The New Jersey Devils are starting to play like the team that most critics expected. As Jeremy pointed out, in his very accurate piece on the Devils progress so far, they cannot put the puck in the net, as expected. During a stretch spanning November and early December, the Devils seemed almost unbeatable, going 9-0.

People all over the league were scratching their heads, wondering how this was happening. Well the amazement wore off and people started taking the Devils for real.

And now look what happened...

We have started to level off and even out with the other teams in the Eastern Conference. Pucks that goalie Martin Brodeur stopped during the wins have suddenly found the back of the net.

Zach Parise, who was on a tear during the winning streak, in which he scored his first career hat trick, has slowed down quite a bit, accumulating 44 points in 49 games played. While he leads the team in scoring, other teams’ stars are putting up 60+ points and twice as many goals.

I think Zach has the ability to compete like a scoring leader. I just think it's difficult to produce when nobody else is contributing, as Jeremy noted.

Jeremy hit the nail on the head, discussing Patrik Elias’ 7.5 million contract, but for what?

For 7.5 million you could ink any of the top scorers in the league to a contract and I would bet my bottom dollar they would have scored more than 31 points through game No. 50.

Where is the defense?

I understand that replacing Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, and Brian Rafalski is next to impossible. But we have no replacements, nobody decent protecting Brodeur. The inconsistent play is disheartening on most nights and dissuading fans from coming, as evidenced by the 13,595 in attendance against Pittsburgh.

Just as I thought ticket sales were starting to do better, I fear losses will translate into smaller crowds.

Pittsburgh had seven regulars sitting out, including captain Sidney Crosby, but somehow crawled back from two separated one-goal deficits to win 4-2. I cannot imagine the score with a healthy Crosby in the Penguins rotation. (P.S. The last time these two teams met at the Prudential Center, Crosby led a 5-0 rout on Nov. 5).

I hope the Devils have slowed down a bit but are prepared for their typical March-April late season tear, where they steal the division.

Yet, I am starting to get worried. The Atlantic Division’s competition is tighter than ever (all five teams are within contention for postseason, within seven points of each other) and the Eastern Conference is tighter than in most years.

Hopefully, the Devils acquire someone before the trade deadline, which Jeremy highlighted to be February 26th at 3:00PM. Hopefully, someone huge, not the typical role players that Lamoriello and Co. signed in the off season (Zubrus, Rachunek, etc.). We need a game breaker.

First on my wish list: Marian Hossa.

What a way to improve the scoring. Adding a spark and instant offense.

Will this happen? Probably not, but it's nice to dream...

Hopefully, head coach Brent Sutter will light the fire under his team and lead us to another division title and hopefully a Stanley Cup run.

Go Devils!

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