Steve Sullivan won’t be available for the Devils tonight, instead traveling to New Jersey to undergo a routine physical and “get situated.” While coach Pete DeBoer doesn’t know exactly where he’ll use Sullivan at this point, he’s still a longtime admirer of the veteran winger — and he’s not the only one.
“I’ve always been a fan of is,” DeBoer said this morning in Boston, where the Devils will take on the Bruins tonight. “He’ll give us some speed, an offensive guy. I’ve got to try and find him some chemistry and with Kovy out I think he’ll be a nice burst of offense, hopefully, for us.”
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Devils left wing Patik Elias said his first linemates when he joined the Albany River Rats in 1995-96 were Sullivan and Scott Pellerin. When I asked him if they were a good line, Elias replied, “The best line. We dominated.”
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“Just skilled,” Elias said in describing the kind of player Sullivan is. “You saw the way he was (last season) in Pittsburgh. He’s a skilled player. He makes great plays, skates well. He’s great with the puck.”
Corey Griffin
This is obviously team-friendly spin and I’d expect nothing less from two people as steeped in the Devils’ M.O. as Elias and DeBoer. The question is where “spin” meets reality and how that translate into on-ice production. DeBoer doesn’t know where he’ll use Sullivan, but I’d guess a third-line role, possibly in place of a guy like Matt D’Agostini, who hasn’t really added much other than speed since joining the Devils’ lineup. It’s possible he could move up top to play alongside Andrei Loktionov until Ilya Kovalchuk returns but I don’t know if I buy that as a good idea. I like Elias with Loktionov and a big, physical grinder on the right side — a guy like Steve Bernier or David Clarkson. Perhaps you could put Sullivan on the second line with Travis Zajac, but I think he’d fit really well on the third line with Dainius Zubrus and Adam Henrique. You get a nice balance of skill and size, with some playmaking from both Henrique and Sullivan. When Kovy returns, it gives DeBoer the flexibility to move Clarkson, Bernier and Sullivan around the other three lines.
If you had to pick a word for tonight’s game, it would probably be disappointing. On a night they could’ve put six points between themselves and the Islanders, the Devils came out of the gate so sluggish someone joked they thought the game started at 7:30. Is it the end-all, be-all? No, but it’s not a good sign after being unable to finish off an opponent the past two games. Some thoughts…
10-minute warning: How many times have we talked about the Devils taking 10 or sometimes 20 minutes to show up in a game? Once again, the Devils seem to have tremendous difficulty generating energy to start a game, something coach Pete DeBoer seemed totally flummoxed by. He admitted after the game that the slow start (a trend all season long) was disappointing and said the Devils didn’t take the Islanders lightly. OK, fair enough. DeBoer also didn’t seem to have an answer for why things started off so sideways and said that he actually tried to be calm in (yet another) first-period timeout. Think about how differently this game goes if the Devils are at least somewhat present for the first half of the first period. I mean, how many timeouts does DeBoer have to call in the first period? Matter of fact — does anyone have that stat? The bottom line is I shouldn’t have to ask that question. This is a veteran team with leaders galore that has been through the ringer. Their coach knows what it takes at this time of the season; everyone from the goalie out knows what it takes. So why are the Devils still having the same problem in April they had in January? One theory is that there’s no one in the room willing to overturn a table or kick something across the room. I’m starting to think that might have some merit. Even listening to the few Devils talk after tonight’s game, you get the sense that things are too even-keel for a team that’s on the edge of the playoff picture. The problem is that’s not something you add at the deadline. That’s something you need from the get-go, a player that’s been through training camp and the dregs of the season in that room. I just don’t think they’re suddenly going to “figure out” these slow starts and that’s going to cost them, either at the end of the season or in the playoffs.
On the defensive: The problem with the Devils’ defense can be summed up by two plays, both goals. The first is the Isles’ first goal of the game in which Bryce Salvador was caught up ice near the center ice line on an excellent breakout pass from the Isles. Salvador tried to turn and swat at the puck with his stick but by that time was already behind the play, meaning Marek Zidlicky was stuck playing 2-on-1, which is never a good spot for Marek Zidlicky. The play was symbolic of the lack of speed on the back end and how that lack of speed consistently puts them out of position and forces them to chase the play. I understand that in this situation the Isles executed a scripted breakout play to near-perfection, but Salvador in particular has been guilty of this far too many times this season to simply write it off as the Isles “out-executing” the Devils. Salvador was on the ice for the second play, John Taraves’ power-play goal in the third that pretty much iced it. Salvador and Dainius Zubrus got caught watching the puck and lost track of Tavares (!), which is poor form during 5-on-5 play, let alone on the penalty kill. I hate to keep killing Salvador here, because Zubrus was just as much at fault on this particular play, but the lack of awareness is a shining example of the Devils’ poor defensive-zone coverage all season. How many times have we seen an opposing player seemingly drift uncovered to the weakside only to have a half-open net to shoot at? A lot, that’s how many. The big problem is I see no answers for either of these problems. This group of eight defensemen is slow and getting older by the day and their youngest defenseman, Adam Larsson, has been too inconsistent to be trusted as an all-facets defender.
Didn’t we talk about this: I wrote in the pregame thread that the Devils HAD to be wary of the Islanders’ power play. My concern was grounded in two facts: One, the Isles’ power play has been a top-10 unit all season while the Devils’ penalty kill has lumbered near the bottom third of the league. Two, Tavares, in particular, has been a nightmare for the Devils on the man advantage. Prior to tonight’s game, Tavares had five goals and two assists in four games against New Jersey with three of the goals and both assists coming on the power play. It’s why I turned to Kevin Schultz of Islanders Point Blank before the third and warned that a power play for the Isles would likely mean a third goal and the end of the game for New Jersey. That’s precisely what happened — and I don’t bring this up to pat myself on the back. I mention it to point out that the Devils, already down a goal, took a penalty and then didn’t make it a point to keep track of a man who has destroyed them on the man advantage. To rub salt in the wound, Alexei Ponikarovsky took an offensive-zone hooking penalty only a minute after Tavares’ goal. The Devils killed that one off, but it cost them two more minutes of 5-on-5 play while down two goals in the final 10 minutes of the game. Not a good formula for a comeback.
Add or subtract: With the trade deadline only two days away, tonight’s game certainly won’t quell feelings that the Devils need to make a move at the deadline. I’ve already made my feelings on what I think the Devils will do Wednesday — nothing. That’s not to say the Devils don’t need to do something. They could use another scorer and a mobile defenseman, but they don’t have the assets to make that happen. They’ve already traded away most of their draft picks from this season and some from next to acquire role players (Ponikarovsky, D’Agostini, Loktionov). Prospects? Sure, the Devils have a few, but I don’t see Lou willingly parting with them with the roster likely needing to be reshaped in the next two offseasons. Also, and this is what I think is more crucial — adding one or two players won’t suddenly make the Devils into a Cup contender. This is a flawed team struggling to make the playoffs. Some will point out that the Devils were in a similar position last year, but I don’t think it takes much time watching them to notice the Devils aren’t the same team as last year. The absence of Zach Parise has clearly had an effect on Travis Zajac, who remains a strong centerman overall but has lost a lot of his offensive game this season. Also, Adam Henrique is not the dynamic force he was last season. Adding pieces would make the Devils better right now, but it would come at the expense of valuable future assets (be it players or picks). That’s a high price to pay for a team light years behind the league’s elite class.
Notes: I’ll write about this more tomorrow, but damn David Clarkson looks frustrated. No matter how many shots he puts on net, nothing gets the goalie. If you watch him, it seems like he throws his head to the sky every time a puck gets deflected wide or goes high or a goalie makes a stop. … Andrei Loktionov isn’t the two-way player that Henrique or Zajac is and it’s becoming apparent that he needs a finisher to be effective in the offensive end. DeBoer tried Steve Bernier with him tonight (and there were a couple chances) but I wonder if D’Agostini might be a better option. … Tough go for Tom Kostopolous, who used his face to stop Matt Martin’s fist in an attempt to get the Devils going. Thankfully he’s expected to be OK, but it’s a little ridiculous that the Devils need something like that to spark them against a rival competing for the same playoff spots. … Is it just me or does it feel like Martin Brodeur needs to be perfect in the first period? … Not exactly a banner return for Zubrus, who looked tired and clearly rusty. Not sure if I would’ve used him on the PK in his first game back. Also not sure I would’ve played him tonight, period — especially with a pair of off days and full practices coming up tomorrow and Wednesday. … The Devils have no dynamic weapon capable of producing offense without Kovy. I know that’s an obvious statement, but it’s a problem considering they have Henrique, Zajac and Elias healthy. … Speaking of Zajac, for those of you that thought he looked off tonight, DeBoer said he had the flu and was throwing up between periods, which is why I’m cutting him some slack tonight. … I didn’t write about the dominant second period because it doesn’t matter. The Devils need to play 60 minutes or at least 40 minutes that way if they’re going to stay in the playoff chase. Any team can be dominant for one period against a fringe playoff team.
With Ilya Kovalchuk out for at least the next two weeks, someone on the Devils will have to step up and carry the team in his absence. Who do you think it is? Vote and sound off in the comments below!
Postgame Thoughts: Senators 3, Devils 2, SO (3/25/13)
There’s two different ways you could look at tonight’s game: Disappointing or gutsy. During their first contest without Ilya Kovalchuk, the Devils fought through in-game injuries to two game players and an awful to start to eek out a consolation point. They also played some good hockey in the second and third periods, although there were mistakes and they were clearly tired in overtime. Some thoughts…
One and one: One game without Kovalchuk, one point for the Devils. This is how it will have to be. Yes, they would’ve liked to have picked up the extra point and surely played like it in the third period, but any points are important given the state they’re in right now. If you’d like to be concerned, the Devils’ record in overtimes and shootouts is reason for worry. New Jersey has left a lot of points on the ice this season after excelling in extra hockey last season. Will it be the difference between eighth and ninth? Too early to tell, but for now the Devils simply have to do everything they can to stay stagnant (at worst) in the standings while Kovy is out. Tonight, the Devils managed to overcome a dreadful start and seemingly woke up after being undressed by Pete DeBoer during a first-period timeout. The gears didn’t really begin to turn until the second when Travis Zajac and Adam Henrique had some impressive shifts as DeBoer mixed and matched forwards given his limited bench. Over the final two periods, the Devils looked like a good hockey team that couldn’t finish — which is what they’ve looked like for stretches this season. Except there’s no Kovy coming in to seal the deal with a rocket from the point or a perfect pass across the ice. Make no mistake, this is what the Devils will look like for the next two weeks. They could play very inspired hockey game in and game out and it will still be a challenge to score goals.
Seriously? More injuries?: I’m not going to overreact to Bryce Salvador and Stephen Gionta leaving the game early tonight. We don’t know anything about them other than the general area (lower for Salvador, upper for Gionta). DeBoer says they haven’t seen the doctor yet but will travel with the team to Tampa Bay, where the Devils play Friday. The good news is that Salvador’s injury isn’t connected to the upper-body ailment that caused him to miss a game earlier this month. After Salvador missed a game against the Canes, he admitted he would have to play through the pain and deal with the injury and my first thought tonight was that he aggravated whatever that injury was. Instead, it looks like a separate issue, which is just further evidence of how the bangs and bruises will add up through this short season. We said before the year that there would be plenty of injuries for the teams to deal with, but this is starting to feel like a bit of an onslaught. It’s also what happens when a large chunk of your team is veterans with a lot of miles on their bodies. I’m not saying these injuries could’ve been avoided, but look at the players who have hit the IR this season and then take a look at their ages. That’s not a coincidence. Gionta’s a bit of the exception. Despite being 29, he’s spent most of pro hockey career outside of the NHL. He’s also the one player among these two whose absence I believe would hurt the most. Yes, Salvador is the captain and a reliable piece on defense, but the Devils have eight NHL-caliber defensemen and can get by without him for a time. Gionta? First of all, he’s one of the few true right wings the Devils have right now, which, as we’re seeing with the Kovy injury, is a pretty big deal. Two, he’s one of the few players who pretty much plays his role every time he’s out on the ice. The Devils need his energy and effort on the forecheck, especially with Kovy, Zubrus and Ponikarovsky on IR. If Gionta is out for any long period of time, I’m not sure there’s really a player to replace what he brings to the table.
Forced trios: The one thing Gionta’s injury did force DeBoer to do is get real funky with his line combos again and I think he might have stumbled into a winner. When Gionta first didn’t come out for the second period, DeBoer tried Adam Henrique in between Ryan Carter and Steve Bernier. It was a solid shift, but the next time the remaining two-thirds of the CBGB line hit the ice it was with Andrei Loktionov in the middle. In fact, it was on that shift that the Devils scored their first goal of the night with Carter taking the draw and Loktionov lined up to the left. DeBoer stuck with the trio for most of the rest of the game with Carter taking most of the draws and Loktionov playing the middle for the most part. I liked the immediate chemistry between them and I also like how Loktionov was able to play off Carter and Bernier’s physical in-the-corners and in-your-face style. If DeBoer wanted to leave Loktionov there, he could use Henrique to center the “top” line with D’Agostini (who was invisible tonight) and possibly Pesonen until Ponikarovsky comes back. It would allow DeBoer to get Henrique away from the wing, which clearly does not suit him and where DeBoer is incredibly loathe to use him.
No power: The one place we knew the Devils would struggle without Kovy was the power play. Although the Devils only had one opportunity with the man advantage against Ottawa, it certainly wasn’t pretty. There were multiple turnovers, multiple breakaways (by the Sens) and a general sense of discombobulation and confusion. Basically, the Devils didn’t have any sort of “alpha dog” to take over the two minutes and run plays from start to finish. We hypothesized earlier that it’s possible the Devils will use this time to morph into a better overall power-play unit because they won’t be relying on one player — and that’s still possible. It’s impossible to judge anything about this unit without Kovy after just one game let alone one power play, but what I will say is I don’t have a ton of faith that they’ll suddenly start humming 30-plus games into the season. The best option for them now is to spend as much time trying to fire pucks at the net and hoping for rebounds and mismatches in front or for deflections.
Notes: Martin Brodeur did not have his A-game tonight. That was obvious from the Senators’ very first goal. He gave up far too many rebounds and it finally cost him on that late goal in the second period. Devils aren’t going to win many games these next two weeks if Marty doesn’t bring his top game every night. … Second straight game with a goal in the final seconds of a period. Those kinds of goals are absolute killers. Have to hope that’s a blip on the radar and not a trend. … How many posts was that tonight? I think my ears are still ringing. … Zajac played a strong game once again but that giveaway on the power play was awful. … If there’s one thing I noticed tonight it’s that the Senators have a lot of skill and a lot of depth up front despite the injuries. Guillaume Latendresse is a shining example. I’m really surprised he didn’t have about two or three goals tonight with the way he played. … Not sure whether it was David Clarkson fight or DeBoer’s intermission speech that got the Devils fired up, but Clarkson really handled Zach Smith in that fight. … A fifth-round pick for Loktionov. Just throwing that out there again. … What a game for Marek Zidlicky, eh? All over the ice, single-handedly tied the game and a sound one in his own end. Impressive night for Zids. … Clarkson has GOT to start burying some of these shots. He’s getting far too many opportunities compared to the goals he’s scoring. … The Devils looked exhausted in OT, just completely spent. If the injuries to Salvador and Gionta are of decent severity, it’s only a matter of time before that catches up to New Jersey. … A few shootout notes: 1) Daniel Alfredsson’s snap shot is absurdly good. 2) It’s almost as good as that move Mika Zibanejad put on Brodeur for the game winner. 3) Could Kyle Turris have gone any slower? 4) Why do we still have the shootout?
I never thought I’d write that headline, but there it is. At today’s morning skate in Ottawa, none other than Matt D’Agostini has been bumped up to right wing on the Devils’ top line alongside Andrei Loktionov and Adam Henrique. The rest of today’s forward lines and defensive pairings:
Devils lines this morning: Elias-Zajac-Clarkson; Henrique-Loktionov-D'Aogostini; Carter-Gionta-Bernier; Pesonen-Sestito-Kostopoulos— Rich Chere (@Ledger_NJDevils) March 25, 2013
Devils defense pairings this morning: Salcadir-Zidlicky; Greene-Larsson; Volchenkov-Harrold; Tallinder-Fayne— Rich Chere (@Ledger_NJDevils) March 25, 2013
Corey Griffin
While people might still insist on calling the Loktionov the Devils’ top unit, we all know it’ll be the Elias-Zajac-Clarkson trio that will have to carry the load for at least two weeks. I don’t mind the idea of D’Agostini on that line. I like his speed and he did sore 20 goals recently enough that the Devils can still use it a banner reason to promote him. That said, I see several problems with that troika. For one, there aren’t enough finishers. I like Henrique and Loktionov’s skillsets, but neither of them are going to be scoring 40 goals anytime soon and I don’t think D’Agostini is suddenly going to return to form after just a couple games as a Devil. I do think that line can create some problems with their playmaking ability, but I think Henrique is really going to have to step up if they’re going to even remotely replace Kovy’s production. And that’s my second issue with this line. Can Henrique take a step forward? I’m not sure. I think we all agree his long-term ceiling is sky high, but he’s struggled to score goals this season outside of the occasional outburst. Also, I don’t know how Loktionov will fare without Kovy. We saw how much the top line sagged when Lokti missed a pair of games last week. Was that because of the way the Devils had to rearrange their centermen or was that due to Lokti and Kovy suddenly being separated. I have a lot more questions than answers about this line, which is how I imagine Pete DeBoer feels as well.
It was almost a storybook return, but history turned out to be too good to be true for Martin Brodeur. Still, after weathering a hectic first 10 minutes, the Devils responded with an excellent overall effort and have ended their most recent losing streak in impressive fashion. Some thoughts…
Marty: It may not have been history, but it was an excellent return for Brodeur, who single-handedly kept the Devils in the game long enough for them to find their sea legs. Brodeur’s performance during the first 10 minutes of the first period was the shining example of what we wrote earlier this week. While Johan Hedberg was good enough, he wasn’t Brodeur. He didn’t have that extra level. Moose was likely to be beaten on the fifth shot of a rapid-fire barrage. Brodeur, on the other hand, was calm, cool, collected and his usual reliable self. Of course, he was blatantly exhausted at the end of that stretch, but thankfully the rest of the team took over from there, shutting the Hurricanes down so well even Drake would’ve been impressed. But it wasn’t just those saves — or his goal (yes, his goal) — that stood out for me. It was all the little things that Brodeur does that make him such an excellent netminder even at the age of 40. One of those examples came during the first period when there was a turnover and Alexander Semin came rushing up the gut toward the puck. Moose might’ve dove at the puck and he might have disrupted Semin enough to be successful. It’s a risky proposition we’ve seen Hedberg both win and lose this season. Instead, Brodeur stayed calm, stayed upright and came out just far enough that he forced Semin to shoot at one of several tiny windows. Semin, of course, nearly scored, rocketing a shot off the post just over Brodeur’s shoulder, but that’s a nearly impossible shot to make and it’s the only one Brodeur gave him. Marty also made at least two or three excellent decision with the puck on his stick, deftly moving the play away from the net and helping the Devils get out of the zone. Brodeur’s return will likely be remembered for his incredibly bizarre goal and those frantic first minutes, but it was the things that went unnoticed, things not seen in the box score that impressed me the most.
First 10, last 50: As alluded to above, it was a schizophrenic game to be certain, although not nearly a half-and-half situation. The Canes came out of the gate pressing the Devils, which only increased once Brodeur scored on that whacky deflection. Carolina threw everything they could at Brodeur over 10 minutes, amassing 11 shots and seemingly coming within a post or a puck bounce of at least a tie game if not a lead. Thankfully for the Devils, Brodeur was there to man the gates, but what happened after that 10 minutes is what really impressed me about this game. The Devils stopped the Hurricanes in their tracks. I mean absolutely stopped them. After those 11 shots, Carolina mustered three more until the midway point of the third period and it had everything to do with the Devils’ smart play in the neutral zone and the way they kept the Canes from establishing any sort of presence in the the Devils’ zone. This was the style of play that frustrated a lot of teams earlier in the season — take the other team’s top skill players out of the game in the neutral zone and halt their primary method of generating changes. The Hurricanes love to shoot the puck — like, really, really love to shoot it — but the Devils wouldn’t even give them the chance to dump it at the net from the point until Jeff Skinner’s puck deflected off Bryce Salvador’s stick and in during the third period. Seeing this style of play return and seeing the Devils sustain it for basically the last 50 minutes of tonight’s game was as good of a sign as Brodeur’s return.
Answering the bell: Of course, none of that would’ve mattered if guys like Adam Henrique and Travis Zajac didn’t stand up and deliver some offensive hockey tonight. One night after Zajac scored for the first time in 11 games, Henrique scored for just the second time since March 7. While Zajac didn’t register a goal tonight, it was his speed into the offensive zone and work on the forecheck that directly led to Peter Harrold’s goal in the second. Zajac also played a key part in Andrei Loktionov’s game-sealing tally in the fourth, winning an offensive-zone faceoff singlehandedly and deflecting a puck from the point to keep it moving in the offensive end. Tonight was the third game in a row where Zajac was clearly more engaged in the offensive zone and if the Devils can get Henrique going as well, along with the Loktionov-Kovalchuk combination, they could start to be a team that scores more than one or two goals a game. Of course, this is a very small sample size and we’ll have to see if the Devils continue to finish their offensive chances in the next couple games, but it was an encouraging sign for a team that has been wondering when Zajac and Henrique would finally turn it on.
The streak, part 2: As noted above, tonight’s win ended the Devils’ most recent losing streak, a 3-game skid that saw them pick up an overtime point in the first game against Philly. While it certainly wasn’t the disastrous slide of two weeks ago, it was enough to temporarily knock the Devils out of the playoff picture. But this isn’t about that streak, it’s about what the Devils need to do going forward, which is reel off a stretch of four wins in five games or at least rack up points in all of those contests — say, seven points out of five games. That’s not too much to ask, not with the Panthers at home Saturday, an injury-ravaged Ottawa team Monday and a Florida twofer next Friday and Saturday. With the bottom half of the Eastern Conference playoff pictures so tightly packed (eight points separate fifth place and 13th as of this post), even picking up a charity point can bump you a spot or two on any given tonight. As an example, the Devils moved from ninth to seventh Thursday night thanks to their win and a Rangers loss. It’s going to be a crazy few weeks as this season wears down and it’s incredibly crucial the Devils use this opportunity to stack points during games against beatable teams.
Notes: I think it’s a good thing the action slowed down after that first 11 minutes. Marty was gassed and I’m guessing if the Canes had continued to press eventually the rust and conditioning factors would’ve gotten to him. … You could feel a goal coming during the second period. The Devils were getting a lot of chances and Dan Ellis was leaving a lot of loose pucks in front of the net. Ilya Kovalchuk and Ryan Carter each missed or fanned on multiple chances before Henrique scored. … I think Pete DeBoer really wants to use the CBGB line as much as possible, but it’s going to be difficult to do once the Devils are healthy. … Speaking of “when the Devils are healthy,” I wonder what happens to tonight’s interesting third line when that’s the case. I assumd the Devils will continue to carry Krys Barch for pure intimidation factor and while also assuming Tim Sestito is the first one back to Albany when either Dainius Zubrus or Henrik Tallinder come off the IR. Since DeBoer insists on keeping eight defensemen around, that leaves either Tom Kostopolous or Harri Pesonen on the chopping block. I like Pesonen’s game much better, but he doesn’t have to pass through waivers, which Kostoplous would if they wanted to send one of them to Albany. … Good to see Adam Larsson putting the puck on net prior to Henrique’s goal, but would’ve been better if he had kept the shot low. That puck was headed over the net until it hit Kovy in front. … Andy Greene made another of his underrated but excellent plays at the close of the second period. Greene was dealing with a bouncing puck in his own zone and had two or three Canes bearing down on him while the Devils changed lines. Instead of panicking, Greene settled the puck and calmly dodged all three Canes while skating behind his net and up the other side of the zone before eventually leading a breakout. All while being hit, chipped at and pushed by the Canes. Tremendous play by the Devils’ best blueliner. … Marek Zidlicky, do you know how many scoring chances you would have if your stick was on the ice? … The calm Loktionov displayed on his goal was fantastic to see and just another example of how his game grows by the day. That backhander was pretty nice, too — although not as nice as Harrold’s.
The Devils finally announced Alexei Ponikarovsky’s injury status Wednesday night, declaring the winger out for Thursday’s game in Carolina.
Alexei Ponikarovsky (lower body) did not travel to Carolina and is day to day. #njdevils— (@NHLDevilsPR) March 20, 2013
Corey Griffin
That’s a little more detail than we got earlier, although not much more than we already knew considering the timing of everything. It’s hard to take the Devils’ “day-to-day” diagnoses seriously considering their history — Henrik Tallinder being the latest example. While Poni hasn’t exactly lit it up (one goal, five points in 12 games) since rejoining the Devils via trade, he is a key part of Pete DeBoer’s nightly lineup, especially with Dainius Zubrus sidelined and Stefan Matteau in junior. Expect to see Adam Henrique at left wing on the first line tomorrow night with Zajac centering Elias and Clarkson and the CBGB line reunited for a whole game. The fourth line is still a bit of a mystery although I don’t expect much out of them regardless of whichever combination DeBoer chooses to throw out there. The Devils can survive a brief time without Poni, but it’s just another example of small losses adding up a bigger problem.
After missing the entire third period last night, Alexei Ponikarovsky was not present at Wednesday’s practice. His injury, along with the return of Andrei Loktionov to practice, forced Pete DeBoer to use some line combinations we’ve seen before.
Devils' lines today: Henrique-Loktionov-Kovalchuk; Elias-Zajac-Clarkson; Carter-Gionta-Bernier; Barch-Sestito-Kostopoulos.— Tom Gulitti (@TGfireandice) March 20, 2013
Corey Griffin
I’m sure many Devils fans are happy to see the return of the CBGB line, although all of this was necessitated by the injuries to Ponikarovsky and Dainius Zubrus. Once those two return, unless the Devils want Adam Henrique, Travis Zajac or Loktionov to center the fourth line (they don’t), then I wouldn’t expect that line to appear except for certain points when DeBoer maybe wants to give the whole team a spark. Also, DeBoer really dislikes using Henrique on the wing and only uses him there when he has to. Assuming Poni isn’t seriously hurt, I’d expect him to return to that spot until Zubrus is healthy, at which point all bets are off in terms of line combos. We’ll have to see how serious the injury to Ponikarovsky is later today once DeBoer addresses the media. If he’s out for tomorrow’s game, I’d be willing to bet these are the lines we’ll see against Carolina.
I won’t say the Devils “didn’t deserve” to win that one, because that’s not what happened tonight. Yes, the Devils allowed too many odd-man rushes and the offensive pressure and possession pretty much died in the third period. But the Devils also ran into a hot goaltender and were also the victim of some unfortunate bounces. All in all, it was a very good hockey game between two rivals fighting for the same land in the playoff landscape. Some thoughts…
Goalie class: First off, let me say that Johan Hedberg didn’t play poorly at all. He played well, in fact. Hedberg was victimized by a bad bounce on one of the second goal and some sloppy nonexistent coverage of the trailer on the first goal. Moose managed to keep the Devils in the game on several occasions and his glove work (particularly on Nash in the third) was just phenomenal. The problem with Hedberg is that he’s not on Henrik Lundqvist’s level and when a goalie not on Lundqvist’s level runs into an elite goalie that’s playing well, it usually doesn’t end well. Right before the third and deciding goal for the Rangers, Lundqvist made about four or five strong saves that only a select group of goalies can make. Devils fans witnessed it for almost two decades with Martin Brodeur, so they know what elite goaltending looks like. There’s no denying that Lundqvist was maybe the main reason tonight’s game ended the way it did. The good news for the Devils is they’re finally getting Brodeur back, possibly as early as Thursday. That will help the Devils even the playing field a bit when they match up with the Rangers, Canadiens and Bruins later on this season and potentially in the playoffs.
Where have you gone: That must have been the question for Pete DeBoer as he tried to figure out where the energy and offensive pressure went in between the second and third periods. The Devils seemingly lost their way in the offensive end for much of the final period and it resulted in a team that barely registered a scoring chance through the first ten minutes of the third. It’s hard not to look back at those 10 to 15 minutes of game action and wonder how different the final five minutes would’ve been if the Devils didn’t wait for Johan Hedberg to leave the ice to start putting shots on net and forechecking. Too often during the period the Devils forwards tried to pass back or laterally instead of either dumping the puck down below the goal line or skating it below the faceoff dots. Patrik Elias in particular was guilty of this tonight and Travis Zajac also had a couple opportunities to either shoot the puck or get the forecheck going in the third period and instead chose to move every direction but forward. When David Clarkson actually followed through on that halfway through the period, he drew a tripping call. However, the power play the proceeded was fairly uneventful and lacking in any sort of momentum or pressure. The bottom line is the Devils can’t simply hope to play hard for 20 or 40 minutes and then turn it on in the final five. This team has got to forecheck hard for almost the entire game in order to generate offense.
So short handed: The forecheck is especially important when you consider some of the players the Devils are currently icing due to injury. With guys like Andrei Loktionov, Dainius Zubrus and now Alexei Ponikarovsky on the shelf, the already-limited Devils simply don’t have the talent to think they can score with drop passes and fancy puck movement. Yes, there are skill guys on this roster, guys that can do special things with the puck on their tape, but there’s not enough of them to eschew the gameplan, which is further limited when DeBoer has to play Harri Pesonen on the second line while also icing Krys Barch and Tom Kostopolous. Let’s face it, the Devils team that played the Rangers tonight was extremely short-handed due to injuries. Simply by adding back Loktionov and a full game of Ponikarovsky, DeBoer is able to roll lines with consistency that also show a decent balance of skill and grit. If you add Zubrus to the equation, now guys like Barch and Pesonen aren’t even dressing and maybe aren’t even on the roster. It was a tough game to manage for a coach that can usually get pretty creative but was clearly stretched to his limits tonight.
Welcome back, (Za)jac: If there was one encouraging thing tonight (and there were more than one), it was the fact that Zajac finally snapped his goal streak. The goal itself, Zajac’s first in 11 games, was a mix of effort and skill. After fanning on the first shot, Zajac gathered the puck again and snapped a laser through the five-hole of Lundqvist. It was the kind of goal that can kick-start a player and kick-start a team that’s desperate for goals. The question is whether that will actually happen. Even when not scoring, Zajac does the other things that make him a valuable hockey player. He wins draws at a high rate, usually is good at generating a forecheck and is exceedingly responsible (and skilled) in his own end. Tonight, I watched him pick-pocket Rick Nash from behind without any real effort at all. Those are the kinds of things that, when added to the scoring touch demonstrated in the past, make him worthy of a long-term contract extension. But the goals have got to start adding up. I’m not asking for him to be a point-per-game player, but he’s got to be much closer to that than what the Devils are getting now.
Tough loss: This loss was a difficult one for the Devils. For one, they’re out of the playoff picture for the first time this season. More importantly, the Devils lost two key points to a team that they’ll be facing down for a playoff spot as the next month develops. Yes, the Devils are getting Brodeur back and Loktionov should be in the lineup by the weekend, but as DeBoer said tonight — the Devils are running out of time to put points on the board. They’ve got to start translating this effort into one or two points on a nightly basis if only to keep up with the Rangers, Hurricanes, Jets, Senators and Islanders. That’s not even mentioning teams like the Maple Leafs and Lightning, both of whom (along with the Canes, Isles and Sens) are among the teams the Devils will play in the next two weeks. Because of the East-only schedule this year, every loss is amplified because chances are you’re losing to or beating someone within two to four points of you. The time of the season where the Devils could lose three in a row is over. They have to get more than one point out of games with three potential playoff teams.
Notes: The Devils had their forecheck going for most of the first two periods and clearly had the Rangers on their heels for most of the first period. It was an impressive start to the game and the kind the Devils need to translate into goals, which is something we’ve been saying all season. … The Devils went straight Oliver Twist on the Rangers tonight — some very impressive puck thievery. … Michael Del Zotto makes some beautiful passes. There’s not many defensemen in the NHL with that skill. … Cover. The. Trailer. … I like Pesonen’s game more than I like Kostopolous’, but I fear it’ll be a numbers game for both of them when Zubrus and Henrik Tallinder return off injured reserve. … You know the puck is bouncing like crazy when Anton Volchenkov scores like that. … Speaking of bounces, how about that Kovalchuk shot in the first period? It was like a McDonald’s commercial: off the defenseman, off the goalie’s stick, off the post and still almost bounces in. … Am I the only one really excited to watch guys like Kovalchuk and Nash in the Olympics next year? I can’t imagine what those two will do with all that extra room. … Bit of a tough-luck game for Larsson, who fumbled probably his best offensive chance in weeks early in the second period. I think he’s still a little nervous with the puck on his stick in the opponent’s zone. … That was a bad call on Zajac for “running” Lundqvist. I’m sorry, but the officials have got to see that. Can you imagine if the Rangers had scored there? It would be all we talked about after the game. And let’s not forgetthe acting job by King Henrik. That was some special stuff right there, Hank. Marty would be proud. … Henrique played with a lot of energy tonight. He was diving (the good kind) all over the ice and trying to make plays. … It was a feisty, physical game, but I (like Ken Daneyko) thought there would be at least one fight. … Way too many odd-man rushes for the Rangers and this isn’t the first time the Devils have dealt with that. Thankfully for New Jersey, Hedberg was there to keep the game close. … The Devils defensemen would do well to note what Del Zotto and Derek Stepan did to Elias and Clarkson around the net on a late shot that Elias and Clarkson each just missed tapping in. Why did they just miss? Because Del Zotto and Stepan had good position on them around the net and kept them from being close enough to bang home the rebound before Lundqvist could react. … Speaking of which, the Devils left a lot of missed pucks out there tonight. For as well as he played, Lundqvist was serving up all types of rebounds for long stretches.
News and notes surrounding New Jersey’s dominant 5-2 win over Philadelphia last night (NHL.com) (NJ.com) (NorthJersey.com)
Krys Barch was injured last night during the third period of New Jersey’s win, but Danny Briere was nice enough to apologize for the dangerous check (NJ.com)
