Coach Brent Sutter will not make a decision on who is in net until before the game against the Panthers Saturday morning. He said he wanted to make sure Brodeur felt good enough and really only makes decisions on a game-to-game basis.

The Panthers game on Saturday begins a back-to-back afternoon game series this weekend, finishing with Philly on Sunday. Earlier this month, the top teams from each conference came into the Prudential Center and the Devils cleaned house. Now, the two hottest teams in the league are coming, and hopefully there will be a similar result. The Flyers are getting Briere back from an injury, almost as important to them as Marty is to the Devils (key word: almost). Both teams are fighting for playoff position, so it should be an interesting weekend.

So come out Saturday and Sunday, both games starting at 1 p.m. Bring the kids. Bring a date. Bring your hockey spirit. It’s going to be a great weekend.

Posted under News, Notes and Musings

Wow. Martin Brodeur sure knows how to make an entrance.

On a night where the buzz in the Pru was palpable, and the number of media behind the scenes doubled, let’s not forget some of the little things that made such a great comeback for Marty.

- Another Martin, first name Paul, also rejoined the line up after a four game hiatus due to an upper body issue. Martin made a huge difference in the game, assisting on two goals including Patrik Elias’ rebound on the power play in the second. Martin does a great job manning the point on the power play and is always in the right place at the right time. He said he felt a little rusty at first, but settled down after a while. It was a good night to be a Martin coming back from injury.

- I talked to Brian Gionta after the game about his conversation with Adam Foote in front of the net in the second period. I asked him what they were talking about, especially since Foote is the difference in height between the two. Gio’s response? “I hit him there behind the net and he didn’t like it too much. So he did most of the talking and I just listened.” The man is fearless.

- The Avalanche are a great reminder of how lucky the Devils are that they were able to maneuver the salary cap straight out from the lockout. They’re able to keep a few key guys like Joe Sakic, Milan Hejduk, Foote and Paul Stasny, but are not able to load up at every position like they did during their cup runs. They were very good for a very long time, but as the core of the team got older all of those prospects that were traded away in blockbuster deals were helping other teams succeed when the Avs needed them. I’ve expressed a few times my concern over the collective age of the Devils; they’re sitting in a small window of opportunity to win a Cup before those core guys are ready to hang ‘em up. At the moment, I am concerned with the number of young prospects in the system, but Lamoriello is extremely smart and probably already has a plan in place. It’s too bad the Avs weren’t quite as prepared for this stage.

- Confession of a Childhood Fan: This game was extra special for me, as I began watching hockey the year the Avalanche became the Avalanche. I have a deep passion for the club, and it was a thrill to meet broadcaster Norm Jones, whose voice has described games over the radio when no TV would carry a game. It was also a treat to get to talk to Milan Hejduk, although other circumstances may have fitted my joy in the occasion better. I love covering the Devils, I love everything about the organization. But there’s always that 14 year old girl watching Chris Drury score the game winning goal in overtime against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Finals on her birthday inside of me, wanting to cheer for the navy and maroon. It’s only one game a year (maybe two, and definitely not in the Cup Finals this year) that my loyalties are divided, but nonetheless, it was a special night for me as a journalist and as a fan.

- Zach Parise rules. His spectacular goal eight minutes into the third period was a combo of speed to get around Brett Clark, strength to hold him off and talent to get that puck up and over Andrew Raycroft’s head. And if you needed any other proof of the hockey instincts in this kid, check out what Tom Gulitti’s Blog, Fire & Ice, says about the Elias goal in the second.

For more on Brodeur’s 99th regular season shutout and his return to the ice, check out my game story on www.nysportsday.com.

Posted under Uncategorized

It was announced yesterday at practice that Martin Brodeur will be in net tonight for the New Jersey Devils against the Colorado Avalanche, and this morning Brodeur spoke to the media regarding his return to the ice.

When asked if he was looking forward to his first save, Brodeur said he was anxious for the, “First shot, even though it’s wide, I’ll believe I made him shoot wide.”

“This is what I missed the most, being with the guys and competing with them, so I”m really excited for tonight,” he added.

As are the Devils fans. Ticket values skyrocketed once it was rumoured that Brodeur would be in net tonight, and despite the opponent being in last place in the Western Conference, the Devils could be playing the Morristown 8/9 Mite team tonight and get a sellout.

The Vezina Trophy winner is confident his surgically repaired arm will withstand opposing players aiming at it, and feels that he hasn’t left anything on the (operating) table in terms of ability.

“Time will tell. I feel I’m okay to go out and meet the challenge and I’m confident in my abilities,” Brodeur said.

If the arm does hold up and the goalie returns to the form he was in pre-injury, not only will the Devils have a successful run inot the playoffs but Brodeur can make a run at a significant number of records.

Brodeur is not hesitant to talk about the potential, or inevitable, records, but still is more focused on getting back into the game, especially tonight.

“It was definitely disappointing to have a big hole in my season,” he explained, hinting at the disappointment that comes with missing opportunities. “I’ll answer questions about it as we get closer and closer.”

With seven wins needed to tie Patrick Roy’s career victory mark, I’m not sure how much closer Brodeur can get before he will begin answering questions, but one must respect his focus on just getting back on the ice.

While Brodeur’s return from injury is the top story of the evening, several other key players in tonight’s matchup are also recently healed and returning to the line up.

For the Devils, defenseman Paul Martin has been out with upper body soreness, a recurring injury, for the past four games after taking a shot  during the win over Boston. Martin did not skate this morning, same as Brodeur, but he did say he wanted to get out on the ice.

“If I was going to play tonight, I might as well just save it and go tonight,” he explained. Martin said he feels better than the last time he came back from this injury, and will take the next few games day-to-day.

For the Avalanche, their top scorer Paul Stasny returned against Atlanta Tuesday night after missing 26 games with a broken forearm. Stasny had 31 points before the injury in December. Colorado missed the center’s scoring ability, especially with Captain Joe Sakic out with a back and hand injury long term.

Tonight, longtime defenseman Adam Foote returns to the line up for Colorado after missing 17 games with a tricep injury. The return of both players could give the Avalanche a boost, especially against a recently-healed goalie.

Despite being in last place in the Western Conference, the Avs are only eight points out of the number eight playoff spot. This team still has a lot to play for, whether those outside the locker room believe or not.

The Devils, on the other hand, are two points away from tying Washington for the number two playoff slot in the East. Quickly gaining on New Jersey is Philadelphia, only four points behind, making the three games in the next four days extremely important to the Devils position in the playoffs.

Brodeur couldn’t agree more. “The last 20 games are the hardest to get points,” he said about his timing in returning to the team.

For Brodeur, the last 20 begins tonight.

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Additional note, Jay Leach will be a scratch tonight now that Paul Martin is back, and Jay Pandolfo will be playing in place of Mike Rupp.

Posted under Uncategorized

Martin Brodeur was activated today, and Scott Clemmensen was sent down to the Lowell affiliate, clearing the way for Marty to start in goal tomorrow night against the Colorado Avalanche.
I’ll be at morning skate tomorrow, along with hoards of other media outlets, to talk to Marty about being back, Scott’s misfortune, and the three games in four days in this homestand.

Posted under Uncategorized

After a brief hiatus from ‘The Devils Made Me Do It’, I’ll be back with game threads, trade deadline updates, and plenty of the hockey goods you’ve come to expect through the playoffs.
Keep an eye out for an exclusive interview with Doc Emrick, the television voice of the Devils and the NHL’s most important games. To know Doc is to love Doc.
Also, I’m going to be adding a few more pieces on the basics of hockey for the more casual reader. I get a lot of comments like “We love your blog, we just don’t understand it.” So, for the rest of the season, I hope to address that in a way that is informational and entertaining … and that just sounded like the opening to a health class film strip from 1983. I promise no oddly fitting dresses or terrible music.
‘The Devils Made Me Do It’ is your source for behind the scenes Devils news for the home stretch, so check back often! And don’t forget to tip your waitress.

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There is a unique tension in the air amongst New Jersey Devils followers. The trade deadline is fast approaching, as well as the return of Martin Brodeur, and it seems like Lou Lamoriello has some big decisions to make.
First of all, with New York firing Tom Renney with less than a quarter of the season left, the Rangers are serious about righting the ship (weather they’re going about it the right way or not is yet to be seen).
Does this mean that Lou’s got to bolster the defense, or the offense, or add another pest to the team? And if he does, what does that do to the team chemistry, which has obviously pulled the Devils through some difficult stretches this year.
Also, outside forces may encourage Lamoriello to trade a goalie before we know for sure if Brodeur is ready to come back. With the Sabres’ Ryan Miller out for who knows long with an ankle injury, Kevin Weekes would make an excellent replacement goalie to help Buffalo in the home stretch. He’s proven himself over and over again, here and in Carolina, so there is interest in him. But, what if Marty isn’t as ready as he’s telling Lou and Brent? What if that surgically-repaired tendon doesn’t want to make the playoff push? Can Scott Clemmensen truly be the answer night in and night out in a playoff run? Lou may be pressured to make a decision before we know all the facts.
I’m sure the Devils will be in the mix for a trade this year. But without too many prospects, an overflow of talented goalies, and a sneaking feeling that the defensive core may need an upgrade, the front office may be in for a very stressful next few weeks.

Posted under Uncategorized

First and foremost, as ‘The Devils Made Me Do It’ returns from a short hiatus, we must take a moment to recognize another edition of…

Gio Tracker!

The Gio Tracker!

Gionta scored his 13th goal of the season Sunday against the San Jose Sharks 30-seconds into the game, putting the Gio Tracker back into action. Of course, the Devils won 6-5, making the team’s winning percentage when Brian scores a hefty 92.3% (12-1, twelve wins in a row).  Despite the fact that Brian has not had the offensive out put of previous seasons (we all know 48 was a fluke, but a good fluke), it does show his importance to the team.

In other news, Zach Parise still is kicking ass and taking names. No surprise there. Bobby Holik scored a goal and went a game without a penalty. Nice surprise there. Anssi Salmela was called up from Lowell, possibly to be put on display as a tradable commodity, but if that’s why Salmela was called up, why hasn’t Nick Bergfors seen NHL time too? The wisdom of Lou will be revealed when Lou deems appropriate.

Posted under News, Notes and Musings

The goalie is 36 years old, the captain is 33, and the most recent acquisition is 40. No, this isn’t your inter-company soccer club, it’s the New Jersey Devils.  The Devils have always had a great balance of youth and experience, but this season it seems the experience is out-weighing the youth coming up in the system. Jay Leach is 29 and still spends most of his playing time in Lowell, because there’s just no room to move up.

With all of the improvements to equipment, training and the rules of the game, it’s plausible that players can successfully play well into their 40’s (see: Chelios, Chris).  But that also leaves a team vulnerable to chronic injuries, as well as possibly losing  a step in a league that is shifting advantage to the quicker clubs.

In an effort to find out what kind of youth is available to the Devils should some of the experienced players retire or get injured, I talked to Trenton Devils beat reporter Mike Ashmore about what kind of hockey is going on in the Capital City.

—

As the Devils continue to push through the most tedious part of the season on the way to the playoffs, it never hurts to take a look at who is coming up in the organization.

Mike Ashmore covers the Trenton Devils, the ECHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils, for the Hunterdon Democrat as well as his website, http://tdevils.wordpress.com.

Ashmore sat down with me to discuss some of the young blood trying to play their way up to the big leagues.

T-Devils goalie Gerald Coleman has been a revelation for the team, which turned around when he was brought in amongst a slew of new faces. Still finding his distinct style as a goalie, Coleman does have a specialty.

“He seems like any shot that comes towards him his main goal is not even necessarily to just stop it, but where to put it once he stops it. He tries to put everything into the corner or he’ll send it up into the screen, the netting. I’d imagine that being a defenseman and working with him would be very good because he’s not just going to leave cookies out in the slot. They’re not going to get a nice juicy minus,” described Ashmore.

He also offered this high praise for the young netminder, “He’s Brodeur-esque in rebound control. Marty’s very, very good at that, and Gerald Coleman is that way as well.”

Out in front of Coleman is a young but solid group of defenseman. Two of Trenton’s D-men were selected as ECHL All-Stars this season, Matt Cohen and Ryan Gunderson. According to Ashmore, Gunderson is talented as a power-play pointman, but still has work to do.

“He gets a lot of points on the power play, but his plus-minus shows that there may be some work to be done for him on even strength,” Ashmore said of Gunderson, adding that he could be considered high risk/high reward, but is not prone to the big mistakes like some risky defensemen.

When asked to compare New York-native Cohen to a current Devils defenseman, Ashmore came up with Colin White.

“He’s not as physical player or the same size that Colin white is, but in terms of production and what you can expect from him, and his being a solid defenseman you don’t have to worry too much about, you could make that comparison.”

Cohen is a “defensive defenseman” and doesn’t have the offense that a Paul Martin or Johnny Oduya is able to provide.

When the Devils signed forward Brendan Shanahan mid-way though the season, the average age of the team’s forwards jumped to 31.6 years. The parent club will need to bring up young talent in the coming years, and according to Ashmore, there are some players in Trenton who will fit the bill when the time comes.

“They have some guys who are probably a couple years away, but you have guys who could go to Lowelland contribute right away. But in terms of overall game, you have guys like Eric Castonguay, who’s probably been the most consistent forward for Trenton,” explained Ashmore.

“Tyler Burton has been hurt, but when he’s been on, he’s been an offensive catalyst for the team.”

Players like Castonguay and Burton may not be ready for the big leagues yet, but they will have time to develop in Trenton.

“I was talking about that with Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, and a lot of what he did coming up was just being an enforcer and focusing on beating the crap out of people. You can’t do just that in the NHL, you can’t be a one-dimensional player, and I think a lot of what he learned in the ECHL was because he got the ice time to do it,” Ashmore said of a Trenton-alum who made his NHL debut earlier this season.

“You’re probably coming into the ECHL with what you think is your set role as a pro hockey player in mind, but I think you can use that league and use that ice time you get in that league to refine it more,” he added.

Other Trentonalumni making waves this year are defenseman Jay Leach and goalie Jeff Frazee.

Leach is currently in the Devils line up, replacing the injured White. He was in Trenton for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons, and has been playing for Lowell when not called up to the parent club.

As for Frazee, taking advantage of an opportunity has turned out well for the netminder.

“If you look at a guy like Jeff Frazee, he started the year in Trenton, there are a lot of situations like that where guys start the year in Trenton and as a spot opens up move to Lowell. Brodeur’s injury created that spot for Frazee in Lowelland now he’s an AHL All-Star,” said Ashmore.

Currently 6th in the North Division of the American Conference, the Trenton Devils could still fight their way into the playoff chase, only six points behind the number four team.

“It’s going to be a tough road, but hopefully they continue to play the way they’ve been playing and hopefully Coleman stays healthy, but I think if that is the case, there could be some hockey in Trenton in April.”

For more information on the Trenton Devils, visit Mike Ashmore’s website, http://tdevils.wordpress.com, or the team’s page, www.trentondevils.com.

Posted under Uncategorized

Monday morning, Martin Brodeur talked to the press after the morning skate to give an update on his progress. In the press room, Brodeur looked like a kid who had just gotten in his first skate of the year, even though he’s been skating for a few weeks. The rosie cheeked and upbeat Brodeur had a few things to say. Here are some unedited quotes from MB30:

On practicing against teammates: “Pretty good. It’s nice coming along. I’ve been skating for a bit now.  It’s nice to get back into practicing with players, real players. Coaches are good, but they’ve been retired for a few years. It’s nice to have real players to shoot at me.”

On his conditioning: “Conditioning won’t be a problem. It’s whenever that arm feels better. Conditioning is part of it. I’ve been to work out everyday; it’s getting stale to do the same thing over and over. Now it’s a new challenge to get back onto the ice, I’ve been doing stuff outside of the ice also, but I’m going to be in the best shape of my life when I get back, that’s for sure. I don’t know about the arm, but the body will be good.”

On the recovery of his arm: “It feels good, but it’s tight. There’s a lot of scar tissue that got built up through the surgery, it’s a matter of breaking everything down. Anyone with that kind of surgery can tell you the same thing. It’s tough process to get back, but everyday I hurt it a little bit and the next day it feels better and you just got to break it, and eventually I’ll wake up one day and no pain but right now it’s not 100% that’s for sure.”

On being out for so long: “It’s really hard. The first couple weeks I couldn’t move, so I couldn’t do anything. After that you get in a brace that moves a little bit, and it took a long time before being able to function like a real human being, that doesn’t have any injuries. So that wasn’t too bad, and after that you get in almost depression mode like ‘Is it ever going to heal,” because it doesn’t move, it doesn’t get better. After that you start to rehab and it gets so much better really quick and right now I’m at a point where I probably have 10% left in my recovery. But it’s a long process, and you know, it was hard, but I took time to go with my family. Did a lot of stuff with the boys and my daughter and see some family. Had a great holidays, that’s pretty rare as a hockey player to really enjoy it, so I did that. And after Christmas, for me it’s really been working out and getting on my road to recovery to get back in net.”

On coming back: “I’d like to be back tomorrow, but I don’t have a date, because I don’t want to get myself to  be disappointed if that date comes and I’m not ready or if I feel I’m ready before that date and I’m like I told everybody I’m coming back I don’t want to say I’m coming in to early, so I don’t want to put a pin point, but recovery time was four months, and now this week we’ll be at three and a half months, so we made the stats, it’ll be sometime March when it comes around, but that day, that game? I don’t know.”

Rumor has it Marty will be ready by the February 26th game against the Colorado Avalanche (which also is the same day rumored to be Sean Avery’s return to the NHL. How ironic is that?).  Ticket resale prices for that game have soared since the rumor began. Don’t forget, the Devils play Florida on the 28th, too. I have no idea if the 26th is the day, but like Martin said himself, he’s about 10% away from being fully recovered.

Posted under Uncategorized

Just read  Rich Chere’s pre-game notes on www.nj.com, and it seems Jay Pandolfo will return to the lineup tonight, with Mike Rupp taking the scratch. Guess this means Mike Rupp and the Fourth Liners are available for Bar and Bat Mitsvahs tonight.

Like many New Jerseyans these days, I have several jobs to make sure that the people I see with  hockey sticks are not threatening to break my kneecaps. Therefore, I will not be attending tonight’s Devils/Isle’s matchup. And there’s a very good chance the Isles will not either (I know, low blow, but the franchise did it to themselves). I’m hoping to catch Doc Emrick’s broadcast for one of the few times this season, especially since I did a sit-down interview with the voice of the Devils for ‘TDMMDI’ on Monday. Look for that interview soon!

Keep checking back with ‘The Devils Made Me Do It’ for all your inside news and thoughts from the only independent blog with a press pass!

Posted under Notes and Musings