It was quite a homecoming for several Devils players this past weekend when they visited the Minnesota Wild.  Jamie Langenbrunner, Paul Martin and Zach Parise all returned home, surrounded by dozens of family members and friends.  You had the captain, the No. 1 defenseman and team scoring leader all originate from what’s now known as Hockeytown USA.  Just unbelievable.  Paul Martin returned home this past weekend to Minneapolis, where he first starred in high school and then in the University

With the clock ticking, I reveal my predictions for the regular season's most valuable player, rookie, defenseman and goaltender. Then, not in any order particular order, I offer my "two cents" on the Eastern and Western Conference representatives fighting in the Stanley Cup Finals. Warning Sign: Detroit and Pittsburgh WILL NOT compete in the championship round despite their best efforts this season, due to their goaltender issues. Although Ty Conklin has successfully taken over the goaltender reins in Fleury's absence, Conblock cannot dominate a seven-game series.

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that captain and reigning MVP Sidney Crosby will return to the lineup tonight against Tampa Bay. Crosby missed 21 games due to a high ankle sprain he suffered on Jan. 18. The team originally expected Crosby to return mid-March, so this is a surprise. Whether Crosby can make a successful comeback will arguably determine the Penguins regular season and postseason hopes.

During his absence, the Penguins registered a 11-6-4 record, utilizing Evgeni Malkin’s dominance (36

Marian Hossa suffered a sprained MCL in his Pittsburgh Penguins debut and the team expects him to miss about one week with the injury. The Pittsburgh Union-Tribune reported the injury after the Penguins 5-1 loss to Boston on Thursday night. In my opinion, this news will not only hurt the Penguins on the ice, especially since Sidney Crosby is also on the sidelines, but off the ice as well. The team traded awa several of its young players and a first round draft choice for Hossa, an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and now has to overcome his loss with a group of minor leaguers.

The Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference has never been so exciting. As of right now the New Jersey Devils sit atop both the division and the conference, but as we all know, this could change over night with the Pittsburgh Penguins only one point behind the Devils. The New York Rangers are also playing some of their best hockey of the season, making the task of winning the division that much harder.

The

The Devils have traded enforcer Cam Janssen to the Blues for defenseman Bryce Salvador. Janssen was recently activated off the injury reserve after suffering a separated shoulder in the offseason. He had yet to see action this season. Jackman has 11 points and +12 in 56 games with St. Louis thus far. The move should help the Devils on the blue line where they were thin and in need of a veteran presence after losing Rafalski, Daneyko and both Scotts over the last few years.