Devils stop skid against Ottawa

The New Jersey Devils had picked up only one point in their last three games and needed to get things on track in the first of three games in four days.
They were able to do just that in a 3-1 win over the Ottawa Senators at the Rock.
Devils goals to Nicklas Bergfors in the first (6),the game winner to Patrik Elias in the second (1) and an empty netter to Jamie Langenbrunner (5).
The Devils will take Thanksgiving Day off before back to back matinee games in Boston and a home game against the Islanders.....

Hell Raisers

1) The Devils caught a few breaks on both goals that eluded the new Ottawa netminder Brian Elliott.
On Bergfors goal,Andy Greene was just dumping the puck into the boards,the puck took a fortuitous bounce to Bergfors on the opposite side of the net from Elliott.
It was simple as a tap a roo from there....

2) The second Devil goal came off a Greene shot that Patrik Elias redirected by Elliott.
Nothing that Elliott could do about either play and I was quite impressed with the former Wisconsin goalie....

3) Patrik Elias has been playing a lot of center with the injuries to Dainius Zubrus and Rob Niedermayer and was expected to return to left wing when Niedermayer returns soon.
Elias could stay at center longer,if the Devils continue to need pivots more than wingers.

4) Andrew Peters knocked two Senators from the game,although Alexandre Picard would later return.
Peters renewed an old rivalry with Ottawa's Chris Neil by sending him from the game with what looked like a knee to knee connection and could have been called a penalty.
Ottawa boss Terry Murray though it was a dirty hit and that Peters led with his knee.
I can see his point,but I tend to believe it was more of Peters being a weak skater and smashing Neil rather than something dirty.
Ryan says these two were always at each others throats when Peters was with Buffalo and they met eight times a year,so maybe past history had something to do with Murray's feelings.

5) Tim Sestito continues to see playing time as Rod Pelley has been a healthy scratch.
When you consider that Pelley was talked about as the John Madden replacement during the off season,this indicates to me that someone (or ones) is unhappy with Pelley's play.
Could Pelley and not Sestito be the player returning to Lowell when a center returns???

6) At the games end as Jamie Langenbrunner prepared to dump the puck into the empty net,suddenly a stick flew by (later to be discovered as Daniel Alfredsson's) and missed the puck.
Replays show that the official was pointing to the goal as a goal before the puck made it to the net.
So,keep that in mind the next time a thrown stick deliberately appears on the ice!

Photo Credit-Bill Kostroun-AP Photo