Okay, now I'm disturbed

What, exactly is going on this season with the Devils and injuries? Have we gone on the cheap and hired the Mets doctors and trainers?! Granted, there's nothing you can do about the compressed NHL schedule which is increasing injuries for everyone around the league. However, this season there have been at least three glaring faux pas by the medical staff which would almost be unbelievable, except that I've seen this kind of nonsense already with my baseball team and all of these mistakes have made the Devils' situation infinitely worse. To wit:

1. David Clarkson's reinjury. The Devils' gritty winger was off to a nice start this season with 15 points in 23 games before fracturing his right ankle in late November blocking a Zdeno Chara slapshot. His timetable to return iirc was 4-6 weeks and he came back on the short end of that in late December. After barely a game back in the lineup he gets hurt again on the same ankle. While Lou Lamoriello swears he didn't re-break it the fact is Clarkson's been out for three more weeks with no return date in sight. I'd like to know what else he did to it to miss this long if it wasn't a repeat fracture. And assuming it was another fracture, someone screwed up by letting Clarkson on the ice before it had properly healed.

2. Paul Martin's mysterious forearm injury. After breaking his left arm in late October, the Devils' top defensman still hasn't returned. When he was slated to make a comeback a few weeks later, the Devils discovered his injury didn't heal properly and now he's still on the shelf, also with no return date in sight. Now I'm no doctor but I've never heard of something like that before, how exactly does a broken bone not heal properly unless the cast wasn't set correctly or there was something awry in the diagnosis to begin with?!

3. Patrik Elias's concussion. I don't want to hear that Elias wasn't showing concussion symptoms in Colorado, Lou admitted he was 'out of it' for a long time and clearly his injury was serious enough to strap him to a stretcher. Who then, thought it would be a good idea to fly the Devils' star winger cross-country with concussion symptoms?! I don't have a PhD and I could have told the Devils this wouldn't end well after the Mets' saga flying Ryan Church out to the West Coast last year with a concussion. After the initial Baghdad Lou analysis that he would only be out ten days, came the more dire admission that Elias was diagnosed with a concussion and placed on IR with orders not to resume hockey activities until further notice.

I'm going to say this in no uncertain terms: At least one doctor or trainer has to be fired for this mess! To have so many mistakes and screwups in one season is just mind-boggling, especially for a franchise that has historically (until last year) been one of the most well-conditioned and healthiest in the league.

Islanders and Rangers both in action

Both the Islanders and Rangers are in action tonight. The Isles visit the Pens aiming for five in a row while the Blueshirts host the Lightning at The Garden, looking to follow up a six-goal explosion in a win over the Habs for two straight. Each game goes off at 7:30. We'll be in our Sec.411 Row F seats and back later with recaps.

Devils state of the union time

Even though the Devils lost two in a row going into today's Martin Luther King alleged showdown with the Hudson rival Islanders, there wasn't really cause for alarm other than maybe the fact the team's gotten off to slow starts lately. Especially given the Devils' comfortable division lead (still four points up on the Penguins with three in hand). Over their last thirty-five games they'd need to play significantly below .500 to be in any danger at all of missing the playoffs.

All that said, this afternoon's massacre by the Isles at the Colliseum - incredibly if there's no score change it would be our third straight four-goal loss there! - might prompt Jacques Lemaire to get stern with his troops for one of the few times all season. As I type, the Isles are outshooting the Devils by a frightening 41-17 margin late in the third as it looks like Rick DiPietro will get his second straight win in his comeback, and a shutout at that. Clearly there was no effort or passion on this afternoon, at least not from the team in white.

To be fair, the Devils have kept such games to a minimum this season, really it's the first total no-show I can recall other than maybe New Year's Eve in Chicago. And you have to expect at least a few over the course of an 82-game marathon that can be more like a sprint at times during an Olympic season. Plus the first-place lead has become a bit of a albatross in that as I said we're in no real danger as far as making the playoffs or even losing the division lead just yet, while all the teams we've been playing lately are in desperation mode just to get a playoff berth. Continually playing teams more desperate than you was one of the main reasons for our six-game meltdown in the stretch run last season. In that respect at least this slump is pretty well-timed, not too close to the playoffs for concern but not too early in the season so that you have to struggle to make up points later on.

And let's be honest, the injury situation is once again at critical mass and now with the team more than halfway through the season all of the effort expended may finally be starting to catch up with us. With Patrik Elias on the shelf for the forseeable future (personally, I don't buy the ten days thing especially with talk of him seeing a specialist and the whispers he suffered a concussion. I don't think we'll see him before the end of the month at least), that only adds to the talent in the trainer's room we have to compensate for. Andy Greene may finally be starting to show the wear of filling in Paul Martin's shoes and with the Zach Parise and Travis Zajac duo continuing to struggle, they miss the secondary scoring of Elias, David Clarkson and even Danius Zubrus.

Of course I could talk about travel too being we've played six games in eleven days, taking the ice seven times during that stretch with five road games but let's be honest, every team's gotta go through travel at some point with this condensed schedule. Western teams have it far worse than us on a night-in night-out basis, though it is telling that while the Devils did just fine with seven games in eleven nights during a mostly home-laden stretch in December, it's been a little different with all the traveling this month. While the schedule itself doesn't ease up with three games in four nights after an off day tomorrow, at least the first two are at home while the other will be another beatdown, er matchup at Long Island on Saturday.

And now the final horn's mercifully sounded with the Devils losing 4-0. Was there any good news today? Well, no new injuries at least none that I heard of. Plus Brodeur actually got a whole period's worth of rest after being lifted for Yann Danis in the second intermission...whoopee. Of course he got a game's worth of work in two periods, facing 32 shots but only stopping 28. Being outshot 46-20 overall just adds to the ignominy of this afternoon.

Still, there's no reason to panic. To reiterate, it's January, a lousy three-game streak and we're on top of the division. If anything makes me nervous it's the overplaying of Brodeur and the checking line along with the misuse of Parise. However it's not totally fair to form a final judgement on the latter two until (if?) everyone is back in the fold.

DP, Islanders on roll

The Islanders gave their fans plenty to cheer about this afternoon in the annual Martin Luther King game, defeating the Devils 4-0 at a sold out Nassau Coliseum. With Hasan likely recapping it from the Devil perspective, we're just going to assess what's gone so right lately for Scott Gordon's hot club that's now won four straight. That includes impressive victories over the Red Wings (6-0), Sabres (3-2 in shootout) and now the Devils by a 4-zip KO helping Rick DiPietro to his first shutout of the season and more "D---P" chants.

Here are today's highlights that put the eighth seeded Isles at 52 points trailing archrival Rangers by one:

-Matt Moulson scored twice for his club-leading 18th and 19th. It was his first multi-goal effort since a Dec.3 hat trick at Atlanta (21 games). After hitting a wall in mid-December, the free agent steal has three goals in the last four and six points in seven contests this month. A great sign.

-Josh Bailey notched his 12th continuing to rip it up. Over the past 10 games, the improving sophomore has 13 points (5-8-13). Since Dec.21, the 20 year-old pivot has 15 of his 25 points (12-13-25) this season. Prior, he'd gone 10 games w/o a point. The 2008 ninth overall selection is finally demonstrating why Garth Snow picked him, giving the Islanders two scoring lines.

-With an assist on Mark Streit's first period power play goal, Kyle Okposo extended to a six-game point streak (4-2-6). Since a three-point performance in a Dec.26 road win at the Rangers, the 21 year-old emerging power forward is 5-5-10 over the last 11 games. Last year, the St. Paul native struggled mightily in the first half before finishing strong. Looks like the same thing's happening. Only this time, the stakes are higher with the Islanders fighting for a playoff berth.

-With a PPG, Streit has points in four straight including three goals and two helpers. Since 12/26, the Isles' No.1 defenseman is 3-7-10, plus-eight. He's heating up at the right time.

-Saturday's hero Trent Hunter followed up with two assists in the win. His first multi-point game since Dec.3. The grinding checking wing doesn't always show up on the score sheet but always gives an honest effort leading by example.


-Andy Sutton tallied an assist and went plus-three on the day, continuing to play his best hockey.

-With a primary helper on Streit's marker, John Tavares made it two consecutive games with a point and three of the last four. Prior, the 19 year-old wiz kid was blank in seven straight. It's easy to forget that JT91 is in Year One with tons of expectations. The centerpiece of the franchise is finally snapping out of it which could bode well.

-Also getting on the score sheet was Jack Hillen, who with an assist finished plus-three. That's three assists in the last four for the second-year undrafted defenseman, who's quietly contributed a goal and 12 helpers along with a plus-eight rating in 45 games this season.

-Shootout ace Frans Nielsen added a helper and finished plus-two. The 2002 third round gem has seven points (1-6-7) this month.

-Though he didn't get much work, how about DP. His first two home games in more than a year and victorious in both while permitting only two goals on 53 shots (.962 save percentage). With 20 saves, the 28 year-old former 2000 No.1 overall pick recorded his third shutout versus the Devils and 15th career. His first SHO since Feb.21, 2008 against the Lightning. Storybook.


All this added up to a great day off the Meadowbrook for the orange and navy blue. It won't get much easier as the Islanders (22-19-8, 52 Pts) pay a visit to Mellon Arena and the Penguins Tuesday night where they'll go for five in a row.

Emotional DP Triumphant in Coliseum Return

It had been a long time since Rick DiPietro felt the love on home ice. After all, it was only his second start since returning and first at Nassau Coliseum in over a year. Against one of the conference's better teams, he outdueled Vezina candidate Ryan Miller in a thrilling 3-2 shootout victory before a happy crowd who showed him the love with the familiar, "D---P, D---P" chants.

“Always in the back of my mind I knew I’d be back to this point, sitting in front of you guys after a big win,” an emotional DiPietro said while repeatedly thanking everyone for their overwhelming support. “I am sure when I get a chance over the next couple of days to let it sink in I’ll be pretty excited.”

Fittingly, his first win didn't come easy. Not with the Sabres rallying back from a two-goal deficit on goals by Mike Grier and Drew Stafford. But DP didn't allow Stafford's putback with 11:25 left in regulation to spoil his much anticipated comeback in front of the hometown fans who supported him in unison. Facing his 2006 USA Olympic teammate, the 28 year-old who was making just his seventh start over two years kept the Islanders alive, stopping 11 of 12 shots in a third controlled by Buffalo. Their forecheck pinned the Isles deep, generating chances along with a 12-4 SOG edge. Only some sharp netminding allowed the hosts to reach extras.

Neither club could get one by the two American goalies, taking it to the skill competition. Here, DiPietro's mettle was really tested. After Rob Schremp went backhand deke upstairs in Round One, Jason Pominville went five-hole to tie it in the second frame. Following a Josh Bailey miss, Thomas Vanek's short side high shot missed a chance to clinch it for Buffalo. The drama continued when Matt Moulson beat Miller with a perfect forehand but DiPietro couldn't stop Stafford, who picked five-hole forcing another round. DP atoned by thwarting Derek Roy's bid with a strong pad stop from in tight, earning more "D---P" chants.

In Round Six, this time rookie John Tavares- who ended a 10-game drought with a putback of a Kyle Okposo shot-  easily beat Miller forehand top shelf to once again give DiPietro the chance to clinch it. This time, it was Jochen Hecht who extended it by shooting over a sprawled DP, who committed too early to groans. Both Okposo and Clarke MacArthur were denied forcing it into Round Eight. Scott Gordon sent out Trent Hunter and he didn't disappoint, moving in tight before wiring one off the bar and in. With the Isles one big save away from jumping back into the top eight, the spotlight was all DiPietro's. Curiously, Lindy Ruff chose instigator Patrick Kaleta over Tyler Myers. With it on the line, Kaleta made a good move but his forehand deke try was forced wide by a quicker DP, who pumped his fists before teammates mobbed the emotional goalie.

“I was trying not to cry on the ice,” DiPietro expressed while sporting a neat mustache and goatee. “That’s the one thing I told myself. I wouldn’t cry. It’s an emotional time for me. It’s been a long time coming, been a rough road. Just to get the win was amazing.”

 "I can't tell you how good this feels," he added of putting the Islanders in eighth a point behind the Rangers. "It's satisfying, but there's still a lot of work to be done. You can't get complacent."

Now that he's back, the bigger question is can he sustain it. The good news for the Islanders is they have Dwayne Roloson, who's done a great job. That should make Gordon's job easier as he won't have to overplay DiPietro.

"When we can stop talking about this, it will be a great day, but it's on me to stay healthy and prove to everyone that I'm back at 100 percent," DP assessed. "It's up to me to try to avoid situations where I put myself in danger of getting hurt, but I'm gonna play the way I'm accustomed to playing."



As for the coach, he praised his guy for being more patient after all the knee surgeries.


"Looking back on it, I never felt I really knew how bad he was hurt," Gordon said. "He did a good job of making us believers and to his credit, he wanted to play. Unfortunately, he had an injury where you couldn't fool your body. It just wouldn't allow him to do the things he needed. This year he didn't try to hurry it up, he went about it the right way."

Now, maybe the Islanders will reap the benefits.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Drew Stafford, Buf (tying goal w/11:25 left in regulation, SO goal, +1 in 14:04)
2nd Star-John Tavares, NYI (goal ended 10-gm drought, SO goal, 5 SOG in 16:55)
1st Star-Rick DiPietro, NYI (31 saves incl.11/12 in 3rd, 5/8 in shootout)

Ryan Wilson hit on Patrik Elias - Devils vs Avalanche - 01/16/2010

As we expressed yesterday, I didn't get a chance to see Ryan Wilson's hit that knocked out Patrik Elias during the Avs' 3-1 win over the Devils in The Rocky Mountains. As had been accurately described, it was a clean shoulder hit catching Elias looking down in an awkward position in front of the Devil bench.

Former NJD color analyst Peter McNab makes a valid point that rookie Matt Duchene's back pressure served as a distraction for a puck rushing Elias, who never saw Wilson. Unfortunately, he was caught flush pushing the chin back. Thus far at least, all indications are the Devils' franchise scoring leader didn't suffer a concussion. Full marks to the Avalanche medical staff for getting out there quickly and safely taking Elias off the ice.

It was nice to see the career Devil wave his right hand as fans cheered. Hopefully, that's a positive sign. Figure the Devs to be extra cautious before bringing him back.

On his next shift, Wilson accepted Mark Fraser's challenge as the two took part in a solid scrap. Accountability. Some reaction from Jacques Lemaire and Wilson.

“When he [Elias] was hit, he lifted up his shoulder,” Lemaire said. “I think Patrik was a little careless.”

“It was a clean hit,” Wilson explained. “I know something’s going to happen during the game. Better to get it out of the way early instead of waiting for someone to take a run at me.”

Best wishes to Patrik.

Singing The Blues

Where's B.B. King when you need him? Even the King of Blues would be appalled by what's happened to the Rangers' offense. So what if they finally scored a goal in a dismal 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues. It didn't matter much. Not when you hardly test their goalie. At one point, shots were 13-7 St. Louis with like seven minutes left in the second period. Somehow, our punchless club managed to be tied 1-1 after 40 minutes thanks to immortal Brian Boyle, who slipped a backhand past Chris Mason from Aaron Voros. That was the extent of our offense.

Just how unwatchable was this? The Blues led in SOG 15-12. Outside of Team USA wrecking ball David Backes absolutely destroying our team, there was little entertainment value. Unless you caught a rested Henrik Lundqvist during first intermission and the one and only John Davidson back with Sam Rosen during an emotional segment. It's always a joy to see JD, who admittedly is balder now with whiter hair but definitely has dropped a lot of weight and still has the passion for the sport. Something missing from our cigar smoking son of a gun that somehow continues to cash Jazzy Jim paychecks. At least I caught it because there was little else to keep from switching to awful playoff football and a much more entertaining Sabres/Islanders conclusion in the shootout which Rick DiPietro finally won in his Coliseum return. Ah. Emotion. There was plenty of it written all over his face, thanking just about everyone.

Who should the Rangers thank for another listless performance that made watching a chore? They're slowly killing their own fans. It's no wonder so many sold their tix to Devil fans at the game of the season. Well, it should've just been the final game. Period. That's the lone highlight. Mike Brodeur would disagree since he won a second consecutive start for the Sens in the Hockey Night In Canada match-up over the Habs. The same club our team returns home to play tomorrow. Scott Gomez and Paul Mara's MSG return. How thrilling. They'll probably have a lot more to smile about.

So, how much did I see? Enough to conclude we weren't winning. Even with two bit scrubs like Voros- in for Huggy Bear- and Boyle combining for the club's first goal in 172:00 wasn't enough to inspire most of their teammates. At least Enver Lisin dressed in place of Ally and played hard. Watch Tort healthy scratch him Sunday for some unknown reason. Speaking of the coach, when does he finally realize that Vinny Prospal isn't the same since returning. Why is he still on the top line? Marian Gaborik is being wasted. He must feel like he's in jail. Teams are keying on him, taking away time and space. He's been stuck on 28 goals for a while. Gabby's still trying as evidenced by three break-ins during this putrid stretch but even he's stopped finishing. It's now five games without a goal and only one point. The Big Ticket's scored just twice in eight games this month. Dating back further, it's two over the past 11. It's hard to get on Gaborik because minus him, this would be the worst team. Good job Slats!

Yes. Ocho Cinco got his second start and fared alright, finishing with 21 saves, giving them a chance. Ultimately, our soft as molasses team were overmatched by a much bigger, stronger opponent that pounded away putting the Blueshirts into submission. As Anthony might say in our section, 'how could this team be so soft?' They don't stand up for each other. The other night, the biggest cheapshot artist Jarkko Ruutu did whatever he wanted and nobody answered the bell. Humiliating.


Roman Polak (who???) scored the winner and had a primary helper on Alex Steen's insurance marker. Our great powerless play went 0-for-2 with no shots! Tort even pulled Ocho with over two minutes left using a timeout. As if that was going to save us. My favorite part was when Prosp had a two-on-one downlow and didn't shoot, instead passing for a covered Gabby. You're down two goals! Wow. Twenty-two lousy shots on Mason, who should've had a shutout. Give up a goal to Boyle and you should be sent to the dungeon.

Fittingly, Backes hit the empty to put them out of their misery. When even Joe Micheletti says something negative about the effort, you know it's bad. Dave Maloney sounded comatose. I also heard Pete Stemkowski trashed them on the radio. Think the old-timers are fed up with these cupcakes. They should be sponsored by Hostess.

Well, there's always tomorrow! Annie's warming up.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Brian Boyle, NYR (goal-1st in 19 games, 5 hits, +1 in 10:51)
2nd Star-Roman Polak, Stl (GWG/assist, 2 blocked shots, +1 in 21:15)
1st Star-David Backes, Stl (ENG, 5 hits, 2 takeaways, 7-8 draws in 19:14)

Elias-less Devils rally late, but come up short

Sigh...so another game and another injury to worry about, this time Patrik Elias would be the Devil to leave and not return after a hit by Colorado's Ryan Wilson along the boards early in the second. In a scene that thankfully only looked worse than it was, Elias was taken off the ice on a stretcher but he wasn't out cold at the time and was in full control of his faculties. As far as his status, he'll fly back with the team and be evaluated further. Hopefully the fact that he's on the team plane at least means he doesn't have a concussion, after all cross-country flights for guys with concussions can have diasterous effects as my Mets found out a while back with Ryan Church.

Elias's injury did spice up the intensity in a game which looked like a flat Devils effort early. How flat? Consider this...after Chris Stewart scored 3:17 into the game, the Devils hadn't yet had a shot on net and were being pushed around to such a degree that Jacques Lemaire took a quick timeout. Unfortunately the timeout really didn't help much as the Avs (inspired ironically by a pregame ceremony for Claude Lemieux) kept playing a physical game that we weren't ready for this afternoon.

Oh, Andrew Peters had the obligatory fight with Avs fighter David Koci early (even before the goal) but while the fight itself was a good one, the real drama was whether Peters would be tossed out yet again for not having his uniform tied down after it got ripped up good in the fight. Thankfully, the ref deemed this equipment malfunction not his fault and both got a normal five for fighting. And there was some violent contact on Rob Niedermayer's interference penalty late in the first period - that of Craig Anderson flopping to the ice as Niedermayer wandered just outside the crease. Anderson's Oscar-worthy dive canceled out a Devils power play and several seconds later T.J.Galiardi scored on the ensuing 4-on-4 at 18:32, again putting the Devils behind by multiple goals early.

After that dissapointing first period, the Devils were still skating in mud until the Wilson hit on Elias livened things up. To his credit, Wilson answered the bell on his next shift against Mark Fraser as the two had a pretty even fight. And for any Devil fan that wants to scream bloody murder, please. For years we sang the praises - and rightly so - of Scott Stevens laying guys out cleanly, there was nothing about this hit to suggest it was dirty either. We're not the only ones allowed to lay out guys and the Devils themselves haven't cried foul yet. Both Lemaire and Rod Pelley said they felt the hit was clean and Lemaire added (somewhat oddly) that Elias was a bit careless on the play during a critique of how the team wasn't there mentally tonight.

Interestingly, Pelley was also involved in a fight with the Avs' Matt Hendricks later in the period as the intensity was picking up between these two unfamiliar teams. However, the Devils' offense was still firing blanks despite fourteen shots on net and two power plays late in the period. Lately the Devils' power play has shown as much power as Prudential Center had last Friday, going 0 for the last 14 or 15.

How bad has the power play gotten? Apparently Lemaire's listening to Stan Fischler a little too much these days since Stan loves to see random big bodies in front of the net. From Colin White to (gasp!) Peters himself, I'm half wondering if our next move is to get a sumo wrestler to stand in front. Why not put the guy in front of the net that actually should be there though?! Zach Parise's adept at deflections and garbage goals, but he's being wasted on the halfboards during power plays. Small wonder he's only had like three goals in his last twenty games, or numbers in that vicinity.

Of course, you have to credit the other team at times too. How things change within a year...last year the Avs were a bland, boring last-place team that served nicely as props during Martin Brodeur's Disney-style return from four months on the shelf. This year, they have a new coach and GM, a terrific goalie in Anderson in his first full year as a starter and lots of young players making a contribution in the lineup to go along with some decent defensemen and voila - they confound all the doomsday predictions (including mine) and are in contention for a division title more than halfway through the season.

If the Devils weren't as Lemaire said - mentally into this game, at least they gave a physical effort the last two periods outshooting the Avs 29-13, and finally getting on the board early in the third when Niedermayer scored in front at 1:55 off of assists from White and Jay Pandolfo, an unlikely trio to wind up on the scoresheet together. While the rest of the offense was still missing in action, they still tested Anderson on several flurries late with the Avs goaltender making his best save robbing Travis Zajac with a glove moments after he nearly made a mistake playing the puck and got back to make a desperate, sprawling save with his posterior.

Somewhat fittingly, the game ended with the Devils' power play again failing to convert on a late chance after Vladimir Zharkov drew a penalty on the Avs' Cody McLeod at 17:15, setting the Devils up for prime scoring chances late. After killing off the power play, the Avs put the nail in the coffin with thirteen seconds left when Stewart found Wojtek Wolski for the empty-net goal that gave the Devils their first two-game losing streak since mid-November. Granted, the power play woes are a concern as they seemingly are every season and falling behind by two goals every night aren't a recipe for continued success either.

Still, you have to attribute at least some of the on again-off again hockey since New Year's to the schedule. If you include that bizarre Tampa game the Devils have taken the ice six times in nine days. Even if it's only five games worth of action, you still have to factor in trips to Montreal and the West Coast in that time. Too bad it doesn't get any easier facing a rejuvanated Isles team on Martin Luther King afternoon, likely without Elias in the lineup to go along with the three other regulars still on the shelf. Maybe Rick DiPietro will actually make his home debut too, since his only start thus far was in Dallas and the Isles have a back-to-back themselves.

Notes: Speaking of the other regulars on the shelf, while Danius Zubrus is probably going to skate this week Paul Martin and David Clarkson are at least a couple weeks away from that according to the latest update from Lou Lamoriello, which would put Martin's chances of playing in the Olympics in jeopardy, not to mention our chances of icing a full defense before the trade deadline.

BoNY Three Stars:

1. Craig Anderson (37/38 saves)
2. Chris Stewart (goal, assist, +2 and 6 SOG in 19:48)
3. Rob Niedermayer (goal, +1)

Elias leaves Av game on stretcher

Devils forward Patrik Elias left this afternoon's game at the Avalanche on a stretcher. The franchise leading scorer was hit by Colorado defenseman Ryan Wilson 38 seconds into the second period and stayed on the ice for five minutes before being taken off the ice. Encouraging is that he did manage to wave to the crowd.
Judging from a few accounts over on Twitter, the hit didn't sound bad but was high, snapping his chin back. We'll have a better idea later.


Entering play, the 33 year-old Czech Republic Olympic captain had 10 goals and 16 helpers for 26 points with three deciding markers and a plus-13 rating in 31 contests.

Rookie defenseman Mark Fraser stepped in for Elias over three minutes later and fought Wilson. In a game the Devils currently trail 2-1 early in the third, there have been three fights. Rob Niedermayer just got his team on the board. Hasan should have more later on this along with Elias' status.

UPDATE: Early indications are positive on Elias, who is said to be alright and will travel back to New Jersey.

Devils' late meltdown in desert proves costly

Last night's game in Phoenix just two nights after the Instant Classic at the Garden had letdown potential written all over it. Especially considering we've had a couple of bad losses to this team since the lockout when they weren't very good. Unfortunately now Phoenix is good, though they were in a slump going into last night's game (four straight home losses), that probably that meant they were due to break out of it. And our recent schedule hasn't been a picnic thanks to Lightgate.

Even given all that, the Devils outshot Phoenix 26-9 in the first two periods and were tied late in the third period until a bad three seconds from rookie Mark Fraser led to two different goals and proved to be the difference in a 4-3 loss, the Devils' second in three games - or four if you want to be technical.

Actually though, it did look like we were headed letdown central early on. Not so much that the team was playing bad but they did look a little flat, especially when Matthew Lombardi coasted to the front of the net to deflect Keith Yandle's shot past Martin Brodeur at 13:16 to give the Coyotes an early lead. That wasn't the most egregious mistake of the period though. With just seconds remaining, Colin White attempted to keep a bouncing puck in the zone but Peter Mueller chipped it by and then used rocket skates to get a breakaway on Brodeur, which he would take advantage of to get a crucial goal with just 30.4 seconds remaining.

On both goals, it was the defensive pairing of White and Mike Mottau that were victimized each time. Why, with all the other changes Jacques Lemaire makes on a daily basis he refuses to break this pair up for any length of time is beyond me. Although last night he did break them up after the first period, and like the game in Atlanta a few weeks back where White and Mottau were a -3 after the first, the defense improved exponentially thereafter.

Actually the whole team came out charged in the second period and pretty much dominated, outshooting the Coyotes 15-1. Somewhat surprisingly one of the leaders was Brian Rolston, who must like playing in the desert cause he came loaded for bear. Not only did he score his 14th goal of the season on a breakaway at 9:34 (off a nifty Rod Pelley pass and secondary Mottau assist) to finally get the Devils on the board against Ilya Bryzgalov, but he also drew a couple of penalties in the period. Now that the team had finally scored its first regulation goal in a game and a half, they kept coming and Zach Parise's feed of Travis Zajac in the slot led to Zajac one-timing the puck home off a slapshot at 14:06, giving him his 13th goal of the year including four in the last five games and tied the game.

Maybe the Devils should have converted even more against Bryzgalov, but the surprise Vezina candidate held the fort until the second intermission, and both teams settled down for a back-and-forth third that might have led to overtime but for a nice play from Daniel Winnik and Vernon Fiddler. Fiddler had already showed his speed earlier in the period streaking past Johnny Oduya (whose diving play to get the puck off Fiddler's stick saved total embarassment).

This time he showed his passing skills, throwing one through the crease that Fraser appeared to intercept but Winnik adroitly hit Fraser's stick and the puck went in at 11:52 of the third. Worse still, Fraser lost control of his stick on the play and took a double-minor penalty when he drew blood from Winnik. It took just seventy-six seconds for the Yotes to cash in when Zbynek Michalek scored on a slapshot, giving Phoenix a 4-2 lead.

Even on this night against another very good defensive team, the Devils weren't done yet and nearly came back twice from two goals down. Rolston scored his second of the game on a slapshot at 15:16 after assists from Mottau and Jamie Langenbrunner to cut the deficit to 4-3. From there however, the Yotes shut the door and preserved their first regulation win since December 28. For the second time inside a week, the Devils managed to lose when outshooting their opponent considerably and in the other two games they managed two goals (one in OT) and got shut out for the first time this season. Clearly the offense has hit a bit of a lull in the dog days of January.

Of course it is an indicator that things are still going well when two losses in a week and 6-4 during your last ten feels like a slump, but lately the Devils haven't been as good as their record. That was bound to happen though, in these days of parity and the overtime point it's hard to see a team dominating like the '76 Canadiens or the Wings team that won 62 games during the mid 90's. Things don't get any easier though, as the team travels to Colorado for an afternoon game on Saturday against another surprising team out West before coming home for the President's Day afternoon special against the Islanders on Long Island.

BoNY Three Stars:

1. Brian Rolston (two goals, +1 and three drawn penalties)
2. Ilya Bryzgalov (31/34 saves)
3. Daniel Winnik (goal)

Attention: New York Rangers

Att: New York Rangers

This is a net:

In case you didn't notice, there's this magic thing called a puck in it. After tonight's humiliation to Mike Brodeur (really), the Rangers have been shutout two straight and haven't scored over the last 144:23. The last goal came off the stick of waiver pickup Erik Christensen in Boston 37 seconds into the third of a 3-1 win.

You know. Wins cannot happen without goals. In case you've been stuck in a cave, our team can't score to save its life. They probably would've aimed and misfired at the two Jersey Shore bimbos sitting front and center with plenty of cleavage. One kept bending over giving us some entertainment. If only there was a pole.  Too bad they were so into themselves. How to correlate to hockey. They were dressed nicely wearing our colors. Unfortunately, neither suited up to distract Alexei Kovalev from setting up Chris Campoli's gimme with 1:14 left. Yes. 74 stinkin' seconds! Well, it did prevent another gimmick. I was already on the way down when my boy Kovy outworked our entire five before slipping a perfect backdoor pass to which I sarcastically remarked:

"See ya later."

Even an early timeout by Tort Reform couldn't awaken the gang that can't shoot straight. Apparently, they gave all they had the other night. But hey. At least we had the usual Garden Of Dreams moment along with nauseating Dolan employees trying to encourage fans in sections to raise the roof to a game that was like watching paint dry. Hell yeah!!!!! DANCE! Everybody up like Larry. Get jacked even if we were mugged! Everything's eh okay at Camp Cablevision! Oh btw...sidenote. The Allman Brothers have been playing the Beacon Theatre for 30 years. But not in 2010! Apparently, this decade will be empty due to the biggest jackass to ever walk the Earth Jazzy Jim.

At least we had some entertainment from a classic skateboarder outside. He cleared three people on the sidewalk between W.28th and W.29th right next to the bar. Best aspect. No cost. Plus plenty of laughs.

Tonight, the worst ever slogan to hit 33rd and 7th applies:

HOCKEY'S DIFFERENT HERE

Marty-Henrik MSG duel one for the ages

It would be so easy to start off by saying how disappointed I was by how tonight's epic Battle Of Hudson showdown got decided. But that would take away from what a truly special game it was. Devils/Rangers is always fun, bringing tremendous passion in the stands and of course the ice. What we got at MSG was more than anyone could ever have imagined.

Sitting here now, I'm still floored at what took place. Anyone who went knows. From this Ranger blogger's perspective, it ranks as one of the best games ever. There have been a lot of good games this season. A few nights prior, the Canucks and Flames for example went toe to toe before the shootout decided it. At least there were four goals scored before that point. Alright. So, neither team could get one past the dueling No.30's as Martin Brodeur and Henrik Lundqvist answered each other like in a duel. This was Koufax versus Gibson. And as Hasan already referenced, Ali-Frazier. Whatever great sports analogy you can think of, it applies.

A grand total of ninety-six shots were taken through regulation and four-on-four overtime. Not a single one went in or struck a goalpost/crossbar. This doesn't even include the offerings that missed or got blocked by dedicated players from each side who competed fiercely for every inch of ice. Yeah. Over a hundred were attempted without any success because MB30 and King Henrik wouldn't allow one to get by them. If you love the sport, this was absolutely tremendous. Each tried their best but neither budged, taking it the distance where a skill competition was needed to decide a winner.

At that point, I knew we had no shot because our guys just aren't as skilled. Marian Gaborik- who was thwarted twice by a sprawling Brodeur in the first minute of OT- had to score in the bottom of the third. He didn't and someone forgot to tell an inspired Brandon Dubinsky that high glove doesn't work on Marty. So, he flashed the leather stopping the 55th consecutive shot to pull within a Devil successful shot of his first regular season shutout at 33rd and 7th. How could that be? Lundqvist had already denied Zach Parise (forehand deke), Jamie Langenbrunner (forehand deke) and Travis Zajac (forehand deke), silencing ZZ Popp.

But Jacques Lemaire still had one shooting ace up his sleeve in Ranger killer Patrik Elias, who entered with 57 points in 59 career games in this heated rivalry. So, here came the Czech captain skating down the middle before firing a perfect laser upstairs to give the Devils the emotional extra point. Why? Because as disappointing as it is to have this kinda game decided by a gimmick, it's still bragging rights. Not any fan could complain about the level of play. This was as good as it got. However, it was Hell's worshippers who got to fully enjoy it when Elias beat Lundqvist high glove.

Half the six regular season meetings have now been played. The road team has won every one. The Devils the last two after falling at The Rock. All three have been close with only a late Parise empty netter making the difference of one more than a goal which should tell you something about the rivalry. The fourth will also be at The Garden on Feb.6 before the Olympic Break. The final two in Newark on Mar.10 and Mar.25. Maybe one of the remaining three will somehow top tonight. Just don't count on it.

Lundqvist and Brodeur gave us a show we won't soon forget. No matter who you rooted for, this classic duel was one for the ages. Bravo gentlemen. Bravo!

Forget all the analysis

I'm sure Derek will get into the nuts and bolts of tonight's game later, but let's face it - this Battle of the Hudson at Madison Square Garden was all about the two goaltenders. If this was a playoff game it would be revered as one of the great games of all time. For the Devils, Martin Brodeur made an incredible 51 saves in regulation and overtime and the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist had a comparatively easy night with only 45 stops. That's an astounding 96 shots on net in 65 minutes of hockey without a single goal being scored.

Late in the second period, I recall thinking 'oh my god, this game is going to be scoreless going into the shootout'. Yet ironically tonight might have been the biggest indictment of the shootout yet. I'm not as steadfast against the shootout like Derek or other purists, but tonight was really one of the few times I thought, 'why can't this game just end in a tie?'. Somewhat fittingly none of the first seven shooters scored, increasing the tension tenfold and sending the shootout into sudden death.

And I say this after my team won the skills competition, getting the extra point thanks to a perfect shot from Patrik Elias over Lundqvist's glove, finally turning on the red light for the first and only time this evening. Maybe in that sense it was good that a perfect shot settled it as opposed to something fluky, but while the Rangers got their deserved point the Devils got a gift second thanks to Gary Bettman and the skills competition. It is hard to believe this is Brodeur's first-ever regular season shutout at MSG though, given his career total of 107 and the Devils' dominance over the Rangers in the late 90's.

While I will avoid analysis for the most part, I'll only say I was surprised how the game went, both with how wide-open it was in general and specifically how the Devils played. I figured early on we'd have some jump and then late on we'd wear down but instead it seemed to go the other way, with the Devils being overwhelmed early and then playing some of their best hockey in the third period.

I think Derek will agree with this much though, as bad as ticket prices have been, as many issues as he's had with the team this season - I'm sure he felt tonight it was a priviledge to be in attendance given the last two Olympic gold medalists having an Ali-Frazier like showdown. Even with the contrived ending. On the Devils' website, the headline reads 'Instant Classic'. That it was.

Hudson Battle renewed tonight

Later tonight at MSG, the Hudson Battle is renewed when the Garden State meets the Big Apple as the top seeded Devils meet the sixth seeded Rangers. Both clubs are playing well. So, it should be quite interesting.

The big question is are the Rangers any test for the Devils. Sure. They've played better to get back in the mix but not many wins have been versus quality competition with a pair over an injury plagued B's club that can't score the best work. Henrik Lundqvist is on fire. Now, he faces the opposite No.30 Martin Brodeur who is having another brilliant season. Thus far, the first two meetings went to the road team. Does that change? Both goalies should have their say.

The Rangers get back Vinny Prospal, who should upgrade their power play. Does he move back to play with Gabby and Erik Christensen? Brandon Dubinsky has been shifted to left wing with success. Who comes out? Hopefully, Huggy Bear.

The Devils are led by Team USA captain Jamie Langenbrunner and alternate Zach Parise. Patrik Elias is playing well and Travis Zajac has scored the past couple after a drought. Nicklas Bergfors is one of the top rookies and particularly lethal on the power play. Andy Greene continues to be brilliant.

It all takes place at 33rd and 7th and we'll be in our Row F 411 seats for the action. Feel free to drop by. I'll be wearing a Lundqvist Sweden gold jersey.

Langenbrunner named captain of Team USA, Parise one of four A's on the team

In an announcement that had basically leaked out a few days ago, current Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner was named the C for Team USA in next month's Vancouver Olympics with fellow linemate Zach Parise serving as one of the four (rotating) A's along with Dustin Brown, Ryan Suter and ex-Devil Brian Rafalski. Really it was little surprise that Langs was named the C given the overall youth on Team USA - only he, Rafalski and the Rangers' Chris Drury have Olympic experience after all. According to USA GM Brian Burke, it wasn't an accident that three of the five leaders are or were Devils:

“A large part of it is that when we were going through the selection process and the captaincy, that kept coming up,” Burke said. “You know, ‘This is a guy that played in the New Jersey system. Brian Rafalski cut his teeth as a Devil. Jamie Langenbrunner has gone through that whole process, watching guys check their ego at the door and do their job. So, yes, a lot of this team selection and captaincy selection is a tribute to Lou Lamoriello, who, of course, has been a giant with USA Hockey. So, no question that’s a factor.”

Of course most hockey fans know about the close relationship between Burke and Lamoriello from their years in college with Burke having played under Lou so it's not really surprising to see the respect he has for the Devils here. Maybe it's fitting in a year that Lou was inducted into the Hall of Fame that Team USA has a lot of his influence on it, including Burke himself.

To go along with the familiar faces, Burke also rewarded the Kings' Brown and Nashville's Suter with A's, fitting since their teams have both done surprisingly well out West. Also each player's uniform number was announced. Langs, Parise and Paul Martin will all get their current numbers as will Drury (23) and Ryan Callahan (24). Buffalo's Ryan Miller might look a little odd in number 39 but only he or the Bruins' Tim Thomas could get 30 and it went to the reigning Vezina winner.

Light Gate Conclusion handled well in all aspects

Well, as Hasan already posted, the Lightning and Devils finally completed Friday's game earlier before 3,000 who returned to The Rock in which fans were allowed to move down for the third. Tampa Bay held off New Jersey 4-2, earning a valuable two points that put them into a 11th place tie with idle Atlanta- four points behind Ottawa and Montreal. Busing back from Philly while the host Devs flew in following last night's overtime win in Brodeur land, it wasn't too conventional. But the Bolts still took Light Gate despite getting outscored 2-1. As one Dev fan on Twitter noted, that's gotta be a first.

It was a tough situation to be sure but both teams handled the adversity well, fitting in the final 29:12 to get on with hectic schedules the rest of the way.

“It was a little weird,” super soph Steven Stamkos expressed after getting his second of the game over two days. “We prepared twice for this game. It was a half-game and a half-game. The travel wasn’t bad. We were in Philly, so it was only a bus ride away. It was something a lot of guys haven’t experienced in a while. It felt like we were back in junior, but it was worth it.”

For winning goalie Mike Smith who finished with 33 saves, he actually flashed back to a couple of years back in junior for Sudbury when their playoff game against Toronto-St. Michael's encountered a similar electrical issue.

“We were up 3-1 in the series before the lights went out and we ended up playing the game the next day and lost in overtime, and ended up losing the series,” the Tampa Bay goalie noted. “It was a little better outcome this time.”

Of a game that needed just 67 minutes to finish off, perhaps goalscorer Travis Zajac summed it up best:

“It’s a little weird when you start a faceoff in the neutral zone and then you feel like you’re getting going and the period is over. I think going into it we felt we had a chance to come back and make it interesting. We skated well, made some plays, but it just didn’t happen for us.”

It wasn't ideal either for the same two referees Steve Kozari and Tim Peel, who both returned for the conclusion while linesmen Derek Nansen and Jean Moran subbed for David Brisebois and Don Henderson. Kudos must go out to the officials and a hard working crew who readied the ice on short notice. At least everyone made the best of an odd situation.


“Everything about this situation was odd, from Friday sitting around here waiting to see what would happen, to playing a game when you’re worried about something the night before,” Devil and new Team USA Olympic captain Jamie Langenbrunner said. “Under the circumstances, we handled it well. We played well all weekend. Now we move forward.”

Two points worth the wait for Tampa

At the Prudential Center in front of an estimated 3,000 of the 15,000+ that showed up Friday night, the Devils and Lightning finally were able to complete the game which got interrupted two nights ago by a faulty circuit breaker at the Prudential Center. While Mike Smith would not maintain the shutout he had when play stopped Friday, the Lightning goaltender did make a combined 33 saves in the game as Tampa held on for a 4-2 victory.

Even with the loss the Devils acquitted themselves well, in fact this is really the first time this season I can think of where the Devils were (by far) the better team and still lost, while they've managed to steal a few games where they didn't play particularly well. I'll take that ratio. And in a bizarre circumstance they gave it the good ol' college try attempting to come back from 3-0 down. With only minutes left in an abbreviated second period in fact, Zach Parise scored off a rebound but the goal was waved off after the refs lost sight of the puck.

Parise's goal being waved off was a tough break, for despite applying the same pressure they did on the Tampa defense Friday they were still down by the same 3-0 score, and actually were fortunate the game wasn't totally out of reach after having to kill off two penalties in the latter half of the period. Tampa's goals on Friday came from Steve Downie off a deflection of a Kurtis Foster point shot at 6:58 of the first, Brandon Bochenski taking advantage of a Rob Niedermayer turnover to score on a quick turnaround at 5:13 of the second, and Martin St.Louis and Steven Stamkos combining on a two-on-none goal in front just moments before the lights went out. Both Downie and Bochenski's goals came on the power play.

Interestingly there were lineup changes adding to an already surreal setting, although in Tampa's case they were given two injury exemptions after Mattias Ohlund and Matt Smaby were both hurt in last night's game against the Flyers, with Andrei Meszaros and David Hale replacing them in the lineup. Also, Yann Danis relieved Martin Brodeur for the Devils after Brodeur had played on Friday (giving up three goals on seven shots) and Saturday, giving Marty two full days off before the latest Battle of the Hudson on Tuesday. And while both referees from Friday's game were able to return for tonight's finish, two new linesmen had to join them for tonight's conclusion.

For the third period, the Devils returned and couldn't make a dent in the Tampa net until finally Jamie Langenbrunner's nifty backhand pass had eyes and eluded two Lightning sticks on its way to a wide-open Travis Zajac in front, and the center scored his 12th goal of the season at 8:36 of the third, momentarily getting the Devils back in the game at 3-1. Johnny Oduya also picked up a secondary assist on the goal (incredibly his first of the year), but his next shift proved disasterous when an ill-timed pinch led to a two-on-one with Stamkos and St. Louis alone with Andy Greene. Worse, Greene chased St. Louis to the boards to get a loose puck, a race he would not win nor could he prevent St. Louis's pass to a wide-open Stamkos that gave him his second goal of the game and restoring the three-goal cushion just 99 seconds later.

From there I pretty much stopped paying attention as the die was fully cast although Parise would score his 20th goal of the year with 33.2 seconds remaning to make the score closer and start the 'what if' game, as in what if the goal in the second period had counted and both defensemen didn't brain cramp on one shift midway through the third? On Friday, the Devils registered a 20-7 advantage in shots and today it would be 15-7 but none of that mattered in the end as the Devils did go down to the expected defeat.

Oh well, at least the team didn't disgrace themselves in their effort today under trying circumstances, suffered no injuries and actually gave Danis a little work though he still hasn't actually started a game since November 22, and I don't see that changing until at the very earliest January 23 when the Devils play in Long Island a day after a home contest with the Canadiens. If then. I didn't particuarly like Stan Fischler asking the players afterward if it felt like a preseason game, not when they played all-out to try to salvage something from the mess Friday night but I'm sure the crowd size probably contributed to that perception.

And to their credit, the team allowed the fans who were there to move down to the lower level for the third period and finally - if belatedly - thanked them for their patience the other night during the first stoppage of the third. Although the Devils still did a bad job in regards to letting fans know about parking, since it took writer Tom Gulutti asking around to finally get the word out (mere hours before gametime) that fans could bring their parking stubs from the other night and park for free, or park at half-price for $15 in the arena parking lot if they didn't have a stub. And we'll see just what else they compensate ticket holders with in terms of a free game, etc on Tuesday.

BoNY Three Stars:

1. Mike Smith (33/35 saves)
2. Steven Stamkos (two goals)
3. Zach Parise (goal)

Parise's OT winner extends Devils 'streak' - for now

After the chaos of Friday night, the Devils put in a terrific encore that was just about hockey less than 24 hours later, beating the Canadiens 2-1 in overtime in what was by all accounts an entertaining and up-tempo game. Hard for me to believe these are the same two teams that played at the Rock less than a month ago in a snooze-fest, but maybe Canadiens coach Jacques Martin is a little more willing to open it up now that they have Andrei Markov and ex-Devil Brian Gionta back in the lineup.

Can't say as I was really able to enjoy the whole game seeing as I was still wrapped up in the Jets postgame after their big playoff win. It was really the late second period when I started watching this game intently but I saw both goals - nice passing by Jamie Langenbrunner and Zach Parise that led to Travis Zajac's wrister giving the Devils an early lead at 4:07 and Zajac his eleventh goal of the season. And still leading 1-0 the Devils gave up a power play goal at 7:38 of the second when a Roman Hamrlik shot hit off the post and skidded on the goalline long enough for the notorious Scott Gomez to tap it in and again have bragging rights over Martin Brodeur (after his big season against us two years ago when he first left).

I also saw plenty of high-quality saves from Brodeur and Montreal starter Jaroslav Halak. Halak's certainly making his case to be the #1 in Montreal right now, especially when you compare his performance with Carey Price's at the Rock a month ago, where Price's bad goal allowed to Illka Pikkaranen was the difference in that 2-1 loss. Brodeur would make 29 stops and Halak 26, as the game somehow remained at 1-1 going into overtime despite both teams getting their share of real opportunities.

Interestingly, the Devils hadn't had a game decided in OT yet this year though several times they've had to play the extra five minutes before a shootout. Just as I was thinking we would have to go that route again to beat Halak, the shootout amazingly started early thanks to a break - of a Parise stick. He went to the bench to get a replacement and was still at the blueline when Zajac looped a pass out of the zone that found Zach all alone for a breakaway. He deked Halak and roofed a shot shortside for a dramatic winner 2:38 into the overtime that nearly made Doc Emrick lose his voice and gave Parise his 19th goal of the season, and an important one at that.

Why was Parise's goal so important? After all the Devils had won two straight sixty-minute games before last night (haha) and were still in first overall in the Eastern Conference. Of course the Sabres are red-hot right behind them and making up ground daily but more pressingly, the Devils will finish up a likely loss today against Tampa, then go to the Garden for the first of four tough road games on Tuesday against a suddenly hot Rangers team after all of the nonsense that's happened this week. A loss last night could easily have snowballed into a bad streak.

That said, I'm glad they're finishing up this game today. I'm not like the Bill Polian and Jim Caldwell-like Devil fans who would rather punt the game and see the team give no effort worrying about injury, the upcoming schedule and expending effort. Well gee, if last night's slate of NHL games wasn't an indicator that you play everything out then I don't know what is, what with the Wild coming from four goals down against the mighty Blackhawks in the third period before winning in a shootout and the Islanders blowing a three-goal lead (again) and giving the Coyotes a point in Phoenix.

And I'm glad my team doesn't think like that either, they'll give a representative effort although to be honest I hope they play Yann Danis for the thirty minutes today instead of having Brodeur between the pipes three days straight and four out of five, even if it does technically add up to only three full games. Then again I'm whistling in an empty room here, as Jacques Lemaire reiterated the other day there are no plans to rest Brodeur in the immediate future.

In any event, hopefully the second 'half' turns out better today than the first half did on Friday.

BoNY Three Stars:

1. Zach Parise (goal, assist, +1)
2. Martin Brodeur (29/30 saves)
3. Jaroslav Halak (26/28 saves)

Donald Brashear vs. Shawn Thornton

Well, I didn't get to see the game today as I had a couple of bball games to score in Park Slope. On what otherwise was a good day for the Blueshirts, who prevailed 3-1 over the Bruins to reach 50 points and continue an upswing, here we see $1.4 million waste Donald "Huggy Bear" Brashear get dusted by a couple of Shawn Thornton rights.

Well, at least they got the first three with a three-point game from Brandon Dubinsky. Erik Christensen added a goal and helper as he continues to flourish at his fourth stop. Not bad for bargain basement. Most encouraging is that Marian Gaborik isn't scoring but the Rangers are finding ways to win. Others are stepping up. And Henrik Lundqvist was strong again stopping an early penalty shot en route to 29 saves- improving to 8-1-2 over his last 11.

Lots to like headed into Tuesday's Battle of Hudson at MSG. Does our team have a shot? We'll get a better idea of where they are.

Devils-Lightning game to be completed at 6 PM tomorrow

As per Tom Gulutti via the Fire and Ice blog about a half hour ago, both teams have agreed to finish the remainder of their game tomorrow night at 6 PM. All tickets from Friday's incomplete game will be honored, and unsold seats will be available for box office price (even on a weekend, how many get sold to a 'game' where you're down 3-0? Maybe ten...and that's only if there are $35's available).

Probably the team could do nothing different here, cause it wouldn't be fair to the paying customers for Friday to give the Sunday buyers a discount unless you got your money back for Friday's fiasco. And that might still happen, since owner Jeff Vanderbeek promised 'communication' with all ticket holders from that game. So it's probably important to withhold further judgement at least from that aspect until after Sunday.

With the game itself it was probably the fairest solution since both teams have two days off after Saturday and the Lightning will still be in the area after their game with the Flyers in Philly tonight before their home game Tuesday against the Capitals, plus if you waited down the road to settle this you would run into more problems with what to do about injuries, trades and all other new players on rosters and whether they should be allowed to play in the continuation of the game. As it is, if anyone gets hurt tonight (since both teams play) the NHL will have another issue to deal with.

I'm only surprised the Prudential Center could round up enough staff in time to play the game tomorrow since there was nothing scheduled at the arena. I also wonder how bad the ice will be after being used three times this week for hockey and tonight for college basketball. As far as the fans, it doesn't give them enough time to change weekend plans to make the replay on the one hand but on the other it does at least give out-of-town visitors and college students a theoretical chance to make it back for the finish. Thankfully the Jets' playoff game starts in a half hour today and not tomorrow, which would have made the decision even tougher for local fans if the two games somehow conflicted, but I doubt many will be able to show up or have the interest to do so quite honestly. Not in a game where we're down 3-0 halfway through and playing for the third straight night.

While Gulutti's blog this morning was a bit over-the-top, upon further review I do think the Devils could also have done better by the fans last night. At least run the MSG broadcast on the jumbotron, the fans would have had some form of update (and real entertainment) during the hour and forty minutes of limbo. Plus as I said last night it just looks bad when the players and staff are already clearing the ice before the announcement's actually made to the fans.

During his brief stint as an owner, Vanderbeek's proven to be more fan-friendly than his predecessors, as beloved as John McMullen may have been PR was never the team's strong point anyway but it's been getting better. In my mind at this point though, he's going to have to do more than just give the fans a voucher for a free game that in all likelihood only serves to paper the attendance for a game that would otherwise have about 14,000 or less. What more is, I don't know but I do think given his track record he'll come up with something halfway decent.

UPDATE: And the Devils have now in fact stated that all ticket holders will be guaranteed a free game down the road in addition to being allowed into tomorrow's conclusion (details still to come). At least it's a bare minimum start. Hopefully they also make parking around the arena free tomorrow for anyone with a ticket stub, it wouldn't do to make people pay twice for parking. Not sure there's much you can do about the train costs though.