Devils handle Habs 4-1.Brodeur injured

In a game that saw Martin Brodeur earn the win despite leaving the game due to injury after one period,the New Jersey Devils easily handled the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in Quebec on Super Bowl Sunday.
Ilya Kovalchuk led the Devils with two goals (16 and 17 empty net) with Dainius Zubrus (10) and Travis Zajac (9) scoring the other goals.
The Devils host Carolina tomorrow night in the first of three matchups against the Hurricanes over the next eleven days....

Hell Raisers

1) Martin Brodeur injured his right knee in the first period and will not start tomorrow against Carolina.
Johan Hedberg finished the game yesterday and will get the start tomorrow.
Brodeur finished the period and left the game during intermission and watched the remainder of the game from the skyboxes....

2) Brodeur has played so well of late and the Devils have to be hoping that he misses just a short period of time.
Ever since Jacques Lemaire sat Brodeur for a stretch to work on some issues,Brodeur has been back to his dominant self.

3) The likely roster addition for Brodeur tomorrow night will be Mike McKenna from Albany as the emergency need replacement.
This would be the third time this season for McKenna,who played in one game in his earlier stints..

4) Ilya Kovalchuk was the best player on the ice for both teams and if not for two terrific saves by Carey Price,Kovalchuk could have had four goals on the day.
I know most would say that Kovalchuk turns it on when it is meaningless and they might have a point,but I am hoping that he is finally adjusting to what the Devils do....

5) Loved the Devils forecheck yesterday,especially in the first period.
Often times the forecheck is what establishes the tone of the game and New Jersey forced Montreal into defensive mode early by dominating on the forecheck...

6) One more word on a player that didn't start well,but has picked his game up strongly of late in Henrik Tallinder.
Tallinder struggled early in the season,but over the last month has played well and seems to teaching Mark Fayne and Anssi Salmela a bit about being a NHL D-Man.
Tallinder was credited for helping Tyler Myers considerably last year in Buffalo and it was hoped that he would be the same type of tutor for the Devils,which right now he is...

Hope to be back later with some Super Bowl thoughts or maybe Part five of the Danny Rosenbaum interview....

Photo Credit:AP Photo

Cleaning out the Inbox

Time for a inbox cleaning and we start with football with the announcement of the Hall of Fame inductees for 2011 and the fast whining of Steeler fans concerning the missing Jerome Bettis and Dermontti Dawson from the class.
Sorry, "stiller" fans,but Jerome Bettis is the Craig Biggio of football.Good career numbers based on years in the game that piled and hit the point of "Well,they reached number X,so they'll get in....
He will get his induction to Canton eventually and his numbers will get him into the shrine,but the truth is that Bettis rolled up his numbers over longevity and wasn't really the type of force that deserves first ballot induction.
As for Dermontti Dawson,he was the best center of his time and he also will eventually get in and deservedly so.
The main problem for centers and guards getting in is that there is no measurable statistics for them and even though tackles have the same problem,tackle is a more visible position than on the interior line.
Considering that,offensive linemen will usually get edged out by players at other positions that have stats that can be measured.
Both players will get in,just relax a bit.

More Hall of Fame thoughts on who did get in.
Deion Sanders is an annoying,pompous self promoter,who rarely tackled anyone.
That said,he was the best cover corner of his time and deserves the call,despite how it pains me to write that.

Marshall Faulk was a game changer,a player that teams had to set their defensive game plan around in his years with the Colts and Rams.
Faulk might have been the best all around back of the last 40 years and that says a lot.
Anyone that says Jerome Bettis deserves induction over Marshall Faulk needs to either A) Take their black and yellow glasses off and look at things realistically or B) Enroll in our "Learn how to watch football beyond rooting for your favorite team" course that will be available as soon as you want to pay for it.....

Ed Sabol was a slam dunk for his work with NFL Films and should have been in years ago for his contributions.
If you are under 45,you likely had a large portion of your football addiction started by Ed Sabol and NFL Films.
Anyone complaining about the rush to add Ed Sabol over anyone else,needs to realize that Ed Sabol is 94 years old,he deserved it years ago and doing this now allows him to see his induction.
If that means Cris Carter,Jerome Bettis and Curtis Martin wait a year,I am more than fine with that...

Richard Dent was one of those players that was a borderline pick to me.
Dent has waited a while and I wouldn't argue against him,but I wouldn't argue for him really either.

Shannon Sharpe strikes me as the same,nothing to scream about being in or out.
A borderline guy as no team ever worried about the focus of their defense being shutting down Shannon Sharpe.
Sharpe is much like Jerome Bettis though, as he accumulated enough numbers over time that he got in despite being a good,not great player.
Sharpe does have a TV pulpit though and never underestimate that in his getting in.

The NFL Veterans Committee got two players in with the additions of Les Richter and Chris Hanburger.
Richter was way before my time,but I liked this pick with Richter playing three positions,center,linebacker and kicker and made eight pro bowls in his nine year career.
Hanburger was a player that I did see and he was a very good,not great player.
Seems like the key anymore is getting the Veterans Committee recommendation as they don't seem to turn many of those players down....

ESPN doesn't have a large number of real quality journalists on either their network or website.
Fortunately,they have one in Wright Thompson,who scores again with an excellent article on Vince Lombardi's house and the shrine that it has become to Packer fans.
It also deals with the current owners,who bought the house from Lombardi and has tons of photos of the interior of the home...

Finally,an interesting idea that will never happen discusses the idea of the "Cleveland/Pittsburgh Metropolitan area" .
This area could become a powerhouse through working together and go a long way towards helping economic problems in both Northern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.
And each city could keep their own sports teams!!!!

Win some Lose some

The New Jersey Devils earned three of a possible four points in their back to back games against the Rangers and Panthers and the Devils did win the game that I would prefer to win of the two,so things aren't all bad.
Breaks even out over the course of a season,so I think,but they quickly broke even in the course of two nights as the Devils held off the Rangers with a Ranger smack off the crossbar as time expired with the would be game tying goal scattering away from a beaten Martin Brodeur that left the Devils with a 3-2 win over the Blueshirts.
Devils goals to Ilya Kovalchuk (15),Dainius Zubrus (9) and Brian Rolston (7)
Florida evened the score with a shorthanded goal that saw Ilya Kovalchuk lose control of the puck and Johan Hedberg miss badly on the pokecheck on Mike Santorelli,who cruised into the open net for the goal that forced overtime and a 4-3 Panther win.
Devils goals to Jason Arnott (13),Travis Zajac (8) and Mark Fayne (3).
New Jersey visits Montreal tomorrow for a Super Bowl Sunday afternoon matchup....


Hell Raisers

1) The common thread in both games was the Devils holding on for dear life at the end of both contests.
Against the Rangers,New Jersey held a 3-0 lead and had sent Henrik Lundquist to the bench and appeared to be on their way to a huge win.
Instead a flat third period and a fortunate crossbar turned a runaway into a barely held onto W.

2) The Devils took some breaks of their own to even earn the point against Florida with all three goals that were set up by fortunate bounces.
Travis Zajac tapped a puck into the net after a Tomas Vokoun misplay on a clearing attempt,while Jason Arnott's was on a rebound off a well wide shot by Henrik Tallinder.
Mark Fayne scored on a bouncing puck that he knuckled over Nick Palmieri and past Vokoun.
One could argue that the Devils were lucky to get one point and they might be right,but they should have gotten two....

3) The shorthanded misplay by Johan Hedberg was awkward at best and Hedberg does seem to go to it often.
Mike Santorelli looked prepared for the maneuver as he easily cruised around the Moose and sent the Devils on their way to the loss.

4) The power play unit now only allowed the game tying goal,they were not a threat offensively.
The Devils have not scored in their last ten power play tries.
That isn't going to get it done.

5) Brian Rolston and Patrik Elias each had scoring streaks snapped in the loss.,but both had chances and Elias in particular has stepped up his game as of late....

Back later with the final part of our interview with Danny Rosenbaum

Photo Credit-AP Photo

Danny Rosenbaum Interview-Part 4

Our five part interview with Danny Rosenbaum continues today with part four.

TRS: What was your favorite SAL park to visit and which were your least and why?

 

DR:My favorite was either Lakewood, Greenville or West Virginia, those are all great places to play at, great atmospheres. Least was Asheville, because of that 300 ft fence. I'm glad I didn't have to pitch there.

 

TRS:  Do you train full time in the off season or do you work a job (full or part time)?

 

DR: Yeah,I train 5 days a week, full go. I give my body a little break after the season and then get back to work to get my body ready for the upcoming season. Working wise, I do some things for my dad, he sells video games and I'm his assistance basically. I also give lessons to about 5 kids and try to sell some stuff on eBay. I'm trying to find anyway I can to make money.

 

TRS:  Your numbers at both Hagerstown and Potomac were tremendous especially compared to your stats at Xavier.
You are now appearing on the prospect radar,do you read any of these sites or do they hold little interest for you?

 

DR: It's nice to know that but it really doesn't matter. Every season starts from square one, whether you have a good season or bad season, you can't dwell on that. You have to prove yourself every year.

 

TRS:Upon your promotion to the Carolina League,did you see a difference in the caliber of play right away?
Any differences in the parks or off the field?

 

DR: Yeah , I saw some difference, you get to play against some older players that have more experience. Talent wise it's the same, but as you keep moving up you play against more players that are wiser and that play the game more consistently. Ball parks, we played in some pretty nice ball parks, I really enjoyed playing at Winston Salem, Myrtle Beach, and Salem.

 

TRS:What are your non-baseball interests?

DR: I enjoy doing little projects, I like working with my hands, I enjoy architecture designing things and building them. I also enjoy playing video games like any other guy. And one thing that I have taken interest in, is sign language. I took it in college. I got away from it last year but I'm going to get back into this year because I have so much free time.

Photo Credits
Rosenbaum:GoXavier.com
The Wall:Ryan Heimberger

Senior Bowl Snippets

After last week's look at the East/West Shrine game,here is a few thoughts on some players that caught my eye from last weeks Senior Bowl in Mobile,Alabama....

Christian Ponder of Florida State was the game MVP and raised his stock in my eyes.
Ponder had a better arm and deep ball than I had thought and I liked his quick release.
Ponder was the biggest winner on the offensive side of the ball.

Jake Locker continues his fall with a less than strong outing.
Locker has never been the most accurate passer and I failed to see the prospects that others saw in Locker after the 2009 season.
Someone will take Locker in round one or two and likely regret it....

I really liked Derrick Locke,a running back from Kentucky.
Locke showed speed and quickness around the end and made people miss.
Locke has had injury issues,but all and all,I liked him a lot.

I also would find a spot for the smallish runner,Noel Devine of West Virginia.
Devine's small stature will likely keep him from being a full time back,but as a change of pace back Devine could be quite effective especially if he shows that he can catch the football out of the backfield.

Not too many receivers stood out.Dane Sanzenbacher was what he was as a Buckeye-a solid possession receiver and the Boise State pair of Titus Young and Austin Pettus could help some team,but not a great group of pass catchers.

On the defensive side of the football,a few players stood out,but one most of all.
Greg Jones of Michigan State is going to be a player that goes later than he should because he is a 5'11 linebacker and some team is going to take him in the second or third round.
That team will then have a hard hitting,run to the ball backer that doesn't take plays off,could be a three down player for the next ten to twelve years.
Yep,I would love to see Greg Jones in Cleveland.
Tell you what-Give me A.J.Green in round one and Greg Jones in round two and I'll be flexible on what the Browns take in rounds three-seven.

I liked the hard working Purdue defensive end Ryan Kerrigan throughout his career and I think Kerrigan is going to be a solid all around defensive end with better than expected pass rush ability.
Von Miller of Texas A&M looks like a good de/lb fit for a team running a 3-4 with speed off the edge.
I also liked what I saw from ends Jeremy Beal of Oklahoma and Sam Acho of Texas as second or third day picks with upside.
Christian Ballard of Iowa has been a favorite of mine for years and the defensive tackle had a strong Senior Bowl.
Ballard is the rarest of defensive lineman,a solid pass rusher from the interior line.

Much of the secondary didn't stand out to me except for one-corner Kendrick Burney of North Carolina.
Burney looks to be a better fit for a zone defense than in a man to man system,but his skills look strong if he goes to the right team...

One more college all-star game to go,the smaller NFLPA game that is on Friday,I think.
If I can,I'll try to watch and do another review....

Some memories are best left in the past

Some of the best memories of the younger years of my childhood was of watching Ashland College (now university) basketball.
My dad took me to almost every game that he could when we lived in Ashland and the reward was seeing one of the most unique teams of its times.
Ashland featured top notch teams,a ferocious shut down defense that set NCAA records for points allowed in a season (33.9) and a pre-game show that would be a television staple if anyone did their routine today.

Considering the memories and the fact that locally unless one wants to drive to Emmitsburg for Mount St.Mary's basketball (Division I to Ashland Division II) over some less than inviting roads in the winter-basketball here is scarce,unless you wish to watch high school hoops,I was excited to see that Sports Time Ohio had an Ashland basketball game from Kates Gymnasium against a top 25 opponent from Wayne State on their network.
Because I rarely get to visit Ohio during Basketball season,I had not stepped inside Kates since moving back to Maryland and one could not expect every thing to be the same over that long period of time,but I was looking forward to the game even if just to bring back some old memories of my day with names that none of you remember but are names in my mind such as Bubba Jones,Kevin Wilson and Rob Spivery to name just a few....

The game was decent enough and Ashland pulled the 57-56 upset off with a late rush and was pretty much carried to the victory by Blake Saunders,who seemed like every time a play was made or needed to be made,Saunders either made it or put another player in the position to make the needed play.
I also was really impressed with the Eagles young coach John Ellenwood,who kept the Eagles in the contest and looks to be a comer in the coaching profession.
Still.something was missing.

The crowd wasn't as I remembered even though it was constantly mentioned that it was "Pack the House" night,it didn't even look half full,although the cameras generally only looked at one side of the gym,so it could have been larger than it looked on the tube.
Not a lot of noise and the Eagles that seemed to be omnipresent were generally away from the roost.
Even the center court logo that used to feature the huge cartoon Eagle had been replaced by the generic Ashland title.
The gym that used to be covered in Purple and Gold looked like any other gym and could have been swapped for another facility and no one could have known the difference.

Ashland was a basketball school and this is what it had dropped to?
Not really,you see I remembered things from the eyes of a child and never had the chance to see anything different since those days.
In my mind,Ashland basketball was still Bill Musselman,Keep the Ball rollin' blaring from the speakers,the Pete Maravich like ball handling extravaganzas and victories every night.
Those days seem like just a few years past,but they are forty years old now.
I just never had the opportunity to see anything different and sometimes that can be quite a sobering blow.
Sometimes,the best memories can be the ones that never get updated.....

Zubrus zaps Senators

Today should be a multiple post day as I catch up on things after spending yesterday preparing for baseball season with some cleanup card work.
Should be at least one and possibly two more posts later in the day....

The New Jersey Devils returned from the All-Star break with a tight to the vest and hard fought 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators at the Rock.
Dainius Zubrus caught a break (8) with just under six minutes to go as his attempted pass caught Ottawa's Chris Phillips on the shoulder and the rebound sent the puck over the shoulder of Robin Lehner for the game winner.
Nick Palmieri scored (4) the Devils other goal.
New Jersey takes today off before hosting the Rangers Thursday night in the first of a six games in nine days run of games.

Hell Raisers

1) The Zubrus goal was lucky to be sure and those things happen in hockey,but what wasn't lucky about the goal was the attacking the net.
Both the Zubrus and Nick Palmieri goals came as a direct result of being on the attack and moving the puck towards the net instead of outside it.
This may sound like remedial hockey,but all too often the Devils have gotten away from that.

2) Alexander Urbom was called up from Albany to add depth to the defense with Colin White injured and Mark Fayne down with illness,but was scratched when White surprisingly returned.
That was a surprise even to the MSG guys as they didn't know until warmups that White was going to play....

3) Light night for Martin Brodeur in the win as he had to make just 15 saves.
The Ottawa goal was in a five on three man advantage,so all and all an easy night for Brodeur...

4) The Nick Palmieri goal was odd as well as Ilya Kovalchuk was pushed down on the ice and looked to be injured.
Play was never whistled dead and Palmieri kept driving with the play moving and scored.
Kovalchuk continued to play,so the injury must not have been serious....

5) The biggest story of the night is the conflicting words on the possible sale of the team.
Jeff Vanderbeek and Brick City Management have been at odds for a while and both are saying different things.
Vanderbeek appears to believe that this is a matter of him buying out Brick City.
Brick City is of the opinion that the paperwork will show that the team and the arena will be sold entirely to someone outside of the team.
Yet,a third report says that this is all false!
I have no idea on what is right or wrong on this,but it will be interesting to see how long this takes,who has to sell or buy what and what the result will be on the Devils as an organization.....

Photo Credit:Paul Bereswill/Getty Images