Devils,Pirates and Browns-Oh my!

All three teams on one day?
Yup,as the Pirates played in game one of the NLDS,the Browns hosted Buffalo and the Devils opening their season in Pittsburgh against the Penguins.

The Pirates were blown out so quickly with seven Cardinal runs in the third inning in St.Louis that after six innings,I was through.
I ordinarily don't quit on games in that manner,but the end of the Pirates had a chance to cross over with the Browns start and since the game was so lopsided,it made the decision easy for me.

The Browns won a wild one over the Bills and for three days put the Browns in sole possession of first place,which will last a week since they now have to play Brandon Weeden again.
However,my thoughts on that will have to wait a day or two because I was only able to watch the first half in order to go to the road office.
I listened to the second half,but I'll get to that after I can watch the second half on tape....

That leaves the Devils and their loss in Pittsburgh to the Penguins 3-0
Wish I could give some scoring credits,but that isn't happening.
The Devils will play tonight against the Islanders in their home opener...

Hell Raisers

1) I wrote in the team preview that this team was slow and this game brought that to the table.
They are very slow and are going to have major problems with teams that are quick on the skates.
This tells me that the Devils are going to have to begin the process of bringing in faster skaters to their system...

2) Cory Schneider did not look bad in getting the start,but he wasn't on top of his game either.
None of three shots that got by him were awful goals,but all might have been stopped as well....

3) Like the aggressiveness by Ryane Clowe in getting into a fight at the end of the first period with Tanner Glass.
Clowe took exception to Glass hitting Bryce Salvador a hair late and jumped in.
I like that from a new player,but one caveat-Clowe has a concussion history and this might be a train that isn't worth following.

4) Jaromir Jagr did not play a pre-season game,so he was understandably rusty,but he looked almost glacial on the ice.
I hope this is a rust issue and not a I'm shot issue because if that's it,look out.

5) Marek Zidlicky is being paid to be an offensive defenseman and passing up the open net to pass the puck shows a lack of smarts.
That play was the best chance of the evening and Zidlicky passed it up and that is not what he is being paid for..

6) Opening night and Peter Harrold is playing over Mark Fayne?
I'm not a fan of either,but I question that decision.

7) Finally,the Devils lost Alexander Urbom when the team attempted to slide him through waivers as the Devils reached the 23 man roster limit.
Urbom was claimed by Washington and although I wished the Devils would have gotten something for a talented player,Urbom was third at best in the system's stockpile of blueline prospects.

Photo Credit:Gene Puskar-AP Photo