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 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.

Posted under Uncategorized

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!

Posted under Uncategorized

Friday, when the Tampa Bay Lightning come to the Prudential Center, Martin Brodeur will be honored for his achievement of the all-time wins record.

The only problem? He has only one more win since breaking the record. I’m sure we all thought by now he’d be at 560, not 553. The past week and a half have been brutal to the club.

Last night in Pittsburgh, Sutter lost his cool (and possibly his job?), and once again the offense could not put anything together.

The one bright spot?

Gio Tracker!

Brian Gionta was the lone goal against the Pens, but the team is now 16-19 when he scores, diluting the Gio Tracker effect to 84.2%. But last night, that was not Gio’s fault.

I’ve been hinting during this awful stretch that the effort in front of Marty isn’t there. And I’m not the only one. Since when did the Devils stop pushing the puck with clean passes? Since when did New Jersey stop blocking shots? Since when has it been okay to play the entire game in front of your own goalie? Never.

Jay Pandolfo filled in for Patrik Elias last night. I doubt Elias would miss a chance to break this losing streak if it were just to rest - the man is all about winning. I would suspect it might be a few more days before we see Elias on the ice.

I’ll keep on eye on the Devils and if Brent Sutter and Lou Lamiorello show up on ESPNEWS in press conference mode. We’ll try to stay current here at ‘The Devils Made Me Do It.’

Until then, stay strong fans!

Posted under Uncategorized

As a writer, you can’t script a day better than this. Martin Brodeur, after winning his 551st game in Montreal, his hometown, is back at the Prudential Center tonight to claim the wins record from Patrick Roy on St. Patrick’s Day. This is like finding the sports cliche pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Irish eyes will be smiling tonight, as will every other nationality in attendance at tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks. The anticipation of Brodeur making hockey history on this day had fans lining up for the $10 tickets before I reached the arena at 9 a.m. And Brodeur never likes to disappoint his loyal fan base.

Martin and Coach Sutter addressed the larger-than-usual media this morning.

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Good Afternoon, Sportsfans, and wecome to the Prudential Center for game three of the Devils current home stand. Games one and two were decisive wins, 4-0 vs. Colorado and 7-2 yesterdaya afternoon against Florida.

Today’s tilt is against the Philadelphia Flyers, the closest team behind the Devils in the Atlantic Division. The Flyers are 7 points behind New Jersey in the Atlantic, and are currently 4th in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia recently returned star center Danny Briere from a serious stomach injury that kept him out of the line up for 36 games. Today will be Briere’s first game back from the injury.

Before the game begins, a few notes from yesterday’s 7-2 whomping of the Panthers:

• Florida’s radio broadcast features Hall of Fame defenseman Denis Potvin. I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Potvin inbetween the first and second periods. As fierce as he was on ice he is as nice off of it. Potvin happens to be my father’s favorite hockey player, so meeting him was quite the honor. And yes, he still hears “Potvin Sucks” everywhere he goes in New York. He said he was even showered with the chant at a Yankees game several years ago.
• Speaking of being fierce, both David Clarkson and Bryce Salvador were engaged in major fights at the beginning of the second period. Clarkson had to defend himself after finishing a good hit on the boards. He said he respects Nick Tarnasky for trying to inspire his team, since Clarkson does that often for the Devils, but David did say he tried to avoid fighting. Nevertheless, Clarkson did win his bout with the off balance Tarnasky and achieved the Gordie Howe Hat Trick: Goal, Assist, Fight.
  Salvador also had to defend himself, only after he got pinned against the boards. He shoved Anthony Stewart to the ice, and I guess that was too much for Stewart, who grabbed Salvador for the fight. Bryce wailed on Stewart, easily winning his fight too. Again, you can check out the video and vote on the winners at www.hockeyfights.com.
• With the trade deadline upon us, the Devils press box was Scout Central yesterday. Scouts from the Islanders, including Ken Morrow (of Miracle on Ice fame), Coyotes, and Flyers (legendary tough-man Dave Brown). Many were there to see Florida’s defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who did absolutely nothing during 19:53 of ice time.
• I wish I would have been sitting in front of the Panthers television broadcast crew. Check out this footage:http://deadspin.com/5153013/florida-panthers-announcer-has-seen-wedding-crashers-a-few-too-many-times
• Jay Pandolfo has been playing so well, Mike Rupp hasn’t seen the lineup since the Devils returned from their last road trip. Rupp is a scratch again today, as is Jay Leach.
• There were too many Flyers fans on the train for my liking. And it seems like the Broad Street Bullies have traveled well. Speaking of which, its a shame that the old Forum is soon to be parking lot… but I guess you have to make room for progress.

With about 10 minutes to go before the puck drops, I’m going to refresh my bad hockey and get some more tissues to soak up everything here in the nosebleed seats.

1st Period

The puck has dropped here at The Rock, and instantly it feels like this is going to be a tougher game than the previous two. Philly is in it to win it, and the Devils are going to have to play just as solidly against these guys as they did the last two games.

3:51- Parise makes a sweet pass to Langenbrunner in the left circle, and Jamie ripped it past Flyers goalie Martin Miron. Zajac also gets an assist. The “ZZ Pop” line does it again. The key to the game might be the other Devils lines continuing to score like they have. Let’s get a Madden goal tonight!

5:26- Bryce Salvador takes a cross-checking penalty. The Devils penalty kill has been terrific, and Marty just made a huge save on the right side of the crease.  Simon Gagne just riped one from the right circle and Marty held on to it. Briere just took his first shot, and it was stopped up in Brodeur’s skates and cleared out.

6:33- Shanny has great short-handed opportunity but puts the puck wide of the net. The Flyers are the only team in the league not to give up a short-handed goal this season.

First media time out, 7:32 in, Devils 1-0.

9:30- Marty dives onto his right side to knock a puck out of the air after getting stuck on the other side. Not to take anything  away from Scott, but that is where the difference is between Clemmensen and Marty. Marty doesn’t get stuck. Amazing save.

10:30- Andrew Alberts laid out Clarkson at the blue line. Just pure open-ice hitting. Nice.

11:40- The “Marty” chant begins with good reason. He just made another terrific save. Goodness it’s nice to have him back.

13:31- Devils go on the power play for the first time. Jared Powell 2 min for hooking. someone just hit the post, I’ll try to find out… Parise. Surprise. Another good shot on goal by Shanny, and it looks like Simon Gagne is hurting. He was holding his hand and went back to the locker room. That would be big for Philly.

15:42- Brodeur just made two strong saves against Scottie Upshall on the right side. He’s being tested way more than he has been in the last few games (8 shots on goal already), and he looks sharp. Or “solid” as Coach Sutter would say.

I don’t know if anyone mentioned this yesterday, but Sutter told Rich Chere of the Star Ledger that he could coach this team right now… Funniest thing to come out of Brent’s mouth in a while. Back to the game.

16:44- Gagne is back on the ice. That’s good news for the Flyers, no news to the Devils.

Last minute of the period- Devils have gotten some  serious pressure, and as Bobby Holik just iced Brion. The Flyers took exception, and the first scrum of the afternoon, involving Shanny, Holik and Madden. Salvador and Greene just watched. Awesome, guys.

End of One: Devils 1-0. Shots on goal: Philly 10, New Jersey 11.

And now for your entertainment, Mite Hockey.

—

2nd Period

FYI: The Devils have allowed three power play goals in the last five games, 15.8% success rate. I’d be willing to put good money down that the percentage decreases after this game.

:37- GIO TRACKER TIME! Oduya fired from near the blue line, and Gionta was crasing the right side of the net to redirect the puck in. 2-0 New Jersey. Secondary assist to Elias.  Gio now has 14 goals on the season to go with his 37 assists. This is the first time Gio has scored since Marty has returned. We’ll see if the Tracker is still on pace. Either way, a two goal lead is a good omen.

1:50- Penalty on Holik, 2 for interference. Holik was getting shoved around after the whistle, and he and Madded joustled back. Interesting call. I may have my sources explain that one to me.

6:30- The Devils look like they have a power play. They’ve gotten several great scoring chances against the Flyers, including a nice wrap around attempt by Langenbrunner. Parise also fed Zajac on a one-timer that soared over the net. New Jersey is continually getting great scoring opportunities, and keeping the puck away from Brodeur.

Scoring change- secondary assist on Gionta’s goal goes to Dainius Zubrus.

10:56- Marty made a great save on the right post with his skate. He’s been talking to an official during the media timeout… what I’d give to be listening in on that conversation.

11:14- Zubbie gets tripped up by Upshall. Let’s see if the Devils power play can continue its scoring streak… with some help.

12:03- Add Mike Knuble into the sin bin for a 3-on-5. Biron coveres on a great rebound attempt by Parise, who drew the hooking penalty on Knuble. Jamie fires from above the right circle and Biron holds on as the 3-on-5 expires. Still :49 left of power play.

Side note- Every member of the Philly media has complained to me about something. I’m sorry, I”m not here to fufill your every wish. If you don’t like it, you can watch the game from home.  So far, not impressed.

14:20- Holik and Pando have a 2 on1, and although they’re unable to score, Pando makes a great hit on the right boards. He seems a little shaken up by the hit.

The Devils power play has not looked good- it seeemed like they were killing time rather than trying to score. They’ll now have another chance since Scott Hartnell just plowed over Marty. Another scrum- Zajac’s got someone by the jersey- not a situation I’d like to be in. I’m glad the guys are standing up for Marty- they haven’t always been so physical when a teammate’s been pushed around.

15:35- Power play begins with a clear. Awesome.

1 minute left - the power play was dreadful, and the Clarkson-Rolston-Shanahan line was out for much of the last 30 seconds of the advantage, hopped off the ice, and got right back on. Weird.

Zubrus just blocked two shots attempts in a row out at the left faceoff circle as time expires. The Devils are 28-0-1 when leading after two. I’m sure the team would like to have a bigger lead heading into the third, but the stats do shine in their favor.

End of two: New Jersey 2, Philadelphia 0. Shots on goal: Devils 31, Philadelphia 16.

After these messages, we’ll be right back.

—

My buddy Jerry Eisenband in the Devils PR department just made a great point. During the power play and 3-on-5 in the second period, the Devils were running out five forwards. I’m surprised by that, especially since Paul Martin has been doing such a great job at the point. Brian Rolston was filling in as a point man, but brought the puck too far up in the zone before letting a shot go. That created a lot of spacing issues, which is probably why the Devils looked so off. So thanks to Jerry for pointing that out.

3rd Period

:35- Paul Martin took a high stick to the face and skated to the bench. No call from the refs. And the off ice officials are saying 29 SOG for the Devils at the end of the second period.

1:48- Double penalties. Briere holding stick and Holik roughing. Holik’s been getting the raw deal on the retaliation calls. 4-0n-4 for 2 minutes. Things are getting chippy, and the refs are stepping in at every second. Which I guess is good, since Clarkie looks sore from his fights Thursday and yesterday.

3:19- Jamie and Travis have two great scoring ops but can’t convert. End of 4-on-4.

4:48- Clarkie feeds Oduya at center ice, and Oduya skates in one-on-one up to the slot and rifles one past Biron. Shanahan dug the puck out of the corner and got it to the wide open Clarkson, who saw the speeding Oduya. 3-0 New Jersey.

5:40- Brodeur probably just made his second toughest save of the game, a kick save with his right pad. If the Devils can hold on for 13 more minutes, Brodeur will get his 100th career shutout.

Note: Jamie scored his 200th career goal, and Gionta earned his 300th career point. 100, 200, 300? Maybe.

10:44- The jumbotron just showed a group of shirtless guys with F-L-E-R-S on their chests… oops.

11:08- Gionta and Elias had a 2-on-1 breakaway, but Biron made a nice glove save on Elias. Truly, Biron has had a good game. Brodeur has just been better.

Rather than excitement, there’s a tension in theair over Marty’s shutout. It’s interesting.

13:45 - Jamie had a great shot from the slot that Biron gloved down. A shoving match ensued when someone collided with Biron. Parise, Zajac and Langenbrunner were all involved.

14:14- Marty made a terrific save on Mike Knuble, twisting his body to entrap the puck. The Devils turned the puck over right infront of the net, and Knuble swiped it up and put it on goal from the left post. The shutout is intact.

I wish the NHL kept track of time the puck is kept in each zone, like time of possession in football- The Devils would probably have kept the puck in their offensive zone for at least the length of an entire game over the past 3 home games. The aggressive attack has been so beneficial to them.

With 3:00 left to go, I’m going assume Marty makes it to 100. I’ll be updating from home. So thanks again for reading sportsfans.

Posted under Game Threads

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

Welcome one and all to the Prudential Center, home of the New Jersey Devils. Tonight’s opponent: the Washington Capitals.

A few things to note before the game thread begins:

1. Washington is undermanned this evening. It was announced yesterday that captain Chris Clark will be out of the lineup for the rest of the season with a wrist injury requiring surgery. Also, the Caps called up goalie Michal Neuvirth from AHL affiliate Hershey Bears. Glad he made the trip- some may recall earlier in the season when web guy Brett Leonhardt had to suit up for warmups when another called-up goalie didn’t make the trip.

2. Brendan Shanahan will play tonight. Shanny skipped morning skate this morning as a way to rest up a bit (he is 40, after all).

With those two important announcements out of the way, it’s time for some world-class hockey. If you’re so lucky as to get Versus from your cable provider, or CBC or NHL Center Ice, etc., the game is being televised tonight. So comb out those mullets, crack open the sixer of Molson Lites, and let’s play hockey!

First Period:

We’re getting the Versus feed here in the pressbox, and may I say, Keith Jones is looking mighty spiffy at the anchor desk this evening, especially considering Brian Engblom is sitting next to him…

Arlette is here to sing the national anthem. She doesn’t lip synch. And it gives me chills.

The super-hot line of Parise, Langenbrunner and Zajac are starting off tonight, with Oduya and Martin in front of Clemmensen in net. Parise just took the faceoff straight at Jose Theodore in net, and made several other great scoring chances. And all 10 people went “oooooh.”

3 minutes in, and the shots on goal are even 2-2. Washington is having a hard time setting up their offense. Just like they did against Pittsburgh, New Jersey is controlling the offensive zone.

4:17, New Jersey Penalty on bench for too many men, served by Dainius Zubrus. Not really where we need Zubbie to be, but I guess I rather have him serve it instead of any of our traditional penalty killers.  Similarly to their even strength play, the Devs are controlling the puck.

As I write that, Mike Green took a cross-ice pass and put it past Clemmer at 5:58 for a 1-0 Washington lead.  Ovechkin and Alexander Semin assisted on the play.

Again, similarly to the Pitt game on Friday, although the Devils are controlling the puck, the Capitals have an early lead. And now they’re going back on the power play as Jamie Langenbrunner heads to the sin bin for two minutes for hooking. New Jersey cannot afford to give up any more power play goals. The team’s penalty kill has been outstanding, until now….

8:12, Ovechkin passes to Brooks Laich in the crease, and Laich caught Clemmensen on the right side of the net and had an entire zip code of space to put the puck in.

Shanny, now with the Devils on the power play, just ripped a shot from the left point and Zubrus was able to deflect it, but Theodore was able to make the save. Drat. Double Drat.

With just under eight minutes left in the period, and the Caps up 2-0, the only thing you can hear is the refs yelling on the ice.  David Clarkson just took a run at someone on the boards. If someone is going to get this crowd of 10, wait sorry, 13 - a few more butts are in the seats- crowd of 13 to cheer, it’ll have to be Clarkson at this point.

Brian Rolston ripped a shot from the right faceoff circle and Teddy made the save. Rolston still has a wicked shot, even though he’s playing on the newly-formed “gray” line with Shanahan and Madden.

Theodore is not playing rebounds well. If the Devils began to crash the net like they have all season, I bet they’ll be able to put something past Jose.

New Jersey is not playing like themselves tonight. I can’t be fatigue - they just had three days without a game. This is an important game against the Caps, who are currently one point ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings. Come on, Devs! Wake Up!!

At 14:57, Langenbrunner took the puck up the right side of the ice and fired from about the same spot as Rolston with the same result. At the other end, Clemmer just stoned several shots. New Jersey is winning the shot battle, 9-7, but the results are what matter.

On a personal note, I despise Jose Theodore. For two reasons, one rational, one not. First, Theodore used the Colorado Avalanche to resucitate his dwindling career and dumped them on the side of the road which, leading to my second reason, is eerily similar to what he did to his baby mamma girlfriend when the tabloids were snapping photos of him and Paris Hilton heading into a hotel.

Number 82 just hit the left post, with a minute left in the first period. There may be a third goal added when the clock runs out, as the official may review another Capitals shot that went through Clemmer’s five hole and bounced against the left post and out. No goal was called, but if the tape is reviewed, the Devils may be in a bigger hole than they think….

The media PA announcer, Rich, just informed me that there will be a goal added. I’ll update at the beginning of the second period. End of One: Capitals 2 (maybe 3), Devils 0.

Second Period:

It’s so hard to be funny when your team is performing poorly. It’s so hard to watch when your team is performing poorly. And then I look at Brian Engblom’s haircut (a very ugly version of the fade), and it makes it all better. Not quite Melrose-esqe, but close.

Shanny pulled the most ice time in the first period with 7 minutes. Yay for being the elderstatesman.

No third goal in the first period, but it didn’t take long into the second for Washington to get it. 2:16, Boyd Gordon put a shot on goal, and it didn’t go, but Nylander was there to put in the rebound. Second assist to Eric Fehr. Ugh.

The Deivls look like they’re playing hot potato with the puck. No one is actually taking control. Sutter mixed up some of the lines, and frankly, it’s not working. The gray line of Madden, Rolston and Shanny is producing the most for the team, but it’s still not working right. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

7 minutes in, Parise fed Zajac for a one time right in front of Teddy, and the save was made, but the shot seemed to breathe life back into the team and the crowd. There is still time!

8:02- “I Did It” by DMB blares over the loud speaker as Green gets called for hooking in the Devils offensive zone. Maybe the new-and-improved power play can lift the Devils.

3-on-5! Add #39 to the sin bin for holding. And Rolston rips  a shot from the point that goes under Jose Theodore, making the score now 3-1. And the Devils still have over a minute and a half left on the second power play. Parise pushed the puck up to Elias at the blue line, and Elias shoved it over to Rolston. Rolston took a stride and a half to his right and then fired.

The Caps were able to kill off the second penalty, but the crowd is still buzzing. 3-1 is manageable. This we’ve learned very recently.

The Devils have done a very good job of using hitting to keep pucks inside the offensive zone. Rolston and Holik both made great hits to prevent a Cap from clearing the zone. It’s the little things, folks.

14:00, Capitals up 3-1. Elias has a break away with Gionta, pulls up and fires while Gionta crashes, but Elias broke his stick on the shot. Offense is really not going well tonight.

By the way, I believe I have jinxed the Gio Tracker - Brian has not scored since the official logo was created and posted. Let’s see if he can reverse the trend tonight. And so far, no word on whether Gio is trade bait or not. I may not get down to the bottom of this tonight, but I promise I will.

Clarkson has just replaced Shanny on the formerly-known-as-gray line. I’ll keep my eyes peeled for which line Shanny plays with for the rest of the game. OK, Shanny is back with Holik and Rupp.

This just in, Mike Rupp and the Fourth Line are playing intermission in the main concourse. Catch their latest hit, “Everybody Hurts (After I Crunch Them Into the Boards).”

Thank you, Brent, for taking my suggestion. If things get back to normal, I’ll take partial credit for suggesting the lines go back to normal.

17:58, Gio gets some great chances in front of the net. He’s really working hard in front of the net. You have to respect the smallest guy on the ice taking the beating in front of the net.

19:30: Clarkie gets called for hooking. Not what New Jersey needed. Paul Martin lost his stick on the PK, and still was able to clear the zone. He and the other defensemen work very hard, and are not recognized often. So, as we head to another break, here’s a raised imaginary Molson to you, Paul Martin.

End of two, Capitals 3-1, and they still have 1:30 left on the power play when we return.

Third Period:

There is some good news to report. First of all, Ovechkin has been quiet since the first period. He doesn’t have any shots on goal tonight. Any time he is in play, there is a chance of a Caps goal, so keeping him in check is key to any attempt at a comeback. Second, the third period has treated the Devils well the past few games, to say the least. Shanahan and Parise have the most ice time, which is good for the offense. They’re also out-hitting the Capitals 20-10, my favorite way to judge the tempo and control of a game.

He did it again. :41 seconds into the third period, short handed none-the-less, Langbrunner flew up the right wing, skated infront of Theodore, and put the puck in to the left of the goalie. 3-2 Caps, but possibly not for long. Jamie is ridiculous right now. Seven goals in four games. Wow. Zajac had the assist.

It’s very apparent as the lines have returned to normal that a certain comfort level was disrupted when Sutter switched up the lines earlier tonight. The fact that he recognized that and fixed it mid-game is a testiment to Sutter’s desire to win and put team above ego. He may give lousy press conference quotes, but he’s a darn good coach.

Quick stat update: Jamie is plus 20 for the season. Keep that man on the ice the entire third period, please.

The Devils have been completing some pretty shnazzy passes up and down the ice for the past few minutes, which is a departure from the past two periods. The offense has been creating great opportunities and keeping the pressure on Theodore. With just under 12 minutes left in the period, Gionta had a great shot from Theodore’s left that just cleared over the net. There is hope.

9:09 Mike Rupp just got called for interference, which is a questionable call.  Rupp was tripped up crashing the net, and because he ran into Theodore, it’s going to cost the Devils another two penalty minutes. The NHL off ice officials are in the box behind my seat in the pressbox, and they even said the call should have been tripping against the Capitals.

10:59 Power play goal for Nylander, five hole. Just ripped it from the left corner. 4-2 Caps. The Caps are now 3 for 4 on the power play. What happened to the excellent PK for New Jersey? Maybe it is time to reinsert Pando into the line-up, since it seems the current unit can’t clear the zone. Nylander’s second tonight. Good teams get help from every player.

11:52 Donald Brashear just slammed into Clemmensen, putting NJ back on the PP. Can the Devs answer?

The answer, apparently, is no. Several shot attempts, but not enough bodies in the zone to keep the rebounds from passing the blue line.

Shanny just ripped three fantastic shots and a nice pass to Gionta in the last 20 seconds of the power play. Theodore is just on tonight, making some serious saves.

The Caps are up 4-2 with 3:47 left in the game. I don’t mean to be a quitter, but I’m going to admit, the winning streak is over. Also, I’m going to admit that I need to pack up my computer now if I”m going to make my train.

Thanks for reading, and even though I’m 0-2 on game threads, I hope you enjoyed it.

Posted under Game Threads

Now that everyone’s heart rate has returned to normal from that exciting (yet totally predictable) Super Bowl, it’s back to the real sport, hockey. Here are some things to check out in the next couple of days.

First, the Devils are playing six home games in the next two weeks. And, I don’t know if anyone has mentioned it yet, the Devils are on an EIGHT game winning streak.  With players such as Anze Kopitar of the Kings and Alexander Ovechkin of the Capitals coming into town, not to mention both cross-Hudson rivals and the points leaders of both conferences, NOW is the time to go to the Rock for a game. Plus, there is at least one game on each night of the week, except Thursday, so no excuses if your weekend doesn’t fall on Saturday/Sunday. New Jersey is hot right now, and they’re going to be facing great competition in the next 14 days. Go see them live, you won’t regret it.

Second on the list of good things to come is an exclusive interview with Trenton Devils beat reporter Mike Ashmore. Ashmore knows his hockey, and spoke exclusively with “The Devils Made Me Do It” on the T-Devs and their up-and-coming players. The Devils seem to be getting older and older, so here is a great opportunity to learn about some of the future Devils. Keep an eye out on “TDMMDI” in the next few days for the story.

Third on the list is a new Game Thread. Last time I did a game thread was my first entry and that awful, ugly game against the Atlanta Thrashers. If the Prudential Center wireless and my computer can co-exist once again, I’m hoping to do a live blog for Tuesday’s game against the Capitals. Seeing Ovechkin in person for the first time is exciting for me, and hopefully I can convey all of the excitement of the game for my treasured readers.

Again, spread the word- “The Devils Made Me Do It” is the only independent blog with a pass to the press box and locker room. If you want to know something or see something, let me know. The importance of “TDMMDI” is to bring the Devils closer to the fans, the people who pay for the tickets and the cable subscriptioni and the merchandise.

A quick personal note: Mike “Doc” Emrick was honored before Friday’s game against the Penguins for receiving the foster Hewitt Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008. As one writer in the press box said, “I wish we could honor Doc every night.” And that would be fitting. The man who has been the voice of the Devils for almost two decades not only is fantastic at his job, but he is a kind and welcoming person.

One of the first games I covered, Doc sat next to me in the press room during the meal. I couldn’t believe my ears when I realized the man who voiced all of my important hockey memories was sitting to my right. He introduced himself and we chatted, him asking me questions more than the other way around (which should have never happened, but Doc has a way of making everyone feel important). Come to find out, Doc spent his first semester of college at my Alma Mater, Butler University in Indianapolis. We talked about the campus and the radio program (which ceased existence a year before I got to BU) and the outstanding basketball program. I couldn’t believe that one of the people I admire most in the business had spent time at a place so near and dear to my heart. But Doc makes sure he has something in common to talk about with everyone, which is probably one of the reasons he has been so consistently good over such a long period of time.

Many fans who run into Doc say he seems like such a genuinely nice guy. And their right. Doc is one of the good guys, representing all that is right with the hockey world. I too wish we could honor him every night with a ceremony; but being an ambassador of the sport and a kind person will just have to do until the next Mike “Doc” Emrick night.

Posted under Uncategorized

So Lou pulled the trigger and signed Brendan Shanahan (well, in thought if not on paper quite yet), just as the team was shipping out for a long road trip.

While Shanny and his three Cups are a welcome addition, the timing of the announcement seems unusual to me.

I’ve had a few days on the couch and some solid high-fever thinking time to start wondering what kind of message you send your locker room by signing Shanny right before a long road trip.

How about “Play well enough on this trip and we won’t send you to Lowell to make room on the roster for him,” or “I had to sign a guy who’s turning 40 in two weeks and hasn’t played all season to help our power play - how does that sound?’

Another thought is the two teams ahead of the Devils in the standings passed on him this season. New York (R) didn’t want him, Philly couldn’t afford him. I would hope their loss truly becomes New Jersey’s gain.

Whatever the message, hopefully Shanahan’s return to the Dirty Jerz can light the fire of a team that has been snuffed out here at the midway point.

The Devs are 2-1 so far on their road trip, squeaking out an ugly 5-3 win over Vancouver last night. The Canucks know a thing or two about losing a star goalie - Roberto Luongo has been out of the line up for almost as long as Marty, the result being a 9-12-3 stretch for Vancouver.

New Jersey has three more road games before coming home on Jan. 21. Thursday, they take on Columbus, Friday, the Islanders and Tuesday, the Devils visit Nashville. 

Montreal comes back to the Rock on the 21st. Last time, the Habs had fans fill half of the Prudential Center (or Centre, depending on which side of the border you’re reading this from).  Watch for a potential seventh “road” game at home, especially with the Dev’s poor Wednesday attendance record.

This is the rough part of the season. The best teams slog through January and February with winning records and minimal injuries. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s catching quite a glare off of Lord Stanley’s trophy.

Posted under Uncategorized