Devils season ends in Tampa

A disjointed offense and five second period penalties wasted an excellent performance in net by Cory Schneider as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-1 in game five of their Eastern Conference series and ended the season for the Devils.
The Devils were held scoreless throughout the game before a Kyle Palmieri goal with Cory Schneider pulled from the game for an extra skater moved the Devils to within a goal with three minutes remaining before an empty net goal ended the contest.
The Devils are back in action in October.

Hell Raisers

1) Cory Schneider singlehandedly kept the Devils in a game that they had no business being in.
Schneider made some incredible saves and in the second period alone was amazing against five Tampa power plays.
The best part of the series was the return of Cory Schneider to form and that could go a long way to the Devils making the next step in 2018-19.

2) Give the penalty killers some credit as well for standing tall in that second period.
It took a ton out of the legs of those killers and likely had something to do with the lack of offensive chances as the game moved on.

3) The Devils would have only one power play and it was unsuccessful.
I'm not going to say there was a disparity in penalties, but it did turn out that way.

4) Let's move on to the end of the season.
I didn't expect to see playoff hockey, I didn't watch much hockey at all really.
I didn't think that the trade of Adam Henrique to Anaheim to affect me that much and even though that trade is part of the game, I didn't expect that I wouldn't watch as much without Rachel.
Rachel seemed to watch the playoffs, so I have hopes of watching more next season.

5) The Devils made a huge leap in simply making the postseason, but they have some ways to go before being true contenders.
They still need to improve scoring on the second and third lines, which I think will improve with Nico Hischier moving into his second year alone, the defense still needs to add scoring and more speed.
The big issue will be whether the Devils want to reward Keith Kinkaid for his play during the season or return Cory Schneider to the starting job.
Could the team decide to have an open competition between the two?
All of these need to be answered in training camp.

6) Wrapping up, the Devils are a year ahead of schedule in making the playoffs.
Most thought that it would be next year that the Devils challenged for the playoffs and many times in sports when a team makes a huge leap forward, they settle back a bit the following season.
This could happen to the Devils so I would assume Ray Shero has some ideas on how to shore things up to avoid that problem.

Devils back against the wall-lose Game Four

Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The New Jersey Devils struck early on a 5 on 3 power play when Kyle Palmieri gave New Jersey a 1-0 lead in the first period.
That strike would be all the Devils could muster as the next two goals belonged to the Tampa Bay Lightning before a late empty-net goal for the 3-1 win for the visitors.
Game five is in Tampa Saturday afternoon when the Lightning can clinch the series with a win.

Hell Raisers

1) The Devils did score their only goal on the power play, but they finished 1 of 7 on the night.
The weakness of the power play and not turning more chances against an excellent team into scores isn't going to help the chances of pulling an upset

2) The hit on Sami Vatanen by Nikita Kucherov sent Vatanen from the game looked like it hit the head (and some of the shoulder) and should have been a penalty.
Vatanen would not return and the Devils paid the price with a weakened defensive squad.
Should have definitely been a penalty.

3) The game could have been socked away for Tampa earlier instead of playing so much time with a one goal lead.
Tampa scored on a goal by J.T. Miller, but a canny challenge by John Hynes showed that the Lightning were offsides before entering the zone.
That challenge allowed much more drama than the game deserved.

4) I thought Cory Schneider played well again in net with 34 saves and Schneider didn't allow a bad goal in either case.
Schneider should return in net for game five.

5) Tampa Bay has taken a ton of cheap shots in this series and as they progress through the playoffs, they will run into a team that is more physical than the Devils and thump them right back.
New Jersey is a scrappy team, but one that isn't overwhelmingly so and as a result, Tampa Bay has been taking liberties.
The game has passed by the one-dimensional enforcer type but on nights like these, I wish that the ghost of Troy Crowder or the "Polish Hammer" Kryzstof Oliwa could return for a shift or two to put some players in their place.

6) The Devils did manage to shut down the Tampa power play and didn't allow the Lightning to score a goal on the advantage for the first time in the series.
So as Bill Murray uttered in Caddyshack "So I (we) got that going for me (them).

7) Now. it's pretty clear what needs to happen and I'm not sure that it has ever happened in hockey history (I'm not looking it up,I have another wrap up to write!)- the 8th seed has to win three games in a row over the one seed with two of the three on the road.
Rough road to hoe.
How does it happen?
Hope that Cory Schneider can continue his level of play, the Devils can hang around physically (without being really stupid about it) and the power play needs to improve.
All of those things need to happen and then we'll see...

Back in the saddle-Devils win game three.

Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The New Jersey Devils needed to win both of their home games in Newark to send the series back to Florida with a legitimate chance to win.

Monday night, the Devils took care of the first part of the pair with a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning by rallying with the final four goals of the game.
Taylor Hall scored once and assisted on two more goal to a pace a suddenly alive New Jersey offense.
Devils goals to Hall (2), Blake Coleman (2 shorthanded empty net), Will Butcher (1 power play) Ben Lovejoy (1 empty net) and Stefan Noesen (1).
The series continues tomorrow night with game four in Newark and it will be televised on the Golf Channel-Yes the Golf Channel, as the network is part of the NBC family and on a rare night needs every channel that it can cobble together to show every game.

1) The man advantage wasn't great with just one goal in seven attempts, but the one goal was huge as Will Butcher tied the game with a goal in a  5 on 3 situation with a strong wrister and that goal seemed to inspire the Devils.
Still, the Devils are going to have to do more on the power play than 1 for 7, if that want to have a chance to pulling the upset in this series.

2) Cory Schneider was sharp (with one exception) in his return to the ice and first win since two days after Christmas.
I thought the Steven Stamkos goal was one that he should have been able to handle, but otherwise, Schneider's game was strong.
34 saves on 36 shots is strong enough that we can excuse one semi-soft goal.

3) Schneider did fall awkwardly during the third period Tampa Bay barrage and I was screaming at the television for him to arise.
It turned that he couldn't at the time and I wondered if he would be able to continue.
Schneider played through the pain and worked through it.
I haven't seen anything about his availability for game four, so I assume that he is ready to go.

4) Taylor Hall.
Look, I was a big fan of Adam Larsson, still remain so and I still think that he has a chance to be an All-Star level defenseman, but at the time that Taylor Hall was acquired, I thought that was a steal and it gets even better.
Taylor Hall might be the most explosive Devils offensive player in franchise history and if he isn't now- it's a matter of time.
Taylor Hall is still under contract for two more seasons at six million per (a bargain for his production) and will be just 28 at the end of the contract, conceivably entering his prime.
I know it's early, but the Devils might be well suited to look into what it would take to extend his contract now- that decision could pay huge dividends for the Devils.

5) Marcus Johansson returned from the concussion issues that sidelined him for much of the season.
Johansson played just under 15 minutes and might have fresher legs for the postseason due to the injury.
It'll be interesting to see how that plays out.

6) And we have to mention the groin shot by Victor Hedman to Nico Hischier's err "area" with ninety seconds to play.
It looked very intentional and cheap to me and even though it didn't result in a long-term injury to Hischier, Hedman should have been considered for some supplemental discipline, but was not.

7) Can the Devils sustain this effort for game four?
Will the foul-filled final minutes with fights carry over?
Can Cory Schneider continue a comeback that allows him to regain his job?
We'll find out tomorrow night-Same Bat Time, Different Golf Channel!!

Devils bolted in Tampa, trail 2-0

Photo Credit:Mike Ehrmann Getty Images

The New Jersey Devils battled the Tampa Bay Lightning even through a period, but a second-period rampage resulted in four goals in ten minutes, a benching of Keith Kinkaid and an eventual 5-3 Tampa win in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

New Jersey received one goal in each period with Nico Hischier, Sami Vatanen and Blake Coleman accounting for the Devils goals.

Game three will see the series return to Newark on Monday.

Hell Raisers

1) These two games have not presented Devils fans with a large amount of hope of pulling an upset of the top-seeded Lightning, but look at it this way- Tampa Bay has simply held serve and the Devils have to simply return the favor in Newark.
However, one slip up at the Rock and it will likely lead to eventual doom...

2) Another encouraging note was that the Devils scored three goals without Taylor Hall.
If the Devils can match that with Hall's play in game one, I still have hope that this will be a series yet.

3) I know Keith Kinkaid was sent to the showers early, but I thought he was blameless on each of the second period rushes by Tampa.
Sometimes coaches are simply looking for something to swing the pendulum back their way and a goalie switch is an easy way to attempt to do that, but the breakdown was on the defense and not on Kinkaid.

4) Cory Schneider looked good in relief and I wouldn't wager against Schneider being tabbed as the starter for game three.
Schneider didn't allow a goal and played the period plus that he saw action in the manner of Cory Schneider of old.
Could a Schneider return to the lineup swing this series with the possibility that the Devils have found the "hot goalie"?
It'll be interesting to see what John Hynes decides.

5) The Devils outshot Tampa by 18 shots (44 to 26) and again makes me think that with some good fortune along with defensive improvement (and maybe a lineup change) that the Devils can get back into this series Monday.
Perhaps that's false hope, but I believe it's possible.

Devils struck by Lightning-Lose Game One

The New Jersey Devils return to the postseason was not a smooth one as the Devils dropped game one of their series to the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 in Tampa.
New Jersey fell behind 3-0 before goals by Taylor Hall and Travis Zajac cut the lead to just a goal before Tampa pulled away to the 5-2 win.

Game two sees the teams stay in Tampa Bay Saturday as the series continues.

Hell Raisers

1) Taylor Hall finished with a goal and an assist, but the goal came on an accident when Tampa's Ondrej Palat made a brain-dead play when instead of sending the puck around the boards, Palat couldn't have given Hall a better pass unless he skated over and laid the puck on his stick.
Hall had an occasional lapse defensively, but once again did his part on offense.

2) I thought Keith Kinkaid played reasonably well in his first playoff game and considering he allowed four goals.
It's tough to blame Kinkaid for any of the four goals that he gave up and though the scoreboard doesn't indicate it, he was far from the worst offender in this defeat.

3) The Devils did allow one goal to Tampa Bay on the power play (like those rhymes, do you?), but I thought (especially in the first few chances) that they did very well with clears and they did it in a fairly physical fashion.
Tampa's power play is one of the stronger in the league, so this wasn't a total failure at least,.

4) If the Devils want to be a true contender, the team is going to have to address the defense and add another good defender.
Ben Lovejoy is terribly slow, Mirco Mueller made mistakes that directly led to two Lightning goals and John Moore seems to be always around everything but the puck.
You cannot fix everything overnight and Ray Shero has done an excellent job in shoring up a leaking ship, but the Devils still have some holes-most of them behind the blue line.

5) What the hell was the deal with the thundersticks in Tampa?
I hate crap like that (mainly because they were supposed to give them out once at a football game, they didn't and I've heard about it ever since from Cherie!).
Artificial noise is really ridiculous and shows just how hard it is to summon real excitement in sports anymore!!

Back later, if time permits with the final day of my trip...

Devils return to the playoffs

The New Jersey Devils return to the playoffs tonight for the first time as the eighth seed against the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

I'm not going to write a full-length column on this because I just haven't watched enough hockey this winter.
That doesn't mean that I didn't (or don't) care about the team or even the sport, it means that something happened that I hadn't accounted for- I missed watching the games with Rachel and it wasn't the same without her.
I had always watched alone before her fandom began and I didn't count on not wanting to watch the games alone again when she stopped watching games after the Adam Henrique trade with Anaheim.
I missed sharing that with her and it trickled down to me.
Hopefully, some playoff hockey will revitalize things for at least me and hopefully both of us.
For an excellent and lengthy preview, click here for the thoughts from All About the Jersey.
I'll be covering the playoffs as much as I can (some games may conflict with work and some channels may not be on the road office television) and hopefully game one will end before work.

The Devils will have to count on some huge efforts to pull an upset of the Lightning and their best player will have to continue to build on his career season.
Taylor Hall finished in the top ten in the league in goals (39) and points (94) as he grew into the player that he could be and not projected on potential.
First overall pick Nico Hischier scored 20 goals in his first NHL season and also showed signs of the type of ability that could make him a perennial all-star and Kyle Palmieri added 24 goals from the wing.

Cory Schneider's struggles continued, but to the surprise of most, Keith Kinkaid became the top goaltender and managed to keep the team afloat during their late playoff run that allowed them to hold off the Florida Panthers by one point for the final spot (New Jersey tied 7th seed Columbus in points, but lost the tiebreaker in wins 45-44).
It will take Keith Kinkaid playing over his head for the Devils to defeat Tampa four times in seven games.

The Devils did win all three games with the Lightning in the regular season, so they have to feel that they can skate with Tampa, but the top seed won ten more games and finished with 17 more points so this will not be an easy task.
The rebuilding process of Ray Shero is one year ahead of schedule for a playoff berth, I figured that next year would be the season that some of the fruit of Shero's labors came to pass and as a result, any damage done in this years postseason will be playing with house money.

My prediction: The Devils will give Tampa all that they can ask for and make them work for their victories, but the inexperience of Keith Kinkaid will eventually come into play and the superior depth of Tampa will eventually wear down the Devils.

Tampa Bay in six.

Devils aren't finished-Acquire Patrick Maroon

Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The New Jersey Devils were an unknown factor entering today's trade deadline after trading for Michael Grabner a few days before the deadline.
There were a few Devils related rumors including a Hail Mary request for the Ottawa Senators to trade defenseman Erik Karlsson, but nothing concrete.

The Devils didn't add Karlsson (no one did either as Ottawa decided to keep their star), but Ray Shero wasn't finished making deals as he sent a 2019 third-round draft choice and the rights to center J.D. Dudek, a 2014 sixth-round draft choice that is currently playing for Boston College to the Edmonton Oilers for another rental in left winger Patrick Maroon.
Maroon, like previous acquisition Michael Grabner, is a free agent at the conclusion of the season but brings 14 goals and 16 assists on the year as an Oiler to New Jersey.
Maroon, who scored a career-high 27 goals last season, turns 30 during the playoffs and has changed his career over the last season and a half in Edmonton, as in his previous four full seasons in Anaheim and Edmonton, Maroon's high in goals had been only 12.

The interesting points to ponder on Maroon are;
He's a big brawny player (6'3 220) that will be a force in front of the net, has been known to be physical to the point of dropping the gloves on occasion and has scored all 14 of his goals this season at even strength.
Much like Michael Grabner, the effectiveness of Maroon at even strength should be quite a help to the Devils offense.
Nothing against players and their powerplay performance at all, but it is always a plus to me when I see players that accumulate their statistics at even strength.
I would think that Maroon will be seeing his time on the third and fourth lines as he doesn't seem to have the speed to keep up with the smaller, speedier skaters on the upper two lines.

An interesting note on the prospect traded in J.D.Dudek, who has six goals (17 points) with the Boston College Eagles.
I thought that name sounded familiar and it is as his father Joe Dudek, was once on the cover of Sports Illustrated (with Bo Jackson) as a Division III running back at Plymouth State.
Dudek also played for Denver in one of the replacement games during the 1987 strike and ripped up the Oakland Raiders on a Monday night for 128 yards and two scores to be the NFL's player of the week.
Dudek would play the following week in the final replacement game and never played in the league again, although he would finish the season on the Broncos taxi squad.
For more on Joe Dudek, Grantland's article from 2012 can be found here.

Patrik Elias- 26 retired by Devils

I'm feeling a little more hockey friendly, but the scheduling still gets in the way even when I try to watch.
On Tuesday's, I miss games because I have to go to work early due to another person's schedule (which means I'll miss tomorrow's game against Pittsburgh, 7;30 starts often bring things down to the wire and anything after that is a no-hoper to see the game.

However, I made sure on Saturday night that I was watching for the jersey retirement ceremony of Patrik Elias and the ceremony took so long that the game was substantially delayed and I was able to watch just one period of the Devils comeback win over the Islanders.

That is the only negative note that I could make about this event because it might have been the best ceremony of this type that I have ever watched.
Teams have these events from time to time and (football usually isn't about retiring numbers due to the size of rosters, so they usually do an honoring of some type) they are usually nice and well done.
However, what they usually aren't are all that entertaining.
Don't get me wrong, they are always nice to watch as fans get to say their final goodbye with very nicely done tributes for the player being honored, but entertaining?
Not usually.
The exception became Patrik Elias Night in New Jersey where the 26 worn by Elias joined the four other numbers retired by the team and raised to the rafters (Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko and Martin Brodeur) because it was entertaining.

Patrik Elias entered the arena through the stands alongside the fans and was given one of those plastic green hats that so many wears for St.Patrick's Day, which Elias memorably doffed after a St.Patrick Day win at the Rock.
The Devils brought in plenty of former players to speak to the crowd, but the highlight of the night was the speech by Elias, who was both emotional, open and witty with his speech (shown below via YouTube) with Elias stopping to take a "Selfie" with the crowd as well!
I really enjoyed where Elias acknowledged the huge offer that he was given by the Rangers as a free agent once and he decided to stay- believing in the team concept under the Lou Lamoriello years and how important that it was to him to spend his entire career with one franchise.
That might have been the best speech that I've ever seen at one of these events all told and I think Devils fans will be remembering this night for a long time.


As far my favorite Patrik Elias memory, it has to be his blindside pass to Jason Arnott to beat Ed Belfour in Dallas for the Devils second Stanley Cup.
Of the Devils three titles, it is the second one that means the most to me.

The first championship is special because it was the first, but in many ways, those Devils were a team that fell into that noted rhythm that means so much in any postseason play and the third title team was one that beat a hot goalie (I'm still ticked that J.S Giguere won the Conn Smythe), yet the title runs at that time were close enough that it wasn't too special.
Ah, but that second team...
Those playoffs were special because those Devils were a great team.
They finished just two points behind the Flyers in points (103) in the Eastern Conference (yet were seeded fourth because of the divisional setup at that time), took out the top-seeded Flyers in the Eastern Finals by breaking their heart coming back from a 3-1 deficit along with the hit heard round the world by Scott Stevens on Eric Lindros in game seven that essentially ended Lindros' career and then the defending champion Stars in a great six-game series.
It's that championship team that is my favorite and it was those playoffs that saw Patrik Elias step onto the stage with not just the assist to Arnott, but it was Elias that scored a goal that so many forget-his goal with under three minutes remaining to drop Philadelphia 2-1 in game seven with 20 points scored in those playoffs.
That team was my favorite of the three and a young (23 at the time) Patrik Elias was such a huge part of that team, so of course, he will always rank near the top of my favorite Devils.


Patrik Elias was a smooth player that will likely get his ticket to the Hockey Hall eventually and will go through another ceremony that will make him a hockey immortal and not just a Devils immortal.
Devils fans will long remember both his personality and play as a permanent part of the Devils family.

Devils trade for Sami Vatanen,trade Adam Henrique

Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The New Jersey Devils apparently are taking their surprisingly fast start to heart (only one point out of first place in the Metropolitan Division) and they are also taking a bad performance in their last game against Florida seriously as the Devils swung a deal to gain a possible impact player at the position that they need most and even though the Devils greatest position of depth was at forward, the player going to a new team is one that the fan base won't be happy about- one that you know in particular...

The Devils acquired defenseman Sami Vatanen and a conditional future third-round pick in exchange for forward Adam Henrique, minor leaguer Joseph Blandisi, and the Devils third-rounder in the 2018 draft.
That's right Adam Henrique.
As in Rachel's Adam Henrique.

I'll get to the hockey part of the trade shortly, but Rachel doesn't know as I type this, and I know she's going to take it hard.
It's part of following sports, players are transient by nature, and players come and go, but when you give your heart to a player for the first time as Rachel did Henrique, it is a blow and it's a big one.
I remember the Toby Harrah for Buddy Bell trade and how it hit me.
I was half as old as Rachel, but the first time is the first time no matter how old you are.
It always is tough and it gets a little better the more you go through it, but the hurt from that first time never goes away...
Sometimes the best you can do is say you are sorry, give a hug, and hope the hurt goes away.
I'd hate to see her dislike Vatanen for this- he's a fine player who didn't ask to be traded for her favorite player...

As for Vatanen, the Devils are acquiring just what they needed entering the season, a young offensive-minded defenseman who can play the power play with a right-handed shot.
Vatanen recently came back from off-season shoulder surgery and in fifteen games for the Ducks has one goal and three assists.
Vatanen had three goals and twenty-one assists in 71 games last season and a career-high in goals (12) came in 2014-15.
The Ducks were looked at all during the summer as a possible trading partner with the Devils since the biggest need for New Jersey was the spot that Anaheim had in surplus.
Vatanen is easily a top-four defenseman for the Devils and arguably becomes their best defenseman upon arrival in Colorado (The Devils are in Denver for tomorrow's game).
The 26-year-old Finnish product is a clear upgrade for the team's blueliners and we'll be glad to have him, I'm sure.

As is usual in pro sports, you generally have to give quality to gain it and Adam Henrique has been a player that has been very popular in New Jersey with fans and was active in the community.
The 27-year-old will be best remembered for his goal in the playoffs vs the New York Rangers that eliminated the Rangers and sent the Devils to the Stanley Cup Finals in their last visit to the playoffs to date.
Henrique was always an effort player, but he had gotten off to a slow start this season with just four goals and ten assists and with plenty of depth in New Jersey and with Anaheim suffering from injuries to their top two centers (Ryan Getzlaff and Ryan Kesler), Henrique will have every opportunity to step right into the Ducks lineup with critical minutes.

Joseph Blandisi spent this season with Binghamton and seemed to fall between the cracks in the Devils system.
Blandisi too should have a chance to start over with a team in desperate current need at forward

In summary -I like the trade on the ice.
Sami Vatanen instantly upgrades the defense and adds some pop from the blue line that the Devils lacked and Adam Henrique was part of a strong bunch of forwards that the team hopes can be replaced.
Look for Pavel Zacha to be given the first chance to slide into Henrique's role.

Off the ice-it hurts.
Adam Henrique was very gracious to Rachel when she was able to meet him and it was Henrique who locked her in as a Devils fan.
Henrique will always be fondly remembered by Devils fans and I'm sad to see him go, despite that it might be better for his career.

I might have more on this later.
Rachel-I'm so so sorry  :(

Devils trade Scott Wedgewood

Photo Credit: Albany Times-Union

I haven't written about the New Jersey Devils often lately as they had six days off and then when they return on both nights, they are up against football or boxing etc, but I did want to hammer out a few words on a minor trade that the team made a few minutes ago as the Devils traded goaltender Scott Wedgewood to the Phoenix Coyotes in return for a fifth-round draft pick in next year's draft.

The 25 year old Wedgewood was the Devils third-round selection in 2010 and spent most of the last four seasons as the Devils main goaltender at the Devils then-AHL franchise in Albany.
Wedgewood did play twenty games in 2015-16 when Cory Schneider missed time due to injury and Wedgewood backed up Keith Kinkaid, playing four games, winning two and notching a shutout.
Wedgewood had made a recent stop with the parent Devils when Schneider had a minor injury and then left the team with his child on the way, to back up Kinkaid, but did not play.

Arizona had been dealing with some goaltending issues, so Wedgewood might at least get a chance to be the regular goalie for the Coyotes AHL team in nearby Tucson, if not have a chance to backup in Phoenix, so getting Wedgewood for a fifth rounder helps Arizona in a time of need, gets the Devils a moderate return and helps the player receive a fresh start in his career, so this works for me for all parties involved.

What this truly does is cement Mackenzie Blackwood as the Devils "goalie of the future" (these things are often fluid though) in their new AHL home in Binghamton.
Rather than splitting time with Wedgewood, who I would think has a ceiling of NHL backup at highest, Blackwood will now get to play every night and mature as a prospect in the top developmental league.
The 20 year old Blackwood played 36 games last season in Albany with a goals allowed average of 2.55.
At 6'4 and a "butterfly" style goalie, Blackwood has the physical tools to be the Devils future goalie and with Wedgewood being moved on to the desert, the Devils feel so as well.

I'll try to do a Devils report, if I have time, but I will be back later for sure with Ohio State hosting Penn State in the game of the year to date and Anthony Joshua's heavyweight title defense vs Carlos Takam.

Devils drop 1st game.

Ed Mulholland | USA TODAY Sports

The New Jersey Devils couldn't win them all as the visiting Washington Capitals took advantage of a Devils team that seemed to be a step slower than their opponents in a 5-2 defeat in Newark.
Devils goals to Taylor Hall (1 power play) and Kyle Palmieri (1).
The Devils return tomorrow night against the Rangers at the Garden.
No coverage here as we have Ohio State and boxing.

Hell Raisers

1) Play that swung the game?
Pavel Zacha's third period high stick that drew blood from Karl Eller and that led to a four-minute man advantage for Washington, who responded with two goals and turned a close game into one that was conclusively decided.

2) Both Devils goals were goals that made New Jersey fans happy in defeat.
Nice to see Kyle Palmieri back in the lineup and his goal on a breakaway started by Damon Severson was a pretty one.
I wondered how much time Palmieri would miss after the injury in the season opener and it was good to see him perform well in his return with a goal and an assist on Taylor Hall's goal.

3) And what about Taylor Hall, who scored his first goal of the year off a nice pass from Kyle Palmieri.
The Devils are counting on a big year from Hall, so it's good to see him score number one before things spiral too far out of control.

4) Blake Coleman beat the crap out of Andrei Burakovsky after Burakovsky instigated a fight, which was after Coleman was called for boarding a Capital.
As Craig Laughlin breathlessly screamed that Burakovsky had never fought before, Coleman pounded him.
Coleman paid later in the period when Washington's thumper Tom Wilson whipped Coleman handily.
I miss the days of big bombing fighters like Wilson.
They are a liability today, but I still miss them.

5) The Devils will be starting Keith Kinkaid tomorrow against the Rangers.
John Hynes has said he wants to do more of splitting the goalies up on nights with back to back games.
Good to see Hynes living up to his word.
It'll keep Cory Schneider fresher and it will also be good for Keith Kinkaid as well.

6) Annual whine about the awful Washington announcers led by the world's worst color man in Craig Laughlin.
Joe Beninati isn't exactly Doc Emrick, but Laughlin brings the worst of Beninati.
With the exception of any game done by Gus Johnson, getting stuck with these two for Devils games vs Washington are my least favorites in sports.

You'll see a few posts over the next 24 hrs with the PPM, boxing challenge picks, Ohio State vs Nebraska, more boxing with the results from the weekend and the Cavaliers trade of Richard Jefferson, if I can squeeze that in.
Busy, Busy!!

Devils bulldoze Buffalo 6-2

Jesper Blatt scored twice (2 shorthanded and 3) and added an assist and Marcus Johansson scored his first two goals (1 and 2) for the Devils to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 6-2 slashing of the Buffalo Sabres.
Stefan Noesen (1) and Brian Gibbons (1) also scored for the Devils in the rout.
The Devils travel to Toronto Wednesday to meet the waiting Maple Leafs.
Coverage unlikely as Game 5 of the Indians-Yankees is the same time.
There is a small chance that I may try to watch one on the tube and one on the PC, but unlikely.

Hell Raisers

1) Jesper Blatt?
The 19 year old Swede is making it very difficult to return him to his OHL junior team with three goals and three assists in two games.
Blatt is not afraid of contact, drives to the net and isn't afraid to shoot now rather than wait for the perfect shot.
It's just two games, but I like him- A Lot!

2) Nico Hischier had his first pro point when he powered behind the net and made a sharp pass to veteran Brian Gibbons, who flipped the puck over Chad Johnson.
Hischier is a natural playmaker that will show some real flashes of brilliance as he really learns the game at this level.

3) Marcus Johansson was a name that I didn't think of much in the win over Colorado.but he played quite well in Buffalo.
To acquire a player of his caliber for the price that was paid, Devils could only dream of grabbing more players from teams in salary cap hell.

4) The first goal was scored on a deflection-one off the facemask of Stefan Noesen off the pass from Brian Gibbons.
Gibbons was a surprise to me in making the team, but for one game, Gibbons was an offensive force with a goal and assist.

5) And there was the passing game with two nice passes that resulted in goals.
Adam Henrique hit Jesper Bratt on a two on one breakaway and Taylor Hall abused Buffalo's Nathan Beaulieu with a strip and a Harlem Globetrotteresque backhanded pass to Marcus Johansson for the goal.
This is an exciting and fun team to watch offensively that will have its share of creative goals..

Devils Butcher Colorado in opener 4-1.

The New Jersey Devils scored three goals on the man advantage and won their opening game with a 4-1 win over the visiting Colorado Avalanche in Newark.

Rookie Will Butcher assisted on all three power play goals with fellow rookie Jesper Bratt scoring on one of the power play goals (1) and assisted on a John Moore shorthanded goal (1).
Adam Henrique (1) and Jimmy Hayes (1) completed the Devils scoring tally on the stat sheet.
New Jersey travels to Buffalo Monday for a Columbus Day three o'clock start...

Hell Raisers

1) It didn't take long to see why so many were excited about the Devils managing to sign Will Butcher to a contract and Butcher's three assists on the power play showed the offensive potential that Butcher brings.
He'll need work and refinement in his own end, but Butcher looks to be an able puck mover and a pretty nice shot as well.

2) Jesper Bratt's goal on the power play was nice, but his big play was the assist on the shorthanded goal by John Moore,
Bratt looked across the ice, found his man in Moore and put the pass right on the money.
That's the type of play that young players don't often make, but Bratt was more than able.
A decision on Bratt will have to made after nine more games, Bratt might be on the verge of making that a very tough decision...

3) Nico Hischier didn't earn a point in his first pro game, but he showed offensive aggressiveness (six shots on net) and I loved when he challenged Erik Johnson after his cheap hit on Kyle Palmieri.
This guy is going to be a really good one.

4) I thought Erik Johnson's knee to knee hit on Kyle Palmieri was a cheap shot and deserved more than a two minute penalty.
Bet on Johnson getting more punishment from the league....

5) Drew Stafford was injured along with Palmieri.
No word on how long either will be out, but losing the right wings on each of the top two lines will cause some shaking up in the lines and on the roster as well.

6) I wrote in the preview that Cory Schneider was going to have to raise his game and with 40 saves, he did just that and showed signs of the Schneider that played before last season.
Andrew Gross of Fire and Ice, wrote that the new goaltender coach Rollie Melanson has Schneider deeper in the crease and for one game it seemed to help.

7) Watched the Devils broadcast for most of the game (due to a tv signal issue, we watched the first period on the Colorado feed), I really liked what Bryce Salvador brought to the broadcast.
Salvador is good on the mic and had some interesting things to say, such as Cory Schneider blaming himself for Chris Terreri losing his job as goaltending coach.

8) Chico Resch is back with the team, but as the team's radio color commentator.
Chico is replacing Sherry Ross, who I really liked, but I'm not sure this is for Chico.
Hockey on radio is not an easy call and Chico's folksy stories might not mesh as well in an audio medium.
If the Devils really wanted Resch back, I would have moved him back to television and Ken Daneyko to radio, as Daneyko is more likely to make that conversion successfully.

9) Deb Placey is back and she's still awful.

Back later with thoughts on Ohio State's crushing of Maryland,if I have time!

2017-18 New Jersey Devils Preview: The Defense

The latest incarnation of the New Jersey Devils on the blueline does make you pine for the days of Stevens, Niedermayer, and Daneyko and the team will need to improve their play both in front on the net and in guarding it in order to make a move forward this season.

The defensive crew that will start the season will surprisingly have eight to start the season rather than the more conventional seven but considering the talent involved, I understand why the feeling that depth is a bit more important.

The first pairing is the only one that is likely written in stone with veteran Andy Greene and Damon Severson.
The soon to be 35 year old Greene lends the proverbial veteran influence as well as still being the best all-around defenseman that the Devils have, while the Devils have hopes that Severson develops in the type of offensive defenseman that the team has lacked since Scott Niedermayer left for Anaheim.
The Devils backed up those hopes with dollars as they signed Severson to a long-term contract in the offseason.
Greene is naturally declining, so the team is hoping that someone of their younger defensemen will step up soon.
Once you get by the number one duo, the rest might (like the forwards) be shuffled in an attempt to see just what they can shake out.

The best hopes from this bunch look to be the highly regarded amateur free agent signing Will Butcher, returnee Steve Santini, and reclamation project Mirco Mueller.
Butcher would be a rare puck mover on the Devils but will see his share of downtimes so there will be a learning process, while I liked some things that I saw from Santini last season, I'm not sure that he becomes any more than a third pairing blueliner on a good team.
Mueller was considered a disappointment in San Jose after being a first-round selection in 2013 and most thought the Devils overpaid for him at the draft (a 2 and 4 for Mueller and a 5), Mueller's defensive style might be a good fit with the other two younger players, especially the more offensive based Butcher.
Mueller might not have another (or better) chance to turn a career around than this one, so hopefully, he realizes this and turns his career around.

The remaining three veterans are players that on a good team, maybe one of them might be around as a seventh defenseman.
On the Devils though, they'll see more playing time than they should and you will likely be seeing two of them in particular as a defensive pairing that teams might be salivating when they see them on the ice.
John Moore is the best of the group, mainly because once in a while, he can score a goal, but still is a top-six d-man at his peak value.
Lovejoy was just awful last season after being signed from Pittsburgh and is such a slow skater that he cannot keep up with players of even average speed.
Dalton Prout is an enforcer in an age without them...

Cory Schneider returns in net after a year that he struggled at times that saw him notch career lows in both goals against and save percentage.
If the Devils have any type of long-shot playoff chance, it'll be because Schneider is able to return to form.
Schneider turns 32 before the season ends, so if he does bounce back and the Devils still don't contend, I can see a scenario where Schneider is shopped around at the playoff deadline if the price is right.
Keith Kinkaid was re-signed to backup Schneider and play on rest days..

I think the Devils will show improvement.
I don't think it will be anywhere near enough to contend for a playoff spot, but they will be more to watch offensively and likely last place in the Metropolitan Division.
That should give the Devils another high pick and hope for more lottery luck to assist in the revamping of the organization.

2017-18 New Jersey Devils Preview-The Forwards

The 2017-18 New Jersey Devils are an interesting bunch and one that might not be very good again but  I'm optimistic that they should see improvement by season's end as Ray Shero continues to overhaul the organization and its style of play.
I'll be doing the preview in two parts: the forwards and then later the defensive unit including the goalies.

New Jersey has brought multiple new faces to Newark and some could have an impact now and two, in particular, are a large part of the future.

The Devils forwards have improved in talent with additions, but things may take a while to truly show the improvement with the missing Travis Zajac, who suffered a torn pectoral muscle in August.
The prognosis was four to six months, which means Zajac could return in as early as December and as late as February.
Another missing piece is veteran center Brian Boyle, signed from Toronto to a two-year contract, only to discover that Boyle is suffering from Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.
Boyle expects to return sometime during the season, but it's unknown when that time will arrive.

With Zajac and Boyle missing, the Devils will be counting on young players to step up at center with second-year man Pavel Zacha and rookie and first overall pick Nico Hischier centering the first two lines.
It's not an ideal situation, but when you consider the Devils situation and the playmaker abilities of the two, it's the best solution as long as you realize that there will be some growing pains to ride out.
Zacha will center the first line, which will feature the explosive Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri on the wings.
Hall and Palmieri tied for the team lead in scoring last season with 53 points with Palmieri leading the team in goals with 27.
Palmieri's 27 and Hall's 20 goals were only matched by Adam Henrique's 20 as the only Devils to score more than 14 last season with the net effect being a team that struggled offensively.
With two talented wings around him, Zacha will need to step up his game after a rookie season that saw him finish with eight and sixteen assists in seventy games.

Nico Hischier is being challenged early as the Swiss native will center the second line with his wingers starting the season with two newcomers that were acquired in the off-season.
Marcus Johansson was obtained from Washington for a second and third-round draft pick, which didn't hurt the team since it had extra picks in those rounds.
Johansson scored career highs in both goals (24) and points (58) and Washington didn't trade him for the cost of draft picks, the Capitals were almost forced to by their crushing salary cap.
Johannson will be on the left wing with Drew Stafford being signed to play on the right side.
Stafford scored just eight goals last season in a year split between Winnipeg and Boston but popped in 21 the season before with the Jets.
I think he can rebound as he's still far from washed up as he turns 32 at the end of the month.

The third and fourth lines will see a lot of different combinations in an effort to try to find something with chemistry, but the one player will be consistent is Adam Henrique as the third line center.
The fact that Adam Henrique is the third line center shows the improved depth this season among the New Jersey forwards.
AHL veterans Blake Coleman and Brian Gibbons surprisingly made the team over John Quenneville and Joseph Blandisi, but I think that situation will correct itself as the season goes on.
There could be the chance that this could be a paper move to keep some options open for other dealings.
Both of the younger players were assigned to Binghamton but should be back in New Jersey fairly quickly.
The left wings will be the speedy Miles Wood and rookie Jesper Bratt from Sweden, who surprisingly made the team with a strong training camp.
Wood's skating ability would make him a good fit with Adam Henrique, but Bratt is smallish (170 pounds) and not sure if he's a good fourth line selection.
Both will likely see time with each line as will both right wings with Jimmy Hayes making the Devils off of a training camp tryout and Stefan Noesen returning.
Hayes has been a solid player in the past and with his frame (6'5 215) might see some power play time, while I liked Noesen's touch around the net last season after being added from Anaheim in mid-season.

The Devils forwards still are far from elite, but the team is far deeper than they were last season and with the fortunate addition of Nico Hischier, the Devils suddenly have a top notch talent that was unexpected.
I think they will score more this season and should be a bit more freewheeling on offense.
This should be a much fun team to watch on offense.

I'll be back soon with the look at the defensive crew and the goalies as part of the preview...

Devils sign Jimmy Hayes

The New Jersey Devils signed winger Jimmy Hayes to a one-year contract after Hayes impressed the team in training camp on a tryout basis.

The soon to be 28 year old Hayes spent last season with the Bruins scoring two goals and three assists in 58 games before becoming a free agent.
Hayes signed a one-year contract for 700,000 and despite his less than dazzling numbers as a Bruin last season scored goals in double figures the previous three seasons in Boston and before that with the Florida Panthers, where Hayes scored a career-high 19 goals in 2014-15.

Hayes should be a third or fourth line winger with the Devils that could occasionally slot among the top six if needed.
Hayes is a big body that you might even be able to use on the second power play unit and if you use him there, it wouldn't surprise me to see Hayes finish with 25-35 points on the season.
That said, I don't want to expect Hayes to produce too much.
The reason that I say don't want to is that the Devils may be in a position that they might have to need someone of the lower six forwards to put up numbers that are beyond their usual production or at least match a career high.

I'll be back later tonight with our annual Devils preview.

Devils sign Damon Severson to 6 year contract

The New Jersey Devils finished signing their restricted free agents today with the signing of defenseman Damon Severson to a six year contract that averages 4.1 million.
The contract starts at over two million and finishes at 5.1 million in 2023.

The 23 year old Severson scored three goals with a career high 28 assists last season for a less than powerful Devils team,but still led the team's defensemen in points.
Severson is the type of defenseman that Ray Shero seems to value with puck movement and possession adding an offensive touch to a team perpetually in search of offensive help and Severson is the most veteran and the last remaining young defenseman from the Lou Lamiorello era with those type of abilities.
Severson will likely remain with Andy Greene as the number one pairing in the defensive corps for the foreseeable future.

The key for me was the six year length of the agreement,which is risky,but at the same time a bargain.
The risk is that Severson doesn't develop further and makes him somewhat overpaid,but I don't think that is likely to happen.
I wouldn't go as far to say that Severson is headed to the elite level,but he should be well above average and that would make this contract very reasonable.
Six years is a long time,especially if Severson regresses,but six years is a long time in hockey contracts as well.
What I'm trying to say is that salaries will continue to rise and what one would say is an overpay right now might be a bargain in a few years,which might make Severson an attractive trade chip if the Devils are still in rebuild mode (If that's the case in four years,it'll be someone else's rebuild) and maybe even if not.
As we saw with needing to swap Adam Larsson in order to land Taylor Hall,one never knows what need contenders will be forced to shore up come playoff stretch run time and an affordable deal can help in making such deals.

I'm fine with this signing.
It's a little risky,but not excessively so and if Severson's maturity continues,the deal will be very cap friendly.
Sometimes,a team that is attempting a rebuild needs to show their younger players that they believe in them and show some faith-the Devils started that today..

Devils sign Will Butcher

The badly lagging defensive corps of the New Jersey Devils needed a infusion of talent and youth for a questionable unit as training camp neared.
The Devils hope that they have found a player capable of providing both as they signed free agent college defenseman Will Butcher of the University of Denver to a two year contract.

Butcher declined to sign with the Colorado Avalanche after being picked in the fifth round in the 2013 draft and spent the last four years in the same town with the local university.
The 22 year old Butcher was the captain at Denver last season,won the Hobey Baker award as the player of the year in the NCAA and led the Pioneers to the NCAA championship on his way to being one of the more coveted young free agents available.
Ironically,one of the other free agents that was pursued by so many has parallels to Butcher-Alex Kerfoot was drafted by the Devils and signed with the Avalanche (as noted,Butcher was drafted by the Avalanche before signing with the Devils),finished second to Butcher for the Hobey Baker and both being captains for their schools that made the Frozen Four.

Butcher scored seven goals with thirty assists in forty three games and is noted as an offensive defenseman that moves the puck well,a role that the Devils are in desperate need of filling.
Those types of defensemen aren't usually available in free agency,so it goes to show why over half the league was linked to the pursuit of Butcher at various times after the season.
I don't think Butcher steps into one of the first two defensive pairings right away,but I think he gets plenty of ice time and maybe by the end of the season has a chance to earn playing time in important situations.

Not only is this is a big signing on the ice,it could eventually pay dividends off the ice as well.
A standard cliche' of new management teams in sports is about "Changing the Culture" and so often,it's lip service and a nice line to explain why you are getting rid of so many of the old management group's players and employees.
In the Devils case,I think it's legitimate.
Ray Shero is trying with every deal and with every draft pick to bring in fast skaters with an offensive mindset and it shows.
I love the Lou Lamoriello Devils and they'll always have a special place to me as a Devils fan,but the style of play handicapped them often in getting players to come to New Jersey and sometimes in being able to keep them there.
The culture change is real and so is the commitment to a more freewheeling style of play.

Which brings me to how this could be an even bigger deal than just signing a good prospect.
If the Devils can play fun hockey with skilled young players with Taylor Hall,Nico Hischler etc,players like Will Butcher will want to come to New Jersey and they'll want to stay.
But there has to be a first step-a step where someone looks at the situation,believes in what's being done and takes a leap of faith.
Will Butcher believes.
It'll still be some time away,but I believe the Devils are on the right track and tonight might be one of those nights that is a bigger deal later than it even is tonight....

Devils sign Drew Stafford

The New Jersey Devils attempted to fill the one major hole among their forwards entering training camp-right wing as the Devils announced the signing of veteran Drew Stafford to a one year deal worth $800,000.

The soon to be 32 year old Stafford scored eight goals with thirteen assists last season in a year split between Winnipeg and Boston.
Stafford spent most of his career in Buffalo with the Sabres where he never scored less than 14 goals in anything close to a full season.
Stafford's career year came in 2010-11 with 31 goals and 21 assists in Buffalo and although I don't expect anywhere near those type of numbers,Stafford did score 21 goals just two years ago in his only full season in Winnipeg.

Stafford clearly slots into the second line at right wing and allowed the Devils to keep Marcus Johannson on the left side where the former Capital has said he is more comfortable.
With only Kyle Palmieri as the only veteran right wing with proven point production,Stafford will give the Devils a chance allow younger players such as Stefan Noesen and former first rounder Michael McLeod to be used on lines that allow them to broken in slowly.

Stafford brings a big and physical around the net presence and with the recent loss of Travis Zajac to a torn pectoral musecle for four to six months,some extra help in the locker room.
One more factor could be the severe cut in pay as this could motivate Stafford since he was paid over four million a year for the last two years and the lack of interest of any team to pay him anywhere near his past standard could result in a highly motivated player for his next and maybe final contract if it would be a long term deal...

I love this for the Devils.
I always liked Stafford (the aging announcer for the Sabres used to go nuts whenever Stafford would score) and his game.
I think at just 800K,Stafford will prove to be a steal and might even be a valuable trading chip,if the Devils are out of the playoff race.
Nice signing by Ray Shero and company...

Devils trade for Marcus Johansson!

Early Sunday evening,time was being well spent.
I had finished up graphing with Doug Hopkins in Frederick with the Lynchburg Hillcats,ate at the always terrific Uncle Maddio's pizza and channeled my inner Ken Patera
to push some cars around my driveway to create more space until they run again (Anyone want to come help me with a battery jump and a alternator?) and finally sat down to finish the previous post that I started on the Cavaliers signing Kyle Korver.

First,I checked Twitter for any news and was stunned to find out that Ray Shero and the New Jersey Devils had used their cap space to add a forward that should instantly move into their top six and at the low cost of a second and third rounder in next years draft!
The newest Devil comes courtesy of a cap strapped division member (they are rivals only to us) in the Washington Capitals as Marcus Johansson is on his way to New Jersey!

The 26 year old Johansson reached a career high total in points last season (24 goals 34 assists) and scored 20 and 17 goals in the previous two years,so those numbers are not likely to be a career year as he seems to just be entering his prime years and he'll be spending those in New Jersey as Johansson is under contract for two more seasons and the Devils will get a chance to see if those two seasons are enough to sign him to an even longer deal.
Johansson will likely be the second line left wing,although I think he'll see some time at center as well.

Add it all up and the Devils added a talented playmaker that puts pucks in the net,but can pass well in addition for the cost of Florida's second rounder (added for taking the final year hit on the cap for Marc Savard) and the third rounder of Toronto (compensation for the Leafs hiring Lou Lamoriello).
The Devils basically brought in a top six forward for taking a year of someone else's bad contract,letting a GM go that didn't want to be here anymore and used those assets to "help" Washington get under the cap!
Give it up to Ray Shero for this deal!!

I don't think Ray Shero is finished yet.
The Devils still haven't reached the salary cap floor yet,they are badly in need of a defenseman (maybe two) and right wing is pretty weak behind Kyle Palmieri.
Consider the sudden depth at center and left wing and the Devils may be in position to move someone from a position of strength to acquire a few pieces at a position of need.

Stay tuned,I'm not sure that the Devils are a playoff level team just yet-with a defensive corps like that,I don't see that happening yet,but for the first time in what seems like forever-this New Jersey Devils team suddenly has some exciting,young offensive players and even if they aren't great in the standings yet,they are going to be fun to watch!