N.Y. Islanders Impose Their Will Upon Boston Bruins

From the desk: THE LONG ISLAND NOMADS

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
PLAYOFFS: ROUND TWO

Islanders defeat Bruins; 4-2

I - BOS 5; NYI 2

II - NYI 4; BOS 3*

III - BOS 2; NYI 1*

IV - NYI 4; BOS 1

V - NYI 5; BOS 4

VI - NYI 6; BOS 2

*overtime

Boston Gets Blown Out Of The Barn; Isles Advance To Final Four

Looking back, it took Barry Trotz exactly one game to figure out the Bruins.  Afterwhich, it was just a matter of physical execution.  

Game one was not an aberration.  Boston and their perfection line are that good.  Game three was a coin flip; we know that.  The real story was the one-all tie during regulation.  Otherwise, overtime is risky business.  Take away Long Island's two empty-net goals in game six, and the Isles still doubled up on Boston.  All told, the Islanders wind up outscoring Boston by a 22-17 margin.

Wednesday evening started with an inspiring National Anthem.  Good job by Long Island!

At some point, Lou Lamoriello needs to be shoehorned into this conversation.  In 13 regular-season games after his acquisition from the Devils, 36-year old Travis Zajac registered two points, a goal against Boston, and an assist versus the Rangers.  He played just one game in the series against Pittsburgh in which he posted an assist and a plus-two.  Travis was scoreless through the first five games against the Bruins.  Come game six, the veteran of 15 seasons and 57 playoff games while with the Devils opens the scoring at 8:52 of the first period off feeds from Noah Dobson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau - another Lamoriello acquisition.

This time Semyon Varlamov did not yield an early goal, and thus the Isles could play with a lead.  That is until Brad Marchand made Long Island pay for committing two really dumb tripping penalties when at 17:36 of the first, he scored a power-play goal assisted by David Krejci and David Pastrnak.

We've heard it before about Barry Trotz telling his team to keep pressing with the forecheck.  So you know he must have said something during the first intermission.  With mission statement in hand, Brock Nelson stole the puck near Boston's blue line and came barrelling through the right circle to score at 5:20 off feeds from Nick Leddy and Josh Bailey.  Then, at 12:39, a forechecking Brock Nelson seized the puck in a major Boston defensive zone faux-pas and scored with another assist from Josh Bailey.

Barry Trotz's system and Lou Lamoriello's acquisitions are punctuated by yet another Boston defensive zone turnover.  Kyle Palmieri converts a rebound unassisted at 16:07, giving the Isles a 4-1 lead.  Former New Jersey Devil Kyle Palmieri now leads the Islanders with seven playoff goals; Brock Nelson is next with six.

A third tripping penalty called against the Islanders (Matt Martin) leads to Brad Marchand's second power-play goal of the game.  Otherwise, Semyon Varlamov does not yield an even-strength goal.  He faces 25 shots on goal, stopping all but two during special teams.  Varlamov rewards his head coach's confidence in him with his fourth victory over Boston.  His only loss came after limiting Boston to just one goal in regulation, then losing game three in overtime.

It was quite appropriate that Cal Clutterbuck and Ryan Pulock should both score into empty nets, respectively, a reward for jobs well done.  Pulock led Isles blueliners with 23:21 minutes and a plus-one.  Clutterbuck, there's a reason why the Islanders a few years ago signed him to an extension.  They get their money's worth every night.

Meanwhile, the Islanders out-bullied the brutish Boston Bruins.  Long Island could have fallen upon the Bruins like a ton of bricks (as they did in game one) if they wanted to but realized a need to tone it down a bit to better sync up the rest of their game.  That said, Long Island in game six provided young Charlie McAvoy a lesson in what it's like playing under duress.  He needed upwards of six minutes to recover from a big hit by Kyle Palmieri ... there's that name again.

This was a sound series victory over the Bruins.

Nuf ced.

N.Y. Islanders Take Out Penguins In Six

From the desk: THE LONG ISLAND NOMADS

NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

ROUND TWO

GAME ONE

ISLANDERS

vs.

BRUINS

FROM

Causeway Street Ice Hut

Isles Find Balance in the Force

Hear that..?

That's the sound of a window slamming shut.  

Time is running short for the Penguins.  For several years now, they've suffered poor goaltending and defensive depth.  Far too often, their top two defensemen average 28 and 29 minutes a night.  On this night, Chris Letang registers over 28 minutes.  Four Penguins defensemen finished with a minus-two.  Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust were minus-three, and Jake Guentzel was a minus-four.

Game Six starts on a down note.  Jeff Carter, there's that name again, scores just 1:27 into the game.  The Isles answer just under four minutes later.  Anthony Beauvillier nets his third of the series on feeds from Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey. 

Scott Mayfield gets whistled at 9:58 of the first for cross-checking Evgeni Malkin.  It served its purpose, but Jake Guentzel made Long Island pay at 11:12 with his first goal of the series.  Then roughly one minute later, Kyle Palmieri ties the game at two off a feed from Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

The Islanders commit their second cardinal sin of the evening when at 1:53 of the second period, Jason Zucker gives the Penguins a 3-2 lead.

After which, the Penguins fall apart like wet toilet paper.

Brock Nelson scores at 8:35, and Ryan Pulock scores 13 seconds later on feeds from Travis Zajac and Jean-Gabriel Pageau.  Just under three minutes later, Brock Nelson nets his second goal of the game for a 5-3 lead and the final margin of victory.   

Ilya Sorokin stops 34 of 37 shots on goal and all shots over the final 38:07 minutes of play.

Anthony Beauvillier and Brock Nelson register three points each.  Islanders trade acquisitions: Kyle Palmieri scores three goals in six games, and Travis Zajac, who has played infrequently, finished with a plus-two.

• ICE COLD: Mathew Barzal registers just three assists and a minus-two through six games. 

Long Island wins the series in six.  After being down two games to one, the Isles win three in a row.  Once they toned down the physicality, their overall game synced up.  They will now take on the Boston Bruins, who easily defeated the Washington Capitals in five.  I'm curious to see how they approach this easily more physical match-up.

The Rivalry: Islanders and Rangers Head Down the Stretch

From the desks: RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS & THE LONG ISLAND NOMADS

THE RIVALRY

Islanders lead Rangers; 4-2

I - NYI 4; NYR 0

II - NYR 5; NYI 0

III - NYI 2; NYR 0

IV - NYR 4; NYI 1

V - NYI 3; NYR 2

VI - NYI 6; NYR 1

VII & VIII

New York Islanders

vs.

New York Rangers

FROM
Eighth Avenue Ice Hut

Trotz Putting Together a Jigsaw Puzzle While Quinn Is Just Making a Mess

Washington takes three straight from the Islanders and wins the season series six games against two.  Three of the last four confrontations have been 1-0 affairs, with a blowout sandwiched in between.  Long Island slides down to third place in the East, four points behind the Penguins, and five points behind the first-place Capitals with seven games remaining in their regular season.

On Tuesday, the Islanders commit one of the cardinal sins of hockey and pay a high price.  Never surrender a goal in the first two minutes or last two minutes of a period.  The Islanders did just that.  Daniel Sprong scores his tenth of the season within 1:29 minutes of the opening faceoff, and the Caps make it stand.

The Long Islanders are 12-9-1 since captain Anders Lee last played on Mar. 11 against the Devils.  Over that stretch, they still managed to outscore their opponents by a 53-47 margin.  But, truth be told, the Isles are just 4-5-1 since acquiring Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri, and as noted, losers of three straight.  In another indictment, the Isles have been outscored 24-18 since the duo's arrival.  That hints at a correlation.  Or, said another way, Coach Trotz is struggling to reconstruct his forward lines.

Whereas Islanders fans can be confident their head coach will ultimately implement a viable plan in time for the playoffs, Rangers fans, on the other hand, remain confounded by Coach Quinn's allergy-inspiring line decisions.  The Blueshirts remain four points behind the fourth-place Bruins.  However, Boston has two games in hand.

The Rangers are coming off a split against the Flyers and two consecutive wins against the Sabres.  Long Island comes to the city for the front end of a home-and-home.  After splitting the first four games of the season series, the Islanders have since won two straight over the Rangers for a 4-2 series edge.

Last Sunday against Buffalo, Mike Zibanejad scored his third hat trick of the season.

About that ...

We know about his terrible start to the season.  He failed to score in six of eight games in January and similarly failed to score in eight of eleven games in February.  Mika totaled just six points over his first 19 games of the season.  But we also know he was recovering from a pre-season bout with COVID.  He then scored in nine of 16 games in March for 21 points, and in April, to date, Mika has scored in twelve of 15 games for 19 points.  That gives him 40 points in his last 31 games.  His overall season stats now look more representative: 50 games, 20 goals, 26 assists, 46 points.

Now for the truth ...

In 16 games against the Devils and Flyers, Mika Zibanejad has ten goals and 17 assists for 27 points.  Through 34 games so far against the Islanders, Bruins, Capitals, Sabres, and Penguins, Mika has ten goals and nine assists for 19 points.

That's what's really going on.

N.Y. Islanders: First Place Showdown Against Washington Capitals

From the desk: THE LONG ISLAND NOMADS

SHOWDOWN

Capitals lead Islanders; 3-2

I - WAS 3; NYI 2

II - WAS 6; NYI 3

III - WAS 3; NYI 1

IV - NYI 8; WAS 4

V - NYI 1; WAS 0

Washington Capitals

vs.

New York Islanders

The Rangers must have been feeling really good about themselves after sweeping four straight from the Devils.  Whatever they were feeling ended Tuesday night when the Isles slapped some reality back into them with a decisive 6-1 victory at The Barn.

• Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba left the game midway through the first period with only five minutes of ice time after getting plastered in the corner by Matt Martin who was the initial recipient of a big hit by Trouba.

Josh Bailey returned from missing two games.  However, Cal Clutterbuck remains out.  Bailey was joined on the same line with Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Anthony Beauvillier.  Together they accounted for nine points.  Jordan Eberle finished with a goal and an assist, and Brock Nelson scored his team-leading 16th goal.  Even new acquisitions Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri joined for three shots on goal and an assist each.

The next three games will go a long way towards determining the East Division winner.  Long Island and Washington enter the series tied at 62 points each with an equal number of games remaining.  After the Capitals, the Isles finish out the season with two games each against the Rangers, Sabres, and Devils and a one-game season finale against the Bruins.  The Capitals finish up with two each against the Penguins, Rangers, and Flyers and close out the regular season with one game against Boston. 

Semyon Varlamov

• Games: 30
• Record: 17-9-3
• SV%: .923
• GAA: 2.20

Vitek Vanecek

• Games: 31
• Record: 17-9-3
• SV%: .908
• GAA: 2.77

The Islanders are sputtering of late with a 1-3-2 record in their last six games.  The Caps are 4-2-0 in their last six but are coming off a loss against Boston.  Washington leads the season series.  However, the Islanders have won the last two meetings.  When they last played on Apr. 6, Brock Nelson scored the only goal of the game.  Semyon Varlamov faced 29 shots and stopped them all for the shutout.

Battle of the Hudson: Rangers Hand Devils Fifth Straight Defeat

From the desks: RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS & THE BRICK CITY STYX

BATTLE of the HUDSON

Rangers lead Devils; 5-2

I - NJD 4; NYR 3

II - NJD 5; NYR 2

III - NYR 6; NJD 1

IV - NYR 6; NJD 3

V - NYR 3; NJD 0

VI - NYR 4; NJD 0

VII - NYR 6; NJD 3

VIII - SUNDAY

Pavel Buchnevich Scores First Career Hat Trick on Birthday

Things are winding down to an interesting conclusion.  Not only are the Rangers a mere four points behind the Bruins with twelve games left to play, but the final two regular-season games are at Boston.  

I wonder if this is indeed the reason why the Rangers didn't trade Chris Kreider.  Of all the players purged these last few years by Jeff Gorton, I remain surprised they A)-signed him to a prohibitive contract, and B)-by the simple fact he is still here.  

Chris Kreider scored the Rangers' sixth and final goal of Saturday's match against the Devils into an empty net, that is.  It marks his first point in six games and his first goal since Mar. 28 at Washington.  Since scoring a hat trick on Mar. 4 against these very Devils, Kreider has just three points through nine games in April and just five goals in his last 23 games.

That won't jive in the playoffs.  Just saying ...

Pavel Buchnevich opened the scoring at 7:26 of the first period on feeds by Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad.  The Rangers then scored on consecutive power plays, first by Ryan Strome at 10:27 with assists from Panarin and Zibanejad, then again by Pavel Buchnevich (K'Andre Miller, Colin Blackwell) at the 11:48 mark for a 3-0 Rangers lead.

Artemi Panarin scored within a New York minute to open the second period with assists from Ryan Lindgren and Ryan Strome for a commanding 4-0 lead.  The Rangers appeared on their way towards a third straight blanking of the Devils, but Michael McLeod ended that notion at 12:37 of the second period with his seventh goal of the season.

Into the second intermission, they went. 

A little over five minutes into the third period, P.K. Subban scored his fifth of the season on feeds from Yegor Sharangovich and Jack Hughes.  One minute and four seconds later, Yegor Sharangovich made it a 4-3 game off another feed from Hughes.  But that's where Newark's comeback stops.  The Devils gambled when they pulled goalie Aaron Dell from the net, but the house won.  Pavel Buchnevich scored into an empty net at 18:39, and Kreider followed likewise one minute later.

Pavel Buchnevich scores a hat trick on his 26th birthday!

Artemin Panarin had three assists and one goal; Ryan Strome and Mika Zibanejad score three points each.

After a tough overtime loss against the Islanders, Igor Shesterkin bounces back with back-to-back shutouts of the Devils.  In each of the first two games of this series, he stops 27 and 16 shots on goal.  On Friday, he faces an increased 33 SOGs and allows three goals even-strength (.. but that's because Coach Quinn took his foot off the pedal).

New Jersey played beyond seven periods against the Rangers before McLeod's second-period goal.  The Devils are 1-5 since trading Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac with 15 goals for and 27 goals against.  They are likewise 0-5 against the Rangers since winning the first two games of the season series.

N.Y. Rangers: Young Blueshirts Lead Way Against Veteran Islanders

From the desks: RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS & THE LONG ISLAND NOMADS

THE RIVALRY

Rangers and Islanders tied: 2-2

I - NYI 4; NYR 0

II - NYR 5; NYI 0

III - NYI 2; NYR 0

IV - NYR 4; NYI 1

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT..!! 

The up-and-coming off-Broadway city slickers trekked out to Uniondale, where they achieve a decisive and rather uplifting victory over the division's top team and their chief local rival.   

Quinn's Kids knot the season series at two but, more importantly, close within five points of fourth-place Boston.  

Meanwhile, the Islanders fall back into a first-place tie with the Washington Capitals, who, as you might expect, defeated the Buffalo Sabres.

Making his first start since Mar. 19 against the Capitals but looking far from rusty, Alexandar Georgiev was sharp as a razor's edge in earning his seventh win of the season.  He faced 32 (even strength) shots on goal and stopped all but one by Andy Greene at 14:53 of the second period.  The Islanders were afforded just one power-play opportunity in which they failed to get off a shot.

Islanders' newly acquired center Travis Zajac generated two shots on goal but was 1/4 on face-offs.  Kyle Palmieri skated a quiet 13:54 minutes and participated in Long Island's lone power play.

The Rangers actually split face-offs down the middle at 29 apiece, which for them is a good thing.  And wouldn't you know, they even mustered six more shots on goal.  If you're so willing, one might even agree Isles' physicality was outdone Friday evening by speed and, dare I say, finesse.  But you didn't get that from me ... Long Island laid 21 hits versus just twelve by the Rangers.  However, the Blueshirts peppered Semyon Varlamov with 35 even-strength shots on goal, of which three got by.

Alexis Lafreniere / Filip Chytil / Kaapo Kakko

In what many Rangers find might consider the highlight of the game, 19-year old Alexis Lafreniere opened the scoring at 6:05 of the second period on assists from 21-year old Filip Chytil and fellow 19-year old Kaapo Kakko.  If only Coach Quinn would just leave Lafreniere/Chytil/Kakko alone for stretches and let them develop chemistry together.  I understand they are young and still need a measure of protection, both physically and logistically.  More time together for the sake of familiarity is all I ask.  But here's everything you need to know - Alexis Lafreniere, to date, has seven goals.  His first five goals of the season were assisted by seven different players.  

1. vs. BUF; Colin Blackwood.
2. vs. WAS; Artemi Panarin, Anthony Bitetto.
3. vs. BUF; Pavel Buchnevich.
4. vs. NJD; Mike Jibanejad.
5. vs. WAS; Julien Gauthier, Kevin Rooney.
6. vs. PITT; Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko.
7. vs. NYI; Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko.

Low and behold, goals number six against Pittsburgh and number seven against the Islanders were assisted by Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko.  

Speaking of Kaako, his situation has been only somewhat different than that of Lafreniere.  Artemi Panarin has assisted on three of Kakko's six goals, and Ryan Strome and Philip DiGiuseppe assisted on two each.  Which is to say Kakko has experienced a little more stability and consistency insofar as linemates.  Otherwise, similar to Lafreniere, seven different players have assisted on Kaako's six goals, and Filip Chytil was one of them.  He assisted on Kaapo's first goal this season back in January against the Islanders, but not since, and for that, I blame Quinn.  Let the results speak for themselves.

Cycling back to the game ...

Roughly four minutes later, Colin Blackwell netted his twelfth of the season on Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome's assists.  Midway through the third period, 21-year old K'Andre Miller scored on assists from fellow blueliner Jacob Trouba and Panarin's second for the game.  Mika Zibanejad then closed out the scoring into an empty net with 1:12 left in regulation.

Zibanejad, to date, has quietly amassed 31 points in 40 games played.  After scoring just six points over his first 19 games of the season, Mika has since scored 25 points in his last 21 games.

N.Y. Islanders: Lou Lamoriello Reinforces The Ranks

From the desks: THE LONG ISLAND NOMADS & THE BRICK CITY STYX

LOU LAMORIELLO MAKES SNOW DAYS 

A DISTANT MEMORY

Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri Dealt to Long Islanders

With centerman and captain Anders Lee out for the season, Lou Lamoriello acquired winger Kyle Palmieri and center Travis Zajac from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for AHL prospects A.J. Greer, Mason Jobst, this year's first-round draft pick, and next year's fourth-round pick.

The Islanders add smart veteran depth and talent.  Palmieri scored no less than 24 goals in each of his first five seasons with the Devils and three times achieved at least 50 points.  This season to date, Kyle Palmieri has eight goals and 19 points through 34 games with Newark.  Meanwhile, Travis Zajac's time in New Jersey comes to an end after 15 full seasons and over 1,000 games in a Devils uniform.  To date, he has seven goals and 18 points through 33 games.  I expect each of them to fit seamlessly into Barry Trotz's system.  

Palmieri is 30-years old, and Zajac is 35-years old, and both will become unrestricted free agents at season's end.  In return, the Devils acquire another high draft pick.  It was the prudent thing to do as something is always better than nothing.

THURSDAY

Devils   6

Sabres   3

FINAL

Thank goodness for Buffalo.  Newark snaps a four-game skip with Thursday's commanding 6-3 victory out in Western New York.  The Devils scored three times in the first period, then three more times in the third period.  Pavel Zacha netted two power-play goals, Jack Hughes scored his eighth goal of the season, and Yegor Sharangovich scored his ninth.

THURSDAY

Flyers    2

Islanders 3

FINAL

SHOOTOUT

The Islanders put up two quick goals in the first period.  But Philadelphia ground out a two-all tie after two periods.  After a scoreless third period and overtime, the Islanders finally defeat the Flyers in a shootout.  Both Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac played their first game as New York Islanders, mustering just three total shots in goal.  The Islanders got goals from Brock Nelson and Jordan Eberle.

N.J. Devils: Look What the Capitals Did to Newark, Again

From the desk: THE BRICK CITY STYX

FRIDAY

Capitals 2

Devils   1

FINAL/OT

Devils Woes Against Capitals Go Unchanged; Fall to 0-7 in Season Series

Just brutal ... like being jabbed with your own pitchfork.

Mackenzie Blackwood had just made a brilliant save against T.J. Oshie to keep overtime moving along.  At the other end, Jack Hughes was likewise denied a game-winning opportunity by Capitals goalie Vitek Vanecek.  Washington then recovered the loose puck and promptly headed the other way.  With just 0:21 seconds left in the extra session, Dmitry Orlov, from the left circle, wristed a high shot past Blackwood's right shoulder for the win. 

It seemed somewhat inevitable.  Like an omen, Orlov proved problematic for the Devils throughout this game.  Tied with Alex Ovechkin, he co-led the Capitals with six shots on goal.  In fact, both Washington goals came courtesy of defensemen.

After a scoreless first period, Washington's John Carlson opened the scoring at 8:22 of the second period.  Within four and a half minutes, Michael McLeod tied the game at one.  But the Caps and Devils would again duel through a scoreless third period.

The Devils had their chances.  They put three shots on goal during overtime versus two by the Caps.  But whereas Vitek Vanecek stopped all but one of Newark's 23 shots on goal, Mackenzie Blackwood was peppered with 40 shots on goal by Washington.  Both goalies turned in stellar performances, relatively speaking, that is.  Otherwise, for Blackwood, this was as tough luck as they come. 

Meanwhile, forwards Yegor Sharangovich and Travis Zajac, along with blueliners Ty Smith, Damon Severson, and P.K. Subban, exit the ice with a minus-one. 

Newark is yet to defeat the Capitals in seven games now.  This game marks their second overtime loss against them.  The Devils are also trending again with four losses in their last five games.

Surging New Jersey Devils Set Sights on Washington

From the desk: THE BRICK CITY STYX

Flyers lead Devils; 2-1

I - PHI 5; NJD 3 

II - PHI 3; NJD 1

III - NJD 4; PHI 3

Storming the Capital ... Hockey Team of Washington D.C., That Is.  Tell Your Friends.

No one is trying to kid anybody.  The Devils, like the Rangers, are still a rebuilding club.  They place respectively seventh and sixth in the division as a direct result of Buffalo's ongoing implosion.  Otherwise, the Devils and Rangers would be fighting a four-point battle between seventh and last place.

Of course, with rebuilding come tempered expectations.  There is no need to tell Devils fans, who very recently suffered through a 4-10-2 stretch after the team's return from a mass observance of COVID protocol.  During that time, I remember P.K. Subban one night in post-game commentary saying (paraphrasing) that these Devils still had more learning to do.

The education continues, and Newark is suddenly trending with wins in four of their last five games versus the aforementioned moribund Sabres, two of three from the Penguins, and Tuesday's win against the flummoxed Flyers.  The regularly scheduled follow-up game against the Flyers had already been postponed due to COVID, this time affecting Philadelphia's camp.

Therefore, the Devils will re-engage the Washington Capitals in a back-to-back set on Thursday and Friday.  It will be interesting to see how the seemingly smarter and (moreover) healthier New Jersey rank and file measure up.  

The Devils this season are 0-4 against the Caps, getting outscored by an 11-17 margin.  But if the Devils are, in fact, trending in the right direction, and they have indeed finally shaken off the last remnants of COVID from their systems, then they just might be up for the task. 

🏒

On Tuesday, the Devils scored early and held on late to defeat the Flyers for the first time in three tries.  Michael McCleod opened the scoring midway through the first period.  After the Flyers tied the game, Kyle Palmieri put the Devils back ahead on a power-play goal with just 0:06 left in the period.  The second period was all Newark.  Goals from Yegor Sharangovich and Travis Zajac staked the Devils to a 4-1 lead.  Zajac similarly closed out the period with his fourth goal of the season with a mere 0:24 seconds showing on the clock.  The Devils then withstood two goals by Philadelphia, the second coming too late, by Sean Couturier at 18:58 of the third period.  

Rookie blueliner Ty Smith assisted on Newark's first and last goals, giving him 17 points in 20 games.

Mackenzie Blackwood faced 33 shots back in net, making nine saves on special teams and 30 saves overall.  He allowed one goal on the PK in the first and two goals at even strength in the third.

N.J. Devils: New Captain Cannot Fend Off Defeat

From the desk: BRICK CITY STYX

Travis Zajac 1000 Games

SUNDAY

Devils     3

Capitals  4

FINAL

Nico Hischier Named Captain

After having five games canceled and upwards of seventeen players under mandated quarantine, the Devils rank and file are back in the fold.  However, their return to action has, to date, proven to be a mixed bag of goods.  After shaming the Rangers and turning back the Bruins, they've since followed with consecutive losses against the Sabres and most recently against the Washington Capitals.

Because of an unanticipated delay in his return to action, scuttlebutt and speculation regarding Nico Hischier's injured knee increased.  But after missing eleven games, the Devils centerman made his long-awaited return to the ice against Buffalo, this time sporting a big "C" on his jersey.  

Unfortunately, after Sunday's loss, Nico Hischier is now 0-2 as Captain.

Newark went up 2-0 against the Capitols on Andreas Johnsson's first period power-play goal, then on Jack Hughes' fourth goal of the season at 3:55 of the second.  After John Carlson tied the game at two in the third, two ensuing penalties would spell the Devils' demise.  Kyle Palmieri got whistled for holding midway through the period, and T.J. Oshie answered with his second goal of the game.  Then Ryan Murray got caught tripping Carl Hagelin.  In the blink of an eye, Alex Ovechkin scored his sixth of the season.  Nikita Gusev scored with just 0:12 seconds left in regulations giving this game a 4-3 final score in favor of Washington.  

The Devils penalty kill continues playing on their heels.  Washington was 3 for 4 on the power play.  No surprise, as the Devils are bottom tier at 15.8% through 13 games.

For Jack Huges, his fourth goal and team-leading eleventh point of the season.

CONGRATULATIONS 

TRAVIS ZAJAK 

CAREER GAMES 

1000

N.Y. Rangers: Devils Cleared to Resume Play

From the desks: THE BRICK CITY STYX & RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS

BATTLE of the HUDSON

TUESDAY

DEVILS

vs.

RANGERS

FROM

Eighth Ave Ice Hut

Brick City hadn't played since Jan. 31, when they defeated the Sabres at Buffalo.  After which, their next five games were postponed.  Upwards of nineteen players were placed into COVID protocol.  Eight more players have recently been cleared to play.  If any of the remaining five players tests negative on Monday, they will be made available to play Tuesday night.  Jack Hughes is cleared to play as it presently stands, but Nico Hischier and Travis Zajac are not.  Through nine games, the Devils established a 4-3-2 record.  The rest of the league to date has generally played anywhere from 13 to 17 games.  New Jersey defeated the Rangers on Jan. 19 at Madison Square Garden.

After practice, Coach Quinn listed Artemi Panarin as out for Tuesday's game.  Sure, that puts Coach in a bind, but his decision to start Colin Blackwell on the first line with Mike Zibanejad and Chris Kreider is somewhat questionable.  We'll see in the next few games to come whether or not this decision is in reaction to recent slippage from Pavel Buchnevich.  Meanwhile, the teenagers Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere will be joined together and centered by Ryan Strome - that's intriguing.  But I still need more Brendan Lemieux on the ice.  Let him play this game with Buchnevich and perhaps Brett Howden or Kevin Rooney.  

Of course, I won't get my way.

N.Y. Rangers: No Shot Against Devils Mackenzie Blackwood

From the desks: RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS & THE BRICK CITY STYX

Battle of the Hudson - I

TUESDAY

Devils       4

Rangers    3

FINAL

The Rangers commit one of the cardinal sins of hockey: allowing a goal inside the first two minutes or the last two minutes of a period.  Entering his fifteenth year with the Devils, Travis Zajac does just that, scores within the first 32-seconds of the game.  Thus, the Rangers play from behind all night.  

At practice, Coach Quinn implored his team to take more shots.  That translated into fifty shots on goal against the Devils.  The problem is Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 47 of them.  New Jersey's goalie stopped 33/34 shots at even strength, and 14/16 on the penalty kill.  Said another way, the Rangers averaged 2.6 shots per power play, but cashed in twice, first by Chris Kreider early in the second, then midway through the period by Mika Zebanejad.  Filip Chytil scored the Rangers' lone even-strength goal seven minutes into the third.

There's still no getting around the fact Blackwood and (centerman) Jack Hughes were for all intent and purpose the best two players on the ice.  Hughes, the Devils 2019 number one overall draft pick scored two goals within five minutes of each other in a back and forth second period and later assisted on another.

Alexandar Georgiev made his second straight start.  However, this one didn't go as well as his first.  Georgiev faced just twenty shots, stopping only sixteen, all at even strength.  Coach Quinn relieved him with Igor Shesterkin for the third period.  Meanwhile, the Rangers afford the Devils just two power-play opportunities.

gee I wish the #NYR had drafted a center ... just saying.

— B'klynTrolleyBlogger (@BTB_MikeII) January 20, 2021

Rangers vs. Devils: Battle of the Hudson Resumes

From the desk: RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS & THE BRICK CITY STYX

BATTLE of the HUDSON

TUESDAY

New Jersey Devils

vs.

New York Rangers

FROM

The 33rd Street Ice House

DEVILS PUSH BOSTON BRUINS TO OUTER LIMITS

Playing for new head coach Lindy Ruff, the young New Jersey Devils wrapped up two tightly contested games against the Bruins.  Last Thursday's season opener saw the Devils fall behind late in the first period on a power-play goal by Brad Marchand.  Miles Wood ties the game at the 8:51 mark of the third.  After yielding a second power-play goal to the Bruins, Ty Smith ties the game at two, and into overtime, they go.  After a scoreless extra session, Newark comes up empty in the shootout.  Brad Marchand once again finds the back of the net against Mackenzie Blackwood.

On Saturday, the Devils answer back.  Miles Wood opens the scoring at 16:15 of the first period.  But the Bruins tie late in the second on a short-handed goal from Patrice Bergeron.  After a scoreless third period, the two teams once again head into overtime.  Mackenzie Blackwood pitches a shutout, and with just 0:01 left on the clock, KHL vet and 22-year old NHL rookie Yegor Sharangovich scores his first career goal with the Devils ... game over.

• Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, through two games, has faced 65 shots on goal, with 62 saves.  All three goals against have come on special teams.  
• Jack Hughes, through two games, has assisted on all three N.J. goals.  
• Travis Zajac begins his fifteenth season with the Devils.
• Nico Hischier remains out with a leg injury.
• The Devils and Rangers will play four games straight game in April.

A LOOK BACK AT RECENT DRAFTS

• 2017 - Devils select (C) Nico Hischier with the number one overall pick; Rangers select (C) Filip Chytil with the 21st overall pick.
• 2018 - Devils select (D) Ty Smith 17th overall.
• 2019 - Devils select (C) Jack Hughes with the first overall pick of the draft; Rangers select (RW) Kaapo Kakko with the very next pick (second overall).
• 2020 - Rangers select (LW) Alexis Lafreniere with the first overall pick of the draft; Devils select (RW) Alexander Holtz with the seventh overall pick. 

Alexis LaFreniere and Kaapo Kakko are both just nineteen years old.  Selected in the first round of the 2018 draft, K'Andre Miller is about to join 2017 first-round pick Filip Chytil as the team's resident 21-year olds.  Otherwise, the Rangers have fifteen players age twenty-five or younger and just two players over thirty years old.

ISLANDERS ADMINISTER OPENING NIGHT BEATDOWN

In last Thursday's opener against the Islanders, Igor Shesterkin faced 33 shots and made 29 saves, allowing two power-play goals and two at even strength.  At the other end of the ice, Semyon Varlamov faced just 24 shots by the Rangers, stopping them all for the shutout.  The Rangers' shot total is a direct result of affording the Islanders eight power-play opportunities.  You can't generate offense if you're too busy killing penalties.  Mika Zibanejad, who battled COVID, led the Rangers in shifts and with five shots on goal.  No other Ranger exceeded two shots on goal.  Once the Islanders achieved a 4-0 lead in the second, all they needed to ensure was the Rangers stayed in their playpen.

REMATCH: RUGRATS STRIKE BACK

As if with a flip of a switch, the Rangers roll the Islanders in likewise fashion on Saturday.  This time, the Isles afford the Rangers seven PP opportunities, who convert once in the third period.  Conversely, the Rangers limit the Islanders to four opportunities.  The Islanders still won face-offs 31-25, but unlike Thursday, the Rangers played more even-strength hockey and thus put more shots on goal.  Pavel Buchnevich sent an early message with an opening goal at the 2:12 mark of the first.  Artemi Panarin made it a 2-0 game midway through the period.  Buchnevich scored his second goal in the second period, and youngster Kaapo Kakko scored his first.  Panarin capped off the Rangers scoring in the third also with his second goal of the game.  

The performance in goal was similarly like night and day.  Alexandar Georgiev made the start.  He faced 23 shots and stopped them all for the shutout.  But unlike Thursday, the Rangers played far more competently in front of Georgiev than for Igor Shesterkin.

N.J. Devils: Adam Henrique Traded For Anaheim Blue Liner Sami Vatanen

From the desk of:  THE BRICK CITY STYX

Play of centermen Hischier and Gibbons 

allows Ray Shero to shore-up defense.

New Jersey Devils: Ray Shero Acquires Defenseman Sami Vatanen From Anaheim Ducks In Exchange For Crowd Favorite Adam Henrique.

Savvy transaction by general manager Ray Shero - center Adam Henrique and winger Joseph Blandisi are heading to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Sami Vatanen.

I'm sure Devils fans were just as surprised upon hearing about the trade as Henrique was reported to be.  Adam, a team alternate captain who turns 28-years old in February, played six full seasons in a Devils uniform after being selected by Newark in the third round of the 2008 entry draft.  He posted a career high 30 goals and 50 points just two seasons ago. 

His departure leaves team captain Andy Greene, and Travis Zajac, as the last two remaining members of the Devils 2011-12 playoff team.  Newark has not qualified for the playoffs since.

Despite losing Kyle Palmieri (foot) for six weeks, the emergence of last year's number one overall selection, Nico Hischier, and the return to the ice of center Travis Zajac, arguably rendered Adam Henrique somewhat expendable.  Newark has been getting good efforts up the middle.  Hischier has five goals and 18 points through 24 games thus far, while Brian Gibbons has netted a team leading 11 goals (15 points).  Overall, the Devils are currently ninth in the league in scoring, while Henrique has only accounted for four goals (and ten assists) in 24 games.

Joseph Blandini has split time between Newark and Binghamton over the last two seasons.  As part of the deal, the Devils will also send their 2018 third round pick to Anaheim.  If the Ducks are able to re-sign Henrique, the Devils will receive Anaheim's 2019 third round pick.

In return, the Devils receive 26-year old Sami Vatanen, considered a top-four defenseman.  New Jersey is currently 17th in goals against.  Vatanen is someone Ray Shero believes can add an offensive element from the blue line.  Anaheim's fourth round selection of the 2009 entry draft, Sami Vatanen posted a career high 12 goals in 2014-15, and a career high 29 assists and 38 points the following season.  He owns a career +22 with 126 points over 280 games played.

The move comes on the heels of Newark's Nov. 12 setback, with defenseman Mirco Mueller suffering a broken clavicle.  He underwent surgery, and is not expected back until February.  Ray Shero acquired Mueller during the off-season from San Jose in exchange for the Devils 2017 second and fourth round picks.

The Devils have spent much of the first-quarter regular season in first place, but have slipped of late.  After jumping out to an 8-2-0 record in October, they stumbled to a 6-4-4 mark in November, highlighted by four straight loses against Calgary, St. Louis, and a pair against Edmonton.

New Jersey and the New York Islanders are presently tied for second place in the Metropolitan Division with 32 points, one point behind the leading Columbus Blue Jackets.

N.Y. Rangers vs. N.J. Devils - Battle Of The Hudson - II

From the desks of:

RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS  &  THE BRICK CITY DEMONS

 

 

 

BATTLE of the HUDSON

 

 

Devils Lead Series 1-0

NJD 4; NYR 0

 

 

TONIGHT

 

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

FROM

Madison Square Garden

33rd Street and 8th Avenue

New Jersey Devils

Tonight's starter between the pipes, Marty Brodeur is coming off consecutive shut out performances, and now has 123 for his Hall of Fame career.  The last time these teams played Cory Schneider authored a 4-0 white washing in Newark.  That game was New Jersey's first victory of the season.  Since then, the Devils have gone 5-5, which included a pair of shoot-out losses.

The Devils have benefited lately from the return of Travis Zajak, but Patrick Elias will miss tonight's game with continuing back spasms, while Bryce Salvadore and Ryane Clowe remain out of action.

It doesn't surprise me that Jaromir Jagr leads the Devils with five goals.

LOCAL STANDINGS:

#3  N.Y. Rangers     9-8  18 pts.

#5  N.J. Devils      5-7-5  15 pts.

#6  N.Y. Islanders  6--3  15 pts.

 

 

 

New York Rangers

 

With no current toughness to speak of, cheap shots keep finding their marks and costing the Rangers dearly.  Taylor Pyatt remains out, and joins Rick Nash with a concussion.  And twice this season, teams have taken runs at Derek Stepan's head.

They've managed to outlast injuries to Carl Hagelin and Ryan Callahan, and despite their increased lack of physicality, the Rangers continue to turn their early season woes around.  With Sunday's 4-3 victory over the Florida Panthers, the Rangers own a 9-8 record, breaking the .500 mark for the first time this season.  They have gone 7-2 in their last nine games to recover from a 2-6 start.

The Rangers have also upped their offensive output, averaging 3.4 goals in their last 7 games, scoring 24 times.  They've scored four or more goals in four of their last five games.  With a goal against the Panthers, Brad Richards now has six goals this season.

Henrik Ludqvist has faced off against Martin Brodeur 36 times in the regular season, and owns a 24-7-5 record against him.  The playoffs are another matter however.





Mike.BTB

Devils vs. Islanders - IV

From the desks of:   THE BROAD STREET DEMONS  &  BROOKLYN's FOSTER HOCKEY CLUB

Saturday Night Hockey

 

New Jersey Devils

vs.

New York Islanders

From

Long Island, N.Y.

 

 

Devils lead Series 2-1

I - NJD 2; NYI 1

II - NYI 5; NJD 4*

III - NJD 3; NYI 0

*overtime

New Jersey Devils - David Clarkson and Patrick Elias Continue Giving Atlantic Division Hell.


Friday night, David Clarkson continued his assault upon the Atlantic Division.  At 10:43 of he third period, his redirection goal put the Devils ahead 4-3, after falling behind 3-1 to Philadelphia in the first period.  Travis Zajac opened all scoring just 0:40 seconds into the game.  Then Philly scored three unanswered goals before the period was through.  The Flyers took eleven first period shots against Martin Brodeur.  However, Brodeur regrouped, and kept Philly off the scoreboard the rest of the way.


Just 0:26 after dropping the puck on the second period, Alexi Ponikarovsky made it a 3-2 game.  At 15:40 into the period, Patrick Elias scored his fourth goal of the season to tie the game at three all.  Ilya Kovalchuk assisted on all three Devils goals.  In the second period, Martin Brodeur faced another eleven shots, with far better results.


Midway through the third period, David Clarkson struck for his club leading tenth goal of the season.  With a minute and a half left in the game, Steve Bernier put a feather in the Devils cap with his fourth goal of the season.  Patrick Elias picked up two assists in the period.


Philly out-shot the Devils by a 28-19 margin.  David Clarkson led the Devils with six shots on goal in twenty four shifts.  With three points on the night, Patrick Elias now leads the Devils with eighteen points, and fourteen assists.  The Devils have three forwards with double digit points.


The Devils are now 9-2-3 for the season, and winners of six of their last seven games.  They still lead the Atlantic Division with twenty one points; one point better than Pittsburgh; and own the best goal differential in the division.  Martin Brodeur won his seventh game of the season, and the 663rd of his career.


B'Klyn/New York Islanders - Rumor; Wang Wants To Sell Team.


On Saturday, the New York Post reported owner Charles Wang might possibly be selling the team.  This latest development comes on the heals of the Islanders not being able to secure an arena deal in Nassau County, and announcing the team will move to Brooklyn to play in Barclays Center beginning with the 2015-2016 season.  The club has not commented.  But why shouldn't he sell?  The Islanders have lost/cost him a fortune to operate.  One man can only take so much.  With his hopes to build the Lighthouse Project in Nassau County long extinguished, there really is no reason for him to hold onto the team anymore.


On the ice, the Isles snapped a five game losing streak Thursday night, with a comeback, shootout victory over the New York Rangers.  The Rangers jumped out to an early 2-0 first period lead.  But the Islanders stormed back in the second period to take a 3-2 lead.  John Tavares scored the tying goal.  In shootout, he beat Marty Biron for the game clincher.  John Tavares has eight goals and eight assists to lead the team.


The Islanders are 5-7-1 (11 points) this season, and currently occupy last place in the Atlantic Division; ten points behind the Devils.



Mike.BTb

N.J. Devils: Jeff Vanderbeek and Travis Zajac Moving Devils Forward

From the desk of:   THE BRICK CITY DEMONS


NEW JERSEY DEVILS - Carving A New Path Without Zach Parise.


Money changes everything.


New Jersey Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek went from having the NHL threaten to separate him from the team, to recently buying out his partners, and solidifying his place as sole owner.  In the process, he refinanced the team's debt, and ultimately removed the Devils from under a constant cloud of organizational uncertainty.


With Jeff Vanderbeek's new found operational certainty, I guess comes operational flexibility as well.  And with a new CBA in place, I guess operational predictability plays a part too.  The result?  Wednesday, Lou Lamoriello announced the Devils signed their seventh year center, Travis Zajac, to an eight year contract extension worth $46 million dollars.  Last year, Zajac's season was derailed by an Achilles injury.  He only managed to play in fifteen regular season games before participating in the Devils inspired playoff run to the Cup Finals.  Zajac would have become a free agent at the conclusion of this season.


In the 2010's at least, it seems as if the Devils have turned over a new leaf.  This is twice now the Devils have bucked the trend and doled out major dollars for a player.  Money couldn't solve all the Devils problem though.  Sandwiched between signing Zajac and Ilya Kovalchuk's pact, was the  departure of free agent Zach Parise to the Minnesota Wild.  The Devils offer was representative.  But apparently, Zach Parise wanted to be home.  And speaking of home, Ilya Kovalchuk finally returned from Russia and reported to Devils camp.


So what do the reigning Eastern Conference champions do now?  They continue the relentless search for interchangeable players, like the Devils always have.  This is not the first time money came between a player and the Devils.  Instead, this is a way of life in New Jersey.  They will absorb the impact of Parise's defection, who was a Devils 2003 first round pick, and somehow find themselves right in the mix again this Spring.  It is now the turn of more recent first round selections like Jacob Josefson, Mattias Tedenby, and Adam Larsson, and an outstanding hockey player picked in the third round named Adam Henrique to carve a new path.  But without a suitable replacement for Zach Parise, the Devils certainly have their work cut out for them indeed.  However, if we've learned anything about the New Jersey Devils in the Lou Lamoriello era, it is to never count them out until they're out.



Mike.BTB

N.J. Devils ~ All The Kings Men Have Devils Pinned

From the desk of:   THE BRICK CITY DEMONS

2011-2012

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Kings Lead Series 3-0

I  -  LAK 2; NJD 1*

II  -  LAK 2; NJD 1*

III  -  LAK 4; NJD 0

* overtime

GAME FOUR ~ WEDNESDAY

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

vs.

Los Angeles Kings

From

Some West Coast Arena

SoCal

NEW JERSEY DEVILS:  After Game Three Victory,

L.A. Kings Poised To Lift Lord Stanley's Cup.

Devils' Flame Reduced to a A Mere Flicker.

Into The City Of Angels

Can't Afford a Second let Down in The Rock

Kings Slay Devils In Overtime

East Coast; West Coast; both coasts have been hell for the Devils.  They only managed one goal in each of the first two games in Newark.  In Game Three out in L.A., they had none.  The Kings?  They scored four.  For the series, the Kings now have eight goals, to the Devils two.  New Jersey can point directly at Jonathan Quick for most of their woes, because they actually have had quality chances.  But in a word, Kings' goalie, Jonathan Quick, has had New Jersey - bedeviled.

Whether the Devils managed too few shots like in Game One, or, almost doubled their shots on goal in Game Two, or fell somewhere in between like in Game Three, has not interested Jonathan Quick the slightest bit.  Neither has stopping the Devils in overtime for that matter, twice.


At the other end, after L.A.'s first goal and no whistle, for Martin Brodeur, there was only aggravation. Then after L.A.'s fourth and last goal, there was dejection.  The look on Coach Peter DeBoer's face was that of consternation.  And for the New Jersey Devils, they now face elimination.  History by the way, is not on Brick City's side.


Looking back, the Kings' long layoff between the Western Conference Finals, and Game One versus the Devils, didn't seem to bother L.A. much.  There was no rust.  As a matter of fact, travelling from the west coast to the east, didn't seem to bother them much either.  Nor did travelling back cross-country again for Game Three.  Afterall, New Jersey was making the flight for the first time.  Regardless, it seems as if nothing bothers the Kings right now.


Here's a weird stat - As the Devils' scoring has now taken a steep down turn from one to zero, their power play opportunities have gone up with each passing game.  New Jersey was 0-2 in Game One; 0-4 in Game Two; and 0-6 in Game Three.  That's 0-12 in the series.  Anyone will tell you, they needed to do better.  L.A. scored the first two power play goals of the series in Game Three.  Otherwise, the Kings have won the first two games at even-strength.  And it's not like the Devils have spent an inordinate amount of time on the penalty kill.  They've only committed five penalties all series.


The point is, the Devils have simply been getting out-played by Los Angeles, and it's happening five-on-five.  New Jersey's fore check hasn't been as effective as it was in the previous two rounds, and  their crisp passing isn't so crisp anymore.  While you can argue the teams played fairly evenly in the first two games, and the Devils might have been shorted a break or two, the Kings still thoroughly out-everything'd the Devils in Game Three.  And that's bad news considering the Devils are a long way from home.  If they should slip, if only slightly again in Game Four, that means there will be no Hockey this Saturday in Newark, or L.A., or anywhere.  It means the Kings' players will be taking the Cup on an unusual tour of places of the winning players choosing.


If Ilya Kovalchuck is playing hurt, no one on the Devils is saying.  But he remains without a goal in this series.  As does the Devils' Captain, Zach Parise, Dainius Zubrus, and Travis Zajac- meaning, the Devils first line.  First line, or even the new Fourth Line of Carter, Bernier, and Gionta aside, the fact is, regular season thirty-goal scorers, Patrick Elias and David Clarkson, still remain silent in the night.  The Devils' best player at the moment is rookie center, Adam Henrique.

I don't know how the Devils can pull this off.  History says they can't.  While we are at it, let's give full credit to Los Angeles for overwhelming the Devils thus far.  We all know the Devils can't win three times in Game Four alone.  They can only play, and win, one at a time.  And we all know who needs to finally show up in order for them to turn this around too.  But again, credit the Kings for making those same players disappear.




Mike.BTB

N.J. Devils ~ Can't Afford a Second Let Down In The Rock

from the desk of:   THE BRICK CITY DEMONS

Kings Slay Devils In Overtime

Marty's Revenge

Stanley Cup Finals

GAME TWO ~ SATURDAY

Los Angeles Kings

vs.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

From

THE ROCK

Brick City, Newark

Kings Lead Series 1-0

I -  L.A. 2; NJD 1*

*OT

NEW JERSEY DEVILS:  More Forecheck; More Pitchforks!

A Much More Complete, And Pointed Effort Needed In Game Two.

Can it be that after just one game, the Devils are in a bad spot?  They dropped the first game in each series to get here though.  So how much trouble can they really be in?


After playing three incomplete periods during regulation in Game One, then getting ice-capaded by L.A. in overtime for a crushing loss, The Devils can ill afford to go down 0-2 in this series, especially going away, not to mention flying cross country after travelling by bus for over a month now.  Strange hotel beds can make you lose sleep.  Flying cross country, dehydration, lack of sleep, all matter.  So yeah, the Devils better cover everything, and do anything to win Game Two at home.


I though after "too"much time off between games, the Kings would be the sloppier, more rusty team on the ice Wednesday night.  Hardly.  They sandwiched New Jersey's score with the first and last goals of the game.  But L.A. thought they were indeed sloppy.  Then again, so did the Devils.  Both teams dictated play in ten minute stretches, until overtime that is.


First off, the Devils will have to generate more shots.  They only managed eighteen shots on goal to the Kings' twenty-five.  Both team's power plays were non issues with only three penalties called all game.  So that means, the Devils need to get back to skating four strong lines at even strength.  And last game, I noticed the Kings gave Adam Henrique a lot of room to move around.  For the Devils, there might be something to that.


Ryan Carter had three shots on his line, and Zach Parise has three shots on goal playing on his line.  And that's your best of the best.  Alex Volchenko's goal was more the product on a lucky deflection off a Kings' skater.  So clearly, the Devils will need to do much more than they managed in Game One.  Ilya Kovalchuk, Patrick Elias, Dainius Zubrus, and Travis Zajac, all only managed one shot each.  And that will need to change.  But they'll have to do it by increasing their speed.  New Jersey appeared to be a slower team than Los Angeles Wednesday night.


It's hard to knock the game Martin Brodeur had in Game One.  It was actually quite remarkable.  He faced twenty-two regulation time shots, and allowed the one goal to Colin Frasier, midway through the first period.  And then came overtime where he faced three shots before allowing the game winner.  Just remember that Anze Kopitar skated in on an unmolested break-away when he fired the winning shot passed Brodeur.


Game One came in waves.  Only problem for New Jersey was that L.A. caught the last one of the night.


New Jersey threw their body around plenty enough.  But they lost the game's face-off battle.  And over large portions of the game, they lost their forecheck as well.  That's what they need to get back to most.  And I think L.A.'s speed caught the Devils off guard too.  So I think New Jersey will come out skating faster in Game Two as well.





Mike.BTB