What the hell is going on?

The New Jersey Devils turned what should have been an ordinary home game into a soap opera like saga complete with star issues and a poor performance by the understudy in goal as the Devils played absolutely pathetic hockey in a 6-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
Zach Parise (3) scored the only Devils goal in third period garbage time.
The Devils visit the Rangers tonight in what will be the first of a six game road swing that sends the Devils to all three California teams,Vancouver and Chicago before a November 5th return to the Rock against the Rangers.

Hell Raisers

1) John MacLean scratched Ilya Kovalchuk for the game and Kovalchuk was classified as a "Healthy Scratch" without any given reason for the decision other than MacLean's statement that "He knows what he did".
MacLean and Kovalchuk must know,but no one else does as none of the players questioned had any idea what the issue was.
I have no idea either,but one thing is for sure-John MacLean had better hope this team plays some better hockey soon as the Devils aren't paying Kovalchuk's contract for him to sit and watch.
In a battle with star and coach,the star usually wins,although this is new territory for the Devils.

2) Rod Pelley suffered a broken nose and an ugly gash as well from taking a shot off the honker from a deflected Jason Arnott shot.
It looked pretty nasty,but Pelley returned in the third period with a full face visor.Why more players don't wear those is a wonder to me....

3) Johan Hedberg got his start and was chased without finishing the second period.Drew Stafford beat Hedberg on Buffalo's first shot and Hedberg let in three more with none of those being especially tough shots.Marty Brodeur mopped up.
Hedberg had been off for a while,so I'll give him a break on this one,but this type of play could have been spent on a cheaper goalie and saved the cap space...

4) Alexander Vasyunov made his NHL debut in the game as he was called up from Albany.Vasyunov took Kovalchuk's space in the lineup.
No word on Kovalchuk's return against the Rangers tonight or whether Vasyunov will remain with the team.

5) What might be the worst of all of this mess is that the veteran defensemen are worse than the young kids.
Matt Corrente and Oliver Magnon made some mistakes last night as each stood around on a goal that Buffalo slammed in off the rebounds,but that is expected with young players.
Henrik Tallinder fell down and virtually handed Buffalo one goal,Colin White was his usual concrete skated self and Andy Greene even was standing around on occasion.
Anton Volchenkov-you are missed!

6) It is early to push the panic button,but the way that Devils hockey is being played and an imposing road trip beginning tonight,could John MacLean be in hot water already?
I cannot imagine Lou Lamoriello being happy with the team's play and he is not the type to tolerate this for long....

7_ Just an odd note-the Devils are winless in games that the opponent has scored a goal....