't relent. Like I said earlier, it's important that they be more consistent in their shooting and it would help if their preventative defense was better. Was the puck movement better tonight than it was on Long Island? Yes. Was it totally sharp? Only at times. For example, the long passes into/through the neutral zone worked very well at times (and again Brodeur's was the best, feeding Clarkson on a breakaway), and at others, it was just icing it. Without the puck movement, there won't be so many shots on net to keep said opponent honest with a lead. And that's far better than hoping the opposition would take so many easily-seen and stopped shots. Basically, there's room for improvement.

Thanks to Steve for the GameThread and to all of you for reading and commenting there and here. Please leave all your complaints, criticisms, corrections, concerns, and thoughts about tonight's game in the comments.

Game #68 - Devils vs. Boston Bruins

2010-03-15T21:00:29Z

TV: VERSUS (HD), with Doc Emrick, Andy Brickley and Charissa Thompson

BREAKING: Those of you with DirecTV will be able to see the game. Hallelujah.

Radio: WFAN 660 AM

Previews: Fischer's is here, and join Stanley Cup of Chowder for all the news from the Hub of Hockey.

Song to Get You Pumped Up But Also Make You Think Deeply About Tonight's Game: From their new record White Crosses, check out Against Me! with "High Pressure Low".

Join me and Live from Newark, John Fischer, in the comments. Da' Rules: Tangents are acceptable and talking about the Bruins or Devils in general is OK. But please do not use this for other purposes and to talk about how Against Me! totally sold out. Above all, go Devils! Will anyone forgive Robert McNamara?

New Jersey Devils Morning News, Mar 15

2010-03-15T13:45:55Z

Paul Martin may return Saturday - (The Bergen Record)
Devils up next: Bruins - (The Bergen Record)

Paul Martin starting to get excited about possible return on Saturday after practicing today - (Fire & Ice)
Martin Brodeur breaks in original mask in practice - (Fire & Ice)
Martin on ice for full Devils’ practice; Elias, Salvador resting; Brodeur in throwback gear - (Fire & Ice)
Paul Martin closer to return in what could be final weeks with NJ Devils - (The Star Ledger)
Patrik Elias and Bryce Salvador rest; Paul Martin practices with NJ Devils - (The Star Ledger)
Devs' Martin re-arms - (The New York Post)
Watch Postgame Reactions - (Msgnetwork)
Bruins-Devils Preview - (FOXSports.com)
Danis pleased with rare performance - (NHL.com)
NHL Standings - (Yahoo NHL)
New Jersey Devils' players stats - (Yahoo NHL)
New Jersey Devils Team Report - (Yahoo NHL)
Bruins in Jersey for date with the Devils - (Stanley Cup of Chowder)
Whats next? - (hockeybuzz.com)

Game 68 Preview: New Jersey Devils vs. Boston Bruins

2010-03-15T04:00:24Z

More photos » Bill Kostroun - AP

Expect this man to be back in net for the New Jersey Devils tonight. Will the team bounce back from their loss to the Islanders? (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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The Time: 7 PM EST/4 PM PST

The Broadcast: TV: Versus (HD); Radio: 660 AM WFAN

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (40-24-3) vs. the Boston Bruins (30-25-12)

The Last Devils Game: After an emotional win over Pittsburgh, a letdown on Long Island. The Devils struggled through the second period to let the game go into the Islanders' hands. An attempt at a comeback in the third period was thwarted by the one-two punch of an nonthreatening power play and the concession of a shorthanded goal. The Devils lost 4-2 and I wrote that the loss a "step back" for the team in my recap.

The Last Bruins Game: The Bruins took on their hard rivals in Montreal and were decisively defeated by the Canadiens. Boston started off the game slowly, paid for it twice, and Montreal tacked on another in the third which ultimately held up. The Bruins lost 3-2, here is the recap from Stanley Cup of Chowder.

The Last Devils-Bruins Game: Way back on November 27, the Devils traveled to Boston for a very close game. Goaltenders Martin Brodeur and Tuukka Rask were the stars, stepping up to block many shots. Only one beat them in regulation and a shootout was required to decide the winner. Jamie Langenbrunner beat Rask five-hole in the shootout for New Jersey to leave Boston with two points. The game was also notable as Martin Brodeur became the NHL career leader in minutes played in that game, surpassing Patrick Roy. The Devils are currently 2-0 against Boston this season. Here is my recap from that game, and here is a short one at Stanley Cup of Chowder.

The Goal: Puck movement needs to be consistent and on-target. While there is much ado and frustration over the Devils' power play, the baser problem of puck movement plagued the Devils against the Islanders. From the final 3 minutes or so of the first period and all throughout the second period, the Devils just struggled to get the puck into the neutral zone, much less keep it within it and go into the offensive zone. The struggles got worse as the second wore on and the Islanders, surprising no one, took advantage and ultimately struck the goals needed to win the game.

Let's put it this way: were the Devils as inconsistent and ineffective in passing or clearing the puck against the Rangers or Pittsburgh, games that the Devils won? No. The Devils were able to move the puck effectively for the most part through all three periods. I don't think that's coincidence. Therefore, the Devils should make the effort to not only make smart reads with the puck, but actually pass it effectively. Otherwise, forget about the power play, we could very well see a repeat of what happened on Long Island.

Check out Stanley Cup of Chowder later for a Bruins' perspective on today's game. Read on for my further thoughts after the jump.

The Boston Bruins are currently in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, looking to secure that spot for themselves. They have two games in hand on ninth-place Rangers and a lead of one point. Needless to say, this game will be important for them to keep the blueshirts at bay. However, as much as I hate the Rangers, I don't want the Devils to drop this game - they have the Penguins to catch.

Boston is a team that just struggles to score goals. At 167, they have the lowest goals for total in the entire NHL. They do average 31 shots on net per game, the tenth highest in the league; yet they have only averaged 2.36 goals per game. Either their players have awful luck or their shots aren't challenging enough on a regular basis. To make matters worse, they are still without playmaking center Marc Savard, who was literally (and cruelly) knocked out by Matt Cooke. Savard remains out with a concussion. Yet, with Savard, the Bruins are truly a scoring-by-committee team.

This doesn't mean they can't light up an opponent when given the chance, just ask the Philadelphia Flyers about last Thursday's game where the B's torched them 5-1. Moreover, a scoring-by-committee team can just as easily mean that there are multiple forwards to be concerned with as opposed to not having to be too concerned by their offense.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Patrice Bergeron	59	14	29	43	4	24	0	1	3	145	9.7
2009 - Marco Sturm	61	21	14	35	12	28	4	1	2	165	12.7
2009 - David Krejci	64	13	23	36	-4	24	5	0	2	116	11.2
2009 - Blake Wheeler	67	16	19	35	-9	43	3	0	2	133	12.0
2009 - Mark Recchi	67	14	21	35	0	30	8	0	1	116	12.1
2009 - Michael Ryder	67	15	12	27	0	33	6	0	1	162	9.3

These are the 10+ goal scorers on Boston, minus Savard. Take them as you will. Hopefully, New Jersey will take them all seriously regardless of your opinion.

Still, the big test for the Devils tonight will be trying to break through the Bruins' goaltending, which has been excellent this season. Boston has only allowed an average of 2.43 goals per game, tied for the fourth lowest average in the league, thanks to the tandem of Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask. In my opinion, it doesn't matter much who is in net as both have played well enough to worth concern.

	GP	MIN	W	L	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Tim Thomas	39	2271	15	16	95	2.51	1127	1032	.916	4
2009 - Tuukka Rask	32	1825	15	9	65	2.14	888	823	.927	3

As for the Devils, expect Martin Brodeur to start this one since he got the night off on Saturday. Two players to keep an eye on will be Patrik Elias and Bryce Salvador. While the Devils practiced yesterday, both Elias and Salvador weren't there - they were "resting," as reported by Rich Chere. Well, Elias hasn't been invisible as of late - do we already forget the Pittsburgh game on Friday - but he also hasn't dominated. Maybe the rest will re-charge him a little bit. As for Salvador, he's hasn't been himself since the games before the break. He was the one defenseman who was playing well for the most part before the break. Since after the break, he's been slow to react at times, caught out of position on others, and he's made some horrible decisions in his own zone when he had the puck. Of the two, I really hope the rest cures whatever has been ailing Salvador.

I will blindly guess that the Devils don't make any other lineup changes beyond who starts tonight. We might see Parise and Kovalchuk flipped as seen from the third period from Saturday's game, but I'm not certain. I know Boston likes to play with an enforcer (Shawn Thornton) and perhaps Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond (not Andrew Peters) gets a spot in response. But I'm going to guess otherwise given how well they handled themselves in real physical game with Pittsburgh from Friday. Good thing the following is just a guess:

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

Bryce Salvador - Andy Greene
Colin White - Mike Mottau
Anssi Salmela - Martin Skoula

Martin Brodeur
Yann Danis

Again, in my opinion, the key is simple: the puck movement needs to be on point for good things to happen for the Devils. Otherwise, it has been and will continue to lead to a slippery slope down to bad things happening for the Devils.

Check out Stanley Cup of Chowder later on for the Boston perspective. Steve will have a GameThread up later today. In the meantime, please place all your complaints, concerns, thoughts, feelings, news updates (with links, of course), and corrections in the comments. Go Devils!

Looking Closer at the New Jersey Devils' Power Play Issues

2010-03-14T23:40:57Z

More photos » Bill Kostroun - AP

Here, the Devils are crashing the net after a long shot came from the point on a power play. Zach Parise eventually snuck in to put back a rebound for a goal. Should the Devils do this more often, though? (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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Last night, the New Jersey Devils were down 3-1 going into the third period against the New York Islanders. A laser of a slapshot by Ilya Kovalchuk pulled the Devils within one early in the third period and the attack was on. Dwayne Roloson was bombarded with rubber as the Devils did whatever they could to get the equalizer. Dylan Reese of the Islanders high-sticked Zach Parise in the face and drew blood, giving the Devils a four minute power play. Normally, this is a gift for the team down by one.

But the Devils not only squandered the opportunity, but surrendered a goal against that undercut the comeback effort. Sure, Blake Comeau tacked on a minor with 50 seconds left to leave a short 5-on-3 and an abbreviated 5-on-4, but again, the Devils didn't do much with. Of the 21 shots the Devils had in the third period, about 4 of them came on the power play that lasted over 5 minutes in that same period.

That's a problem. And it's not a new one. On Wednesday, the Devils' offense showed up, made Marc-Andre Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins work all night long, and scored 3 goals. Yet, when Craig Adams took a 5 minute major penalty for a hit from behind on Martin Skoula; the Devils' offense shrunk out there and only put a few shots on net. A later power play in the second period looked a little better but yielded later.

The power play for the New Jersey Devils has been frustrating to watch, considering the personnel involved. With another week of four games, surely, power play opportunities will come up for New Jersey. Let's discuss what the problems are in more detail in the hopes of finding some root cause to their power play struggles.

The Current Power Play Situation

Let's focus on the last 6 games, the ones after the Olympic break. Here's how the Devils have done on the power play in each of those games:

3/2 at San Jose: 1-for-3 (4:06); 5 shots on net; PPG scored by Ilya Kovalchuk, assisted by Zach Parise, Travis Zajac; Other Devils on Ice: Andy Greene, Jamie Langenbrunner

3/5 at Calgary: 1-for-4 (5:27); 5 shots on net, PPG scored by Zach Parise; assisted by Jamie Langenbrunner, Travis Zajac; Other Devils on Ice: Brian Rolston, Ilya Kovalchuk

3/8 at Edmonton: 0-for-1 (2:00), 0 shots on net

3/10 vs NY Rangers: 1-for-2 (2:15), 3 shots on net; PPG scored by Zach Parise, assisted by Dainius Zubrus, Travis Zajac; Other Devils on Ice: Brian Rolston, Ilya Kovalchuk

3/12 vs Pittsburgh: 0-for-4 (9:20), 8 shots on net

3/13 at NY Islanders: 0-for-4 (7:11), 5 shots on net

That's a total of 18 power play opportunities, 3 were converted for goals, and 23 shots were put on net. All three goals involved the Devils putting at least 4 forwards on the ice, with Parise, Zajac, and Kovalchuk all present. In fact, Parise has scored two of them off rebounds with the only other one being Kovalchuk's wrist shot from the point.

Generally, most teams will use the power play to set up an excellent shot as opposed to what they would normally do on even strength situations. With the opposition short a defender, this is desirable and understandable. So bombing pucks away just isn't a smart option. This can include, but is not limited to, cross-ice passes for one-timers, clogging the slot to open up the shot at the point, and just jamming the puck in deep. Nevertheless, the team has averaged 1.278 shots per power play. It's clear that not only are they not scoring power play goals, but they aren't setting up enough good shots regardless of how well they have performed offensively in 5-on-5 hockey.

In general, Lemaire tends to throw Kovalchuk usually at the point, either ZZ Pops (Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner) or ZZZ (Parise-Zajac-Zubrus), and either Brian Rolston or Andy Greene at the point on the first unit. Especially on special situations like a 5-on-3 or a power play longer than two minutes, Lemaire will put out five forwards. Kovalchuk tends to stay on throughout the power play when other forwards come in to spell the initial unit.

Per Tom Gulitti's comment in this post at Fire & Ice (discussing the power play, incidentally), the Devils practice the power play regularly. They even worked on it today. The issue isn't that they have neglected it in practice - that can be eliminated. As reported here by Gulitti, Jacques Lemaire is concerned about the unit, just as much as we are as observers:

"We have to work at it to see the options that we have," Lemaire said. "See when it’s time to shoot, when to pass, what’s available, what’s not."

Lemaire conceded the power play is the team’s biggest problem right now.

"We’re losing games because of this," he said. "At least if you don’t score, you cannot give up a goal."

Lemaire said he would "probably" continue using five forwards at times on 5-on-4 power plays. He had Ilya Kovalchuk and Brian Rolston on the points again during today’s practice.

Now, I don't agree that the power play has led to a loss, but it certainly hasn't helped New Jersey a lot as of late.

Tactical Issues & Suggestions

What troubles me is that Lemaire says that he'll continue to use 5 forwards on the power play. With what was seen in the last two games, I really don't think this is a good idea. For one thing, it basically puts all of the Devils' offensive talent into one basket. On paper, a unit featuring Zach Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Travis Zajac alone should be frightening to play against. Moreso when you add in Jamie Langenbrunner, Brian Rolston, Dainius Zubrus, David Clarkson, or Patrik Elias. Basically, the top forwards on the team.

The good news is that despite the Devils not having a defenseman to run the point, the Devils do have enough forwards who can handle themselves well on the power play. There's Kovalchuk, Parise, Zajac, Elias, Langenbrunner, Zubrus, Clarkson, and Rolston. That's eight forwards, each with differing skill-sets. Surely, two units could be created out of this group? Greene and Anssi Salmela are capable enough on defense to handle a man advantage. When Paul Martin returns, that's another defenseman available. The point is that the Devils aren't short on personnel.

However, it's not clear what the plan is to utilize all of them. Kovalchuk and Rolston have excellent slapshots, so do the Devils employ an umbrella strategy? Zubrus, Clarkson, Langenbrunner, Zajac, and Parise are excellent down low, so do they try to overload the slot and just crash the crease? Elias, Kovalchuk, Langenbrunner, and Zajac have good vision and can set up good passes (Elias being the best at it), so do they just set along the side boards to look for passing lanes?

To me, this leads to two major issues: it is not clear who should be on what unit and the Devils don't have a specific approach to their power play.

I feel that the two issues go hand-in-hand. For one chance, we can see Parise-Zajac-Zubrus-Kovalchuk-Rolston and on the next power play it could be Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner-Kovalchuk-Greene. Granted, I understand fatigue and individual performance (e.g. if Zubrus is having a great game, give him more minutes) plays a role, but I think it's undercutting what the Devils are doing.

We can immediately ask questions about the power play right from the get-go. For example: If Rolston and Kovalchuk are on the point, then who's the primary target at the point? Who's leading the breakout to get into the zone? Are they dumping and chasing or is one man going to carry it over the line, draw attention, and dish it off to someone else? Will there be Devils trying to set up screens or play off the slot for rebounds? I don't know, you don't know, and the answers (and the questions) by the team change from power play to power play, game to game. Because the units change by one or two people, it changes the approach and so an aggressive penalty kill can just stand at the blueline and be prepared for the rush up ice - figuring out what the Devils are doing and reacting faster than the Devils can employ their tactic.

On the Devils' side, this all leads to just struggling to get into any kind of rhythm among their power play units. This puts Lemaire in a tough spot - if something doesn't work, generally you make a change. At the same time, too many changes lead to the situation where the Devils are. Despite all the talent at forward, there isn't much in sync because it isn't clear what they're trying to do each time. Therefore, there's a team with the talent to put together a great power play on paper, but when opportunities arrive, our expectations are dashed by the team struggling to set up shots, much less score goals. Those are man advantages wasted, fans and a team frustrated, and momentum handed right back to the other team.

I don't believe the Devils are going to be able to be consistently threatening on a power play, much less score more goals, until roles are defined and a plan is set. If this means an umbrella plan where Kovalchuk bombs away and the forwards try to pick up the loose puck, then fine. If this means an overload strategy where ZZ Pops can cycle down low to open up passing and shooting lanes, then fine. But right now, I couldn't tell you what the Devils try to do on the power play given what they've done all season. The answer to that is simple: define units, set a plan, try it out, and then make adjustments accordingly.

The lack of a power play identity becomes a larger problem during a longer power play, where giving the first unit a long shift undercuts the second's ability to set something up. This tires out the first group so they have to rest longer and the second unit is some mish-mash of other players available trying to pick up where the first unit went wrong. An additional problem is that Kovalchuk has been seen on the ice throughout entire power plays. He's a fantastic offensive talent, he has many skills, but I don't feel he's being used to his fullest by giving him the long shifts on man advantages. It's one thing to tell him to run the point, but the Devils have multiple players who can do a decent enough job for the second unit - if only just to keep the puck in the zone and distribute the puck. He shouldn't have to play on both units with the number of players available. Yet, he does.

So what can be done? Again, Lemaire needs to clearly define who is on both power play units, what their roles are, and how they will conduct themselves going into the offensive zone and how they will set themselves up. I personally don't have any preference as to how they are set up except that I don't think there should be any more 5 forward units. I feel it's an issue of too many cooks in the kitchen, players' styles clashing with each other in a situation where they should be meshing together. This can be addressed by Lemaire and the coaching staff.

What the players themselves can do, I think, is simpler: relax. It's very weird that the Devils can have 7 minutes of power play time against Pittsburgh, put up maybe 4 or 5 shots on the power play, and then put 14-15 shots in even strength. That tells me that the New Jersey players on the power play tend to get tentative and start feeling the pressure. I don't know what else it could be given a period like that; it was the same way in the third period against the Islanders (4-5 shots on the power play out of 21 total in the period).

The pressure to make the most of the power play, to take full advantage, and it just gets to them, which I think leads to poor passes, poor puck movement into the zone, and indecision to shoot. Again, I don't want the Devils to fire away indiscriminately - that will just lead to lots of shots with no goals either (or a ton of blocked shots). I just want them to stop playing so nervously on the man advantage. Perhaps that alone will lead to at least more consistently threatening power plays.

Once the Devils can do that, the goals will come and what has been an issue for the Devils in 2010 could become a strength. When and how they will do it, I don't know. I would imagine, like most things, it won't happen overnight or just by sheer luck. From my perspective, all we as fans can do is hope they figure that out. I've offered my take, I'm sure you have your own thoughts that you'll kindly place in the comments.

NJ Devils & Atlantic Division Weekly Snapshot: 3/14 - 3/20

2010-03-14T16:00:32Z

The New Jersey Devils showed signs of turning the corner this week with wins over the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins, after a very poor shutout loss to Edmonton. Yet, they took a step back in their recovery with a loss to the New York Islanders and missed a chance to tie the Penguins in points. Nevertheless, the Penguins get a chance to retain and increase their lead, as well as get some revenge on Wednesday when the two teams faceoff. Elsewhere in the division, everyone else maintained their positions: the Philadelphia Flyers are still ahead of the playoff bubble, the Rangers still outside of eighth, and the Islanders on the outside looking in.

Atlantic Standings

	GP	W	L	OTL	PT
Pittsburgh	68	40	23	5	85
New Jersey	67	40	24	3	83
Philadelphia	67	36	27	4	76
New York Rangers	68	30	29	9	69
New York Islanders	68	27	32	9	63

(updated 3.14.2010 at 9:01 AM EDT)

The win over Pittsburgh by the Devils last week may prove to be huge as they still have a game in hand over Pittsburgh (will become two after today's games) and only behind by two points. Naturally, Wednesday's rematch between the two teams will determine who has the inside track heading into the final few weeks of the season. Even with the loss to the Islanders last night, the Devils aren't out of it - but they absolutely need to build on last week's results to make something of it.

	Potential Points	Last Week	Conf. Position
PIT	8	1-1-1	2nd
NJ	8	2-2-0	4th
PHI	8	3-1-0	6th
NYR	6	1-1-1	9th
NYI	8	1-1-1	14th

It's going to be a very busy week for most of the division. Only the Rangers will play less than 4 games this week. The Devils and Flyers will lose their game in hand over the Rangers and Islanders (and in the Flyers' case, the Penguins too); but at this point, it's not really a concern. The goal for the Penguins and Devils now are to push ahead for the highest position possible. As for the Flyers, it's to keep ahead of the playoff bubble in the East and hope the Devils slip enough to catch them. Travis Hughes at Broad Street Hockey pointed out that it's possible; while a 7 point lead with no extra games isn't easy to make up, he's not wrong. The team has certainly played well enough as of late.

As for the Rangers, the goal is simple: win in regulation. They cannot be handing points away and they cannot settle for less than 2 given where they are. The eighth-place Boston Bruins are three points ahead with a game in hand on the Rangers - an uphill climb at this point of the season. Especially with only three games this week. The Islanders have a lot of teams in front of them, so they don't just need to get hot but also have Florida, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Carolina, the Rangers, and Boston to start slipping to have a shot at making the post season. It's bleak for the Isles, really.

	3/14	3/15	3/16	3/17	3/18	3/19	3/20
PIT	@ TB			@ NJ	@ BOS		vs. CAR
NJ		vs. BOS		vs. PIT	@ TOR		vs. STL
PHI	@ NYR		@ NSH		@ DAL		@ ATL
NYR	vs. PHI		vs. MTL		vs. STL
NYI	vs. TOR		@ VAN			@ ANA	@ LA

There are two intra-division games that are big in terms of positioning. If you're worried about the Flyers, then you may have to do the unthinkable and hope the Rangers win in regulation to keep them back. As for Wednesday's Pittsburgh-New Jersey game, well, I shouldn't have to tell you what result would be ideal.

On paper, it looks like Pittsburgh has the easier schedule; but if the last two months have taught Devils fans anything, that you can throw that paper in the trash when the game starts. The Penguins are more than capable at dropping some of those games, considering all non-Devils opponents involved are fighting to make the postseason. All the same, to take the division and keep fifth place Ottawa and sixth place Philadelphia at bay, the Devils need to improve on last week's 2-2 week against some tough opponents. We saw that they can rise to the occasion at home, so having three home games helps in that sense. Whether or not they'll do it is up to them.

New Jersey Devils Morning News, Mar 14

2010-03-14T15:03:57Z

Devils notes: Paul Martin close - (The Bergen Record)
Devils in disguise? Jersey falls to Islanders, 4-2 - (The Bergen Record)

More on Paul Martin: Unlucky night for Yann Danis - (Fire & Ice)
Devils’ power play, road stuggles continue in 4-2 loss to the Islanders - (Fire & Ice)
Full speed ahead for Paul Martin’s return to Devils - (Fire & Ice)
Yann Danis to start in net tonight for Devils vs. Islanders; no other lineup changes - (Fire & Ice)
Live post: Bergenheim SHG puts Isles up 4-2 in third - (Fire & Ice)
Martin Brodeur sits out as Devils lose to Islanders, 4-2 - (The Star Ledger)
Jamie Langenbrunner doesn't know what happened on power play mixup - (The Star Ledger)
Devils lose to Islanders, 4-2, miss chance to gain share of Atlantic Division lead - (The Star Ledger)
Devils-Islanders, as they play - (The Star Ledger)
Devs miss chance on Island - (The New York Post)
Stats - (Yahoo NHL)
Standings - (Yahoo NHL)
Devils Team Report - (Yahoo NHL)
New York Islanders blast backup Yann Danis in 4-2 win over New Jersey Devils - (New York Daily News)
The Devils Look Each Other in the Eye - (The Hockey Writers)

LOWELL DEVILS
Wolf Pack Pull Away For Win Over Devils, 6-2 - (LowellDevilsHockey.com)

TRENTON DEVILS
Kunes Leads Surge Past K-Zoo, 5-4 - (TrentonDevils.com)

New Jersey Devils Take a Step Back in 4-2 Loss to New York Islanders

2010-03-14T03:27:27Z

More photos » Kathy Kmonicek - AP

Tonight, it was the Islanders who celebrated. Here, Freddy Meyer and his linemates applauded and Travis Zajac, the man who set up the odd man rush that led to the goal, looks on in frustration. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

Browse more photos »

Tonight, the New Jersey Devils lost to the New York Islanders 4-2 and the loss is a bitter one.

The Devils were undone by a poor second period, poor puck movement, and a poor power play. While I'm sure some (most?) Devils fans will rightfully complain about the power play, I'm more unhappy with the puck movement absolutely degrading through the end of the first period through the second. They had a strong start, they got a fortunate goal early, and yet one bad pass by Travis Zajac (who didn't have a shot to really take) led to a 3-on-2 where Freddy Meyer put back a rebound.

A late equalizer not only led to the Islanders feeling good going into the second period, but signified a start of some awful decisions with the puck by the Devils. Bad clearances led to sustained Islanders' attacks. Bad passes through the neutral zone and even going into the neutral zone stunted the Devils' offense whereas the Islanders thrived. It got to a point to where the Devils would either give the puck up outright, miss their target, or the pass would be complete but the target would instantly have an Islander right on him.

On those attacks either Yann Danis had to make plenty of tough saves or the Devils had to scramble to recover (and block shots, 17 were made by the team in total). Yet, the momentum was clearly in the Islanders' favor and they made them pay with two in the second period. Out-shot only 10-7, yet New Jersey was outscored 2-0. The third period was a far better effort despite it's own host of problems (more on that later).

After the last two wins by the New Jersey Devils, given how they won those games in addition to the fact they won, it leaves one to wonder. Is this just a bad game on the second half of a back to back set? Just a proverbial bump in the proverbial road? Or is this a sign that the Devils aren't out of their struggles? Are the Devils going to start slipping again? Honestly, I don't know. We shall see on Monday and Wednesday, though.

Check out Lighthouse Hockey for a take from the Islanders' standpoint. For the official stats, NHL.com has their recap up. Read on for additional thoughts about tonight's game.

One issue that I don't think is a major issue from tonight's loss was that the Islanders scored their two goals in the second period in under a minute apart. I know it was a problem in the San Jose and Calgary game. However, the big difference here is that the Devils conceded a power play to the Islanders shortly after Jon Sim's goal. In fact, Jon Sim's goal was as much of a break for the Islanders as was Mike Mottau's goal to start the game. The Devils closed off Richard Park, the puck bounced back to Sim and he just fired it through traffic. But the power play afterward was terrible. Ilya Kovalchuk high sticked an Islander along the side-boards unnecessarily; gifting an Islander team a man advantage after generating so much momentum and confidence after going up 2-1 after Sim's goal.

Incidentally, of the three penalties the Devils took, that was the second dumb one of the night. I can forgive the hooking call on Zach Parise as it stopped Matt Moulson from taking a shot in the slot off a loose puck. David Clarkson's check on Josh Bailey (I think) was away from the play, late, and dumb. While the Islanders did nothing - as in no shots on net - on the first two, they struck gold after Kovalchuk's high-stick. The Islanders won the faceoff, Mark Streit went back and forth with Frans Neilsen, Streit fired it, got a fortunate and inadvertent bounce off Mike Mottau and it beats Danis. That would be the game winner and that one hurt the most in my opinion. It's not like the Devils broke down or made a major mistake, Streit fired a puck through traffic, got a good bounce, and it beat Danis. The only mistake was giving them the power play to begin with.

At least I can say that Kovalchuk redeemed himself with a goal of his own early in the third period. A long pass was broken up, but Kovalchuk worked at keeping possession, found Dean McAmmond who dropped it off for him, and Kovalchuk fired a laser past Dwayne Roloson. With a little over 17 minutes left, and only down by 1 goal, you'd think the Devils would make a strong effort to get an equalizer.

Well, they did. The Devils crashed the net, bombed shots from the point, the defense jumped up when able, and nearly threw a kitchen sink at Roloson. The passing improved, the swagger was coming back, and things were looking good. They did put 21 shots on net in that third period alone. The high shot total was a big reason why Zach Parise and Brian Rolston got 8 shots on net; why Patrik Elias contributed 5 shots; why Kovalchuk and Dainius Zubrus each put 4 shots on net; and so forth. 40 shots in total. Roloson rose to the occasion for the Islanders and should be praised as such.

But. And if you watched the game, this is a big "but," the shots were in spite of 6 minutes of power play time in the third period. Normally, when you're down by a goal and a player (Dylan Reese) high sticks one of your own (Zach Parise) and draws blood, a 4 minute power play would be seen as a great opportunity. It should be seen as a great opportunity, especially when your team has been incredibly effective at putting rubber on the opposition earlier.

What the Devils did was horrid. They struggled to get the puck in over the blueline. They tried carrying it over so much that the Islanders knew exactly what they were going to do. They should have dumped it in more, at least it would have given the Devils more time to set-up. Instead it was a cycle of the Devils going up ice, losing it somewhere before the dots, and then going back to pick up the cleared puck.

Then a fatal error was made. Dean McAmmond, who otherwise was having a pretty good game, coughed up the puck on the right sideboards. Blake Comeau pushed it up ice and moved around a tired, sprawling Ilya Kovalchuk to lead up a 2-on-1. Bizarrely, Jamie Langenbrunner rushes back and decides to go after the puck-carrier Comeau instead of Sean Bergenheim. Comeau got the pass to Bergenheim, takes a shot, it pops up on the initial save and it gets knocked in by Danis' own arm. A shorthanded goal during a 4 minute power play. And how was this responded with?

Not much! Blake Comeau got tagged with a hooking call with 50 seconds left on that power play for a short 5-on-3 and an abbreviated 5-on-4 where the Devils looked more threatening and put some shots on Roloson. Still, they did not convert. They did not convert on any of their power plays, only putting up 5 shots total in the game. They did not convert on a power play for the second straight game, a total of 8 opportunities. I'm sure some of you are frustrated that despite all of this talent, they don't score on these chances. I'm more upset that they struggled to set anything up, at least threaten to do something on a power play.

Needless to say, the power play is a matter that must be discussed among the team.

Alas, that shorthanded goal only dealt a serious blow to the comeback effort and Roloson ensured it would never happen. The true root cause of the loss was how the Devils' performance degraded in the second period; which got the Islanders' goals to take the lead and to play with confidence through the rest of the way.

There were some positives. Despite how often they lost the puck to the Islanders in the second period, the team did backcheck hard and the defense came up with a lot of blocks, 17 to be exact. The Devils were strong on faceoffs, with the team winning 56% of them. I felt Yann Danis had a pretty good outing. I can't fault him for the first three goals; on the fourth it looked like he was literally fighting with the shot - and lost. (Late Night Update: Per this postgame post by Tom Gulitti, the puck apparently hit McAmmond's arm before going in. OK, then.) The Devils started off the game well enough and outside of the power plays (and the shorthanded goal), the third period effort was good - they didn't just flounder through the game. I felt the decision to switch up Parise and Langenbrunner after the second period was a good one, as evidenced by the 21 shots on goal generated in the third.

Still, those are small positives in comparison to the big negative that is this loss. I will credit the Islanders. When they got a chance, they took it, scored that first goal, and realized that if they generated more turnovers perhaps more chances would arrive. And they did, especially in the second period. They were fast, Roloson regained his confidence, and they made their power play count. If you'd like (for some reason), here's the highlights from NHL.com that shows all the goals and top saves from the game:

Thanks for reading (please, do read it if you haven't). Thanks to Steve for the GameThread as well as to all who commented there. Please leave your thoughts, feelings, and criticism - I'm sure you'll all have some of that - in the comments.