Ovechkin and Semin lift Caps past Rangers in overtime

For nearly 54 minutes, the Rangers had it going their way. With Henrik Lundqvist having stoned the top seeded Capitals keeping a tactical Game One scoreless until Matt Gilroy scored in his first postseason game early in the third, it looked like a recipe for success. However, a fluky tying goal from Alex Ovechkin that needed video review and an Alexander Semin appearance doomed the Blueshirts to a cruel 2-1 overtime defeat at Verizon Center last night in D.C.

“Obviously anytime you lose in overtime you feel like it got away because all you have to do is get one goal and you win the game,” main culprit Marc Staal said after his turnover allowed former Devil Cup hero Jason Arnott to set up Semin's OT winner at 18:24 to give the No.1 seed a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarterfinal. “It’s disappointing. It’s the playoffs, so we’ll come back and try to win the next one.”

That'll be the mantra the Rangers will adhere to. One they've been familiar with all season, finding ways to bounce back from tough losses. Albeit this one a bit more magnified due to the pressure attached to the first round rematch of two years ago. Staal, who for the most part did a sound job along with partner Dan Girardi stifling Ovechkin- wound up minus-two despite logging nearly 34 minutes while Girardi almost 33. They know what to expect from Ovechkin, dangerous centerman Nicklas Backstrom and gritty ex-Blueshirt Mike Knuble, who was one of three Caps to hit the post in the first two scoreless periods. Outside of one blown coverage that allowed Backstrom to sneak in on Lundqvist, who foiled his backhand five-hole try, they had the upperhand until the oddest of plays allowed Washington to tie it.

In his first game back from a concussion which he missed 20 games prior ironically due to a Derek Stepan collision, offensive defenseman Mike Green factored in on the tying goal. Behind his own net, Green sent a long outlet for Semin, who Cap coach Bruce Boudreau had out in place of Knuble searching for offense. The slippery Russian got away from Staal and Girardi, who collided at the Ranger blueline, allowing Semin to move in. With Rangers scrambling back including Girardi, Semin took a shot that Lundqvist tried to cover. The whistle never came with Ovechkin bulling over Girardi before slipping a stuff-in through Lundqvist. Thinking he scored, the Washington captain celebrated along with teammates while the confused officials never indicated a goal, calling up Toronto. Conclusive replays showed that the puck crossed the goal line. However, you have to wonder if when the ref blew his whistle, he intended to blow it dead. Instead, Ovechkin and the Caps celebrated the tying goal with 6:16 left in regulation.

“I think it’s underneath me and the whistle never comes, so then I move,” Lundqvist noted to no avail. “I think that’s the case. It just crossed the line. Sometimes they’re real fast blowing the whistle, but it is what it is. Me personally, I’m kind of stuck in that position so I have to hope for a whistle or for someone to clear the puck. That didn’t happen.”

Bad break or not, the game was suddenly tied. Four Rangers watched instead of taking Ovechkin, who made a smart play to spark his team. Lundqvist probably should've had it regardless. Regardless, they still had a chance to steal this one against a stingier Capital defense that allowed 11 shots through two periods and finished with 32 blocked shots to the Rangers' 28.

The Blueshirts never established a consistent forecheck with only the line of Brian Boyle, Brandon Prust and Wojtek Wolski effective enough to help get a puck past rookie Michal Neuvirth, who finished with 24 saves in capturing his first playoff win in his debut. That included four stops on Marian Gaborik, who had a great chance to be the early OT hero when Boyle found him in front but Cap rookie who won 27 games during the regular season calmly slid across for the big save. Neuvirth was good, also denying Artem Anisimov's bid and a Gaborik rebound before his teammates seized control to finally pull out the win in sudden death.

"We had to stay the course. We couldn’t get frustrated,” Backstrom said of his team that's trying to avoid a second consecutive first round upset as the conference's top seed. “I think we did a great job with that. Hopefully this can give us a little confidence.”

It didn't come easy for the Caps despite a few chinks in the armor for their Broadway opponent that allowed glorious opportunities only to see pucks from Knuble, Arnott and Semin go off the post. They also had to contend with Lundqvist, who was outstanding in making 31 saves, featuring highway robbery on a Green high labeler along with a pair of sparklers to deny Jeff Schultz and rookie Marcus Johansson in the extra session.

Despite being unable to sustain a consistent attack, the Rangers remained in good position to take Game One. Finally coming on in the final minutes of the second, they carried momentum forward by striking first in the series thanks to some diligent work from Boyle, Prust and Wolski. After Boyle took a hit to work the puck deep, Prust won a board battle and sent it to Wolski who then turned and found a pinching Gilroy for his first playoff goal at 1:56. Consider that it was his first goal since Jan.5 and only in his second straight game including the fateful Game 82 when he replaced Steve Eminger and it speaks volumes about Gilroy's maturity. The former Hobey Baker winner also had a chance late but fired wide.

Part of the problem for the Rangers was the power play, which went 0-for-2 looking all too predictable against one of the league's best penalty killing units. The Caps were aggressive, easily moving the puck out when they had the chance. Meanwhile, our PK blanked the Washington hosts in two opportunities despite some decent chances. But Lundqvist was there to save their bacon.

Nursing a one-goal lead, it looked like they would protect it for the win. Our shifts were stronger following Gilroy's goal with players paying close attention to assignments, working the puck out efficiently and getting it deep to take time off. Particularly effective was the dynamic rookie tandem of Ryan McDonagh and Mike Sauer, who looked unfazed by the circumstances. Each were trusted by John Tortorella, getting 36 shifts apiece averaging a shade under 27 minutes. One shift was impressive with the Caps pressing for the equalizer. They were pinned in for a while but McDonagh made two strong plays to free the puck up behind the goal, which was finally cleared.

Also looking poised was Derek Stepan, who made some nice reads chipping the puck in and using his speed to outhustle Caps behind the net. He was good as was Ruslan Fedotenko but outside of two strong shifts, leading scorer Brandon Dubinsky had a miserable night, losing 13 of 20 faceoffs while registering only a shot with a minus-two rating. He must be better tomorrow if we're going to gain a split.

"We've gotta get the next game from them," Dubinsky said. "I'm sure we'll talk about this one, the positives and the negatives, and just continue to try to get better. With the way we play, we feel like we're going to make it tough on them."

Despite each team going for it with especially ours coming close near the end of regulation, the closely fought contest needed overtime to decide. Both teams nearly ended it with Semin denied by Lundqvist and Backstrom stoned while Neuvirth saved his best for Gaborik, Anisimov and Vinny Prospal. As play continued, it became more apparent the more talented Caps were taking it to us. Eventually, their persistence paid off when Chris Drury failed to clear the zone. After it was pushed back down to Staal, he saw three Caps in his way but instead of reversing to an open Girardi, he tried to lift it past Arnott, who knocked it down. The savvy vet settled the puck before dishing across to Semin for a rocket that finally ended his playoff scoring drought.

"Henrik Lundqvist is a great goalie, and it's very difficult to score an easy one on him," the jubilant Semin told a translator after scoring his first playoff goal in 15 games. "We couldn't get a nice goal on him, so we scored a junk goal - just pushed it in, whatever worked."

“We’re not getting anywhere without Alex Semin scoring,” explained Boudreau. “We need him to go and create that other offensive threat.”

"I tried to move across, and I was probably covering the middle of the net, but I just didn't have time to react on it," lamented Lundqvist, who dropped his fourth consecutive decision in sudden death. "It was a hard one. It was going up and down a little bit - he just fired it real hard. It's tough. Obviously, you want to try to be the difference, and try to help the team to get a win here but you just move on."


Instead, it's onto Game Two. Another chance to take home ice away from the Caps and give themselves a realistic shot at the upset.


BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers (31 saves, falls to 1-4 career in playoff OT)
2nd Star-Alex Ovechkin, Caps (1st of playoffs-21st career, 6 hits, block, 6 SOG, +1 in 26:46)
1st Star-Alex Semin, Caps (OT winner at 18:24, assist, 4 SOG, +2 in 22:15)

Stars keep Richards, Rangers add Mitchell on quiet Deadline Day

This deadline was a dud. Perhaps due to so many teams still in contention, there wasn't much activity, disappointing puckers around the stratosphere. With most big deals taking place prior to today with big names Tomas Kaberle (Bruins), Kris Versteeg (Flyers), Erik Johnson (Avs), Chris Stewart/Kevin Shattenkirk (Blues), Francois Beauchemin (Ducks), Bryan McCabe (Rangers), James Wisniewski (Habs), Dwayne Roloson (Bolts) and Brad Boyes (Sabres) all finding new homes, it didn't figure to be that busy.

Instead, calculated trades were the story with the exception of the Kings getting their big forward Dustin Penner for the steep price of D prospect Colten Teubert, a first round pick and a conditional '12 third rounder. A move which they needed once the Stars took big fish Brad Richards off the market, which in our opinion is the right decision for a dangerous club who if B-Rad comes back healthy could make some noise if they get in this Spring. The Kings and Rangers were Richards' chief suitors with Dallas very interested in Artem Anisimov, a 1st round pick and a prospect. Eerily similar to what we proposed the other day. Our guess is they coveted Brayden Schenn from Hollywood. But at the end of the day, with Richards still yet to return from a concussion despite being symptom free for five days, they probably couldn't maximize the potential free agent's value, making the choice very easy. If it works out, they take their best shot which is good news for Star fans like Twitter favorite starsfan10_91 who celebrated by re-changing to richardsfan91. :-) Why else do you go out and trade James Neal and Matt Niskanen for Alex Goligoski?

While the Stars are now all in, it left the Rangers with little alternatives. So, Glen Sather turned to Toronto pal Brian Burke, acquiring forward depth in John Mitchell for a seventh round pick. The 26 year-old was decent his first two seasons used in a checking role, supplying energy for the Leafs. He's a good enough skater if the former '03 fifth round pick actually stays up with his likely destination Hartford. Not much else to say following another nail biting one-goal defeat to Kryptonite Tampa yesterday with two one-timer goals by Martin St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier the difference- keeping the Rangers from gaining ground and only three up on Carolina, who added blueline help by swapping Sergei Samsonov to the Sunshine State for Bryan Allen.

At least new addition McCabe looked good in his debut, getting better as the game went on with the ex-Panther crunching Steve Downie against the boards and nearly tying it in the waning second with Henrik Lundqvist on the bench. Unlike a Post columnist who doesn't have a clue on why overpaying for a potential rental made no sense, the Rangers are better off waiting to take their shot at B-Rad come July 1. It's nothing like trading for a superstar who wanted New York, with Carmelo Anthony forcing his way out of Denver to come to the Knicks.

So, our team basically stands pat with hopefully Marian Gaborik able to return in a few weeks. Don't bank on it. Ruslan Fedotenko and Marc Staal are close to returning with the team's next big game against the Sabres, who actually made a real trade- sending a second rounder to St. Louis for Brad Boyes. Nice boost for Brian's team and even he was pleased sending me not one but two texts last night just as I was texting him. Haha. Buffalo trails eighth Carolina by two and us by five with games at hand on each. So, tomorrow's contest at MSG looms large.

Biron Done For Year: In the mean time, the Rangers got terrible news when valuable backup Martin Biron was struck by a puck during team practice and broke his collarbone. The former Sabre's been a great addition, providing superb goaltending, allowing John Tortorella to rest Lundqvist. He got into 17 games making 15 starts, posting an 8-6-0 record with a 2.13 GAA and an identical save percentage (.920) to our Vezina candidate.

Ironically, Lundqvist had started the last eight, going 4-4-0 with a 2.22 GAA and .922 save percentage while recording his league-leading eighth shutout in a 6-0 win at Washington Friday. Interestingly, Henrik has permitted three-or-more in eight of his last 11 starts. Encouraging is he gave up only two yesterday following a 35-save shutout. Dating back to Jan.20, he's allowed three+ in 10 of the last 14. All the more reason Biron's injury couldn't be worse timing, with it discovered too late. Unless they are lucky enough to find someone on the waiver wire, unknown Cam Talbot will backup Lundqvist starting tomorrow. In 13 starts with the Connecticut Whale, the 23 year-old undrafted free agent went 8-3-2 with a 2.42 GAA, .919 save percentage and two shutouts. How many starts are you going to trust in a rookie who's never been up before? A potential big problem for the final 18.

Arnott dealt to Caps: In a deal already mentioned in these parts by Hasan, the Devils unloaded Jason Arnott to the Caps for David Steckel and a second round pick in '12. I'm only going to echo what he already said about this move, which is an absolute steal for the Devils. Steckel is a great faceoff guy and will fit right in on a gritty New Jersey club pushing hard for the playoffs. He also is an effective forechecker who Devil fans will take to. That Lou Lamoriello also got a second round pick tossed in like it was Panther-esque speaks volumes. Between the trade for Dennis Wideman and this Arnott one, I frankly don't get what George McPhee's doing. He also gave away Tomas Fleischmann for Scott Hannan. Unfortunately for Fleischmann, he suffered a pulmonary embollism and is done for the year in Colorado.

One other deal of interest was Max Lapierre going to Vancouver along with former teammate Chris Higgins with both now adding character to a serious Cup contender. This is the Canucks' best shot. It's now or never for a team that has everything. The pressure's on.

Finally, Columbus and Phoenix hooked up on a two-for-two with the 'Yotes acquiring original Jacket Rotislav Klesla and ex-Ranger Dane Byers who of course winds up on Rangers West for Scottie Upshall and Sami Lepisto. Looks like a good deal for both clubs with Phoenix adding blueline depth with Ed Jovanovski still sidelined and the Blue Jackets acquiring a guy who can find twine to relieve pressure from Rick Nash, RJ Umberger and rookie Matt Calvert.

Before closing, Niclas Bergfors was packaged with Patrick Rismiller for Radek Dvorak. Guess the key piece to last year's Ilya Kovalchuk deal just didn't fit in Craig Ramsay's system. He was in the doghouse often, scratched several instances despite totaling 11 goals and 29 points. Oddly enough similar to his 13-14-27 output in Newark. So much for the talented Swede becoming an Atlanta fixture.

Devils best not enough in latest Hudson clash

They skated. They forechecked. They took shots. They finished checks. They got big saves. These are all traits that made the Devils one of the best teams in the game spanning two decades. Despite all that, it still didn't matter in their latest defeat- a tough 3-1 loss to the Hudson rival Rangers last night in Newark.

Maybe Jacques Lemaire finally got his team's attention because they were a different club in the latest installment of the Hudson. Even if the affable vet coach declared it wasn't a rivalry until his team started winning. Despite outshooting the Rangers by a healthy margin (44-25), they dropped their sixth straight in the traditional carnival atmosphere at The Rock.

“There were a lot of positives,” a frustrated Jason Arnott expressed after narrowly missing a potential tying tally with over two minutes left. “We played hard. It just didn’t go our way. We started doing more things that Jacques has been telling us and it paid off. If we play like that, we are going to win hockey games.”

It's been that kind of year for the Devils, whose anemic offense contributed to getting John MacLean fired. Despite a plethora of chances, they could only muster one goal on Henrik Lundqvist, who kept his teammates afloat finishing with a season high 43 saves. That included 20 stops in a busy second that saw the Devs at one point lead in shots 32-12 before the Rangers picked it up.

“It feels better than playing well and losing,” said Lundqvist after his team improved to a league best 13-6-0 on the road. “As the game went on, I felt better and felt I had a chance to get to everything. I knew that in no way it was going to be an easy game. They’re not a bad team, despite their record.”

A couple of days removed from dominating the Islanders with a season best 52 shots, the Blueshirts saw the tables turned with a hungrier Devil club getting an early Travis Zajac goal while taking seven of the first eight shots. Zajac got to a loose Mattias Tedenby rebound scoring his second in three games. The No.1 center has had a rough season since losing linemate Zach Parise but has points in four of his last five- playing a strong game yesterday. But before they blinked, Brian Boyle responded with his 14th caroming off Martin Brodeur's glove to tie it 47 seconds later.

After outshooting the Rangers 16-5 in the first, the rejuvenated Devils continued to pour it on. However, Lundqvist was equal to the task stopping them in their tracks. Eventually, his strong play allowed teammates to settle in. Once they did, it became a really intense game with both netminders called upon to make strong saves. As fate would have it, it was an innocent looking shot that doomed New Jersey. Off a faceoff win by rookie Derek Stepan, Brandon Dubinsky came around the net and dished for a cutting Michal Rozsival, whose one-timer deflected off Devil defenseman Andy Greene and in. It was heading wide but the unfortunate bounce was the latest sequence to beDevil their close rival.

“That’s par for the course for this year,” Brodeur said after the harmless shot went off Greene's arm for the bitter decider. “Just another bad goal, a bad bounce to bad us.”

The third was a battle from start to finish with each team going after each other like a couple of boxers. Speaking of which, it was prior to Rozsival's tally that Boyle fought Dainius Zubrus following a scrum. That was the turning point for the Blueshirts, who still drew praise from John Tortorella about how this team finds a way even when things aren't going well. In the final 20, nobody had to tell them what to do with the penalty kill coming up big three different times. Lundqvist finally got help with Boyle and do everything linemate Brandon Prust making life miserable for Ilya Kovalchuk. Marc Staal was strong, clearing numerous pucks out.

The Rangers had a big opportunity to put it away when Arnott took an extra for unsportsmanlike following a hold. To the Devils' credit, they did a good job killing it off with much more aggressive play than we've seen. On one shift, Henrik Tallinder had more positives than the entire season. Brodeur still had to make a couple of critical stops during the second half and also caught a break when Matt Gilroy's laser rang off the crossbar. Speaking of Gilroy, he had another strong game- looking particularly dangerous after Tortorella stuck him out for power play shifts.

Still nursing a 2-1 lead, the Rangers protected it well with strong play in the neutral zone. It was on the cycle that Chris Drury got nabbed for holding, giving the Devils one last chance to tie it. It was the Ranger PK which got the job done, albeit with a little help from the post after Lundqvist sprawled out to deny a pointblank chance- leaving Arnott looking to the heavens.

Tortorella used a timeout with over a minute left to stick Boyle, Prust and Ruslan Fedotenko out along with Staal and Dan Girardi. The sound strategy paid off with the Devils unable to get a sniff. Artem Anisimov and Dubinsky were out for the final shift, breaking up plays and forcing the Devs to go offside. Finally, Dubinsky salted it away off an Anisimov draw at center ice, sending his team best 16th into the open net with six seconds to spare.

"We knew that they had their struggles this year, but they’re still capable of turning it on,” said Dubinsky. “We didn’t want it to be against us. We expected them to come out hard. We can’t play our best every night, but with Hank back there, we found a way to steal this one.”


BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Brian Boyle, NYR (career high 14th goal, game best 6 SOG, fight)
2nd Star-Martin Brodeur, NJD (23 saves incl.11/12 in 2nd)
1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (season best 43 saves incl.20/20 in 2nd)

Islanders end winless streak at 14

Islander scorer Jesse Joensuu is congratulated by Radek Martinek. His goal proved to be the difference in a 2-0 shutout of the Devils, helping the Islanders finally end their 14-game winless streak.

 
Finally, the Islanders had something to be thankful for. On the day after Thanksgiving, they defeated the Devils 2-0 before 10,897 at Nassau Coliseum, mercifully ending their winless streak at 14 (1-11-3). Rick DiPietro stopped all 29 shots including 13 in the third period for the club's first win since Oct.21 at Tampa Bay. Making his third consecutive start, DP was strong facing a Devil onslaught in the final 20 to preserve an emotional victory for interim coach Jack Capuano, who finally won his first game in five tries (1-2-2).

The Islanders built a two-goal lead thanks to unlikely scorers Jesse Joensuu and Rob Schremp, who entered with a combined one goal. Joensuu finished off a nice passing play 92 seconds in with Frans Nielsen and Michael Grabner assisting to give the Isles the lead. They outshot a flat Devil team 13-5. The Devil struggles continued. By the time Schremp buried a wrist shot past Johan Hedberg at 5:15 of the second, shots were 18-8 favoring the Long Island hosts. Blake Comeau and James Wisniewski notched helpers. Two players who've slumped during the franchise's second longest streak without a win. They avoided matching a 15-game winless streak (Nov.22-Dec.23, 1999).

New Jersey finally started to come on in the second half getting eight of the last nine shots in the second. However, they still trailed by a deuce headed to the third. John MacLean's team came out with more urgency in the final stanza, swarming the Islanders. They quickly peppered DiPietro with seven shots the first five minutes but couldn't solve the Islander franchise netminder, who was up to the task, sliding over to deny rookie Mattias Tedenby off a nice set up from Jason Arnott and Patrik Elias. He also thwarted Ilya Kovalchuk pointblank with the lost Devil $100 million man firing a rebound wide. Kovalchuk had a rough day taking a minor while having all four of his offerings shutdown by DiPietro. The 27 year-old Russian hasn't lit the lamp in six straight, registering only an assist with a minus-four rating. It's no secret that the Devs need better from their top sniper, who remains stuck on four goals. MacLean tried Adam Mair in place of rook Alexander Vasyunov on the right side. Mystifying.

In a period controlled by the Devils who had plenty of chances to get back in it including a botched five-on-three that probably left Hasan sick from the turkey and stuffing, they didn't come close. Despite a 13-1 SOG edge, it didn't matter. The Islanders did a good job sacrificing their bodies, blocking 27 shots including a half dozen apiece from stalwarts Mark Eaton and Radek Martinek. Sadly, the dozen they combined for were one better than the entire New Jersey roster. If you subtract Anton Volchenkov (3 blocks) and Patrik Elias (4), the rest of the 16 skaters had five, typifying what was missing from a team that came in on its first two-game win streak.

The Islanders were more desperate. Even in only taking two shots on Hedberg the last half of the contest, they won most of the battles. Under Capuano, they have been more competitive earning points against Atlanta and Columbus before finally breaking through to get the monkey off their backs. Maybe loaning Josh Bailey to Bridgeport after the third-year pivot went 13 straight without a point lit a fire to the rest of the club. They did the little things that win, playing more physical with 31 hits compared to the Devs' 14. Only one Islander didn't make the stat sheet. They needed to be on the Devils, especially when back-to-back penalties to Dylan Reese (interference) and Wisniewski (double-minor hi-sticking) gave their opponent a great chance to get back in it.

Instead, the Devils failed miserably, living up to their paltry road power play record of just one goal. Believe it or not, they rank pretty high at home. The five-on-three was discombobulated with the trigger man Jason Arnott instead of Kovalchuk. Twice, he missed wide with one even caroming out. Kovalchuk played the right side and was hardly a factor, getting one low one-timer through which DiPietro snuffed out. The Islander PK outworked the Devs, hustling to loose pucks and clearing them out when their foes didn't do it themselves with questionable decision making. Pumped up by their team's desperation, the crowd gave them a loud cheer when the second of Wisniewski's penalty was over.

It seemed to take the wind out of New Jersey's sails. They hardly tested DP the final six and a half, partially due to the Islanders' grit. As time wound down, it was finally over with an emotional DiPietro jumping up and down like a kid into the arms of happy teammate Zenon Konopka. He told Deb Kaufman how much the streak had weighed on them and pointedly thanked the fans twice for continuing to support them. A great day to be an Islander. Not so good if you were a Devil.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Rob Schremp, NYI (2nd goal of season, +1 in 20 shifts-13:57)
2nd Star-Mark Eaton/Radek Martinek, NYI (
1st Star-Rick DiPietro, NYI (29 saves incl. 13/13 in 3rd for 1st SHO of season-1st since Jan. also vs NJD)

Frustration boils over for Hudson rival

While Alex Frolov celebrates Brandon Dubinsky's goal, the looks on Travis Zajac and Johan Hedberg sum up Devil frustration in loss to Rangers last night.

When it comes to winning, there are no style points. Somebody might want to clue the Devils in following their latest disappointment- a 3-0 shutout defeat at the hands of their bitter Hudson rival, the Rangers last night at The Rock. The loss dropped New Jersey to 4-10-1 overall. They've yet to win at home falling to 0-5-1. The next opportunity comes four days from now against equally struggling Battle brother Buffalo, who also have yet to win on home ice.

Yes, the Devils competed for the most part unless you watched mega million star Ilya Kovalchuk basically watch as Brandon Dubinsky followed up a Todd White weird carom for the backbreaking shorthanded tally that finished the Newark hosts. The player Lou Lamoriello's building around also took a mindless penalty 15 seconds into the third. On a night his team desperately needed him to show, the former Thrasher played like he still was in Atlanta, partially responsible for all three goals against while finishing minus-two with four shots. The problem was none of the offerings fooled Henrik Lundqvist, who recorded his second shutout in three games, improving to 20-7-5 versus his favorite target.

“I thought we were the better team, dominating the play for most of the game, and then we don’t give ourselves a chance to get back in the third period,” an exasperated Patrik Elias said essentially throwing Kovalchuk under the bus. “We lost the game right there.”

“We played hard. We competed hard. We’re just not generating enough offense," first-year coach John MacLean echoed despite his team holding a 33-20 edge in shots. 

Remarkably, they trailed by two despite outshooting the Blueshirts 23-12 through 40 minutes. Something Devil buddy Rob "Kraze" Davis texted while I was watching Procal Harum. When you're going bad, this is what happens. One of the Ranger four first period shots went in with Dubinsky finishing off his ninth. The Devils took 11 but none found twine against Lundqvist, who was a vacuum a day removed from a forgettable showing in a 4-1 loss in Philly.

“After last night, it was important for me and for all of us to get a good solid game,” he said. “I don’t think we played all that bad, but I felt that I had to play a lot better.”

That's what you expect from your leaders. In this early season, the Rangers have gotten it from Dubinsky, Lundqvist, revelation Brian Boyle, Dan Girardi, Michal Rozsival, Sean Avery and Ryan Callahan, who missed last night with a sore neck due to a cheap Kimmo Timonen hit from behind. With injuries to Marian Gaborik, Chris Drury and Vinny Prospal, they've stepped up. By contrast, their archrivals haven't gotten any yet despite enough talent to push on without Zach Parise and an injury list that's growing as long as Pinocchio's. The Devils are still searching for an identity. While the 5-3 win over the Blackhawks temporarily cured their offensive fallacies, they simply couldn't carry it over against a better goalie. Part of the issue which Davis alluded to was the lack of bodies in front of Lundqvist. You have to be willing to pay the price.

"Lundqvist played a great game and we didn’t have any traffic in front of him,” Kovalchuk pointed out after remaining stuck on three goals. “All the shots were from outside, and you know we are not going to score like that.”

“We’re disappointed after a loss every time,” added Elias. “You cannot go into a hockey game down all the time. You have to clear your minds and go into a game with a clear head.”

It's never easy when you lose players. The Devils severely missed Anton Volchenkov, who finally returned Friday from a broken nose. The former Senator shot blocking specialist missed a dozen games. He's easily the Devs' toughest and should only bolster a blueline, which was without Colin White (flu). Young Swede Alexander Urbom was recalled from Albany. It's really tough to compete when half your back end consists of rookies. Matt Taormina has been a nice find and Olivier Magnan hasn't struggled as much as former Sabre Henrik Tallinder, who fans probably want to send over Niagara Falls. Maybe Volchenkov can boost Tallinder and Andy Greene, who's a team worst minus-12 following a breakout '09-10. Bryce Salvador won't return anytime soon. Neither will Anssi Salmela. That leaves Mark Fraser, who despite limited skills always is willing to go.

It'd be easier if Kovalchuk was finishing and Travis Zajac remembered who he was. Instead, they've combined for five goals and only 14 points with no power play goals. Jason Arnott, who's been benched at times- paces them with four markers. Elias remains in a funk stuck on two goals. Dainius Zubrus gives max effort every night but simply doesn't possess the hands. The captain everyone wants to get rid of, Jamie Langenbrunner actually is tied with Kovalchuk for the club lead with eight points. The stat lines are as ugly as it gets. Halloween already passed but you wouldn't know it in Jersey. Perhaps Jimmy Hoffa's ghost is at work.

Then there's David Clarkson, who continues to let Sean Avery get the best of him. For the most part, he tries. But as soon as he sees No.16, the Devil antagonist becomes possessed. He lost his head again taking a five-minute penalty for boarding Boyle, which erased any chance of a miraculous comeback. But hey. The way the Devils were firing blanks, it probably wouldn't have mattered anyway. You expect better from a player who seemed on the upswing not long ago. Twenty goals and 40 points seemed possible. Now, he finds himself stuck on one goal and one assist with a minus-nine and 34 penalty minutes. What happened? The same thing that's gone so wrong for the Devils thus far. The sum not equaling the parts. Langenbrunner on their ineptitude:

"It's getting frustrating. We all can read the standings and see where we are and the games we've played and the games in hand teams have on us and where we could be when it's all sorted out. But we can't concern ourselves with that so much. We need to find a way to get some wins ourselves, keep the effort where it's been, but learn to play a little bit smarter."

When Martin Brodeur doesn't suit up for the Rangers, something's wrong. Perhaps he just decided that extra rest would be wiser than rushing back from a bruised elbow that forced Johan Hedberg into action the other day. For his part, Hedberg wasn't bad despite only making 17 saves with a few sparklers which at least kept his team afloat. Chalk up the third goal to bad luck. You don't expect a deflected shot to take a funny carom back to Dubinsky, who was only too happy to tie Steven Stamkos and Patrick Sharp for the league lead in goals (10).

Sometimes, it's just not your night. Now, it's almost a month with the quarter mark approaching. Are the Devils really this bad? Well, to borrow a phrase Hasan used from Bill Parcells, "You are what your record says you are." They have nine points in 15 games, digging themselves an early hole along with Buffalo (8 in 14 entering tonight vs Toronto). Ironically, both trail first place by similar margins. The Devils are eight out while the Sabres trail by nine. There's plenty of season left to make up ground. It has to start soon.

Parise leaves loss to Kings with injury

Things went from bad to worse for the Devils. During their latest defeat by a count of 3-1 to the Kings, homegrown star wing Zach Parise left the game with an injury following a collision with LA wing Kyle Clifford with 3:40 left in the second period. As WFAN radio tandem Matt Loughlin and Sherry Ross updated in the postgame, it's being termed a "lower body" injury.

Parise immediately flew back to New Jersey to be examined by team doctors. It could be potentially serious with it being a knee injury. Hopefully for No.9 and the Devils, they'll get more encouraging news.

"I didn't see him come out for the third. Hopefully it's nothing major," linemate Travis Zajac told The Ledger's Rich Chere. "Right now is not the time to lose a player like that."

Throughout a seven-year career, the '03 first round gem has been one of the most durable players in the league, only missing three games while becoming an All-Star. Arguably the best American, he became a folk hero with his dramatic tying goal that forced sudden death against Canada in the Vancouver Olympics. Even though Sidney Crosby broke USA hearts, the clutch goal along with a virtuoso performance in the tournament put Zach Attack on the radar. It followed up a breakout '08-09 season in which he established career bests in goals (45), assists (49), points (94), plus/minus (30), power play goals (14), power play points (30), shorthanded points (3), shots on goal (364) and matched his previous high in game-winners (8).


In 12 games this season including tonight, Parise was 3-3-6. Under first-year coach John MacLean, the team's struggled to find chemistry despite having Ilya Kovalchuk signed long-term along with '00 Cup hero Jason Arnott reunited with Patrik Elias. Regrettably, the Minnesota native entered Saturday tied with Arnott and Kovalchuk for the club lead in goals. After getting Jamie Langenbrunner's first and Elias' second in a 2-1 win over Anaheim Friday, they only got one against Jon Quick despite outshooting LA 20-4 in the third minus Parise. Surprise rookie defenseman Matt Taormina notched the only marker, putting him into a share of the lead with three. Before the Devils could attempt tying a game they trailed by two, Jarret Stoll scored 24 seconds later.

The Devils fell to 1-3-0 on the six-game trip with a pair of tough games against Vancouver tomorrow and defending Cup champ Chicago Wednesday. When they finally return home, the Rangers will be waiting for them.

Losing Parise for any stretch would be a crusher. Especially since he's a tireless worker who combines his speed and skill along with a great work ethic that makes him a fan favorite. The Devils are also still without defenseman Anton Volchenkov, who sat out a 10th straight game with a broken nose. He has begun skating and could return soon. They're probably holding the gritty ex-Senator out until the November 5 game versus the Blueshirts.

In the mean time, it'll be up to Kovalchuk who again was held off the board and booed roundly by Staples Center to pick up the slack. The electrifying Russian superstar finished with only two shots along with a minus-one rating in 20:18. It'll take a total team effort for New Jersey to turn it around. They'll enter Monday's contest at Vancouver with an East worst 3-8-1 mark for eight points, trailing only other Battle disappointment Buffalo who fell yet again 4-zip at Dallas.

As noted NJD blogger Hasan might say, something has to give.

Devils and Sabres in unfamiliar territory

I shouldn't be up but somehow am because my schedule has been wacky lately. Well, maybe not as out of whack as the Devils right now but yeah. They're not the only Battle club struggling as the Sabres are stuck on three wins in 10 games (3-6-1) just a couple of points clear of last New Jersey (2-7-1). With October about to close, two of the East's top three clubs just last Spring are in the basement trying to get going.

Even the biggest doomsday scenario couldn't have predicted this for half the Battle clubs. Especially when they boast two of the game's elite goalies. I'm not about to write off Martin Brodeur yet. He's gotten off to slow starts before. It's just that now his defense is AHL caliber without Anton Volchenkov and Bryce Salvador, who remains on LTIR with a concussion. Hell. As our resident NJD blogger Hasan alluded to, even Mark Fraser is missed. Between a matador D reminding us of some of those dreadful Ranger teams and lackluster starts from Travis Zajac, Patrik Elias, Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner, it's no wonder the Devs are where they are. First-year coach John MacLean must think he became one of Freddy's nightmares. Benching Ilya Kovalchuk legitimately due to tardiness for a team meeting and unable to find the right combos. Even Zach Parise only has three goals, which sadly is good for a tie for first on the club with Arnott. Can it get any worse? They'll look to get back in the win column tonight at Anaheim.

As for the Sabres, they haven't looked much better. Not even with rating Vezina winner Ryan Miller doing his part. In a 6-3 road loss to old rival Philly, their lack of attention to detail was disturbing. Sloppy turnovers led directly to odd-man rushes which the Flyers were only too happy to take advantage of. Even if Lindy Ruff's club made it interesting late, they know they must be more consistent to get out of this funk. Since defeating Ottawa in the season opener, they've dropped seven of nine. In particular, Tyler Myers is going through a rough patch in his second year, posting a team worst minus-nine rating. When Steve Montador is your most effective blueliner, that's a problem. Thomas Vanek has just begun lighting the lamp after another MIA stint. Let's be honest. He hasn't been the same since he signed that huge Oiler offersheet which Darcy Regier matched. One of the game's top talents should be putting up between 40-50 goals every season. Not going through funks which have Western New York scratching their heads. Only Derek Roy, rookie Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford have performed. More is needed from Tim Connolly, Jochen Hecht and even Patrick Kaleta, who's been far too quiet. They're still missing Jason Pominville, whose status is uncertain due to a concussion.

On a day in which both teams play with the latter visiting the house of horrors Atlanta, can they dig out of this early hole? For sure. But, it would be wise to get untracked soon before it morphs into Carolina last year, who despite a furious rally, couldn't recover from a horrid start. Over the next couple of weeks, we'll see what each is made of.

Martin, Pens hold off shorthanded Devils

Even the Devils' favorite opponent wasn't the elixir for their inauspicious start. Perhaps facing former teammate Paul Martin had something to do with it in yesterday's 3-1 loss at The Rock. He was predictably booed by fans that attended the Columbus Day late matinee that followed the Islanders' comeback win over the Rangers. The less than sellout crowd (12,880) didn't have much to cheer for as their team struggled to find twine against Pen backup Brent Johnson, who came up large late en route to 30 saves.

In a game notorious for New Jersey dressing only 15 skaters with John MacLean down to nine forwards due to their tumultuous cap/injury situation (no Rolston or Volchenkov), his team didn't muster much the first two periods. Held to 16 shots (8 each), they fell behind the Penguins on goals by Alex Goligoski (high glove slapper) and Mark Letestu (PPG rebound). Amazingly, that made it eight straight goals allowed since the Cap debacle. Somewhat unexpected considering the firepower they now possess. If company man Ilya Kovalchuk has more scraps than goals thus far, then his turnover that led to a late Goligoski first period tally sure didn't help the cause. Halfway through, MacLean tinkered his lines sending Kovalchuk out with lone goalscorer Patrik Elias and Jason Arnott while reforming ZZ Popp. It nearly paid off.

With the crowd dead, the Devils finally came to life when Arnott won a faceoff clean back to Elias, whose one-timer finally solved Johnson at 8:20 of the third. Despite being three short on the bench, MacLean didn't make any excuses. His club certainly tried their best to get it tied, finally taking it to the Pens. However, a razor sharp Johnson wouldn't allow them to force overtime- coming up with nine saves in the final nine minutes including a sparkler on an Andy Greene laser thru traffic. He also denied David Clarkson from in tight and got a piece of Kovalchuk's putback near the right post keeping it out.

The closest they came to tying it was a great individual effort by top center Travis Zajac, who went around a defenseman and then nearly tucked the puck in with a sprawled Johnson calmly pushing the puck behind the net with help from Craig Adams. He turned aside 14 of 15 during the Devil barrage to help Pittsburgh dp something they didn't last season. Come away with a win in this rivalry. They got the two points despite Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin being held off the scoresheet. Paying greater attention to detail, the more defensive minded Pens did a good job coming back. On a roster minus injured Jordan Staal without many scoring threats for Sid and Geno to get the puck to, that's how Dan Byslma's club must play.

It helped to have the steady Martin on their side. He picked up an assist on Letestu's power play goal that put them ahead 2-zip in the second. Then sealed it by lugging the puck out and scoring into an empty net at 19:49. A good return for a player who rarely shows emotion but did crack a smile on the bench afterwards.

The Devils only had two power plays compared to the Pens' six, which MacLean's penalty killing unit did a respectable job on aside from Letestu's rebound tally that may have caromed off Henrik Tallinder. They even killed off a five-on-three in which their opponent was far too predictable. It gave them a chance to comeback. Something they'd done against this team in the past. Perhaps that's why Byslma went with Johnson instead of Marc-Andre Fleury, who the Devs owned. In relief last year, the former Blue who once got his name into the record books due to three consecutive shutouts for his first three wins one postseason (2002), was steadier than the No.1 starter. No shock that he stifled the Devil attack and was named No.1 star.

As for the NHLPA making a big stick over Lou Lamoriello listing only 15 skaters in yesterday's lineup, come on. Both Brian Rolston and Anton Volchenkov got hurt and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond lost his head and a place on the roster after getting suspended for a fight he instigated. He was placed on waivers Monday. What choice did the Devs have here? They're up against it. Until the Devil architecht can find a way to free up space- something he did by waiving Leblond for the possible Adam Mair signing, it's going to be an uphill climb.

Still, a team that boasts a front six of Kovalchuk, Zajac, Zach Parise, Arnott, Elias and Jamie Langenbrunner shouldn't have issues scoring. Since leading Dallas 2-0 in their home opener, they've been outscored 14-4. It's added up to the club's worst start since '01-02. It should be noted that they nearly began '09-10 similarly until a frantic rally over the Lightning got them going. The difference is that team didn't face the expectations this one has. There's a lot more pressure this time. Maybe they're squeezing their sticks. All it will take is one explosion to get it righted. It probably won't get easier when they visit Buffalo tomorrow.


BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Patrik Elias, NJD (1st of season, 3 SOG in 18:47)
2nd Star-Paul Martin, Pit (ENG-1st as Pen, assist 2 SOG, takeaway, blocked shot in 26:41)
1st Star-Brent Johnson, Pit (30 saves incl.14/15 in 3rd)

Let the fun begin

Now that we're finally back and better than ever with our new more reader friendly design, already the fun has just begun. We're 48 hours away from Friday night's much anticipated first round. What will Edmonton do? Is it Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin or do they trade with Florida down for No.'s 3 and 15 and select Cam Fowler and possibly sliding Russian Vladimir Tarashenko. Whatever they decide, it'll be under the leadership of familiar face Tom Renney, who replaces Pat Quinn behind the bench this Fall. The former Ranger coach will get to work with more talent with Calder hopeful Jordan Eberle on the way and possibly Hall or Seguin, etc which should significantly improve the Oilers.

While the draft gets going in two nights, tonight is the NHL Awards out in Vegas a second consecutive year. Can Ovie three-peat or will Henrik Sedin steal Alex and Sid's thunder? With that in mind, here's a quick glance at my picks:

Hart-H. Sedin
Pearson-Crosby
Norris-Keith
Vezina-Bryzgalov
Calder-Howard
Selke-Datsyuk
Byng-Datsyuk
Adams-Tippett
Masterton-Ortmeyer
Leadership-Miller
Foundation-Brown

My heart says Jed for Comeback Player but head says Kurt Foster. I just can't go against Ort. I went with Bryz over Miller for the Vezina due to his team. Keith over Doughty though I wouldn't be shocked if the super LA soph takes it. For me, Sedin was the best player and stepped it up when twin bro Daniel was out. Giving it to Crosby or Ovechkin is too easy. Henrik's most deserving. I happen to love all three Selke candidates. Huge fan of both Kes and J. Staal. But Datsyuk's remarkable in every facet. So, he probably wins again. Best of luck to all.

Now, for some moves. I'll just post and make a quick comment.

1.Flyers acquire rights to D Dan Hamhuis + '11 conditional seventh from Preds for rights to D Ryan Parent.

Genius move by Holmgren if they get Hamhuis signed. This was rumored back at the deadline. Imagine a Flyer front four of Pronger, Timonen, Hamhuis and Carle with Coburn on the third pair? Ugh. As for Nash, it's obvious they're dumping salary. Better hope Parent turns it around back in Music City.

2.Devils reacquire C Jason Arnott from Preds for F Matt Halischuk + '11 second rounder.

As Hasan already noted, remember when Lou had the infamous M&M reunion post-lockout? Only difference is '00 Cup hero Arnott's still got something left and fills a void. Arnott and Elias reunited. When's Sykora coming back? Couldn't resist. The pluses are nice but what does it mean for Kovalchuk and Martin? Arnott makes $4.5 M. For Nash, guess they're content to revamp with the most underappreciated coach in the biz. The Czar!

3.Panthers acquire D Dennis Wideman, Bruins' No.1 (15th) + '11 3rd for F Nathan Horton and F Greg Campbell.

On one hand, you ask what are the Panthers doing? They already lack offense. Though adding Wideman ain't a bad pickup for a solid blueline even if he's an adventure. However, Horton makes $4 M and has not come close to fulfilling his power forward potential. Maybe a change of scenery playing with Savard and Krejci helps. Campbell is a solid citizen who provides energy. For Florida, it's a win if they can parlay their 3 and the 15 into either Hall or Seguin.

4.Thrashers acquire F Dustin Byfuglien, F Ben Eager, D Brent Sopel and F Akim Aliu (try saying that 10 times in a row) from Blackhawks for F Marty Reasoner, F Jeremy Morin and the rights to NJD '10 No.'s 1 (24th) & 2 (54th).

Credit everyone's favorite Eklund for nailing this trade. Seri---ous---ly. Kudos to Bob McKenzie giving props. Well, we all knew the Hawks had to dump salary, breaking up their newly minted Stanley Cup roster. It sucks. But such is cap life even with it going to a reported $59.4 M. There was no way they could keep everyone. I guess when push came to shove, they just decided to maximize Big Buff's value after a Conn Smythe-esque performance. No doubt Chicago will miss him. But they saved nearly $4 million even if it had to break Sopel's heart. It was not only his day with the Cup but also his first day on Twitter. Ouch. Give the vet credit for this very strong perspective on today's events. Eager was also a solid citizen but the Hawks are plenty tough. Great deal for Atlanta even if it meant moving the picks they got from the Devs for Kovalchuk. Now, they traded him and Salmella, Morin for Bergfors, Big Buff, Patrice Cormier, Reasoner and Sopel. Wacky. The deal works for both sides with Chi-town doing well getting good value back in the picks and a decent prospect drafted last year. It should be a fun deal to track.

In other news, the Sharks have decided Evgeni Nabokov is done in San Jose. No real surprise here. I expect him to land in D.C. where they'll soon be renamed the Washington Russians. Who replaces Nabby? Turco or Mason? German backup Thomas Greiss performed respectably but he's not ready to carry the load. There also was a Tim Thomas rumor but eh. Why would they do that? He couldn't deliver in Beantown and is getting up there. Not to mention his $5 M tag. I'd pass.

Happy trails to Scott Niedermayer, who finally called it a career at a nice gathering at Honda Center yesterday. Kudos to NHL Network for picking up the coverage. The classy defenseman who won three Cups with the Devils and then captained the Ducks teaming alongside little bro Rob for a fourth Cup thanked everyone from coaches, teammates to fans. What an outstanding career the guy the Devils turned Tom Kurvers into back in 1991 had. Among the highlights were winning Olympic gold for Canada twice including close to home in Vancouver at this year's Olympics. Plus a Norris on his way out of the Garden State. What a tremendous player, who also handled himself with class on and off the ice. Just the latest player we lose from our era growing up. Sure is sad. Nieds will be missed.

One other note to pass. The Habs re-signed C Tomas Plekanec to a six-year $30 M contract. The terms are about right for their do everything player. But the length is a bit steep. Still, love the loyalty and good on Les Habitants keeping him.

A big boo to Toronto for not including Pat Burns or taking either Doug Gilmour or Eric Lindros over Dino Ciccarelli for this year's HHOF class which also includes very deserving Cammi Granato, Angela James and Jim Devellano plus Darryl "Doc" Seaman. It is utterly ridiculous that Burns isn't in. What are they waiting for? The poor man has cancer and dying. As for Ciccarelli, while I respect the production (608 goals, 1,200 points), he was never really a dominant player. A superb finisher but he couldn't take over games a la Gilmour or The Big E, who's being unfairly treated for how his career ended. Taking it one step further, why isn't Pavel Bure considered? At the end of the day, it is what it is. Hopefully, some great players will eventually get recognized.

The NHL also released the 2010-11 schedule. And already, it didn't take me long to predict the Rangers' first loss when they open the season at our Buffalo contingent. Can you say midseason form or what?!?!?!?!?!

It's nice to be back!