DING DING DING! Round 1 of Devils vs. Rangers about to begin.

No Sean Avery tonight, and a more cuddly, controlled verson of Andrew Peters to make an apperance tonight, so the fisticuffs may wait until later in the season, but the action is moving fast and furious from the opening whistle.

The Devils score less than two minutes in, when Jay Pandolfo controlled the puck off the boards and found Rob Niedermeyer in the right faceoff circle, and Niedermeyer one-timed it into the upper right corner of the net.

The Rangers took a timeout after the Devils earned another shot on goal, and immediately took a 2 minute interference penalty. The Devils look like a completely different team than Saturday’s version, and we’re only 2 minutes in.

The Rangers kill the penalty, but the momentum is still with the Devils. And our first look at Pikkarainen, the Devils biggest offseason acquisition, is in the penalty box. 2 min for hooking. Awesome. Brodeur makes a save on his right side to start the PK.

Michael Del Zotto, one of the youngins playing for the Rangers this season, scored on a wide open rebound from the left side of the ice off of a shot by Vinny Prospal.  First power play goal given up by the Devils this season, and second goal of the season for Del Zotto. FANTASY HOCKEY TIP: Pick up Del Zotto. Now. On an offensively-challenged squad, he may be the scoring leader sooner rather than later.

Devils kill a second penalty very aggressively, and in turn create a penalty on the Rangers. Time to see if the Devils power play is less anemic than its’ Saturday version. With one shot on goal in the fifrst 20 seconds, the answer is yes.

Just as I was telling my colleague Denis Gorman that I didn’t like the Devils new power play set up, with both Zajac and Clarkson crashing the net, Clarkson gets a pass from Parise down low, and makes a sweet backhand, no-look pass to Zajac on the right side of the net. Zajac threw the puck into the upper right hand corner of the net to regain the Devils’ lead.

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NOTE: ‘The Devils Made Me Do It” was unable to blog from Saturday’s opening game due to technical issues. I apologize for not being on ball with the blog. Or on the puck… whatever.

As the lights dim here in the Pru for another Rangers-Devils game, I was thinking about another sporting event going on tonight.

Being from the great state of Wisconsin, I find myself glad I won’t be watching the Packer-Viking game tonight in favor of the Rangers-Devils game, as it is probably better for my blood pressure.

As I walked from the train station to the stadium, I saw a lot of red and white “4″ jerseys for the legendary Scott Stevens. Stevens was the heart and soul (and all-around badass) for the Devils in their cup winning hey-day. And I saw a lot of similarities between the Stevens we all knew and the Brett Favre I thought I knew (beyond the piercing eyes and dirty blond hair).

So how would Devils react tonight if Stevens donned a Blueshirt and came out of retirement to play for the most hated rivals. Those not from the Cheese state sometimes think that Chicago is the most-hated team, but the Vikings took that title once Randy Moss tried to do the Lambeau Leap and “mooned” the crowd.  So the Rangers/Vikings comparison works.

Would Devils fans cheer for Stevens? Would he get an extra-loud “SUCKS” after his name is announced, as Scott Gomez did after he switched loyalties? Would there be polite applause, an appreciation for the seasons of contributions?

All I know is that it would hurt. A lot. The Packers never got to retire Favre’s #4, but Stevens’ jersey is hanging from the rafters here. Would the team take it down?

I’m not rooting for Brett Favre tonight. If I were sitting in front of my television at home instead of in the press box here in the Pru, I would be booing loudly, and throwing foam-cheese products at the screen whenever the traitor was shown. And I think people know why.

Stevens took a job with the Devils after his retirement, staying with the organization that he gave so much to, and the fans that loved him even more. Favre had that opportunity and decided to bolt. I guess it’s a case of comparing sour grapes to hypothetical oranges.

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Good evening from the Prudential Center. It’s the final Pre-season game of the year, and the roster has been chopped to 29. Some of the remaining questions of training camp will be answered tonight, like which of the younger players will step-in to replace the free agents lost over the summer, will the return of Jacques Lemaire come with the return of the Cup, and and just exactly what will Rob Niedermayer’s role be in the clubhouse with dynamo leaders like Langenbrunner and Shanahan?

A couple of things are already set in stone: Martin Brodeur is back with more record to set, the ZZ Pop line has the potential to be just as explosive as last season, and the defense will be increasingly solid as the season moves foreward.

The Islanders are playing John Tavares tonight, and the first pick in this year’s entry draft has a lot of pressure to turn around a franchise that has so many years and so much money invested in a goaltender that may not see a third of a season’s action for what feels like the seventh year in a row (Rick “DNP” DiPietro).

Here are some thoughts on the upcoming season based on what I’ve seen so far:

1. Zajac might eclipse Parise in scoring this season. The improvement Zajac made last season has been built upon, and he could have a breakout season, which is completely opposite of my second thought…

2. Scoring is going to be way down this season. We’ve been sold that Lemaire isnot going to be the defensive megalomaniac that he was last go round, but you  can already tell that the offensive firepower will not be the priority of this club this year, which may be because…

3. Brodeur could see a drop off this season. The man has only a few more records to break, and though we know he still has a desire to play and play at a high level, does he still have the desire to be Martin Brodeur? The signing of Yann Danis, who blanked the Devils last season for the Isles, was no mistake, and not necessarily a response to Kevin Weekes and Scott Clemmensen leaving… remember, Weekes was still on the roster when Danis signed.

4. Big moves will be made this season. Whether before the trade deadline, or a surprise move early, I believe the Devils are shopping their players and for players. Brent Sutter had just enough time to mold the team in his liking before he jumped ship. With a different regime, and a possible salary cap reduction pending, there may be some serious money moved before we say goodnight.

5. Cory Murphy will make an impact this season. The Devils have been missing a true power play point man to compliment Paul Martin for a while. Clarkson said after the first pre-season game that he was very impressed with Murphy’s power play acumen. Murphy has been in the system for a while, and this may be the year when he joins the big leagues and makes his name known.

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The Devils just sent out a press release stating that center Rob Niedermeyer signed a one-year contract with the Devils today.
R. Niedermeyer’s brother, Scott, played 13 seasons in New Jersey and was a part of all three Stanley Cup Champion teams.
Continuing with my “Step by Step” theme, the last line of the theme song was, “We’ll make it better, the second time around…” Lemaire redux, another Niedermeyer on the roster? Sounds like Lou’s been watching re-runs on ABC Family.

Welcome back to New Jersey, Niedermeyer family!

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Preseason always reminds me of “Step by Step”, the 90’s sitcom based in Port Washington, WI (10 min from my hometown) about a blended family and all of its dysfunction.

While cuts are still being made after tonight’s preseason tilt with Philly, this blended family of veterans, rookies and all in-between makes for an interesting dynamic. Usually after a game, win lose or draw, there is a sense of togetherness in the Devils’ locker room. After last Wednesday’s game, a win against New York, there was a distinct tension in the room. Whether it was from unfamiliarity, since many of the guys had just met a few days earlier, or the fact that decisions on who would remain with the NHL club were coming soon, it just felt awkward.

Now, a men’s hockey lockerroom can be awkward for a female reporter for many varied (and obvious) reasons, but this was not the case on Wednesday. The unfamiliarity with the players, the lack of some of the normal faces we’ve become accustomed to, it was just a weird scene, especially after a win. We’ll see, now that the roster’s been narrowed down to 32, if there is a better sense of comradere after tonight’s game.

I won’t try to make comparisons between the characters of “Step by Step” to the characters on the Devils (finding a Suzanne Somers amongst a group of professional athletes would not be good for my career), but the team is a crazy, mixed up bunch of almost-parental figures, young veterans and energetic youth. Now if only they had such a catchy theme song…

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The smell of popcorn in Penn Station. The click-clack of heels on the press-row floor. The mischievous look on David Clarkson’s face as he dodges Sean Avery.

It’s good to be back.

I won’t say the Prudential Center is rocking, but a healthy preseason crowd gave a great ovation to Jaques Lemaire before the game, and rowdy boos to Sean Avery during. It does help when Avery picks up a double minor at the end of the first half, goalie interference and unsportsmanlike conduct (Really? Avery? Would’ve never guessed).

But while the league’s favorite villain (besides Rangers teammate Donald Brashear) is in mid-season form, the rest of the Blueshirts looked a little pathetic on offense.

Shanny looks great in number 14 again, despite it meaning Gionta is truly a Canadien.

The refs are in preseason form too, as I just saw one grab onto the goal post for dear life to Yann Danis left-hand side. Nothing like a freshly resurfaced sheet of ice.

You know this whole getting back into the rhythm of writing and watching and eating and such is harder than I expected. I totally just missed a fabulous fight between Mark Fraser and Aaron Voros. Fraser is a younger guy trying to earn a roster spot. Going toe-to-toe with Voros, a legitimately tough guy, should give him some attention. Fraser held his own.

Side note: This is my friend, colleague and neighbor Mike Ashmore. He covers the Trenton Devils for the Hunterdon County Democrat. Mike and I are usually quite good friends, but on Rangers-Devils games, I feel it is bad karma to carpool with him. I may not be green, but I’m definitely not Blue.

Back to the game, Clarkson just scored his second power-play goal of the night. The power of the Assistant Captaincy is with him.

 It seems that the Devils’ drills are paying off more than the Rangers skating. A Rangers beat writer told me that the Blueshirts used the first two days of training camp to skate in circles (or ovals, to be more precise). Brian Rolston told Bergen Record writer Tom Gulitti that the first few days of camp have been instructional and game-paced.

Also, Yann Danis has proven himself as a solid backup for Marty Brodeur. With 2 minutes to go in the second, he’s stopped all 20 shots faced, including several power play opportunities for the Rangers. He’ll be replaced by Jeff Frazee for the third period, but the first two have made a believer out of me (if the shutout he posted against the Devils last year while with the Islanders wasn’t enough).

End of second period, 2-0 Devils in the David Clarkson show.

By the way, for those on Twitter (and who’s not these days), I am tweeting @devsblog  any updates, random thoughts and shameless self promotion. I suggest if you are a fan of any of those three options, I suggest you follow my twitter @devsblog.

So, less than a minute into the third, Clarky already has another offensive opportunity, which begs the moral question; do you throw your hat onto the ice for a pre-season hat trick? Please leave your feedback in the comment box below!

For Boston University fans checking in tonight, Matt Gilroy scored his “first” professional goal 3;03 into the first period. The 25-year-old NCAA Championship hero has made an impression on the Rangers staff, and could likely make the team. He does have an age advantage over some of the other rookies in the chase for a roster spot. I would assume that with age comes maturity, but anyone who knows hockey players knows that’s not always the case.

I’d love to take the time to comment on the Devils’ youngsters, but other than Fraser’s fight, I haven’t really seen much of anything, good or bad. Bergfors has an assist, but I’d hardly call him one of the youngsters. He’s been on the cusp of making the big leagues for at least a season, and it is good that he’s taking advantage of the opportunity this time around. PL3 (Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond for some, PL3 for me) also had a terrific fight, this one against Brent Henley, but again, he’s had opportunity with the NHL-level Devils before.

Well, since it is preseason, I’m going to head to the bench early to save my typing fingers for the regular season. Again, welcome back, hockey fans. We’ve missed you.

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The Gio Tracker is no more.

I know Brian Gionta was too expensive, Lou knows Gionta was too expensive, we all know Brian Gionta was too expensive.

That doesn’t make me any happier about him leaving for the Habs. Gio will be reunited with Scott I-Can-Like-Him-A-Little-More-Now-Because-He’s-Not-A-Ranger Gomez, giving the team a little lift with players who at least know they can play together (and without organized crime ties. A bonus!).

Losing Gionta, Mike Rupp, Kevin Weekes, Scott Clemmensen and John Madden will definitely change the make-up of the team. This gives a lot of opportunity for younger players to move up in the ranks, and it does clear future cap room, even if the cap does decrease in 2010 (more on that in another blog). But there could be quite the learning curve this upcoming season.

Be sure to check back when pre-season begins, because someone is going to have to identify all of the new faces in the locker room!

And, just one last time…

Gio Tracker!

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Well, I thought it would be bad karma to leave the last post before tonight’s game a review of Game 7.
The Devils have a new coach, a new team and a new season to race for the Cup. It begins tonight when the Devils play host to the Rangers (can you think of a better preseason opener? I cant.) at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Also, this is a new season for “The Devils Made Me Do It.” I’m hoping to have a lot more content, and better quality content, for Devils fans out there. It’s an exciting time to be a hockey fan!
But first, I need a haircut and some triple A batteries for my voice recorder.
Pre-season isn’t just a warm up for the athletes, you know.
I’ll be back tonight from the Prudential Center with more pre-game, in-game, and post-game info on the kickoff to the Devils’ season!

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It is still painful to talk about the implosion that was the final 1:2o of last night’s game. I’m not even sure it has set in yet, that the season is over.

A few things that will stick with me from the aftermath: Realizing my contacts were drying out and my jaw was in my lap when Jokinen scored the tying goal, and looking up from my notes just in time to see Staal and his 3 zip-codes worth of space firing the winning shot; the inability of Colin White to put together a sentence, even after sitting in his locker and answering questions for 20 minutes; Zach Parise’s absolutely despondent look will haunt me in my sleep- I’ve never seen an athlete go catatonic after a loss.

Moments before Jokinen tied the game, I leaned over to Dan Martin of the NY Post and told him that the shot blocked by Nic Havelid was the best thing he’s done since he arrived here … and then he let Jokinen score. Havelid looked like a good player coming from Atlanta leading the team in +/- and blocked shots … but that was on Atlanta, not the Devils. I think the acquisition of Havelid was a bad move overall (easy to say in hindsight), and will force the Devils to use cap space to sign another defenseman. Because I’m sure there will be a riot if the Devils resign the Finn. And I will be at the front, leading the way with pitchfork and torch.

A few quotes from after the game…

Coach  Sutter on Jamie Langenbrunner’s return:  “I thought he played hard in his first game back in Carolina, and tonight I thought he was very good. That line played very well tonight for us, and unfortunately got scored on to tie the game up, but they were without a doubt our best line tonight. They brought it to the table in game seven and Jamie was a big part of that. Those two kids fed off him and he fed off them. Not having him in those two games, lets not kid ourselves, there was something missing.”

‘Canes coach Paul Maurice on playing Boston: “Yeah, we’re real excited we’re going to Boston. I got the job December 4th, and this is the 11th time we’ve played this team in the past four months. I’m really hoping we don’t schedule an exhibition here.”

Jamie Langenbrunner: “We know it’s not in hand, it’s a sixty minute game. We were playing well, eliminating their chances. We got caught out there and couldn’t get the puck out of the zone… We got caught running around at the end and they made us pay for it.”

Martin Brodeur: “Losing like that is shocking, and that’s the bottom line.”

Draft day is in June, and as always the Devils will host a draft party. I hope to be able to attend, and talk to fans about the latest addition to the Devils’ organization as well as thoughts on the season and where the team is headed. Are major changes on the way after another round one loss? We will find out.

Thanks again to the readership for loyalty and encouragement. And in my previous entry, I forgot to thank the Prudential Center staff- a great group of dedicated people who make sure everything runs smoothly everynight. Without them, I would have been lost in the bowels of the Rock way too many times.

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Carolina 4, New Jersey 3

Ugh. Double ugh. The Hurricanes tied the game with 1:20 left on a shot by Jussi Jokenin, and 40 seconds later, Eric Staal won the series for Carolina. Brodeur was spectacular, but couldn’t stop the two most important shots of the night. Everyone was scrambling, playing not to lose rather than to win.

It’s been a special season with the Devils, and this offseason should be interesting. Who knows who will be leaving and who will be brought in. No one has seen a series go down like this one has. Everyone kept saying a full 60 minutes was necessary. They got to 57:40.

I’ll be back tomorrow with stats and quotes. For now, it’s time to shave the playoff beard, pack up the locker and start preparing for next season. Watch for improvements and additions to ‘The Devils Made Me Do It’ during the offseason. New Jersey isn’t the only team that will retool in the next few months.

Thank you to the Devils PR staff, all of the fellow writers who have helped me along during my first NHL season, and the players for being generous with their time, thoughts and opinions. It’s been a blast.

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