Kinkaid brilliance not enough in Chicago loss

For the second night in a row,the New Jersey Devils received an extraordinary performance in goal,but this time the opposition was better as the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Devils in the shootout for a 3-2 triumph at the Rock.
Keith Kinkaid finished with 37 saves in his first NHL start in a stellar effort.
Jordan Tootoo (2) and Stephen Gionta (2) scored for the battered Devils,who will be in Philadelphia on Thursday....

Hell Raisers

1) Keith Kinkaid was sensational in his first start and it was even more remarkable when you consider the competition of one of the better teams in the league.
Kinkaid may have been overwhelmed in the shootout by two of the best players in the game (Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane),but otherwise performed very well,

2) Kinkaid was called up earlier in the day from Albany with the Devils playing yet another back to back game set and didn't get there until a few hours before the game.
As far I am concerned,if the Devils want to actually play the backup once in a while,I'd rather see Kinkaid than Scott Clemmensen....

3) Cory Schneider asked for a night off and Rachel (who generally complains about Schneider whenever she can) said that "he wanted to play all the time,he should play".
Asking out of the lineup happens in baseball and Schneider has started every game but one entering last night.
In my opinion,playing Martin Brodeur far too much was an issue in his later years and it appears that it is rearing its head again.
I liked that Schneider asked out (this time) and think it would help him and the Devils to sprinkle Keith Kinkaid in more often....

4) The defense ranged to poor to good,but the penalty killers did kill off a 5 on 3 that looked to have doomed the game.
New Jersey is slowly starting to turn that problem around and must credit where it is do.

5) Dainius Zubrus was injured against Carolina and Reid Boucher was called from the A-Devils.
Boucher was less than remarkable in this one,but the short notice could have been a factor-at least I hope.

6) Travis Zajac and Adam Larsson have been diagnosed with the mumps.
It appears to be on its way out as Zajac has resumed skating,but it took this long to know this for sure?

7) The team needs to work on one final thing that I noticed-the team doesn't clear the puck well.
I lost count of how many times that the puck was just lying there after a interrupted pass and Chicago was able to keep in the Devils zone.
That is not just a problem of the defensemen,that is a forward issue as well and it needs to be addressed..

I'll be around from the road office later tonight with a boxing challenge update and perhaps a Q and A since I haven't had one of those in a while....