In Lou We Trust

The news is out, still as a headline on ESPN this evening. Gulitti states in the very first sentence in this post that the idea of Brodeur being injured is still requiring some getting used to. At NHL.com, which still has their Brodeur Watch up, we learn that the Brodeur family is devastated by this. And it should be big, difficult, unsettling news. The last time Martin Brodeur hasn't played 67 or more games in a season was 1995-1996; and the two seasons prior to that featured the rise of Brodeur in his rookie season back in 1993-1994 and only a half of a regular season was played in 1994-1995. He's never been injured as a New Jersey Devil for longer than 10 games, if I recall correctly.

For Devils fans like me, who basically started following the team when Marty was a rookie, these are uncharted waters. An extended period of time where the Devils will play hockey without Martin Brodeur as goaltender is all new to fans like me. It's basically a taste of the inevitable occurring about 3-5 years from now. The simple fact that Martin Brodeur won't be the main goaltender for the New Jersey Devils. If you're not familiar with his importance to the team, then I don't think you really know anything about the Devils since 1994. He is an absolute cornerstone to the franchise in their past, present, and continued successes. And now he's going to be gone until March, assuming everything goes well. That's well over half of the season.

That's well over half of the season where Kevin Weekes will have to reprise his role as a starting goaltender. The last time he was the definitive #1 on a team, it was on Carolina in 2003-2004. Weekes is a talented keeper, but he's clearly a drop off from Martin Brodeur. He's not going to play every night, so expect and learn to hope Scott Clemmensen can play like a NHL goalie on the nights where he's playing. He's a butterfly goaltender, meaning that Weekes' needs to pay special attention as to when he drops into that position. He's not like Marty where Brodeur will tell defenders to let him see the open shot, the defense will have to be more willing to sacrifice their bodies and sticks for blocks. He's not as quick to smother up pucks or as talented to limit rebounds, so he needs to work on both while the defense needs to play with more awareness around the slot in front of Weekes. I'm not trying to pick on Weekes, but he's definitely a drop off from Brodeur in terms of quality in net. We, as a fanbase, need to accept this and support Weekes even when he's not at his best (like, say, last night). He has the unenviable position of having to pick up after one of the greatest goaltenders in the history of the NHL, a player that the Devils have built entire teams and seasons around, and keep some level of consistency in net. He doesn't need any additional pressure.

Let's focus on the other guys on the Devils. The defense has done a great job in terms of playing much better than they look individually on paper. Credit for that goes to the players and the coaching staff for figuring out what they are good at. Now more than ever, they will need to limit opposing offenses to fewer than 30 shots per game. They cannot afford to be as passive, they will have to be more willing to get into the other team's faces outside of the boards, keep them away from Weekes' field of vision, and pick up the flanking players. I do think they will play more aggressively to help Weekes' out in these terms, as well as putting them into more positions to block shots and force bad passes. Of course, this comes with a higher risk of being burned by more skilled players or being caught on crafty plays. In summary, they need to become stingy-er as well as more stable in their own end. Nights where they get rolled in a period or they spend much of their defensive game chasing people need to end for the Devils to remain successful.

And to be successful in hockey, you need to have goals scored. The Devils can't just score 1 or 2 goals, try to get more, but be able to ward off the other team with strong defense and excellent performances from Brodeur in case that they don't. Again, it is foolish to expect Weekes to play like Brodeur so it would be foolish if they played like Brodeur was in net. That extra level of comfort, confidence, whatever you call it isn't a constant anymore. The Devils skaters need to score more goals. It can come from guys who have been doing it (Zach Parise), guys who can do it but need to do it more (Patrik Elias, Brian Gionta), guys who have the potential of doing it (Travis Zajac, Dainius Zubrus), and guys whose role may not be scoring but can definitely provide help should they light the lamp more often (John Madden, Jamie Langenbrunner, David Clarkson, etc.) They need to take advantage of power plays - nights where they go 0 for 7 are inexcusable regardless of who is in net. They need demonstrate better discipline to stop committing as many penalties as they do to prevent the other team from scoring goals. And if the other team figures out a constant move when attacking - dumping it in the boards, looking for a man in the slot, etc. - the Devils (the coach or the players) need to realize this and adjust their tactics to keep the opposition honest.

As much as this has been despairing and lecturing and ranting and writing poor sentences, I honestly do believe the season is not lost. Nothing has been decided. Am I as confident in this team without Marty as I was when Marty was here? No. I don't think many fans are. But I sincerely think they have the talent to still be one of the best teams in the East. The Devils have skilled forwards up top such as Parise, Elias, Zajac, and Gionta. They have checking forwards who are a pain to play against from ace defenders John Madden and Jay Pandolfo to grinders like David Clarkson. They have forwards who do a bit of both in Jamie Langenbrunner and Dainius Zubrus. They even have some rookies with potential in Petr Vrana and Nicklas Bergfors. And when Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik come back, the group will be that much better. On defense, you may not think much of a unit featuring Paul Martin (get better soon, please), Colin White, Johnny Oduya, Anssi Salmela, Mike Mottau, and Sheldon Brookbank. But these guys got the job done last season with little fanfare and if they can at least do that, it should be enough. And, hey, Kevin Weekes is a pretty good goaltender. Don't forget that Brent Sutter is in control of this team and Lou Lamoriello is the best general manager in sports.

I'm not going to lie; the season just got a lot more difficult. But there is reason to be hopeful. Hopeful that this team can still win tough hockey games. Hopeful that this team can still keep up in a very tight Eastern Conference. Hopeful that when Marty does return, he doesn't have to put on a Superman cape and try to single-handedly carry the team to the playoffs. They have the players, they have done more with less in the past (thanks to Marty, admittedly); but the players, the coaches, the trainers, and the organization has to step it up and do more with what they have. I think they can still at least make the playoffs and cause a lot of other teams problems. I do not know whether the Devils think that, but it's what I think. But it will be far from easy.

Now, more than ever, we must support Jersey's team - we must support the Devils. I sincerely hope that Marty's surgery is successful and he makes a proper and complete recovery. But the sun will still come up, the night will still come upon us, and there are hockey games to play - and they can be won. Let's go, Devils.

ESPN has reported earlier today that legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur will be out for 3-4 months due to elbow surgery to fix a torn tendon. Gulitti has comments from Marty himself, stating that, well, even he's in shock about this.

As it's already old news, but the New Jersey Devils just stomped all over the Atlanta Thrashers to the tune of 6-1. The big story out of that one outside of the Devils rolling Atlanta up like a rug and threw it down the stairs in the second period was Martin Brodeur leaving the game due to injury. It was an elbow injury and Gulitti's already reporting that Marty's not playing tomorrow night. Those looking for Kevin Weekes to get some games, well, you got your wish - though something tells me that you probably didn't want it this way. Hopefully, Brodeur's injury will be minor and he'll be back in short order.

As far as the game itself, there are some nits to pick. Scott Mackie had some complaints about Nicklas Bergfors' and Petr Vrana's ice time at 2MA and colorful language aside, he's got a point. There was no real reason, that I could tell, that required Brent Sutter to shorten the bench. Amazingly, save for a few shifts, he kept the fourth line of Mike Rupp, Bergfors, and Vrana together instead of his usual mixing up of the lines. Anyway. It's a minor point for Vrana as he's going to continue to play in the foreseeable future. Hopefully Bergfors will continue to get time before his call-up ends. That Matt Halischuk was sent down to Lowell (as reported by Gulitti) is at least a sign that Bergfors will be at The Rock for a little while longer, I think. Speaking of nits to pick, can someone show Sheldon Brookbank how to defend a 2-on-1? I'm not a hockey player or a coach, but I'm pretty confident the right way is to not stay in the middle and lamely reach for a pass. Colby Armstrong found Slava Kozlov (the good Kozlov) with a pass and Kozlov was patient and cooly slid the puck off Weekes' sliding skate and into the net. The run-and-gun (because defense isn't something they are good at) Atlanta Thrashers upped the tempo as the Devils took their foot off the proverbial pedal in the third and it led to their only tally of the night. That's not to say the Devils took the third period off, but it was a bit sloppy and you could tell they were playing with a 5-6 goal lead. It's forgiveable because, well, it was a 5 goal lead and they kept it that way thanks to Kevin Weekes and a defense that bended a little but not too much.

And so the majority of the game is exactly what I expected to see before the game and from what I read afterwards at places like IPB. The Devils kicked the snot out of a terrible hockey team. The offense was clearly on point - more then they were back in mid-October - as Nicklas Bergfors got his first goal from the sideboards - and I think it definitely hit Johan Hedberg's blocker not Dainius Zubrus' stick so it was his goal. This was followed up in the second period when Patrik Elias threw a shot (or a pass to the slot?) from the sideboards with enough vigor that Mathieu Schneider and his stick helpfully deflected right past Hedberg. The remaining 4 goals all came from the slot. Zach Parise got his first off a rebound after Jamie Langenbrunner drove to the net; Parise got his second on the power play by burying an open net in the slot after great passes from Travis Zajac and Paul Martin. Brian Gionta scored just after a power play ended by burying a rebound off an Elias-tip of a Johnny Oduya shot. Jay Pandolfo got his first of the year by burying an Oduya - who was key on a lot of these plays with 3 assists - feed right in the slot.

Saturday's game clearly had this lesson demonstrated by the Devils: GO TO THE NET. It's where the goals have been coming from for New Jersey and with 21 goals being scored in the last 5 games, it's something I'm sure the coaching staff keeps emphasizing to the players. Particularly Brian Gionta, as both of his goals this season came from within 6 feet of the net. Perhaps they should also emphasize other players in joining Parise's Shot Club, as Chere reported on in the Star Ledger this morning. In all honesty, I regret not seeing this game as it was certainly an exciting blowout by the Devils. They did what good teams should do to poor teams - just outright beat them, and New Jersey clearly outclassed them that night. And, just like many things in life, the Devils really don't get to sit back and enjoy it as they will be without Brodeur against a good Buffalo Sabres squad on Monday night. The offense is clearly hot right now, hopefully they can keep the fire burning against the Sabres tomorrow.

The title is straight forward. The New Jersey Devils soundly defeated the Dallas Stars to the wonderful and glorious score of 5-0. The Devils, outside of David Clarkson for a few shifts, didn't focus solely on Sean Avery. And they didn't need to as Avery played the best game possible. He couldn't make good passes. He couldn't time his own passes or drives into the zone, causing some offside calls. Despite 4 shots on net, none of them really challenged Martin Brodeur. He got hit plenty of times from various Devils and he even fell down once. The fans let him know that he sucks and tonight, he truly did. He didn't contribute much to the Dallas cause of winning hockey games tonight, that's for sure.

Unfortunately for Dallas, Brendan Morrow, Marty Turco, and the collective blueline of the Stars had worse nights. Morrow was clearly frustrated by the third period and he didn't do much of anything all night save for the odd shot or two. Marty Turco misplayed the puck four times and John Madden made him pay on the fourth one with a goal, leading to his eventual benching. The Stars defense had to get desperate at times and got away with making sure the Devils didn't pound home a number of rebounds, loose pucks, and one-timers-to-the-slot. Yet, they were beaten in a variety of fashions. Jamie Langenbrunner got off a short-side backhander early. John Madden split the defense - a phrase most don't get to type too often - to drive in on net and beat Turco for a goal. Funny thing on that play, it looked like the defensemen got frozen and didn't really react when Madden noticed he had a giant gaping hole to skate through to Turco. The defense didn't pick up Turco's mishandling of a clearance and didn't pick up a streaking Madden who nicely tucked in his second goal. The defense couldn't shut down Zach Parise putting home a tight rebound on Tobias Stephan. And the defense just let David Clarkson skate about at the top of the zone to let loose a bomb of a slapshot. To think, some think he only can do toe drags, NHL-09-like dekes, and wraparounds. The Dallas defense was poor, to say the least.

Now, there is some criticism to be had on the Devils' side. First, they took 6 penalties total - with Dainius Zubrus getting caught three times. One of them was holding as Nicklas Grossman got caught holding as well. It was on the far end of the rink, did they hold each other? Anyway, taking a call when the other team is taking one is poor. So, the Devils still need to curb the discipline issues. The penalty kill was on point tonight so it didn't matter. Second, related to special teams, the Devils didn't get a power play goal despite 4 opportunities. Third, and this has nothing to do with the team, but some rowdy people up in sections 132 and 133 just loved yelling anti-gay slurs about Mark Messier and Avery. I have no issue heckling Messier or Avery or most other Rangers, but that's going over the line. It's classless, it's bigoted, it's stupid and it should have no place at Devils games. The Devils can't do anything about that, so that's more of a personal complaint. (And speaking of, Greenman, wear something underneath your bodysuit, please.)

That all aside, the Devils played great. The offense was clearly successful with 5 even strength goals. Madden earned his brace. Langenbrunner, Parise, and Clarkson got on the board - showing that 3 of the 4 lines got points tonight. Only the first line of Patrik Elias, Petr Vrana, and Zubrus was held pointless; but they played very well. Elias put 8 on Turco/Stephan and with a little more luck, someone on that line would have lit that lamp. Even Pierre-Luc Latourneau-Leblond got his first NHL point on an assist, so congratulations to him. And he wasn't only out there to goon it up; he looked decent enough in his 8:41 of ice time. Other players stuck out as well: Travis Zajac got 2 assists as the whole Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner did very well. Brian Gionta looked good at wing with Jay Pandolfo (who had a slapshot on net) and Madden. On defense, everyone played well except for a few brain-fart giveaways by Colin White (other than those, White was fine). Andy Greene, in particular, looked very good by driving to the net which led to Parise's goal; and he got an assist on Clarkson's bomb from the point. Greene is making a great case for being a starter on this team in the games he's played in so far.

And then there was Marty. Brodeur only had a few scoring chances against him and he stopped them all with style. A beautiful kicksave off of a one-timer. Holding the puck in middle of a few scrums. The only time he was truly beat was when Stephane Robidas got the puck right in front of the slot and Marty already went low. Robidas, in hindsight summed up Dallas' night, roofed the puck well over the net on a one-timer. Brodeur stopped all the shots and climbs closer to the all-time wins and shutout records. He and the Devils earned their result tonight.

So, despite my nitpicking, this was an absolutely great game for the Devils. They scored plenty of goals of all kinds - from the opportunistic to the pretty to the powerful. The defense didn't allow a ton of scoring chances; and when the Stars got their few chances, Brodeur essentially told them, "No. Not tonight." Excellent job by New Jersey. Hopefully they can carry this momentum and confidence into beating Philadelphia on Friday. Given that the Flyers are still winless (and rivals to the Devils), we should see some desperate and aggressive hockey from them. For other thoughts from the game check out Scott Mackie's comments at 2MA (he was in section 209); Pookie's game woolgathering from Dallas at IPB; Jersey's thoughts at Imperfect Dynasty; and Gulitti ran a live blog at Fire & Ice.

In a rather sloppy offensive game from both sides, Martin Brodeur picked up his 97th career shutout in a gutsy 1-0 win over the Atlanta Thrashers. Marty made some strong saves and was clearly the best man on the ice. but the success in keeping Atlanta scoreless wasn't all him. The Devils defense made some key shot blocks and some important interventions on Thrasher rushes and loose rebounds. While it got desperate at times and the Devils probably benefited on a little luck on some of those loose pucks, the defense as a whole played very well. Bryce Salvador played particularly well with a ton of work on the penalty kill and Paul Martin was a force in backchecking. Andy Greene did OK as well, and he's being rewarded with another start on Saturday.

However, the offense in this game was putrid. Both teams had multiple power plays in the first period and proceeded to do very little with it. Both teams struggled to gain any momentum with the puck, much less shooting it on net. The Devils, bizarrely, started to figure it out in the second period. As the period wore on and as Brent Sutter jumbled the lines (so what else is new), the Devils started having more shifts with the puck and in Atlanta's zone. Their efforts resulted in 21 shots on Kari Lehtonen - who also was on top form last night - and one put-back goal by Brian Rolston. Congratulations to him for his first goal as a Devil in this second go-around with the team.

Yet, the third period wiped away any of that good momentum. The Devils were seemingly in a powered up mode in the second period and the effects of that power-up faded sometime in the intermission. They came out sloppy again on offense and struggled to get good shots on Lehtonen. Don't get me wrong, they had a few good odd man rushes on a counter attack. But during one of the Devils' two penalty kills, when John Madden completed a pass to Jay Pandolfo on a 2-on-1, Pandolfo - with all the time and space in the world - fired it right at Lehtonen's left leg, I knew the Devils weren't likely going to get a second goal. Unfortunate and the Devils really need to start turning on the offense. They didn't just try to shoot hard at Lehtonen's legs or body and hope for a rebound, they did mix it up. For example, Dainius Zubrus found the puck right in the slot and picked a corner! It would have gone in, had the shot not gone about 3 feet above the net, but hey, small steps.

The Devils have proven so far that they can score just enough to beat teams, which is fine. Wins are wins. But for the Devils to take that next step, they'll need to at least generate more chances, generate all kinds of chances, and finish those chances. That the Devils only mustered one and basically spent the last 5 or so minutes holding on to that lead is a little concerning. On the other hand, it is four games into the season. It makes little sense to fear that the Devils will blow it in Spring 2009 based on what's happening in October 2008. Actually, no, it makes no sense. But I digress.

That all said, it wasn't as if there was nothing to be happy about. As mentioned, Brodeur and the defense came to play and did well. Zubrus, missed shot aside, had a good game and looked good filling in at center when Sutter slotted him there in Line Mixup #39-C. Bobby Holik's stat line wasn't impressive but he was a pain for the Thrashers to play against and that's all he really needed to do. Plus, while the penalty killers got too much work to do - Devils! Stop taking so many penalties! - they did succeed. Last night was the first game where the Devils didn't give up a power play goal this season. That's got to be a big step for that side of the special teams. Hopefully, the other half of the special teams can take some steps tomorrow night in Washington DC. Yeah, I know Rolston's goal was on the power play; but outside of that - it certainly wasn't powerful on the ice. For other thoughts on last night's game, check out 2MA and IPB.

Tonight, the Devils get to go visit the Atlanta Thrashers for a little game of hockey. They'll get underway in under an hour, but I want to take the time to show a little appreciation for Dr. Michael Emrick and Glenn "Chico" Resch. I cannot name a better duo on commentary for Devils games on television. Namely because they've been a feature on Devils games on television for the better part of this decade.

"Doc" Emrick is one of the most successful announcers in the game today and in the world of sports. Just check out that Wikipedia entry. In addition to a doctorate in radio/television from Bowling Green University, he's won an Emmy; called the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the World Cup of Hockey, and the Olympics; and he's been the voice of the Devils since 1993. And what a voice it is. He knows when to get excited, he knows when to stay calm, and he knows when is a good time to talk and when isn't a good time as to let the play develop itself. In addition to being a Pittsburgh Pirates fan, Doc's got a sense of humor, too. Recently, he threw this quip during a broadcast: "If Pandolfo and Madden got a nickel for each takeaway, oh, wait, they do!" Perfect. During the 2004 summer Olympics, I stayed up and watched water polo just because Doc was calling the games. He made them more exciting to see on TV - this in a sport where drowning an opponent seems to be the standard for defense. A few years back, Doc was named "the best hockey announcer" in a survey conducted by The Hockey News in an issue called, well, the "Best of Everything." (Aside: At color, John Davidson won out. Oh, baby!) It was true then, and it's true now.

As far as Chico goes, he's an offbeat kind of a color commentator. He can provide some good analysis along with what's going on the ice. He's knowledgable, and favorable, in the realm of goaltending - the position Chico played for the Islanders, Rockies/Devils, and the Flyers in the 1980s. OK, he can defend them a little too much at times. However, Chico generally acknowledges when he is being a homer - even to the point where he qualifies himself by saying, "Now, I don't want to sound like a homer, but..." Regardless, Chico is always good for an interesting anecdote and his own brand of sayings. He is the man who referred to Scott Gomez as the Galloping Ghost from the Alaskan Coast, Brian Gionta as the Rochester Rocket, and Dainius Zubrus as the Lithuanian Freight Train, after all. Then again, they don't come out quite right at times leading to some moments (e.g. "Oooooh, Doc, I gotta take another look at that" after botching a call). Still, he's commentates like he's sitting next to you and it's very enjoyable - from his thoughts on food at the Devils to his hushed tone when something goes awry to his genuine enthusiasm when the Devils do well (usually starts with, "Oh, Doc!").

And why not? Patrik Elias has pretty much cemented himself as a big part of the team's success from this decade. He's been a part of 2 Stanley Cup teams. Only John Madden, Jay Pandolfo, Bobby Holik, and Colin White remain on the team with as many rings as Elias (of course, Brodeur has more, but that's not my point). He's been the key player in two famed, ruthlessly efficient, and somewhat short-lived lines: the A-Line with Jason Arnott and Petr Sykora and the EGG Line with Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta. Elias holds the franchise record for most points in a season (96 in 2000-2001), most points in the playoffs (23 in 2000-01), he will take over the franchise lead in assists this season (currently tied with Scott Niedermayer with 364), and he's the second leading scorer in Devils history. Elias has battled bravely to recover from Hepatitis A and came back in 2005-06 with a roaring 38 game season (and an equally roaring playoffs). He was the first European captain of the team, and remains as one of the top offensive threats on the New Jersey Devils.

So why shouldn't I be proud to be a Patrik Elias fan when he's accomplished so much in the past 11 seasons?

OK, so it's a Facebook profile; but I'm told it's going to be regularly updated. I mean, it has that neat badge that you can see on the sidebar to your left. Besides, who else on New Jersey has a profile like that? Other than Martin Brodeur (with an old picture)? His people are going to put an effort into it and it'll show some other sides to Elias that we may have not seen so much of. I mean, right on my first visit we see that Elias has been in bed with the Cup. You won't get that at the official Devils site.

P.S. HockeyDB has been re-designed with a sleek and slick new look and layout. Gone is the plain broad color background, now there's other colors! Now if only they can kill the pop-up ads.

The Devils, since Friday, have increased the number of players with their own personal websites to three. Martin Brodeur's site and Patrik Elias' site (in Czech only) both went live this recent Friday and both are pretty filled with content. That's right, I said three - Kevin Weekes' site is still up and has a brand new look to it too. No, it doesn't have that 70s throwback music that welcomes you to his front page. But it does give you a direct link to Kevin's cameo on Everyone Hates Chris from this past (television) season. It's not bad, you should watch it and wonder who spells it "Gritzky." I think if all three sites are regularly updated and provide some good content - and there already is on Brodeur's and Elias' sites, I don't see how this can be bad.

A quick recap of the first two games by Richard Adragna summarizes that it's been a rather eventful first two games. So much for the Devils being boring. Adragna comes through in this summary with video of the Green Man. He's dancing with a shirtless fat guy in what appears to be Secton 232. I remember this guy appearing on a Devils "Flex Cam" during a stoppage in play during a preseason game. Namely because the crowd collectively went "Ugggggh." upon appearing on the big screen. Anyway, the video is...well, it's a thing. I'm not sure what, but it's a thing. If you haven't seen the Green Man, this is a good introduction to what it looks like as any. Good job to the cameraman./?

From Tibbs, there's an article in the Ottawa Citizen where former Devil Mike Jefferson/Danton is pleading to Ken Dryden to get transferred to Canada. I'm not really going to speculate over the legal reasons here or why the Canadian government hasn't approved it whereas the American government has. What worries me is that he intends to find a job in the NHL. Any team in the league thinking about it should talk to Lou first. He's had to deal with him twice. While I understand (and sympathize) that some of it was at the behest of the deplorable David Frost, we're talking about the guy who gave the world the following quote: "I'm not drinking Lou's Kool-Aid anymore."

While some have taken that line and ran with it (which I endorse), it definitely reflected poorly on Danton. He was assigned to the minor league (which is, I think, when Danton made the statement) and suspended for the whole season for not reporting. He was eventually traded for little to St. Louis and didn't do anything of note there in terms of hockey. If he's grown up quite a bit and sorted out a lot of his personal problems such that he won't be an issue in the locker room, maybe. But I have my doubts. The tribulations of Mike Danton have been well examined in depth by the CBC, and summarized well by Buffalo weekly Artvoice (from 2006) if you want to read more about this mess of a situation. According to Mirtle, Frost is going to on trial soon under sexual explotation charges. Expect more of his saga to come out and expect it to be more messed up than it already is.

To end this on a much lighter note, check out this post at the Slap Shot blog at the NY Times of which I must disagree with. Consider Jeff Hale's post about Roberto Luongo being named captain of the Canucks. He mentions calls the lack of a "C" on Luongo's jersey to be silly - I don't see how as he can't be the captain on the ice - and brings up an example of a referee conferinng with him about a call. Of course he went to Luongo in that case, the call involved him. The reason why the rules are what they are because goaltenders who had the C would go to great lengths to talk things out with the referee and therefore delay the game and give their team an extra break. Bill Durnan did this with Montreal in the 1940s and it's what drove this change. If Hale's idea of "common sense and imagination" to allow goalies to be captains is for refs to go to the goalie, it will only serve to delay the game with longer stoppages in play. I don't see why the NHL would go for this just for Luongo.

That he brings up Martin Brodeur is interesting, as he's an example of being a leader without being denoted as such. You don't need a C to lead. And even if the Canucks find success with this, I don't see a reason to anticipate an increase in goaltenders who are captains. Durnan was one of only 7 goalies who were captain back when it was allowed, and who else other than Brodeur can be considered a leader on their team? Just because a goalie may be the best player or the foundation of the team's roster doesn't necessarily make them worthy of a "C." Do they motivate the team? Do they relate well between the rest of the players and the coach? How do they handle the locker room? Captains have to deal with these things as well. As it stands, if the Canucks feel Luongo is a leader, he can certainly be one without a "C." I don't see a reason for the NHL to change their rules.

Today, I have made a big find - I have found out where Teemu Laine is playing. He's with HV 71 in the Elitserien, Sweden's top league.

OK. That's not big nor a find. But it's also where Mattias Tedenby is, so there's that reason to follow HV 71. Along with former Devil, the shooting-averse Jan Hrdina.

But seriously, today is the last day we have to go without some Devils season hockey because Opening Night is tomorrow! 7 PM against the Islanders at the Rock, and hopefully the night will finish with 2 points for the good guys (not the Islanders, you silly goose). Tomorrow we will see Marty with a new mask, Anssi Salmela getting a start (h/t Gulitti. Poor Sheldon Brookbank, I didn't think Anssi would start right away), and some competitive hockey. And the hockey becomes competitive right away. The Devils get to visit Pittsburgh on Saturday night and then off to MSG against Our Hated Rivals on Monday. This season begins against the division the team struggled so much against last season. It's an opportunity not only for the Devils to start the season strong, but for a psychological boost. I'm sure Brent Sutter has told the Devils many times about how they lost to the Islanders, Penguins, and Rangers so many times last season and I'm sure the Devils are especially aware of this - extra-especially for the Rangers. Some wins could get their minds right and gain some confidence over their division rivals.

Of course as this happens, and after I'm done with reviewing previews, Mark Everson (NY Post) and Rich Chere (Star Ledger) have them. Everson is surprisingly positive in his article in the Post; his thesis is that the team did well last season and now with more potential offense up front, it should be expected that they do better. I don't disagree with that line of thought, and his prediction is pretty close to what I feel. Chere takes it a step further by using the powerful medium of video where Chere and Tom Bergeron preview the team. Small nitpick first: John Madden's first game was in 1999 and became a regular in 2000. Still, it's an excellent video. Bergeron does well setting up each section and Chere is absolutely great in this. He's knowledgable, he's thorough without being longwinded, and he's got plenty to say (and bold considering his predicitions for Patrik Elias and Zach Parise). Overall, the preview is positive - he sees New Jersey challenging for the top of the conference.

In any case, the time for talk is over and the time for hockey is upon us. What to do in between? Look at the Lowell preview at Hockey's Future to gain some thoughts from Jared Ramsden about New Jersey's AHL affiliate. If there's any Lowell blogs out there, let me know, I'd like to see what a follower of the team thinks of the team from time to time. You can check out Mike Ashmore's blog about the Trenton Devils; he'll be covering the team and updating this regularly - so you can get your Jeff Frazee fix. Lastly, if you want laugh for 5 minutes straight, check out proof that a minor league affiliate can own their NHL team. Yeah, I know it's preseason, but it's still a loss to your minor league team. A team filled with players not good enough or not ready for the NHL. That gets one of these.

Anyway. Important point: Devils hockey begins tomorrow at the Rock, I'll see YOU in Section 1! Unless you're not there, then I won't see you - but it's OK because we will see Jersey's Team.

Tom Gulitti has reported that Martin Brodeur's got a new mask design that he put on for the first time today. It's basically a MB30 replacing the Deviled J at the top. I imagine some (most?) Devils fans are thinking "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Personally, I think the MB30 looks a little cheesy. But ultimately, I really don't care if he's got Nickelback on his mask. As long as it's Martin Brodeur in the pads and in between the pipes, everything is going to be all right.

To be honest, I'm more enthused by the news that Brodeur and Patrik Elias (in Czech, for now) will be launching sites of their own in the near future. Both players are big-time Devils - and in the case of Brodeur, a legendary goaltender - and a little self-promotion isn't a bad thing. It's a way to get the player's image, profile, and accomplishments out there, and both have plenty to celebrate by having many successful seasons with New Jersey.

Gulitti is your main source for news and the he's reporting the big news before tonight's pre-season game is that Fedor Fedorov's opportunity at becoming a Devils just went down drastically - specifically, drastically down to no longer existent. The Devils have too many forwards good enough for the NHL level and Fedorov didn't impress the team enough to find a spot for him. I felt he was OK in preseason so far; definitely putting in a good effort in each game. But he wasn't even the most impressive forward on the Trying to Make the Team Line. I think it's a class move for Lou to respect Fedorov's wishes for wanting to play in the NHL and have his agent to talk to others. It's much better than leaving him under contract and forcing a situation should Fedorov not want to report to Lowell.

In any case, this Gulitti post is important because it establishes that none of the top twelve forwards have been upseated yet and that many of the prospects are now working with Lowell. While nothing is guaranteed, if you're training with the minor leaguers, a start in the NHL isn't going to be likely unless injuries rear their always-ugly head. Incidentally, the notable prospect still with New Jersey? Petr Vrana. My guess in the NHL Full Access article is still alive! But it's bigger news for Vrana. Gulitti's assertion in yesterday's analysis of the players trying to make the team is holding true and the team is going to see if he can play wing tonight against the Islanders. Now's the time for Vrana to take it to the proverbial next level.

Incidentally, speaking of tonight's game, Martin Brodeur will play his first full 60 minute game tonight. Martin is still the Man and shall be referred to as such until he is no longer playing hockey. If you think Brodeur is just a system goalie, Pookie has a concise message for you at IPB. I endorse it.

I found this on HFBoards. According to The Insider on Pittsburgh Sports, Devils legend Claude Lemieux is looking to return to the NHL at age 43. He's skating with the Phoenix Coyotes and seemingly wants to show the NHL that he still has enough in the gas tank.

In case this doesn't work, I have a modest proposal. I think the Devils should approach him with a role as a special assignment coach.

His assignment? Teach David Clarkson everything that he knows.

If he says no, maybe the Devils can find wherever Esa Tikkanen currently is (Korea? Finland? Luxemborg? Walla Walla?) and approach him for a similar role.

This is excellent. I'm not feeling the cut-away and morphing font, but I applaud this distinction and possible direction the team could take this in. Plus, it allows me to say with some level of confidence (not that I needed it before):

Hopefully, the Devils will tell Jersey more about themselves in conjunction with this. Let them learn about the history, the organization, the three Stanley Cups, dominance in the Atlantic, the Devil legends (Brodeur, Stevens, Daneyko, Lou), and the team as it is. Let them know that the Devils will always be proud to hail from New Jersey.

On this edition of The IPB Hour (Not Actually An Hour), Pookie and Schnookie discuss the logjam of (the poor prospects!) and consider what lines would Brent Sutter start with. They ultimately conclude it may be pointless as the lines will undoubtedly change within the first period and then there's this deer. I don't recall whether they tried to trade Brian Gionta for the deer.

As a nice, if not old, related post - new-ish Devils blog Section 209 actually has a detailed write up of what the starting lineup will look like. Frank Pyzik's reasoning should be read. I do disagree with some of the decisions. While a Zubrus-Holik-Rupp line would be interesting (and big!), Zubrus is too skilled to be playing on the fourth line. Ultimately, I think we'll see him on the second line - with Langenbrunner dropping back to the third line and Clarkson on the fourth. Still, good call on putting Gionta on the off-wing. I wouldn't like to see Colin White and Bryce Salvador on the same pairing as they could have trouble with speedy forwards; but I do agree that the third pairing is a toss-up at this point. Still, good work.

A new-er Devils blog, Hell on Ice, Richard Adragna has a short eulogy for Sergei Brylin. No, he's not dead, but his NHL career essentially is when he signed with SKA St. Petersburg (link goes to Gulitti interview). Brylin was utility forward who proved useful - either as a checker or a spot-filler when injuries struck - and was a part of the team's three Stanley Cups. Yes, he faded in this past season; but he will be remembered for his times prior. While a Brylin-like player may not make the difference between winning or losing the Cup; you need guys like Sarge to get there. Was he crucial or important enough to retire his number? No. But he will be remembered fondly in the hearts of Devils fans.

Speaking of Gulitti, he reports that Jamie Langenbrunner will remain captain. Repeat after me, Devils fans: You don't need to be the best player on the team to be the leader. Yes, it would be a bad season for Langenbrunner if he, say, puts up just barely above 30 points. But it wouldn't be an indictment of his role as captain. Now, if he can't motivate the team and step up in the locker room, that would be a valid strike against his captaincy. I'm just getting that out there now before we hear the complaints in, say, January.

From Puck Daddy, we learn that Jay Bouwmeester did, in fact, sign with the Florida Panthers according to the Miami Herald. So scratch him off the list of future Devils unless that list title ends with "I wish they could magically get." (Aside: On my list of future Devils that I wish they could magically get? Two words: Jack Johnson. But it'll never happen.) Also from Puck Daddy, the Islanders will have a sweet third jersey this coming season according to NY Rivalry. Hopefully, New Jersey can finally stop having ridiculously difficult games against them this coming season.

Lastly, also thanks to Puck Daddy, check out this interview Wyshynski had with NHL 09 producer David Littman if you're into things like games, hockey, both, and fun in general. In the NCAA games, I really dig the "Be a Legend" future as it allows me to create a gigantic (7'0") power running back by the name of Bolt van der Huge and work to become a Scarlet Knight superstar. What Littman is aiming for definitely is appealing and I'd love to give it a shot. Is Blast Hardcheese a good hockey name?

First, from Tom Gulitti's Fire & Ice, it's brief but important with respect to the bench. Larry Robinson is stepping back to return to his role as a special assignments coach and Tommy Albelin will step up into being an assistant coach. From the comments, Gulitti elucidates on what Robinson did the last time he was a special assignments coach. With a lot of young players, this additional focus could help. It will be interesting to see how Albelin's role will affect the defense - even though that probably won't be fully realized until well into the coming season.

The most intriguing thing about this move is that it may expand Sutter's hand in coaching. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Albelin has not been an assistant coach at this level. It wouldn't be a the worst idea for Sutter to be more active with the defenders - assuming he isn't already - and to help Albelin out. Then again, it's entirely possible that Albelin may not need the help, or if he does, he could possibly get it from Robinson. One thing's for sure, there probably won't be a coach in the press box on a regular basis next season. Unless that's where they want Jacques Laperriere.

At this point, I'm now just grasping at straws here with respect to the coaching. Perhaps anything could happen.

Second, as reported by Gulitti and Rich Chere of the Star Ledger, Fedor Fedorov is confident on making the team. The quotes in Chere's article are interesting, to say the least. It's good to see someone with confidence; it can definitely make a difference between a good camp and a bad camp. But he seriously was signed to a one-way contract? I guess the organization is confident in Fedorov. After all, he's making $500k if he ends up in New Jersey or Massachusetts. Good luck to Mike Rupp, Rod Pelley (who's in camp without a contract), and Petr Vrana! You all now have more competition for a regular spot.

Second and half, Gulitti finds out why some of the prospects aren't available - specifically Mattias Tedenby and Mike Hoeffel.

Third, I found out from HF Boards that Sutter did a long interview with "Boomer" Dean Molberg on Calgary's FAN 960. You can listen to the whole thing on the FAN 960 website right here. He is quite specific that he wanted Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik's role on the team (it rhymes with "north mine").

At tonight's NHL Awards show, Brodeur won his fourth Vezina trophy - his second consecutive trophy. A list of all the winners can be found at NHL.com. The big winners were Alexander Ovechkin taking home the Hart and Pearson, Nicklas Lidstrom winning his sixth Norris Trophy, Pavel Datsyuk winning both the Lady Byng and Selke (John Madden finished second) trophies, Bruce Boudreau winning the Jack Adams, and Patrick Kane winning the Calder. All deserving winners and equally deserving was Gordie Howe earning the league's first lifetime achievement award. No prize goes to the producers for getting a really un-entertaining host to run this.

According to TSN.ca, the Vezina trophy voting was very close between Brodeur and Evgeni Nabokov, who did the ridiculous and picked up Brodeur-ian numbers in as many games as Brodeur. Here is the key section:

Brodeur, who some argue is the best goaltender to ever play in the NHL, garnered 113 points, while San Jose's Evgeni Nabokov totaled 106 points and Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist had 13 points.

Lauding Brodeur as one of the best and highlighting a Ranger's failure in one sentence? Niiiiice. That does not get old.

Brodeur did mention one interesting tidbit during his acceptance speech. Namely, he is hoping the Devils get a better team next season. Yes, he actually said that. Not for nothing, that in of itself isn't news - who doesn't want to better? No one is going to wish their team to be worse next season. However, saying so outloud after receiving an award is a bit surprising. I don't think it's the call out some may think it to be; but it is a message that at least one Devil wants to see some improvements.

There is one thing I didn't understand. Brodeur, oddly enough, was not named to the NHL's first team but rather to the second team. Not that it's a bad honor, it's just proof that the PHWA (who vote for the NHL first and second team) doesn't agree with the general managers (who vote for the Vezina) as to who the top goalie in the NHL was last season. It's still odd, as even noted by journalist James Mirtle. The voting for this and more is revealed at Gulitti's Fire & Ice.

The Devils are not a team that rebuilds in the traditional way. They sign players to fill holes or make improvements when they appear (e.g. Brian Rafalski) and generally look ahead for eventual players that fit their style (e.g. Jamie Langenbrunner) or can be groomed to fit their style (e.g. John Madden). It's one of the reasons why they have remained such a successful franchise since 1994. It's why they've had a continuing core of players with some shifts in position. Stevens and Neidermayer, then Rafalski was added and it has since given way to White and Martin. The older generation had John MacLean, Bobby Holik, Claude Lemieux, Randy McKay; and since then we've seen the rise of Patrik Elias, John Madden, the addition of Jamie Langenbrunner, and Jay Pandolfo. The constants since then being Martin Brodeur in net and Sergei Brylin playing somewhere at forward. Granted, that may not be a complete lineage nor is it equal in talent (I really do wish the 1995 versions of Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer would show up, but alas, it is not to be.) However, there's something I feel I need to point out:

The Devils are starting to get old. Especially with it's core forwards. Consider who is on the Devils roster by the end of this past season. This your Devils line-up by age (apologies for any inaccurate pairings):

Parise (23) - Elias (32) - Langenbrunner (32)
Pandolfo (33) - Madden (35) - Gionta (29)
Zubrus (29) - Rupp (28) - Clarkson (24)
Brylin (34) - Zajac (22) - Asham (30)
Extras: Pelley (23)

Oduya (26) - Martin (27)
White (30) - Mottau (30)
Salvador (32) - Brookbank (27)
Extras: Vishnevski (28), Rachunek (28), Greene (25)

Brodeur (36)
Weekes (33)

With the New Jersey Devils' season already over, now is as good as time as any to look back on what just happened in the past season. For those who need a refresher, this is how the Devils ended the season when looking at a long list of numbers and stats (all numbers from NHL.com).

The one that stings is the playoffs: losing to Our Hated Rivals, the New York Rangers in the first round. Ultimately, despite the effort, the fact the Devils lost two important players - Brian Rafalski and Scott Gomez, learning a new system of hockey under new head coach Brent Sutter, and going into a brand new home arena in Newark, New Jersey, hockey is still results oriented business. And the Devils did not win the Stanley Cup, they didn't even make beat their rivals with home ice in Round 1. Needless to say, this leaves a horrible taste in the proverbial mouth of the fans such as myself.

That said, one cannot call this season an abject failure - just an inconsistent season. Inconsistency was the theme in October, when the Devils were on the road for much of the month and their effort wasn't even close to 60 minutes on most nights. Inconsistency continued into November, yet the team righted themselves upon the return of Jamie Langenbrunner and Colin White from injury. The Devils then started to rise to the top of the NHL in the next few months. December was very positive for the Devils with a strong record and a return to the top of the Atlantic Division. The poor play returned by the end of January, but ultimately one could see it as a good month as well as a not-so-good month. Though, the honest term to describe it would be - you guessed it - inconsistent. February was another turnaround and the Devils did so well that they re-took the division lead and became leaders in the conference for the first time since 2001. However, March was very disappointing with the Devils crashing out of the division lead, with the "highlight" of a 5 game losing streak. In April, the Devils secured home ice and the fourth seed, which is pretty good for most of the teams in the league. But it meant little as the Devils got out-worked and ultimately fell to the Rangers in Round 1.

All throughout the season, the Devils had trouble scoring at times, trouble playing defense at times, and the only real constant was that Martin Brodeur was the most solid player. And he had to be for most of those 77 games. The team switched to a more physical, dump-and-chase approach to offense; with the Devils implementing a forechecker more often than we saw last season. Given that the Devils finished middle in the pack on shots per game and near the bottom in goals per game, this new system has clearly not helped the Devils finish. Last season, the big concerns were physical play and scoring. Clearly, the biggest concern for the Devils now is scoring. Sure, some nights they can put up a bunch of goals but while you're excited over the result you can't help but think why they can't finish or set up plays on other nights. Zach Parise putting up 32 goals is great; John Madden putting up a career high in goals and points is great; but many others on the team really could have produced more. Even then, Parise and Madden weren't necessarily consistent in their own production. The offense was inconsistent.

While the defense looked poor to start, ultimately the Devils exercised some fairly strong team defense. They got exposed by the end of the season and in the playoffs; yet the crew of White, Martin, Oduya (second NHL season), Rachunek, Vishnevski, Salvador, Mottau (first full NHL season), Brookbank (first full NHL season), and Greene (first full NHL season) were better than the sum of their parts. On most nights, at least. Fortunately, Brodeur remained behind them to help them out in case they get burned - which also occurred on those other nights. Regardless, the word to describe the blueline group of eight-turned-nine is inconsistent.

I guess the bottom line remains: as Martin Brodeur goes, so do the Devils. The goaltender is up for another Vezina trophy, which should clue you in as to how well he did this season. A 2.17 goals against average, a 92% save percentage, 4 shutouts, and a record of 44-27-6. He picked up his 500th career win and is well on his way to becoming the NHL leader in wins. I'm sure the Devils themselves would say he was the most valuable player this season. And in a season that can be best described as inconsistent, the most consistent player would clearly be the most valuable. The only one who could come close to being consistent would be John Madden who did score the most goals since 2000-01 (20) and set a career high in points (43) while being the Devils' top face-off man and shutdown center. Perhaps he'll win the Selke; but again: as Brodeur goes, so do the Devils.

Therefore the Devil of the Season is Martin Brodeur. Unfortunately, despite the record and the success earned in the regular season, the team only proved to be a minor threat in the playoffs. Why? Well, I happen to think it sums up the mostly-good-but-not-quite-good-enough season perfectly:

The 2007-2008 Season: Inconsistency - The Consistent Issue

Tom Gulitti is your Devils news, quotes, and word hook up. Clearly, you should be hooked into Fire & Ice by now if you're a Devils fan. He is flowing information that hooks you in and is quite off the hook (do people still say this?). I'll stop with the hook references before I get one.

First, awards. Martin Brodeur is once again a finalist for the Vezina Trophy. His competitors this year? Evgeni Nabokov and Henrik Lundqvist. Nabokov has done what few goalies have and played just as many games as Martin Brodeur with 77. Amazingly enough, Nabokov has won 2 more games than Brodeur (46 to 44), more shutouts (6 to 4), and a slightly better goals against average (2.14 to 2.17). By virtue of that alone, he's likely the favorite. What favors Brodeur is a superior save percentage (92% to Nabokov's 91%), a higher number of saves attempted and saves made (only Tomas Vokoun made more saves than Marty this season), and the most minutes in the league. Henrik Lundqvist brings the most shutouts in the league and a lot of experience in being a bridesmade to this group. Once again, Lundqvist is not going to win this. It's clearly a two horse race between Nabokov and Brodeur here. While Nabokov has more impressive numbers, I'd like to bring up two non-stat related arguments. Number One:



Number Two:



Brodeur did that. This season. The same season. Can Nabokov? Can anyone else? I think not!

Second, the World Championships. Also from TG in the same post as Brodeur's Vezina finalist announcement. Martin Brodeur is not going. Which is fine, if anyone deserves a long break, it's him. Brian Gionta is also not going as he will become a father soon. Patrik Elias will play for the Czech Republic; Karel Rachunek might play for the Czechs; the Swedish squad invited Johnny Oduya - further proof of his improvement; and Sergei Brylin may suit up for Russia. IPB will be most pleased with Paul Martin and Zach Parise putting on the Red, White & Blue for a chance at the annual tournament. TV coverage of this tournament in the US? I have no idea. Steve? A little help?

Third, Gulitti has a smattering of questions with the Devils players, Brent Sutter, and Lou Lamoriello. All three of them are impressive, interesting, insightful, intriguing, and a must-read for all Devils fans. I will not summarize or spoil any of it for you all now. Just go to Fire & Ice and read them. You'll be glad you did.