In Lou We Trust

On the contrary, in Game 4, it seemed like he and Patrik Elias were the only ones who wanted to win the game right from the start. (EDIT: The team wanted to hit, most notably shown by Dainius Zubrus having his stick fail him and then blew up Ryan Callahan at center ice was sweet. Had to mention it. OK, back to the rant.) From moment one, Elias was hustling. Elias was looking for open shots. Elias got 4 on Henrik Lundqvist and powered 2 past him. Both after the Rangers scored, becoming equalizers to keep the Devils in the game. The rest of the team showed up more in the third period, particularly the first half, due to the strength of Mike Mottau's beautiful move to the net. Mottau's shot beat Lundqvist and the Devils were looking good. But somehow, I can't figure out how, the Rangers started applying much more offensive pressure in the later half of the third period. Maybe it has to do with Jaromir Jagr - he was a beast with 10 shots on net and playing like he wanted to win everything ever. Fortunately, he only picked up an assist; but it ultimately doesn't matter. The Rangers were pressing. And a giveaway led to the shot that beat the screened Brodeur for a loss that feels like, well, an axe to the junk.

The Devils could have won this and I really don't know what else I can say other than that they blew it. They made the mistakes that cost them the game. Colin White had a horrific game and instead of reeling him in, Sutter kept giving him shifts - a total of 28. The defense didn't look too good as a whole; Mottau fouled up the two-on-one by failing to block the passing lane, Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya didn't slow down the Rangers all that much, and while Bryce Salvador and Vitaly Vishnevski combined for 11 hits - they were part of the unit that allowed the Rangers to tee up 39 shots on Brodeur.

I'm nearly (?) ranting at this point; but this is ridiculous. Could Jamie Langenbrunner, Travis Zajac, and Brian Gionta play much better. Yes. But even if the Devils go out and sign that big scorer that they so desperately need, would it even help all that much? Look at the Rangers. They broke the bank for Chris Drury and Scott Gomez and ended the season...with only 7 more goals than the Devils. Yeah, they are outscoring the Devils - but that's due to their constant pouncing on New Jersey's errors. It's not a matter of being totally outclassed. I look at this game and think, "If the Devils didn't make those crucial defensive errors, they could have won this one. If the Devils played harder in the first two periods, they could have won this one. If I had a million dollars, I'd be rich," &c. But that's all what I'm left with: what-ifs.

Honestly, I can't say this team is terrible. They are clearly better than 14 teams in this league; and I'd argue they are better than Ottawa (who is the first to be eliminated), Boston (who is just about dead like NJ), and Washington among others. They just aren't...great? Maybe that's the term? And the main proof of this is that they are down 3-1 in a series to a team that plays like the Devils once did and is honestly on the same level as the Devils. I don't know now, I didn't know then, and only time will figure it out. Regardless there is tomorrow. Tomorrow I will be there screaming my head off and be loaded with the nearly-intoxicating feeling of total optimism (and write more pretentious sentences like this one). Could the Devils come back? The odds don't favor them. Bizarrely, the team is calm and understands the importance of this according to Gulitti. I'd love to agree, but they've said the upcoming game is important and they need to better than they did the night before again, again, and again. And yet I don't think we have not seen a full 60 minute effort or even a 45 minute effort that would prove their words. I know, I know, easier said than done and all that, but that's rather telling, don't you think?

At this point, all I ask is that they win Game 5 and give the Rangers one hell of a fight. That sounds reasonable enough, right? Right? In any case: Go Devils.

According to Gulitti, the Devils are heading into an important Game 4 at Madison Square Garden with the same players who won an important Game 3. Not a bad idea, the squad earned the result that it got. While Patrik Elias, Zach Parise, and John Madden had earned tallies, what I think will be a key is whether Jamie Langenbrunner and Brian Gionta can step it up with some goals of their own.

It's not as if the two have been terrible this series; but the production isn't there. Gionta has had it worse. He's had 3 shots on net in Game 1, 1 on net in Game 2, and 4 including a post in Game 3. In that same time frame, Gionta has missed a total of 6 shots and got blocked twice. He's able to skate into space down the right wing, but why Brent Sutter isn't pushing him to get into the slot is beyond me. He scored a lot of those 48 goals from 2005-2006 while battling down there. Gionta hasn't shied away from physical contact this season (and even had 4 hits of his own this series). Put him in there, coach! If only to keep the Rangers' defenders honest when he's on the ice.

However, Jamie Langenbrunner has been even more unfortunate. He's on the top line - yes, it's a top line - with Parise and Elias. He's on the top power play unit - yes, it's the top power play unit - so he's getting additional attacking time. Langenbrunner has been shooting, with a total of 11 shots on net this series - 5 in the last game! He's even been physical with 9 hits - 6 in the last game! But Langenbrunner just has one assist to show for his clear efforts. While the Devils haven't been a scoring machine of any kind, Langenbrunner's lack of production is certainly a downer - if not just outright frustration.

I'm not trying to single them out; but the two picking up their games would really help out NJ tomorrow and in the series beyond. It would cause the opposition to spread their attention, they could get into Henrik Lundqvist's head faster, and, hey, more goals are always good for the Devils. How? Well, Gionta had the best scoring chance between the two of them in Game 3; he drove to the net and tried to go far post on Lundqvist - and hit the post. Deflating scoring attempt aside, the key is that he drove to the net with the puck. He didn't stay on the outside and try to use a big shot. He didn't try a floater from the half-boards. No, he took on what was in front of him and tried to make something happen. Given that events in or near the slot contributed to all the goals scored in Game 3, it's evidence that it's not a bad idea. Hopefully, Langenbrunner and Gionta will consider it more often tomorrow night.

I don't think I need to emphasize the importance of today's game. I've explained what I want to see in yesterday's rant about Game 2. Patricia at 2 Man Advantage is pleading for this team to win. IPB has their new IPB Power Hour (that is not actually an hour). In today's Star Ledger, Rich Chere article reports that the Devils themselves understand the importance of today's game. Historically, the Devils only came back from a 2-0 series deficit once and that was way back in 1994. Regardless, tonight's game is crucial. Therefore, I'm going to point out a lot of different things:

First, congratulations to the Boston College Eagles for winning the 2008 Frozen Four championship. They defeated the Norte Dame Fighting Irish 4-1, capping off an excellent year for BC sports. Forward Nathan Gerbe was the man of the day for BC with a brace and two assists, as well as being named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Too bad his rights are owned by Buffalo.

In other college hockey news, the Alaska Nanooks have had their first player named to the RBK All-American first team. Who is it, you ask? Offensive defenseman and Devils prospect, Tyler Eckford. Congratulations to Alaska and Eckford for the honors. The link gives the full list of All-American teams for this recent college season. As you would expect, Gerbe is on the first team as well. The Hobey Baker Memorial Award was won by Michigan forward and Phoenix Coyotes prospect Kevin Porter (h/t Mirtle). He was captain of the Wolverines, finished second in scoring this season (33 G, 30 A), and is considered to be a two-way forward. Congratulations to him as well.

I found this at HFBoards, 2008 prospect Nikita Filatov has a blog running at Sports.ru. For all of you who can read Russian or know someone who can, this should be an interesting read. The CSKA forward has already revealed that he wants to play in North America after being drafted. Should the translation at HF be true, I don't blame him - such a small amount of playing time is, I would think, counter-intuitive for develeopment.

From the It Could Be Worse File: The defending Stanley Cup champions dropped another decisive game at Anaheim to Dallas by the score of 5-2 last night. The Ducks had the second best record at home this season with 28-9-4, making this turn of events even more surprising. Poor, poor J-S Giguere!

I missed this earlier Pt. 1: According to Mirtle, the Washington Capitals are asking their fans to...Rock the Red. I know, it's not the same as "Rock Your Red" as the Devils have been promoting; but the Capitals marketing staff could use some originality. Maybe a picture of the Flyers logo with the words EPIC FAIL underneath.

I missed this earlier Pt. 2: The NHL site has celebrities blogging about the playoffs. For the Devils, it's director, writer, and legit Devils supporter Kevin Smith. I know this is a few days old but you get to learn what is at the bottom of his toilet. No, it's not the cover of Magnolia.

And for no reason at all, a video of a car chase. (Warning: Dirty language, inexplicable explosions)

Tom Gulitti is reporting at Fire & Ice that Vitaly Vishnevski will play in tonight's game. Andy Greene will be scratched. It's clear that Sutter is looking for additional physical play and size on the blueline since that's what Vishnevksi does best.

Let's go Devils. Take the train to victory-ville and happy-town; it's too soon for the off-season to begin.

Also: Rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock rock. Rock? Rock.

Anyhow, tomorrow is Game 2 against the Rangers in Newark. It's a must-win should the Devils want to have a shot at this series. It's a must-win should the Devils want to prove Larry Brooks right (aside: awesome column by the way). The only group in the organization this doesn't directly effect are prospects - including the newly signed Jeff Frazee (h/t Gulitti). Now, I'm just a fan, but given what I saw in Game 1, this is what I'd like to see from New Jersey tomorrow night.

1. ACCURACY. My goodness me, the Devils got one shot less on net than the Rangers; but they did hit more posts than they did (3 to 2), had more of their shots blocked (16 to 9), and missed the net more (15 to 7). The Devils had many scoring chances where they didn't get the right bounces or apply the proper finish. However, it's hard to win games when you have more attempts on net not hitting the net than attempts on net that actually do so. It's been a problem all season long, and ultimately this is a root cause for the shortage of goals.

From what I saw, I felt the Devils tried to screen Henrik Lundqvist many times on offense in the hopes of scoring. Unfortunately, it has led to missed shots and blocked shots instead of the goals. For example (and most notably), John Oduya's blasts from the points hit the Rangers' skaters legs 5 times and Lundqvist 0 times. Not to pick on Oduya, but it sums up the problem I have with reliance on screens. To correct this, the New Jersey attack needs to take it inside and take more mid-range and short-range shots. Mix it up a bit and the Devils may have more success.

2. SHADOWS. What was impressive about the 1995 Devils Stanley Cup victory? The neutral zone trap? A young Martin Brodeur showing the world what's to come? The sweep against Detroit? Well, all of that is impressive. But the relevant one is one Claude Lemieux shadowing the opposition's top forward in each series to great success, 13 goals, and a Conn Smythe Trophy. I don't think the Devils necessarily need Lemieux. However, they do have someone who can shadow - and more importantly, someone to shadow.

In Game 1, Scott Gomez has been leading the breakout and was the straw the stirred the drink for the Ranger's offense. Clearly, slowing him down would slow down the Rangers as a whole. John Madden is a top-class shutdown center. So it seems obvious to me that Sutter should try shadowing Gomez with Madden. I do not want to see line matching. All that will do is keep the checking unit (which hasn't been bad, Brian Gionta is due for a goal) out for a significant portion of the game. Since Sutter has been mixing lines all season long, he can do that throughout the game. Madden can shadow Gomez, but Madden's linemates will change. If Sutter wants more offense; Sutter can slot Gionta and Zach Parise out there. If Sutter wants defense, he can use the standard line. If Sutter wants pain and a lot of it, well, Mike Rupp and Aaron Asham are right there. More to the point, Madden is just as fast as Gomez, Madden's been checking against the opposition's top forwards for the better part of his career. I think Madden can do it and it would help the Devils greatly should it frustrate Gomez.

3. SPECIAL TEAMS. No shorties. Please. I shouldn't have to explain this.

4. FANS LIKE ME. Now, this one is directed at me as well. There wasn't a lot to cheer for in the third period at Game 1. Understandably so. But it's a new game. Brodeur's not shaken up. Gionta is ready to go. And we need to cheer on the Devils. There's going to be a lot of guys in the other team's jerseys. We can't let them out shout us in our own building again. How does that happen? The Devils need to win and they will need all the encouragement they can get. We can do this. Whilst Brodeur will play most of those 60 minutes; we must become the Extra Man. (Note: Band name not safe for work, content not safe for those who don't know how to rock).

Tonight, it has become official. If the Penguins win, they'll take first in the conference from Montreal. The Flyers snuck into the playoffs and could earn the sixth spot with a win tomorrow. The Washington Capitals did what they had to do to secure the Southeast Division and made the playoffs for the first time since 2002-2003. And the Devils will face Our Hated Rivals in the first round of the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Today's 3 PM game at The Rock will determine who gets home ice. In a playoff series between two hated rivals; home ice is crucial. Fans of both teams are jacked up, just check out this video made by "Weeonta" of HFBoards.

While the Devils lost the seven games these two played so far this season, most of them were rather close. However, the previous seven games do not matter. Today's game is the one that does. Whoever wins will have the momentum going into the playoffs AND have the luxury of hosting the first two games.

Today, I turn 25 years old. And I would love nothing more than to see my favorite team, the New Jersey Devils, destroy the Rangers. Let's go Devils.

The Devils go to Minnesota to play the Wild tomorrow. Sure, NHL.com already has a preview of tomorrow's game, but let's take a closer look at Minnesota. The game tomorrow is New Jersey's next-to-last game against a Western Conference opponent during the regular season. Unless we're fortunate, and the last games come in June. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Let's focus on the opposition in standard, long-winded, overly detailed In Lou We Trust fashion.

The Wild are similar to the Devils in some ways. They're built around defense, patience, and a counter-attacking style of play. They have only have one player with over 30 goals so far this season like New Jersey. They're coached by a Lou-preferred man, former Devils coach Jacques Lemaire. They've been drafting fairly well in their short history. Would it be fair to say that Minnesota looks to New Jersey as an influence? I'd say so, and who can blame them? The Devils have been perennially good since 1994, it's not a bad model to follow.

However, the results have been much different. The Wild may be built similarly, but their defense in terms of skaters and goaltenders aren't nearly as effective. While New Jersey's defense is led by Paul Martin and Colin White; Minnesota's is led by Brent Burns and Kim Johnsson. Don't be fooled by the mix of veteran and youth. White is a much better defensemen on defense than Johnsson, and Martin has more experience than Burns despite Burns' production. The proof of difference is clear in the numbers: the Wild has conceded an average of 30.1 shots against per game (21st in the league) and 190 goals this season, a big reason why they're fighting for their playoff lives in a tight race instead of clamping down on the Northwest Division. Compare that to New Jersey's defense and their 27.7 shots against per game average and 163 goals against. It's clear while both teams have some unhearlded/inexperienced defensemen (e.g. Kurtis Foster, Nick Schultz), Sutter's gotten more out of his than Lemaire has gotten out of his own team's. Though, to be fair, goaltending has a part of goals against disparity as well. Don't get me wrong, Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding aren't bad; but they aren't goaltenders who can always keep a team in the game like a Martin Brodeur.

On offense, it looks even more similar to the Devils. As mentioned, the Wild has one player who stands out on offense and everyone else seemingly comes and goes in streaks. For New Jersey, that one player is Zach Parise and his 30 goals. For Minnesota, it's Marian Gaborik who has definitely found his scoring form again with 34 goals and 35 assists this season. Behind Gaborik, the biggest threats are dimunitive playmaker Pierre-Marc Bouchard, who has 12 goals and a team leading 45 assists, and ex-Devil turned #1 center Brian Rolston, who has 26 goals and 23 assists. Beyond that, you have Pavol Demitra, who is clearly on the downside of his career, and a number hard working skaters but are not scorers. Seriously, the Wild only have 4 players with more than 40 points this season and I just named them. In terms of skill, the Devils forwards have an edge; but in terms of actual results, the teams are very similar. Well, not quite, only 3 Devils have more than 40 points this season: Parise, Patrik Elias, and Brian Gionta. Though Jamie Langenbrunner and John Madden are very close with 39 and 38 points, respectively. Conclusion? A lot of scoring by committee for both squads.

There is one area where Minnesota is clearly the better team between the two: special teams. The Wild have the 10th most effective power play with a 18.3% effectiveness rate, and the 6th best penalty killing success rate with 84.1%. I don't even need to say with probability; when your special team units are doing this well, they can help you win games. This is also in sharp contrast, as the Devils have a much worse power play, with only a 16.3% effectiveness rate - good for 21st in the league. While that may not seem like much, it does matter in terms of actual goals. Minnesota has 53 power play goals, which is good for 12th in the league and the Devils have 46 power play goals, which is good for 27th in the league. With a season as tight as this one, 7 extra power play goals are crucial. The Devils' penalty killing unit is OK with a 82.9% success rate; but it hasn't been as good as Minnesota's. Even if the talent isn't the same; the Wild have the results that prove them to be the better squad. Clearly, the Devils need to keep this game at even strength as much as possible.

Regardless of some lackluster offense and a weaker defense, the Wild has had success. They have a record of 37-26-7 this season. Most seasons, that would be good. Except the Wild are in a tight division race with Calgary and Colorado sitting one point ahead and Vancouver sitting one point behind. What's more is that the Wild are not doing well as of late. The season isn't lost for them and the playoffs are well within reach, but this is the wrong time of the season to go 4 games without a win.

So for the Devils to succeed, they need to continue to pour on the misery. The Wild knows full well that continuing to falter could spell doom, and I'd expect them to feed off the crowd for additional motivation. The Devils are not a stranger to playing in front of hostile crowds; but they need to take them out of it early. That won't be easy; there's a reason why the Wild are called the Team of 18,000. But I think the method is the same to continuing to pour on the misery: take the game right to the Wild, dictate the tempo, and do whatever is necessary to get that first goal. I fear if they don't do that, we could see a repeat of what we saw last night in Montreal. Nobody wants that - except for the Wild. Overall, the goal should be to get 3 goals. Just look at the sidebar at Hitting the Post, a Wild blog; they have a fun stat showing that if the Wild let up three goals or more, their record sinks below .500. Get one first and then continue to attack.

So that's the Wild, as I understand it. Let's go Devils; let's get back on the winning side and make life difficult for Minnesota.

NOTE: Clarification added to difference in the Wild and Devils' power play; but my point remains the same, the Wild's power play is more effective.

A preview? This is something I haven't done in a while. In any case, it's a 1 PM afternoon matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes at The Rock. The last time the Canes came to Newark, a glorious display of offense occurred and the many, many Devils fans around the world were pleased by a 6-1 beatdown of Carolina. To use an Internet™ term, the ownage didn't begin there. Earlier in the year, the Devils went down to the RBC Center and decisively defeated the Canes with defiant defense and a dazzling display of offense by a score of 4-1.

It's because of those two games and the recent back-to-back-and-mostly-successful stretch by New Jersey, I'm a bit concerned about today's game. Yes, the Hurricanes are without Rod Brind'Amour, who is out for pretty much the rest of the season with a knee injury (TSN), so the Devils should have an easier time on faceoffs. However, the Canes most definitely remember the last two games against the Devils. They didn't just lose, they lost big. They lost in a bad way. They don't want to happen again a third time, and you can bet on head coach Peter Laviolette will use this as motivation. If only to convince his defenders to actually collapse in their zone. Collapsing was something they didn't do in either game against the Devils, forcing the Devils to go outside with more of their shots. Unfortunately for Carolina, the Devils accepted this challenge and excelled. The Canes won their last three games, so they also have momentum on their side.

The Devils will need to be careful. If I were Brent Sutter, I'd start Kevin Weekes. Yes, Martin Brodeur is the best goaltender and clearly gives the Devils the best chance to win; but he's been worked. He is coming off two straight games, facing a total of 71 shots and playing over 120 minutes against top offenses. Carolina's offense is not as threatening and Weekes should be able to handle the workload. Marty deserves a little rest and now is a good time to give it to him.

Regardless of who starts, I think the Devils need to score the first two goals of this game. They tend to drift in afternoon games and after a tough back-to-back series, the importance of getting the first few goals is key. Unlike the Atlanta and Ottawa games, the Devils scoring 1 or 2 early would really demoralize the Canes - likely forcing them to think back to those two bad losses they had earlier. The momentum would be in New Jersey's favor and that would make the game a bit easier on them. Why two? Because a one goal lead doesn't mean much, especially in today's NHL, and two is lot easier to hold onto and build upon than one.

Your NHL.com preview is here. For non-today's game news and analysis, Jeremy Kenter at Devils Daily has a ton of things to go through. The league's general managers are meeting in Naples (Florida, not Italy) to discuss rules and more trade proposals than a Hockey's Future sub-forum. Speaking of HF, Jared Ramsden has an update on the Devils' NCAA prospects that's worth your time as well. From Ramsden's writeup, I'm really impressed with Tyler Eckford's development. A late pick in 2004, Eckford becoming a top offensive threat on defense in all of college hockey is definitely worth some praise and what the cool kids (or Michael Wilbon) call "dap."

As far as preview goes, let me end with a vague note. I got some things going on in the background I can't reveal yet; but this place may get a little more popular soon. Nevertheless, this blog has just recently passed the 50,000 visitor mark, so some thanks are in order for you. Thank you all for reading In Lou We Trust. The e-mails and comments are always welcomed and I'm looking forward to pleasing even more people with my word-based blog. Give yourself a self-high five and GO DEVILS.

To be quite honest, I'm not really "feeling it" for tomorrow's game against Our Hated Rivals. The Devils have played very poorly against the Penguins and while the team is gearing up against for tomorrow - notably Sutter yelling at Andy Greene's lack of positional defense and sadly without Jay Pandolfo - there's not a whole lot of positive feeling going into this one. Schnookie hates the Devils now for their recent play and wishes them mild irritation after mild irritation. However, we (as in you, the reader, and me, the writer) are not miserable pessimists - unless, uh, you are one, then, um, I'm sorry? Let me try again. We are not proverbial shoe gazing hopeless people. We are fans. Of the Devils. And what fans do is cheer on their favorite team, especially against playing hated rivals known for their epic and comical failure.

So in that vein, in conjunction from driving home late from work with silly thoughts in my heads, I have some suggestions to provide some new dynamic chants stating that the Rangers suck. You will hear the old standby about 30 times at The Rock tomorrow, but considering it's based on a Rangers chant - I think some alternatives are in order. Namely, for the benefit of those who hate the Rangers so much, they don't want to associate themselves with any similar chants.

• "We hate the Rangers, we do. We hate the Rangers, we do. We hate the Rangers, we do. Rangers, we hate you!" (thanks RBN)
  
• "Oh oh ooooohhhhh. Oh oh ohhh. Oh oh oooohhhh. The Rangers Suck." (to the tune of You Got It by New Kids on the Block, dancing optional).
• "You can't start a fire, you can't start a fire without a spark. This game's for us, cause the Rangers completely suck." (to the tune of Bruce Springsteen's Dancing in the Dark)
• It's the Rangers, it'll always be never. Cause they'll never be winners. I just want to the Devils to triumph toniiiiiiight - THE RANGERS SUCK" (to the tune of Bon Jovi's It's My Life)
• Only for leads: "We have [number of Devils goals] and you have [number of Rangers goals]. Doo dah, doo dah. We have [number of Devils goals] and you have [number of Rangers goals]. Doo dah. Keenan's in Calgaaaary and Messier can't save you now. We have [number of Devils goals] and you have [number of Rangers goals]! Oh, the doo dah day!"
• "Three are better than One!" (repeat)
• If the Rangers are losing, "You retire another number! When you actually won something! Then you try to retire another! POP GOES THE SEASON" (to the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel).
• "Henrik Lundqvist. WOOOOOOAAAH. He had potential. WOOOOOAAAAAH. Then he lost it. WOOOOOOOOOAH. And the Rangers lost again. WOOOOOOAAAAAH-YEAH"
• "Hey Shanny/Gomez! You gotta go go go go goodbye glad to see you go go go go goodbye!" (to the tune of The Ramones' Glad to See You Go)
• "Devils get up now! (Get on up) Get up! (Get on up) Get on the scene! Beat the Rangers like it's obscene!" (to the tune of James Brown's Sex Machine)
• "Rangers Suck! They fail to win what they need to continue failing to get what they want" - a play off of Hot Pants' full title, also by James Brown.
• "The Rangers want it all but you can't have it! It's in our hearts but you can't buy it! What is it? It's it! What is it? It's it!" (to the tune of Faith No More's Epic).
  

Let's get excited - feel free to contribute some more in the comments. I'll be expecting to hear none of these tomorrow! Go Devils!

The New York Giants are a mainstay of the National Football League and in years prior to the formation of the NFL; and they have carried on a recent tradition of being incredibly difficult to watch. Not a bad difficult, just difficult. Nonetheless, they are never boring and despite the critics, they have made it to the NFC Championship to play the Green Bay Packers. With a secondary thinner than the Los Angeles Kings' goaltending unit and bad weather looming all over Lambeau Field, the Giants making it this far is a feat in of itself. And with a ton of fans in the NY and NJ area, they will pay attention to the Giants game.

Which is tomorrow, during the Devils' 5 PM home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Not good for attendance, with attention being paid elsewhere.

The Devils can't move the gametime, what with Toronto playing tonight in Buffalo right now. So the Devils are going with Plan B, and as far as Plan Bs go, it's pretty good.

The Giants game will be aired at the Prudential Center after the game, with the game appearing on other screens otherwise. Hopefully, there will be a sizable crowd taking advantage of the hockey on the ice and the football on screen. Basically, if you got tickets to tomorrow's game - go to the game! You won't miss the football action either. I'll be taking advantage of it, I hope to see you there!

And I hope the Devils and Giants will win, of course. Toronto and Green Bay are due for some failure.

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Buffalo Sabres at The Rock 2-1 in a shootout. If that sounds familiar, consider the December 28, 2007 game. Which was also against the Sabres at The Rock. And ended 2-1 in a shootout. Except this time, the defenseman who scored for the Devils was Andy Greene; the Sabres scored last on a similar play that led to the Devils goal; and it was Patrik Elias who scored the winning goal in the shootout.

Well, OK, it wasn't entirely the same game. This game was much sloppier. Both teams had trouble finishing chances and some plays went awry with some poor passes. The Sabres, I think, had it worse, as evidenced by their 8 giveaways compared to the Devils' 1. up until the end, it was a pretty poor game for them all things considered. They struggled to get in the zone except for the first half of the second period. When they did get a really good scoring chance, Martin Brodeur did what all people named Martin Brodeur do - keep the puck out of the net whilst ripping out the hearts of hopeful Buffalo fans. The Sabres were fortunate that they split the defense as they did late so Jason Pominville could get the late equalizer and fortunate to get into a shootout.

While the Devils did play better overall, last night wasn't a good example of a strong team. Yes, they scored first and it was a power play goal and it was by a defenseman joining the play (Andy Greene) and it was cool. But despite Patrik Elias making some slick passes, the Asham-Rupp-Clarkson line bringing the pain, forechecking, and Mike Rupp playing more than 5 minutes, and the Devils pushing the tempo at times; they couldn't solve Ryan Miller. I know some of the scoring chances were denied thanks to some last minute Sabre intervention, but the finishing really needs to improve. If it were up to me, I would have liked to have seen the Devils try to challenge the Sabres from the slot. A lot of the shots, from what I recall, either came from the outside or off cross-ice passes. A lot of angles and longer shots - they probably contributed to the Devils' putrid 17 missed shots. Says a lot about the Buffalo defense considering the Devils did manage to put 30 on net; but 17 missed shots is definitely ugly. Maybe they would have scored more, as the Devils were fairly successful one-on-one with Miller in the shootout. Alas, the Devils did well enough to maintain during overtime and got the two points in the shootout.

Now the Devils get to go on the road to Carolina for a game tomorrow and visit Buffalo for a game on Saturday. While we probably know what to expect for Saturday, tomorrow's game should be a good barometer of the Devils as a team. It'll be the first meeting of the two teams and Carolina is definitely a solid team. They currently lead their division with a record of 22-19-4, and they are coming off a 1-0 win over Boston. They remain strong at center with Eric Staal (23 G, 18 A), Rod Brind'Amour (15 G, 21 A, 57.6% faceoff percentage), and Matt Cullen (8 G, 29 A); and additional fire power comes from their left wing - Ray Whitney (20 G, 23 A) and Cory Stillman (19 G, 22 A), to be specific. If the Devils are to succeed, forcing Carolina to attack from their right would be a good way to go.

Another way is to be aggressive on their own attack; there's a reason why Carolina's defense is rather unheralded and why Cam Ward isn't on the tips of everyone's tongue right now. Only 3 teams in the league have given up more goals than Carolina: Atlanta (146 goals against), Tampa Bay (147, last in their division), and Los Angeles (150, worst team in the league). What's more is that Carolina has the worst penalty killing unit in the league with a miserable 75.6% effectiveness rate. This is not a good defensive team, and the Devils should exploit that as much as possible. They shouldn't worry about having to do that while on the road, since Carolina is only 10-8-2 at home so far this season. I think the Devils need to take any and all opportunities to light the lamp against Carolina; it'll be hard for their effective centers and left wingers to get on the board when they're too busy trying to help their defense. And if the first chance doesn't go in, the Devils should simply put that out of their minds and go get another - they're bound to get in there. When they do, it'll be glorious.

Apologies for a lack of any content over the last few days. With a game in Boston looming tonight and a Kevin Weekes watch in effect according to Tom Gulitti, let's quickly go over what happened the past few days.

First, an Elias-less (in addition to already being Rachunek-less, Pandolfo-less, and Brookbank-less) Devils had an odd game against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night. The Devils beat Florida 3-2, amazingly thanks to an amazingly well set up power play goal. I mean, it was a flowing move that found Brian Gionta all alone at the net who just had to tap it in. Great job to all involved. The game also featured the Devils cracking their first period scoring drought thanks to Jamie Langenbrunner and Lowell Devils call-up Noah Clarke getting his first NHL goal. But the game also featured the Panthers making a game of it off some rebounds, putting more shots on net than the Devils (33 to 27), and making the Devils a bit listless at times. Jay Bouwmeester showed off that he is a stud defenseman (at least in my eyes), and the rest of the team weren't the doormats that one would traditionally associate with Florida hockey. The Devils won, I guess that's good enough. But I still I find it hard to determine how good a win it was even after thinking about it for a few days.

Second, Patrik Elias returned for last night's game with the Philadelphia Flyers. Let's get the criticisms out of the way first. As much as I happily yelled about "Philadelphia Discipline" (stretch it out like you were saying "S-E-C SPEED") at the game, a quick look at the boxscore shows the Devils took just as many penalties as the Flyers did. Granted a number of them were coincidental, but taking 8 penalties is unacceptable. The other main criticism is that the Devils basically were pinned back in their own end for much of the third period, with the Flyers throwing everything they could at Martin Brodeur. The Flyers outshot the Devils 15-4 in the third period and obviously had more scoring chances. Granted, the best Flyers chances came in the second period where they had the puck in a prime position right outside the crease 5 times. Martin Brodeur made one ridiculous, "Where in the hell did that leg come from!?" save and the defense held them off the other 4 times. The Devils didn't play a full effort and are fortunate to have come away with a shutout.

Now that that's done, let's begin the effusive praise! The Devils faced 36 shots, they faced 5 penalty kills, seemingly countless counts of physical play, and they come out of it with a strong 3-0 win. Why? Because they didn't panic when they were shorthanded and when the Flyers had the offensive momentum. Because the Devils were lethal with the puck in attacking, obviously doing more with less shots. Because Martin Brodeur is the best damn goalie in the league and clearly a living legend. The second most fortunate thing that I saw at the game was from seeing at least four incidents of the Flyers falling down on their own. The most fortunate was seeing Travis Zajac take advantage of a turnover caused by that and pound it through Martin Biron for his first goal since December 7.

Among the forwards, the best one was once again Patrik Elias. Elias was hustling, going after the Flyers' defense, and making plays all night long, he was rewarded with an assist and a power play goal. Among all the skaters, Paul Martin had the best game. I don't know what Brent Sutter said to him before the game, but it worked. Martin played with an extra gear, he joined the offensive attack when necessary, his decisions in shooting were wise with only one missed shot and nothing blocked, and he was a big part of the successful power play - a power play goal equals success for this team - and penalty kill. Martin was great and you could tell by watching the game. That all said, Martin Brodeur's 36 saves clearly earned him the first star of the game. All that and further proof the Flyers are the most classless team in the league: Derian Hatcher bit through Zajac's glove and cut his middle finger. Gulitti has plenty of quotes and it is a very strange story. Will the league drop a suspension on Hatcher? Probably not.

Third, the U.S. is out at the World Junior Tournament, losing to Canada 4-1 (link to IIHF story). Canada will go to their fourth straight gold medal game. Devils prospect Matt Halischuk picked up an assist on Shawn Matthias' goal. Russia fell to Sweden in overtime, so Russia and the United States are battling it out for the bronze medal as we speak. As I type this, it's not looking good for the U.S. because Russia is dominating the game. I suppose it's revenge for the 3-2 win the United States had over Russia in the group stages. Canada and Sweden will play for the gold medal later today. Will Sweden do what no one else has been able to do this tournament a second time? Will they beat Canada again? And how will Matt Halischuk perform? All these and more answered, um, later, I guess.

Enjoy tonight's game!

Tonight, the Devils will host the Buffalo Sabres at The Rock. I'd have to say that the Devils' 3-game west coast road trip was a success because the two clutch wins against Edmonton and Calgary. They will look to continue their momentum against Buffalo tonight; but they can't rest easy afterwards. New Jersey plays on Long Island tomorrow night. Regardless, Martin Brodeur will start for New Jersey according to Tom Gulitti. Just as important to note, Zach Parise will play, Karel Rachunek will not, Mike Rupp will be scratched and the Devils will go with seven defensemen, and Jay Pandolfo is still injured. Perhaps Kevin Weekes will start tomorrow, but I have my doubts - it may depend on what happens tonight.

In the meantime, let's take a look at what else is out there:

2 Man Advantage has had this Year in Review up for close to a week now and I stupidly forgot to link it. So, here it is - please go read it.

At Devils Daily, Jeremy Kenter reminds us that trash talking the Devils isn't a good idea. Maybe The Hockey News will recognize that, but due to their infinite ability to tune-out other ideas, they likely won't. Keep doubting the Devils guys, we'll just keep on cheering for the greatest team playing in New Jersey and perennial Stanley Cup contenders since 1994.

SELF PROMOTION WARNING - The following sentences are pure self promotion. If you have a heart condition or any type of medical condition, you should probably get that taken care of if you haven't already. Any self promotion will have likely have nothing to do with it, it's just general common sense advice.

Interchangeable Parts has been running a "bloggers questionnaire" and I decided that I should actually respond. So I did, it's now up at IPB where they say many complimentary things about me and this blog. Many compliments. I'm blushing almost as much as Chico did after he got caught on camera licking his hand for ketchup from a hot dog last season.

END OF SELF PROMOTION WARNING - You may return to the rest of this post; but if you seriously have a condition - take care of it if you haven't already. Seriously.

Now we come to the World Junior Championship part of this post. First, I have to correct an omission. Hockey's Future Radio has set up their site to give updated analysis, scores, and rosters from the ongoing World Junior Championships. Now that the omission is dealt with, let's take a look at what's going on.

• New Jersey prospect Matt Halischuk has been doing fairly well so far. In 2 games, he got a goal and has been seeing plenty of time on both even strength and the penalty kill. As I understand it, he's been playing on the same line with 2008 hot prospect Steve Stamkos. Canada, as a whole, has been playing well with wins in their first two games over the hosting Czech Republic and Slovakia. They face Sweden tomorrow and Denmark on Monday to finish out their group.
• How's Denmark doing? Not well. They got owned, pwned, and qwned by Sweden 10-1 today and they were thoroughly beaten by the Czech Republic on Thursday, 5-2.
  
• The United States has been doing well in their own group with a 5-1 win over Kazakhstan and today's 4-2 win over Switzerland. They face a big challenge tomorrow against Russia, who has been idle since Thursday. Hopefully, New Jerseyans James van Reimsdyk (2 G, 3 A) and Bobby Sanguinetti (1 G, 1 A) will continue to lift their team to new heights in spite of any fatigue.
• All stats and scores from IIHF's WJC 2008 page.
  

That's a lot for now. Enjoy tonight's game, I know I will - in addition to looking completely serious in my giant foam puck-hat.

I apologize for not having much to say over the past few days. I witnessed the Devils' 5-0 thrashing by Vancouver and, well, Steve Stirling at 2 Man Advantage has the same question I had. What an horrible loss.

And the sad thing about it is that the past few games have been ugly defensively for the Devils. In the 4-1 loss to Phoenix last Saturday, the Devils conceded 38 shots to the Coyotes. In the 4-2 win over Philadelphia the next night, the Devils allowed 31 shots by the Flyers. In the 5-0 rout, the Devils did only concede 24 shots; but when you're allowing 5 goals, it doesn't mean much. In these past three games, I've noticed that the Devils defenders have been more passive in their coverage - allowing the opposition forwards much more space on offense. I understand the idea of letting them move the puck around; you can't really shoot if you're constantly forcing the opposition to pass the puck. But without aggression, the opposing offense will happily be patient or just start taking shots where need be. Especially when the team leaders in blocked shots, a tie between Andy Greene and Vitaly Vishnevski at 45, average less than 1.5 blocked shots a game. If I'm scouting New Jersey, I relay this key stat to my team and tell them to "fire away." Basically, Martin Brodeur (or Kevin Weekes) has to play like an all-star to keep the team in it. And some nights, even that's not enough.

The offense needs to be more consistent, the discipline needs to get better, and the effort needs to be there every night. But for a supposedly "defense first" team, the first step must be to step up the defensive game by the team. This means not allowing the other team's skill players to have 2 feet or more of ice open in front of them, being more aware of how the other team is setting up the play, and to actually take the man in the slot. I'd rather have the Devils take a penalty than to allow an opposing forward have a juicy chance to shoot and score or to put back a rebound. Tonight against Edmonton is as good of an opportunity to turn it around as any. Otherwise, get ready for more line and pairing changes, more changes in strategy, and more of the inconsistent hockey from New Jersey.

Well, let's go over the last week. I didn't have a lot to say right after the Rangers and Capitals games on Sunday and Monday, respectively. The Devils played well for seemingly 10 minutes on Sunday - excepting Martin Brodeur who was absolutely amazing, the Devils lost in overtime 1-0 on Sunday, the winning streak was broken on Sunday and it was frustrating to watch. In retrospect, considering how the Devils played, what can one expect?

The next night in Washington was more of the same. The Devils did not play well except for some stretches and despite some fortunate goals. Again, in retrospect, the Devils didn't play like they wanted to win and so they didn't - losing 3-2 to the Capitals. Sure, there was some controversy over a Mike Mottau goal being disallowed for a kicking motion that didn't actually exist; but had the Devils not slept walk through the first two periods, it wouldn't have been a big deal. If one focused on those two games alone, one could easily conclude that the Devils are going to follow their winning streak with a losing streak. After all, the Devils didn't play complete, strong games of hockey in the second half of their streak. Bad periods in a hockey game become two and close to three, and so teams lose games. A perfectly reasonable result considering what was going on.

Then something interesting happened on Wednesday, thanks to Tom Gulitti at Fire & Ice, evidence that Brent Sutter is not a coach who takes any sass. After watching Aaron Asham lollygag through a drill, Sutter (verbally) had it out with Asham with the lovely quote, "Whatever. That's the way you've been playing for two weeks." Given that Aaron Asham has not stepped it up in Boston, I'm not sure it worked. I'm heartened by the fact that Sutter wants intensity to be present at practice with the idea that it would show up in games. OK, it hasn't occurred in every game but it was there during the streak and it occurred on Thursday night in Boston. However, I must wonder if Sutter normally responds like this - if he does, I would imagine he'd have to be concerned about his own influence on the team. If the gambits work, then great; but if it leads to the team tuning him out, well, Sutter will have a rather large problem. For now, I don't think it's an issue - I'm just saying that the possibility is there. As further and more heartening signs, Sutter did insert John Oduya back into the line up for Thursday's game to give him a chance (also via Fire & Ice).

And so on Thursday, in a crowd that definitely looked and sounded more than 1,500 on TV, the Devils took on the Bruins and won 3-1. The Devils weren't completely sharp, but they were the better team for most of the game. Jamie Langenbrunner was the main man with a great shot on a 5-on-3 power play and with the game-icing brace. Bruins captain and stud defenseman Zdeno Chara was the main goat, as Chara broke Dainius Zubrus' stick during a Andrew Alberts-based 4 minute minor and Chara coughed up the puck in his own zone with the empty net right to Langenbrunner. If there was a main criticism, it's that the Devils were unlucky on offense. Despite the lead, the Devils didn't hang back and try to play defensive hockey throughout the third period as we saw many times when Claude Julien - the current Bruins head coach - ran the bench in New Jersey. No, they pushed for a goal and if it wasn't for some bad luck and unfortunate misses, they could have had at least one more. In particular, Dainius Zubrus had a laser just hit the post and Zach Parise had a glorious scoring chance in the slot but put it right at Alex Auld's legs. As far as Asham and Oduya are concerned; one stepped it up, but one did not. Oduya played 18:15, picked up an assist, and looked steady in his own end. Asham played only 5:37 and was foregettable. Needless to say, Asham is still in Sutter's doghouse.

Now it's Friday and with back-to-back home games, the Devils are back on winning ways. They should get a result against Phoenix tomorrow afternoon provided they take the game seriously. The fans should get the results of tasty and cheap hot dogs for dollar hot dog Saturday - that is something I can personally guarantee. The Flyers on Sunday will be more of a concern as the Flyers would love to avenge their two big losses at the Rock. Plus, Philadelphia will be flying with Mike Richards, who got a 12 year contract extension according to TSN. Richards is a very good player, but clearly Philadelphia sees something special in him. He better be at the price they tied him up in; watch the Devils not care one bit as they will hopefully look to put another beat-down on the Pennsylvania Pylons. Nevertheless, we could be looking at the Devils still standing tall after this weekend in spite of the tough losses earlier this week.

The New Jersey Devils travel to Madison Square Garden to take on Our Hated Rivals. The game starts at 5 PM and it will be both on MSG and FSNY. Radio feeds can be found at NHL.com and on your actual radio at 1130 AM, WBBR. The Devils are on a 9 game winning streak and are looking for their first win against Our Hated Rivals this season. Our Hated Rivals lost their last three games.

What can I say to help out the Devils here? Nothing but hackneyed phrases like "play like a team, play for all 60 minutes, &c. But a little message from Herm Edwards from the 2007 Kansas City Chiefs training camp (and featured on HBO) would be appropriate.



Silly, yes, but I fully want the Devils to understand that crucial point.

Do not be afraid to be great.

I just saw this on Tom Gulitti's blog: Barry Melrose will be at The Rock to catch the Devils-Capitals game tomorrow. You know, the guy who said this about Newark:

Well. Gulitti says that team owner Jeff Vanderbeek and Newark mayor Cory Booker "took the bait" and highlighted the comment. Which I think is great. A little slice of humble pie for Melrose, a little more attention paid to the arena, the city and tomorrow's game, and most importantly: an opportunity. An opportunity to come up with some fantastic chants! Now, I don't think yelling "cut your mullet" over and over again would suffice. This is an opportunity to be creative. Here are some suggestions:

OK, most of these aren't particularly great. But I at least tried to come up with one that doesn't have "Rangers Suck" or "Flyers Swallow," so I got that going for me. Maybe you have a suggestion - leave it in the comments and/or yell it out loud when the Capitals bring out their players not named Ovechkin, Nylander, Kolzig, or Pothier. Enjoy the game!

It's very clear on the front of the New Jersey Devils' official website. Tomorrow is Toys for Tots Night at the Prudential Center. If you're going to the game, bring a new, unwrapped toy for the charity. You'll be doing a good deed as you see the Devils face their old coach Claude Julien and the Boston Bruins. If you're not going to the game and you know someone who is, make sure they bring a toy. And if you're not going to the game and you know nobody who is going to the game, well, give a toy at some other Toys for Tots outlet.

I know this reads like a commercial, but it is a good organization and it's always good to give something to charity that will put more than a smile on someone's face.

ALSO: Tom Gulitti is reporting that Jay Pandolfo isn't playing tomorrow and that Lou is looking into the ice issue. He says it has to do with the computer system that monitors the environmental conditions, in that the system doesn't work right. It's great that we finally have an actual explanation as to the poor quality of the ice at the Rock. It would be better, of course, when it is fixed. Hopefully, that will be soon.

Last night's game was definitely not a pretty game, but it was an exciting game and a successful effort on the behalf of the New Jersey Devils. As the title indicates, the Devils won 3-0, and here is the recap from NHL.com. The win was the Devils' third straight and they did it without Karel Rachunek, who was still with his wife and his new child, and Patrik Elias, who was busy being sick with the flu according to Tom Gulitti's blog. Gulitti also reports that Elias will miss tonight's game as well due to the aforementioned with the flu.

It was an unfortunate loss because last night's game, I think, would have been a great time for Patrik Elias to shine. Elias has always had the skill to turn a broken play into a scoring chance and this game was littered with broken plays all over the place. Shots going wide, passes bouncing off sticks and skates, and possession being lost - tonight was definitely not a textbook example of how to perform on offense.

Nonetheless, the Devils did what they could to cool off a hot team like the Atlanta Thrashers. They won 8 of their last 9 and they came out flying in the first period. Fortunately for New Jersey, Atlanta struggled in getting shots off in the first period with 9 shot blocks by the defense and the aforementioned broken plays. Atlanta looked like the better team with their hustle and the ease they kept carrying the puck into the Devils' zone, but they couldn't do much of anything with it. The second period saw the reverse - the Devils looked more confident, they got more scoring chances, they got more shots (12 to 6), and they scored twice. Rod Pelley put up a tight angle shot that luckily slipped past backup goaltender Johan Hedberg. As an aside, I must note that Hedberg played really well tonight in Kari Lehtonen's place. This first goal was a fluke. Then after two hooking calls within 10 seconds by Atlanta, the Devils made the Thrashers pay on the 5-on-3 power play. Paul Martin put home his first of the season off a one-timer from Brian Gionta. Power play goals are always a good sign, especially ones that just blow past the goalie. Paul Martin getting one was the highlight of a great performance back from injury. Of particular note on offense, Jamie Langenbrunner stirred the straw that stirred the drink tonight with three assists, three takeaways, and two shots on net. He was named the second star of the game over both goal scorers.

In the third period, both teams traded chances and the Devils - like in Pittsburgh on Wednesday - stood up to the task. Ilya Kovalchuk and crew didn't get many quality shots. The only real danger came from Pascal Dupuis who took a pass that split the defense and was absolutely robbed of a goal by Martin Brodeur's left leg pad. Brodeur, as you would expect, was great tonight and with a clean (as in no penalties) defensive effort, the Devils sealed the win. Jay Pandolfo scored an empty-net goal late to ice the game.

Martin Brodeur earned his first shutout - his 115th if you combine his playoff and regular season totals as noted by Gulitti - and the Devils earned this win. They can't rest now. The Elias-less squad will face the Lightning in Tampa Bay tonight. As Gulitti noted in his post about Elias still being sick, the Devils will go with the same line-up. Personally, I would rather rest Brodeur and play Kevin Weekes tonight. Brodeur has played incredibly well, but Weekes has been very good in filling-in and the Devils don't necessarily need Brodeur to win tonight. But I understand the mindset of letting the hot goaltender continue to play. What I think the Devils will need to do to win is keep up their performance on defense. Not just to not let up on lines that feature Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, and Martin St. Louis, but to avoid handing power plays to Tampa Bay's eighth-most effective power play unit in the league. On offense, the Devils just need to continue to make the most of any given opportunities like power plays and giveaways by the defense. Everything you'd expect from a good performance by a hockey team. Who knows, this may be win #4 in their current streak.

Last night's 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh displayed the guts of the Devils. Link goes to the recap at NHL.com. They were lethargic last Saturday in Long Island, but they clearly showed they can turn it around within a game.

Was it a great game? No. The Devils were out-hit, they were beaten more often than not on faceoffs, they were swarmed with offensive pressure for stretches at a time, they didn't capitalize on many of the opportunities the Penguins handed them in terms of turnovers and penalties, and the Devils had their stick broken or removed far too many times. You can argue that the Devils should have won by a larger margin or that they should have lost to Pittsburgh - both are quite valid.

But there was much to be very happy about. The Devils didn't fear the offensive dynamos Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. They played with 7 defensemen regardless and trusted the game to the backup: Kevin Weekes. Weekes played very well and the defense was fairly good considering the opposition's attack. Moreover, the Devils didn't let Dany Sabourin into their heads and actually attacked the Penguins' defense a number of different ways. This is evident in their three goals: Travis Zajac took a shot from the circle after a dump-in and cranked it through Sabourin's legs for the first goal; Zach Parise finished a cross-crease pass on the power play; and Patrik Elias capped off an odd-man rush to get the game winner off a cross-ice pass from Brian Gionta.

In that last complex sentence, there's plenty to be proud of. Going 1-for-6 on the power play is poor, but when you're going into the game with zero power play goals in the last 19 attempts, getting a power play goal is worth commendation. Also, Patrik Elias getting his first goal in a long time - 11 games, to be precise - and it was a big one that got New Jersey 2 points. Lastly, how the Devils handled an increasingly-desperate Penguins squad in the final minutes of the game was perfect. They took advantage of Penguin turnovers - which were commonplace and if I were a Pittsburgh fan, I'm screaming for Ryan Whitney to be better with the puck - and challenged the Penguins with shallow dump-ins. Sabourin didn't leave the net until time was really waning and even then the Penguins did little.

The Devils, in short, showed guts. They didn't do everything right, but they did more than the other team and so they got the win. Now, the next step is to show it and work hard for a second straight game. With Our Hated Rivals coming to the Prudential Center for the first time, emotions will run high. We, the fans, will gladly cheer and scream loudly for New Jersey and boo and jeer mercilessly for New York. There are other intangibles, as well. Surely, Martin Brodeur will be starting in net and you can bet any amount of money that he would love to get career win #500 against Our Hated Rivals. Almost as impressive is what Tom Gulitti is reporting at Fire & Ice, Jamie Langenbrunner may be returning to the line-up for tomorrow's game. Nothing is set in stone - just like Aaron Asham may not play - but the possibility is there and Langenbrunner's return may provide a spark to the team. Even if it is at the expense of David Clarkson's slot (which he may still have since Asham or Langenbrunner may be out). Nevertheless, these intangibles would be in New Jersey's favor.

It's going to be "on" in the stands. At the least, it will be "on" in Section 1 as much as I can get it to be "on," screaming as loud as you are in the hope of victory. The expectation will be for the Devils to bring "it" on the ice. Tomorrow, we will learn whether or not the Devils have the guts and get their first win this season over Our Hated Rivals in their brand new home. I certainly think they have it, the team just needs to show it off again.

Tom Gulitti's blog, as usual, has a crucial post about the Devils before tomorrow's game against the New York Islanders. There are three main items to know and get adequately pumped up about:

1. Colin White took part in his first practice since his horrific eye injury back in pre-season.

2. Jamie Langenbrunner continues to practice - and it looks like his return is imminent.

3. Martin Brodeur could win his 500th game on Saturday night at Long Island, as he will be starting in net tonight.

About the first two points, seeing core players getting healthier is always good news. Langenbrunner can provide some help on offense with his strong slap shot, his dynamic two-way play, and his heart. White would definitely provide some needed stability, experience, and improved defensive presence on the blueline.

About point #3, I have to say, I'm a bit sympathetic about Kevin Weekes. The Devils have played 5 games in 10 days so far this month; but I don't see him getting the start in Pittsburgh on Monday and definitely not at the first Devils home game against the Rangers. I don't think Weekes will be too unhappy, though; Brodeur is set to become the second goaltender ever to pass the 500 win mark. Given Brodeur is a spry 35 years old and could conceivably earn 25-30 more wins this season; we could see Brodeur become the all time leader in wins sometime most likely in 2009. Though, technically he could do it in 2008 if he has an absolutely fantastic season like he did last season.

In any case, thanks to the crack marketing and promotion staff of the Devils organization, I want all of you to pay close attention in the next few nights. It could be tomorrow - I hope it's tomorrow, I would like to think the Devils are better than the Islanders - but it could also occur next week. The Devils have a sure-fire Hall of Famer in net about to crack a historic milestone. It's OK to actually trumpet this fact. It makes you wonder why the team isn't pulling out any stops to promote this fact, assuming I'm not missing any promotion by the Devils.

It kills me (metaphorically), to be honest. The Devils have been very successful over the last 13 years and yet the organization seems to do so little to trumpet this fact. I'm confident that many casual fans would be motivated to check out the Devils to see this once-in-a-lifetime goaltender either in person or on TV. Unless I'm mistaken, the Devils haven't been promoting this. It's as if they want to be awesome in relative quiet.

I'll be fair in noting that the Devils official website is definitely doing something to bring extra attention to Scott Stevens' induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday. It's the first thing you see on the website before getting into the main page; and the first article on that page is this article announcing that the December 7th game against Washington will be Scott Stevens Hall of Fame Night. This isn't a lot but it's more than nothing.

Ultimately, in the bigger picture, the fact that Martin Brodeur will pass the 500-win mark is nothing short of spectacular with or without promotion. I'm just carping about the organizations' lack thereof promotion in general. I just hope the team does something - even something small - to highlight this accomplishment when Brodeur does achieve it. And it could be tomorrow, so tell all your friends. Tomorrow's game against the Islanders isn't just a division match-up, we could see history being made.