It has been an emotional roller coaster for the Devils in the past 48-96 hours. On Saturday morning, Patrik Elias Welcomed a baby daughter named Sophia Gabriella. Following that, the Devils defeated the Flyers in the shootout. Yesterday the entire Devils organization attended the funeral for former coach Pat Burns in Montreal. In fact, most of the hockey world was at the funeral along with obviously his family. The NHL hierarchy was there with Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. Also on hand were Leafs GM Brian Burke, former Devils, Canadiens and current Bruins coach Claude Julien, former Habs coach Jacques Demers, former NHLers Luc Robitaille, Ray Bourque, Guy Carbonneau, Kirk Muller, Patrik Roy and current Habs and former Devils Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez. Scotty Bowman was there as well along with most of the Habs organization like owner Geoff Molson and Bob Gainey and Pierre Gauthier.
Now, the Devils must focus on continuing their turnaround this season, which they hoped started last week in which they went 3-1. The Devils face the Montreal Canadiens at Prudential Center on Thursday and then a rematch against the Flyers in Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon, so it is another two crucial games for the Devils. Next week, the Devils go to Pittsburgh on Monday and then a back to back in Ottawa next Friday and return home against Detroit on Saturday. So, it will be tough going for them.
Jamie Langenbrunner and Matt Corrente all practiced today with the Devils and both hope to play Thursday. Martin Brodeur (elbow), Jason Arnott (flu) and David Clarkson (Personal) did not practice. Brodeur will not play this week and its very likely he will return next Friday in Ottawa at the earliest.
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The Washington Capitals today acquired defenseman Scott Hannan from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for center Tomas Fleischman. It is a good trade for the Capitals, who need some veteran experience on defense. Fleischman was a healthy scratch a few times this year, but his skill should help the Avalanche in some ways.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Updated Standings Predictions (no Stanley Cup Prediction)
Now that we are at the 1/4th mark of the season, I thought I would predict the standings again. Here were my predictions back in September:
Eastern Conference:
1. Pittsburgh Penguins
2. Washington Capitals
3. Boston Bruins
4. Philadelphia Flyers
5. Ottawa Senators
6. New Jersey Devils
7. Atlanta Thrashers
8. Tampa Bay Lightning
9. Montreal Canadiens
10. Buffalo Sabres
11. New York Rangers
12. Carolina Hurricanes
13. Florida Panthers
14. Toronto Maple Leafs
15. New York Islanders
Western Conference:
1. Vancouver Canucks
2. San Jose Sharks
3. Detroit Red Wings
4. Chicago Blackhawks
5. Phoenix Coyotes
6. Colorado Avalanche
7. Calgary Flames
8. Los Angeles Kings
9. Minnesota Wild
10. Dallas Stars
11. St. Louis Blues
12. Nashville Predators
13. Anaheim Ducks
14. Columbus Blue Jackets
15. Edmonton Oilers
Here are the current standings:
Eastern Conference
Team GP Pts
1. * Washington 25 36
2. * Philadelphia 25 34
3. * Montreal 24 31
4. Pittsburgh 25 32
5. Tampa Bay 24 29
6. NY Rangers 25 29
7. Atlanta 24 27
8. Boston 22 26
9. Carolina 23 23
10. Ottawa 24 23
11. Buffalo 25 21
12. Florida 22 20
13. Toronto 22 19
14. New Jersey 24 18
15. NY Islanders 22 15
* = Division Leader
Western Conference
Team GP Pts
1. * Detroit 21 32
2. * Vancouver 22 27
3. * Dallas 22 27
4. Columbus 22 28
5. Chicago 26 28
6. Phoenix 22 27
7. St. Louis 22 27
8. Colorado 23 27
9. Los Angeles 22 26
10. San Jose 22 26
11. Anaheim 25 25
12. Minnesota 22 24
13. Nashville 22 23
14. Calgary 23 20
15. Edmonton 22 16
* = Division Leader
Here are my updated predictions
East:
1. Pittsburgh Penguins
2. Washington Capitals
3. Montreal Canadiens
4. Philadelphia Flyers
5. NY Rangers
6. Tampa Bay Lightning
7. New Jersey Devils
8. Boston Bruins
9. Atlanta Thrashers
10. Ottawa Senators
11. Carolina Hurricanes
12. Buffalo Sabres
13. Toronto Maple Leafs
14. Florida Panthers
15. NY Islanders
West:
1. Detroit Red Wings
2. Vancouver Canucks
3. San Jose Sharks
4. Los Angeles Kings
5. Colorado Avalanche
6. Chicago Blackhawks
7. Phoenix Coyotes
8. St. Louis Blues
9. Columbus Blue Jackets
10. Anaheim Ducks
11. Minnesota Wild
12. Dallas Stars
13. Nashville Predators
14. Calgary Flames
15. Edmonton Oilers
Notes: The west is tight and a toss up in my mind as spots 7-13 will be shuffled a lot between now and then. Should be a very interesting race, much more than the east. I will have my awards predictions tomorrow or Wednesday.
Eastern Conference:
1. Pittsburgh Penguins
2. Washington Capitals
3. Boston Bruins
4. Philadelphia Flyers
5. Ottawa Senators
6. New Jersey Devils
7. Atlanta Thrashers
8. Tampa Bay Lightning
9. Montreal Canadiens
10. Buffalo Sabres
11. New York Rangers
12. Carolina Hurricanes
13. Florida Panthers
14. Toronto Maple Leafs
15. New York Islanders
Western Conference:
1. Vancouver Canucks
2. San Jose Sharks
3. Detroit Red Wings
4. Chicago Blackhawks
5. Phoenix Coyotes
6. Colorado Avalanche
7. Calgary Flames
8. Los Angeles Kings
9. Minnesota Wild
10. Dallas Stars
11. St. Louis Blues
12. Nashville Predators
13. Anaheim Ducks
14. Columbus Blue Jackets
15. Edmonton Oilers
Here are the current standings:
Eastern Conference
Team GP Pts
1. * Washington 25 36
2. * Philadelphia 25 34
3. * Montreal 24 31
4. Pittsburgh 25 32
5. Tampa Bay 24 29
6. NY Rangers 25 29
7. Atlanta 24 27
8. Boston 22 26
9. Carolina 23 23
10. Ottawa 24 23
11. Buffalo 25 21
12. Florida 22 20
13. Toronto 22 19
14. New Jersey 24 18
15. NY Islanders 22 15
* = Division Leader
Western Conference
Team GP Pts
1. * Detroit 21 32
2. * Vancouver 22 27
3. * Dallas 22 27
4. Columbus 22 28
5. Chicago 26 28
6. Phoenix 22 27
7. St. Louis 22 27
8. Colorado 23 27
9. Los Angeles 22 26
10. San Jose 22 26
11. Anaheim 25 25
12. Minnesota 22 24
13. Nashville 22 23
14. Calgary 23 20
15. Edmonton 22 16
* = Division Leader
Here are my updated predictions
East:
1. Pittsburgh Penguins
2. Washington Capitals
3. Montreal Canadiens
4. Philadelphia Flyers
5. NY Rangers
6. Tampa Bay Lightning
7. New Jersey Devils
8. Boston Bruins
9. Atlanta Thrashers
10. Ottawa Senators
11. Carolina Hurricanes
12. Buffalo Sabres
13. Toronto Maple Leafs
14. Florida Panthers
15. NY Islanders
West:
1. Detroit Red Wings
2. Vancouver Canucks
3. San Jose Sharks
4. Los Angeles Kings
5. Colorado Avalanche
6. Chicago Blackhawks
7. Phoenix Coyotes
8. St. Louis Blues
9. Columbus Blue Jackets
10. Anaheim Ducks
11. Minnesota Wild
12. Dallas Stars
13. Nashville Predators
14. Calgary Flames
15. Edmonton Oilers
Notes: The west is tight and a toss up in my mind as spots 7-13 will be shuffled a lot between now and then. Should be a very interesting race, much more than the east. I will have my awards predictions tomorrow or Wednesday.
Devils starting to get healthy as they enter crucial month of December
In the past few years, the month of December has been easy for the Devils as they usually dominated the opposition and barely struggles through it. However, the case in the past usually attributes to fast starts by the Devils. Now, this is not the case for them as the Devils stand at 8-14-2 and eight points out of the final playoff spot in the east with 24 games played this year. They are facing roster problems with the salary cap and injuries and most importantly a terrible record. So, the month of December will be very instrumental to them and could decide the fate of their season.
Many hockey analysts usually predict a teams fate for the year once the calender strike January 1st of the new year. It is very safe to say as I have mentioned in my previous posts, that the Devils cannot afford more than 2-4 losses this month. They need to build a string of five to eight straight wins and this will likely get them out of their funk and get them back into being the team they are accustomed to being, which is playoff or even cup contender.
The turnaround, which the Devils and their fans hope finally began last week might be getting more sweeter this week when Jamie Langenbrunner is expected to return along with Martin Brodeur. Langenbrunner has skated on his own last week, but will practice tomorrow with the team. This could mean that someone is going back to Albany and it could be Vasyunov or Gionta. Brodeur is not expected to practice tomorrow, but Wednesday is a small possibility. He definitely likes to play against Montreal, but without practicing at least two days, Montreal might not be possible for him.
Bryce Salvador rode the stationary bike today, so its a small step for him in his recovery. He did not comment on any timetables for his return. Salvador as of two weeks ago was still not cleared to begin off-ice workouts or even lift any weights, so the bike might only be light workouts. It seems that his return is probably anywhere from mid January-late February. Mark Fraser is now in a small cast and hopes to begin skating this week on his own. Corrente had a sore neck and hopes to play on Thursday. Jacob Josefson and Zach Parise are still on a longer mend and Matt Taormina is week to week. So, we shall see what happens. The Devils are getting healthy, which is always good.
Many hockey analysts usually predict a teams fate for the year once the calender strike January 1st of the new year. It is very safe to say as I have mentioned in my previous posts, that the Devils cannot afford more than 2-4 losses this month. They need to build a string of five to eight straight wins and this will likely get them out of their funk and get them back into being the team they are accustomed to being, which is playoff or even cup contender.
The turnaround, which the Devils and their fans hope finally began last week might be getting more sweeter this week when Jamie Langenbrunner is expected to return along with Martin Brodeur. Langenbrunner has skated on his own last week, but will practice tomorrow with the team. This could mean that someone is going back to Albany and it could be Vasyunov or Gionta. Brodeur is not expected to practice tomorrow, but Wednesday is a small possibility. He definitely likes to play against Montreal, but without practicing at least two days, Montreal might not be possible for him.
Bryce Salvador rode the stationary bike today, so its a small step for him in his recovery. He did not comment on any timetables for his return. Salvador as of two weeks ago was still not cleared to begin off-ice workouts or even lift any weights, so the bike might only be light workouts. It seems that his return is probably anywhere from mid January-late February. Mark Fraser is now in a small cast and hopes to begin skating this week on his own. Corrente had a sore neck and hopes to play on Thursday. Jacob Josefson and Zach Parise are still on a longer mend and Matt Taormina is week to week. So, we shall see what happens. The Devils are getting healthy, which is always good.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Devils taking baby steps to get back into playoff race
After an 0-3 road trip with all devastating losses, it seemed obvious that changes were coming and that possibly a coaching change would be made, but after a 3-1 record this past week, the Devils are finally taking baby steps to get back into the playoff race. December is usually not a month to start talking about playoffs, but for the Devils they need a good December and January in order to get back to being the playoff contender they are accustomed to being. They started by finishing November off on a high note with a 5-0 win over Washington and a couple of 2-1 shootout wins over the Flames and Flyers. There was that one blemish on Friday against the Islanders.
Now comes the do or die months of December and January, because simply put some of the upper echelon teams like the Capitals, Flyers and Penguins in the east and Red Wings, Sharks, Canucks and Hawks in the west will look to secure playoff births in those months. The Devils are so used to being included amongst those teams, but it might not be the case come March for them as they will likely be fighting for the final four spots in the eastern conference. After an 0-5-2 start at home this year, the Devils have now won 4 straight on home ice and with a win on Thursday against Montreal can get to the .500 mark at home. Now, they have to establish consistency on the road even though their next road game is against the explosive Flyers next Saturday at 1 PM ET.
The big key for the Devils now is to get Ilya Kovalchuk out of his slump. If they cannot with their current players, then Lou might have to try to get a center who can develop chemistry with him. So, we will see what the Devils are made off this month as they await the possible returns of Josefson, Salvador, Salmela and Langenbrunner and possibly Taormina from injury, which might force Lou to make some moves.
Now comes the do or die months of December and January, because simply put some of the upper echelon teams like the Capitals, Flyers and Penguins in the east and Red Wings, Sharks, Canucks and Hawks in the west will look to secure playoff births in those months. The Devils are so used to being included amongst those teams, but it might not be the case come March for them as they will likely be fighting for the final four spots in the eastern conference. After an 0-5-2 start at home this year, the Devils have now won 4 straight on home ice and with a win on Thursday against Montreal can get to the .500 mark at home. Now, they have to establish consistency on the road even though their next road game is against the explosive Flyers next Saturday at 1 PM ET.
The big key for the Devils now is to get Ilya Kovalchuk out of his slump. If they cannot with their current players, then Lou might have to try to get a center who can develop chemistry with him. So, we will see what the Devils are made off this month as they await the possible returns of Josefson, Salvador, Salmela and Langenbrunner and possibly Taormina from injury, which might force Lou to make some moves.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Entire Devils team will travel to Montreal Monday for Pat Burns funeral.
Although there are only 4 current Devils remaining from the 2003 team that won the Stanley Cup, Lou Lamoriello made it known today that the entire organization will travel to Montreal for his funeral. The funeral will begin at 2:30 PM ET at Montreal Cathedral. The team will practice at 9 AM ET and then travel for the Funeral Services, so it will likely be a brief practice with some fast drills.
It is definitely a nice gesture and shows how Pat Burns was a huge legend in the NHL and how he touched the sport of hockey. Patrik Elias, Martin Brodeur, Jamie Langenbrunner and Colin White are the only ones currently playing that were on the 2003 Stanley Cup team. Scott Stevens is also likely to go along with Ken Daneyko. There is no word on who else will be there though all the teams that Pat Burns has coached in the NHL have Monday off, so it seems like most or maybe the entire contingent of the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins will attend.
Joe Nieuwendyk, who is now the GM of the Dallas Stars has not yet announced whether he will attend. Nieuwendyk played on the Devils 03 team, but missed the finals with an injured oblique muscle. Jeff Friesen and Scott Niedermayer have also not announced. Niedermayer will likely attend since he was so valuable to the Devils and their 3 championships. Friesen is currently in Europe, so its highly unlikely he will make it although you never know. Mike Rupp, the 2003 hero will not be there since Pittsburgh plays the Rangers on Monday.
It is definitely a nice gesture and shows how Pat Burns was a huge legend in the NHL and how he touched the sport of hockey. Patrik Elias, Martin Brodeur, Jamie Langenbrunner and Colin White are the only ones currently playing that were on the 2003 Stanley Cup team. Scott Stevens is also likely to go along with Ken Daneyko. There is no word on who else will be there though all the teams that Pat Burns has coached in the NHL have Monday off, so it seems like most or maybe the entire contingent of the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins will attend.
Joe Nieuwendyk, who is now the GM of the Dallas Stars has not yet announced whether he will attend. Nieuwendyk played on the Devils 03 team, but missed the finals with an injured oblique muscle. Jeff Friesen and Scott Niedermayer have also not announced. Niedermayer will likely attend since he was so valuable to the Devils and their 3 championships. Friesen is currently in Europe, so its highly unlikely he will make it although you never know. Mike Rupp, the 2003 hero will not be there since Pittsburgh plays the Rangers on Monday.
Hedberg leads Devils to shootout home win over explosive Flyers, Kovalchuk scoring drought continues, 4th line comes up big, Elias out
Whatever energy the Devils lacked yesterday on Long Island was there today against a highly octane explosive Flyers unit. Johan "Moose" Hedberg made 40 saves in the effort to lead the Devils to a shootout victory over the Flyers as the Devils for now avenged that playoff defeat. The Flyers outshot the Devils 41-25 in the game and 31-14 in the 2nd period though overtime including 14-5 in the 3rd period, but Hedberg stood tall.
Adam Mair gave the Devils a 1-0 lead 11:49 into the 1st period. However, Danny Briere connected on a power play goal at 8:38 in the 3rd period to tie the game at 1. The Flyers dominated the Devils in the third period, but the Devils kept competing and fighting something they did not do until the third period yesterday afternoon against the Islanders.
In the shootout, Kovalchuk and Tedenby missed their attempts for the Devils as did Claude Giroux, Danny Briere, and Mike Richards for the Flyers. Nikolai Zherdev scored the first shootout goal during the session for the Flyers, but Jason Arnott tied it up for the Devils and Mike Richards hit the left post. With the game on his stick, Travis Zajac scored to seal the win for the Devils and Johan Hedberg.
Ilya Kovalchuk played well today, but did not score. He had 8 shots on goal, but lost the puck in overtime, which could have been a goal had it stayed in his stick. Though, the Devils were 0-3 on the power play, it was very eventful as they had a bunch of chances. They had a very good first period with 11-10 shot advantage.
Patrik Elias was out today, because his wife is expected to give birth any moment right now, so hopefully after this, he can rekindle his scoring touch. Matt Taormina was placed in IR retroactive to 11/12 against Edmonton. Great win for Devils today.
Adam Mair gave the Devils a 1-0 lead 11:49 into the 1st period. However, Danny Briere connected on a power play goal at 8:38 in the 3rd period to tie the game at 1. The Flyers dominated the Devils in the third period, but the Devils kept competing and fighting something they did not do until the third period yesterday afternoon against the Islanders.
In the shootout, Kovalchuk and Tedenby missed their attempts for the Devils as did Claude Giroux, Danny Briere, and Mike Richards for the Flyers. Nikolai Zherdev scored the first shootout goal during the session for the Flyers, but Jason Arnott tied it up for the Devils and Mike Richards hit the left post. With the game on his stick, Travis Zajac scored to seal the win for the Devils and Johan Hedberg.
Ilya Kovalchuk played well today, but did not score. He had 8 shots on goal, but lost the puck in overtime, which could have been a goal had it stayed in his stick. Though, the Devils were 0-3 on the power play, it was very eventful as they had a bunch of chances. They had a very good first period with 11-10 shot advantage.
Patrik Elias was out today, because his wife is expected to give birth any moment right now, so hopefully after this, he can rekindle his scoring touch. Matt Taormina was placed in IR retroactive to 11/12 against Edmonton. Great win for Devils today.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Devils struggles at Nassau Colosseum continue as they are shutout by lowly Islanders, DiPietro earns 2nd straight Shutout against Devils
If there was one team the Islanders could beat at Nassau Colosseum and snap their 14 game losing streak, it would be the Devils. And, they managed to do exactly that Today with a 2-0 shutout win against the Devils. Joe Joensuu and Rob Schremp scored for the Islanders. The goose egg for the Devils is their 4th this season and their road power play struggles continued. It was also their third loss at Nassau Colosseum in their last four visits to Long Island, two of them were shutout loses. Last year DiPietro blanked the Devils 4-0 at Nassau, but today, he made 29 saves.
Matt Corrente missed today's game with an upper body injury and their was no word on his availability tomorrow. Olivier Magnan took his spot in the line-up and struggled as well as the Greene, Fayne pairing. The Devils only generated their best offense in the 3rd period out-shooting the Islanders 13-1 including having a 5 on 3, but failed to score any goals or generate much on it. This is not the loss to have these days especially with the surging Flyers coming in tomorrow to Prudential Center. After tomorrow, the Devils will have 4 days off before facing the Montreal Canadiens next Thursday. It seems that John MacLean's job is safe for now, or at least it is week to week. If the Devils continue struggling to score goals, trades or more call-ups could happen. Adam Henrique and Vladimir Zharkov could be up next for a call-up.
It seems highly unlikely Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner would return tomorrow or Matt Taormina. Langenbrunner has been skating on his own and is on target for next Thursday's game against the Habs. Taormina has an ankle sprain he suffered in practice and is currently on IR.
Matt Corrente missed today's game with an upper body injury and their was no word on his availability tomorrow. Olivier Magnan took his spot in the line-up and struggled as well as the Greene, Fayne pairing. The Devils only generated their best offense in the 3rd period out-shooting the Islanders 13-1 including having a 5 on 3, but failed to score any goals or generate much on it. This is not the loss to have these days especially with the surging Flyers coming in tomorrow to Prudential Center. After tomorrow, the Devils will have 4 days off before facing the Montreal Canadiens next Thursday. It seems that John MacLean's job is safe for now, or at least it is week to week. If the Devils continue struggling to score goals, trades or more call-ups could happen. Adam Henrique and Vladimir Zharkov could be up next for a call-up.
It seems highly unlikely Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner would return tomorrow or Matt Taormina. Langenbrunner has been skating on his own and is on target for next Thursday's game against the Habs. Taormina has an ankle sprain he suffered in practice and is currently on IR.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Langenbrunner could become trade bait with sucess of Devils rookies.
While Jamie Langenbrunner is nursing a sore neck, the Devils youth is continuing to thrive with his absence. Most notably it is the play of Mattias Tedenby and Alexander Vasyunov. Both players are making strong cases to remain with the team for the entire season. The question now is, who goes back to Albany when the Devils finally receive some of their injured players back? Langenbrunner and Taormina are very likely to return the earliest, which could send Fayne and Magnan back to AHL. Fayne has played well in two games thus far. Following them it is Anssi Salmela, who could return next weekend from a knee injury. This could send Taormina or Corrente back to Albany. Then it is Brodeur, but McKenna will go back to the AHL. Now the question is, who will become trade bait when Parise, Salvador and Josefson are ready to return? Parise and Josefson could send players like Gionta and Vasyunov/Tedenby back to Albany.
The question is do the Devils want to get younger on defense, which could put Salvador and White on the trade block. Tedenby and Vasyunov would be easy to send to Albany since they are in year one of their deal. It seems obvious that the Devils would need to trade a big salary contract to clear up cap space since the team will need to sign Parise to a new contract. Brian Rolston and Colin White would be difficult to trade since they have hefty salaries and no movement clauses. Rolston would have a cap hit of $5.025 million, while White is at $3 million. Salvador is at $2.9 million and Langenbrunner is at $2.8 million, so they would be easier to move. Dainius Zubrus is also a possibility as well as David Clarkson or Travis Zajac. But, with the play of Josefson, when he was healthy and now Tedenby, Langenbrunner would be a good trade bait. He is in the final year of his deal and has a flexible no movement clause.
If Langenbrunner is dealt, it could pave the way for Parise to become the new captain of the New Jersey Devils. Or, Patrik Elias could regain that role. With Langenberunner hurt, Elias has become more vocal in the locker room. So, we should see what transpires between now and the NHL trade deadline, which will be sometime in late February, early March.
The question is do the Devils want to get younger on defense, which could put Salvador and White on the trade block. Tedenby and Vasyunov would be easy to send to Albany since they are in year one of their deal. It seems obvious that the Devils would need to trade a big salary contract to clear up cap space since the team will need to sign Parise to a new contract. Brian Rolston and Colin White would be difficult to trade since they have hefty salaries and no movement clauses. Rolston would have a cap hit of $5.025 million, while White is at $3 million. Salvador is at $2.9 million and Langenbrunner is at $2.8 million, so they would be easier to move. Dainius Zubrus is also a possibility as well as David Clarkson or Travis Zajac. But, with the play of Josefson, when he was healthy and now Tedenby, Langenbrunner would be a good trade bait. He is in the final year of his deal and has a flexible no movement clause.
If Langenbrunner is dealt, it could pave the way for Parise to become the new captain of the New Jersey Devils. Or, Patrik Elias could regain that role. With Langenberunner hurt, Elias has become more vocal in the locker room. So, we should see what transpires between now and the NHL trade deadline, which will be sometime in late February, early March.
Devils spoil Sutter's return to NJ with 2-1 shootout win against Flames, finally win 2 in a row, complete Alberta sweep, Tedenby continues to shine
The Devils finally won two in a row for the first time this season by beating the Calgary Flames 2-1 in a shootout. This time Ilya Kovalchuk did not lose the puck and redeemed himself by scoring on Henrik Karlsson. He was the first shooter for the Devils. It was a nice move by John MacLean to let Kovalchuk participate in the shootout, so obviously it did not deflate his confidence. David Clarkson and Rene Bourque exchanged goals in regulation. Neither team clicked on the power play thought there was not many penalties in the game.
The Devils win also spoiled Brent Sutter's return to New Jersey as coach of the Flames. It was a match-up of similar struggling teams, who thus far have had trouble scoring goals. The Flames out shot the Devils 26-21 in the game, but Johan Hedberg continues to gain confidence as he shined again. Devils rookie Mattias Tedenby continues to do so as well. It was him who shot the puck which deflected of David Clarkson's foot and went in the net. He did lose control of the puck in the shootout, but was able to get the shot off and missed. Hedberg was stellar in the post overtime session by being a blockade for Flames shooters.
With the victory, the Devils not only won two in a row, but completed the Alberta sweep this season by beating both the Flames and the Oilers, but both needed extra time. Next for the Devils is at the Islanders on Friday followed by a rematch against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday at home. Both games will start at 1 PM. Two of the next four games for the Devils will be against the Flyers and both will be 1 PM starts, even next Saturday December 4th at Philadelphia. The Flyers will be a huge test for the Devils as they went 1-4-1 against them last regular season and were knocked out in five games by the Flyers in the playoffs 4-1. In fact some of the Devils worst games last year were against the Flyers and their only victory in the regular season came when the Flyers were hurt and having their struggles. So, we shall see what the Devils are made off this weekend.
The Devils win also spoiled Brent Sutter's return to New Jersey as coach of the Flames. It was a match-up of similar struggling teams, who thus far have had trouble scoring goals. The Flames out shot the Devils 26-21 in the game, but Johan Hedberg continues to gain confidence as he shined again. Devils rookie Mattias Tedenby continues to do so as well. It was him who shot the puck which deflected of David Clarkson's foot and went in the net. He did lose control of the puck in the shootout, but was able to get the shot off and missed. Hedberg was stellar in the post overtime session by being a blockade for Flames shooters.
With the victory, the Devils not only won two in a row, but completed the Alberta sweep this season by beating both the Flames and the Oilers, but both needed extra time. Next for the Devils is at the Islanders on Friday followed by a rematch against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday at home. Both games will start at 1 PM. Two of the next four games for the Devils will be against the Flyers and both will be 1 PM starts, even next Saturday December 4th at Philadelphia. The Flyers will be a huge test for the Devils as they went 1-4-1 against them last regular season and were knocked out in five games by the Flyers in the playoffs 4-1. In fact some of the Devils worst games last year were against the Flyers and their only victory in the regular season came when the Flyers were hurt and having their struggles. So, we shall see what the Devils are made off this weekend.
Devils getting set to face former coach Brent Sutter and his Calgary Flames, Game 7 collapse/loss in 2009 Playoffs to Carolina still haunts Sutter
The Devils will use the same line-up tonight against the Calgary Flames as they did in their 5-0 win against Washington on Monday night. This means that Olivier Magnan will sit this one out again and Johan Hedberg will get the start in net. Henrik Karlsson will go for the Flames. Former Devils head coach Brent Sutter returns to Prudential Center tonight as coach of the Flames for the first time since the devastating 81 second collapse in Game 7 of the 1st round of the 2009 Playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Devils had a 3-2 lead lat in game 7 before Carolina scored two goals in the final two minutes of play to bounce the Devils out of the playoffs. That loss still haunts Sutter and probably some of the Devils have not yet recovered psychologically from it, which likely affected their performance against the Flyers in the 2010 playoffs.
Brent Sutter resigned as coach of the Devils in early June 2009, about two weeks before the draft to be closer to his family. Many thought he would take a year off from coaching to follow his daughter's athletic career, but a few days later he accepted his brothers offer to be the coach of the Flames surprising many Devils fans. Darryl Sutter is the GM Of the Flames. However, the Flames did the Devils good swapping first round picks, the Devils moved up to select Jacob Josefson in the 2009 draft.
Last season, Sutter's Flames beat the Devils 5-3 at the Saddledome in Calgary, so the Devils will look to avenge that loss. Sutter still talks to Lou Lamoriello as well as other Devils or former Devils. He also praised Lou for bringing in John MacLean as coach despite MacLean being on the hot seat. Finally, Sutter also acknowledged that he enjoyed his time with the Devils, but obviously he wanted to see his family more often and Calgary provides that flexibility.
Brent Sutter resigned as coach of the Devils in early June 2009, about two weeks before the draft to be closer to his family. Many thought he would take a year off from coaching to follow his daughter's athletic career, but a few days later he accepted his brothers offer to be the coach of the Flames surprising many Devils fans. Darryl Sutter is the GM Of the Flames. However, the Flames did the Devils good swapping first round picks, the Devils moved up to select Jacob Josefson in the 2009 draft.
Last season, Sutter's Flames beat the Devils 5-3 at the Saddledome in Calgary, so the Devils will look to avenge that loss. Sutter still talks to Lou Lamoriello as well as other Devils or former Devils. He also praised Lou for bringing in John MacLean as coach despite MacLean being on the hot seat. Finally, Sutter also acknowledged that he enjoyed his time with the Devils, but obviously he wanted to see his family more often and Calgary provides that flexibility.
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