Game Recap

• Brodeur and Parise Lift Devils to Season Sweep of Leafs-

  Zach Parise assured the Devils that first place in the Eastern Conference belonged to them for at least a second consecutive night.  Parise scored the decisive tally with 48.3 seconds left in regulation, lifting the Devils to a 2-1 win over the Leafs.  In fact, he also scored New Jersey’s first goal, giving him five in the last three games, while Martin Brodeur backstopped the Devils to victory, making 41 saves.

• Parise's Controversial and Decisive Goal-

  Last night, Zach Parise's goal with 48.3 seconds left in regulation secured the Devils 2-1 win over the Maple Leafs. However, Leafs fans are angry as hell.  They wanted to know why Jamie Langenbrunner can barge into Toronto's goaltender Vesa Toskala without an interference penalty called.  In fact, Langs' collision with Toskala happened seconds before Parise found the loose puck and pushed it by the Leafs netminder. Let's review the play and determine if Langs committed a minor infraction. 

• Elias Lifts Devils into Eastern Conference Lead- Throughout his career, the Devils have relied upon Patrik Elias's experience and ability to perform down the stretch.  He carried the team yet again last night.  Elias’s goal with 58 seconds left in overtime boosted New Jersey (26-35-7) to a 2-1 decision over visiting Tampa Bay (39-23-6) at the Prudential Center and, more importantly, sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference.

  Competing in front of an announced attendance of 15,670, the Devils outshot the Lightning 33-22, dominating many aspects of their fourth and

• Devils Rebound With Solid Effort Over Leafs- The Devils quickly ended a two-game losing drought with an important 4-1 decision over the Maple Leafs last night.  Zach Parise tallied twice, snapping a 4-game pointless streak, David Clarkson scored for the first time in 11 games, and goaltender Martin Brodeur stopped 41 shots in front 19,507 at the Air Canada Centre. “We played pretty well outside of a few minutes in the second period,” head coach Brent Sutter said afterwards.  “Marty made some huge saves.”

• Devils Fall to Montreal, I Lose My Mind on Officiating or Lack There Of Last Night-

  The previous game, a 4-0 loss Washington, I described as unintelligent. Head coach Brent Sutter ensured a more competitive match in the second half of a back-to-back stretch, yet the Devils fell for the third straight game, 2-1 to Montreal, in front of a soldout raucous crowd of 21,273 at the Bell Centre.
  
  Both teams worked hard in the first period, with the Devils leading 13-8 in shots on goal. However, after 20 minutes of action, the game remained scoreless.
  

• Devils Unintelligent at Home; Blanked by Capitals- The best way to describe the Devils effort on Friday night was uninspiring or rather unintelligent. That's how head coach Brent Sutter referred to his team during the postgame press conference. "At times we're not playing with any intelligence," Sutter said, paraphrasing from his entire speech. "The team (Devils) played one period with urgency."
• Devils Fall in OT, Remain Atop Eastern Conference-

  Trading came and went and the Devils took the alternate route, making a small trade for a stay-at-home defenseman Bryce Salvador. They could have used an offensive weapon or two last night, falling to the Hurricanes 2-1 in overtime. Brian Gionta scored the Devils lone goal, deflecting it off Carolina's defenseman. However, with time expiring on the Hurricanes' man advantage, Sergei Samsonov tallied his first of two goals. Many people blamed Andy Greene for allowing Samsonov's game

• Madden Wins it in Overtime; Devils Gain Sole Possession of Eastern Conference Lead- John Madden tucked in a shot underneath Brent Johnson's pads with 50 seconds left in overtime, giving New Jersey a 2-1 win and sole possession of the Eastern Conference lead for the first time since April 8. 2001. Despite being outplayed throughout the majority of the contest, the Devils earned their fifth consecutive win and seventh in eight games (7-0-1). Washington outshot New Jersey 28-10 for the first 40 minutes of play, but the Devils hung tight, going into the third period scoreless.
• Devils Finally Conquer Islanders; Extend Point Streak to 7- Maybe, Sutter's family should move to New Jersey permanently. After attending the last contest, a 3-2 Devils win, the Sutters, made another appearance, watching the Devils first win in six tries over the Islanders this season over head coach Brent's former team. Alongside a rare sellout crowd of 17,625, the Sutters and Co. witnessed the 4-2 effort

  Trailing 1-0 after eight minutes of action, the Devils responded valiantly, utilizing a brilliant

• Devils Take Bite Out of Sharks-

  John Madden gave New Jersey their first lead and Sergei Brylin delivered the knockout punch, defeating San Jose 3-2 and sending the Sharks to their fifth straight loss. After a scoreless first period, the Sharks took the 1-0 lead, taking advantage of a Vitaly Vishnevksi penalty 35 seconds into the middle frame.  However, the Devils scored the next three goals, all in the second, including Madden and Brylin’s 1:10 apart, before a late Kyle McLaren tally in the third, finishing the count.

• Asham Rebounds, Leads Devils Over Conference-Leading Senators- Arron Asham rebounded from Friday night's shootout gaffe, leading the Devils to a 3-2 win over the Senators. Asham scored twice and Zach Parise added another on the power play, as New Jersey regained a share of first place in the Atlantic Division. The Senators made a valiant effort to tie this game, but Martin Brodeur made 37 saves, including one in the waning seconds with Ottawa pressing for the equalizer.

   

• Devils Slaughter 'Canes, Gain Share of First Place in Eastern Conference- Five different players scored goals and New Jersey improved to 3-0 versus Carolina this season with a 5-1 win in front of 16,182. With the victory, the Devils improved to 4-0-1 in their last five games and captured a share of first place in the Eastern Conference standings.

  Although they have played two games this past weekend on consecutive nights, the Devils were healthier and more effective than the Hurricanes.

• Devils Waste Two Goal Lead, Fall to Thrashers in Shootout- Pascal Dubuis beat Martin Brodeur with the decisive goal in the 10th round of the longest shootout in Devils history and Johan Hedberg denied Arron Asham on the other end, giving Atlanta the 4-3 come-from-behind win in New Jersey. The Devils had taken a 2-0 and then 3-2 lead before the Thrashers tied the game on separate occasions. Despite the loss, New Jersey gained one point, advancing into a first place tie with Pittsburgh in the Atlantic Division. The Devils remain four points behind idle Ottawa, their next opponent on Saturday night’s second half of a back-to-back stretch.
• Devils Upend Thrashers, Can They Make it Four Straight?- The New Jersey Devils have broken out of their slump and the Tampa Bay Lightning are in the midst of their three-game losing streak.  Goaltender Martin Brodeur is heating up and just recorded his first shutout of the season, 3-0, last night over the Thrashers, a milestone no less.  He is 1-1 against the Lightning this year, losing the season opener 3-1 before a 6-1 convincing victory in the Prudential Center.  Jamie Langenbrunner has made a serious contribution since returning to the lineup on Nov.
• Devils Suffer Deja Vu to Sabres- When the fourth and final meeting between the Devils and Sabres went into overtime, Buffalo was thinking, "Here we go again." However, Buffalo overcame its early season woes to New Jersey and finally found a way to win in the shootout period. After squadering a 2-0 lead in regulation, the Sabres regrouped for a 3-2 effort.

  The Devils overcame a 2-0 deficit again with two more unlikely heroes.

• Devils Shoot Sabres Out of Newark-

  The Devils were clearly frustrated after they allowed the Sabres to to tie the game with 1:37 remaining in regulation, preventing goalie Martin Brodeur from earning yet another shutout. Instead of succumbing in the last 90 seconds plus overtime, they regrouped and captured the 2-1 shootout win.

• Devils End First Period Woes, Successfully Open New Year-

  The last time New Jersey scored a first-period goal was in a 3-2 loss to Washington on Dec. 10, a loss that snapped the Devils’ 10-game point streak. This time around, the Devils walked away with a nail-biting 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers at the Prudential Center.

  With Patrik Elias out of the lineup due to a tightened groin, someone had to step up in his place.

• Devils Defeat Sabres, Travel to Long Island Tonight-

  The New Jersey Devils (21-13-3) continued to win last night with a low-scoring, defensive-minded effort.  After tying the game at one apiece in regulation, Zach Parise scored the only goal in the shootout frame.
  
  Goaltender Martin Brodeur outdueled Buffalo Sabres netminder Ryan Miller and did not allow any of the three Sabres' shooters to score in the shootout.
  
  Parise fought off the flu to beat Miller for the only shootout tally and the Devils' 2-1 victory over the Sabres (19-15-2).
  

• Devils Rebound in Hurry, Easily Handle Kings-

  The Devils quickly got back on the winning track with a 6-3 win over the last-place Kings last night. They produced five second-period goals and 12 skaters contributed points in New Jersey's first win on the five-game home stand. Even the defensemen helped out, manufacturing two goals and three assists in front of 15,279 at the Prudential Center.

• Devils Deranged Once Again by Nemesis-

  Friday was not a night to remember for the 17,625 fans in attendance.  The Devils and their loyal supporters must stay positive after last night’s 3-1 loss to the Rangers, as they host the Kings tonight with little room for error.  The Devils have officially lost the season series (0-3-2) to the Rangers.  That was the fifth straight loss to the Rangers and 5th in the 6-game home stretch.  But, everyone must stay positive.

• Devils Caught Napping, Drop Second Straight-

  ­If the Devils ought to win the Atlantic Division, they must not lose focus. They must not allow divisional foes to come back from two separate one-goal leads. When Pittsburgh visited the Prudential Center after the All Star break, the Penguins were lacking their own firepower. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby crashed into the boards in mid-January and will miss 6-8 weeks with a high ankle sprain. The Devils had a lead not once but twice, before collapsing late in the second period, eventually losing 4-2.

• Devils Revert to Laziness in Third, Fall to Canadiens-

  The New Jersey Devils had just defeated their archrival Philadelphia Flyers, 7-3, supported by a season-high five power play goals.  That lasted two more periods though as Montreal quickly and painfully ripped apart the Devils' weak defensive corps.  The Canadiens entered last night as clear underdogs, having last won in New Jersey on Feb. 5, 2002, nearly six years ago.  The Canadiens were 1-7-2 before their come-from-behind 4-3 win over NJ, behind a three-goal third period.
  

• Metro Woes Continue-

  Anyone who has watched a New Jersey Devils game this season will have most likely seen the standings for the "Hummer Metro Ice Challenge".  It's a competition between the three metro area teams, including Devils, and the Rangers and Islanders representing New York.  Check out the standings and you will find the Islanders in first place and Devils, surprisingly at the opposite end.

• Game 47: Offensively-Challenged Devils Fly Past Flyers-

  Philadelphia - The New Jersey Devils entered tonight's meeting with Philadelphia as the lowest scoring team in the NHL, also ranked 28th on the power play.  They left the City of Brotherly Love with seven goals, five on the power play, tying a team-record, in their 7-3 win.  Zach Parise, who, reportedly, will be added to the Eastern Conference All Star roster, snapped a 9-goal drought with two marks and Johnny Oduya had the first multi-point game of his career, as

• Mad Dog Back With a Vengeance, Devils End Two-Game Skid-

  The New Jersey Devils knew they were missing the services of John Madden, but until tonight, they did not know how much.

  Madden scored two goals, the second held up to be the eventual game-winner, as the Devils held off the Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-2, in front of 15,291 at the Prudential Center.

• Devils Power Play Fails Again in Disappointing Loss to Florida-

  Although the New Jersey Devils were hosting a backup goaltender and several minor leaguers, they flopped against the Florida Panthers.  The Devils, who played in front of 15,203, failed to capitalize on five power play opportunities, en route to their second consecutive home loss.  The Panthers defeated the Devils 2-1 behind spectacular play by reserve netminder Craig Anderson, timely scoring and strong penalty killing.

• Devils Never Surrender, Fight for 60 Minutes Each Night-

  Ethan's recap was right on about the game Saturday night as our New Jersey Devils beat the Buffalo Sabres (again, again and a third time) in another shootout 3-2. 

• Same Team, Same Result for Devils-

  Even though the Buffalo Sabres had already scored merely 58 seconds into its third meeting this season with the New Jersey Devils, it was still not enough to defeat one of the hottest teams in the NHL.  The Sabres' Brian Campell sent a bouncing pass to Daniel Paillem, which eluded Devils goalie Martin Brodeur.  Brodeur was clearly stunned by the puck's odd movement.
  
  Less than 10 minutes later, Paille was at it again, as he fooled Brodeur on another bouncing puck from a bad angle to give Buffalo an early 2-0 edge.

• Devils Score Four, Brodeur Shuts the Door-

  The New Jersey Devils seem to amaze the hockey world night after night.  Tonight was no different as they dismantled the Southeast Division leading Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 (Just as Ethan predicted they would). 

  The Devils seem to get scoring from everyone this season.  Last night four different New Jersey players tallied goals as the Atlantic Division's hottest team collected two more points (some may argue that Pittsburgh is hotter considering it has won eight straight).

• Wild Weekend, NFL Disparities?-

  Yes, I sat through nearly 16 hours of the NFL's wild card round.  I enjoyed the games, but definitely not all 240 minutes of action, or lack there of.  Similar to Shawn Michael's theme song, I will it break it down for you.  Not the highlights of course.  I do not, cannot and will not, for that matter, compete with ESPN, the No. 1 leader in sports non-professional sports, such as World Series of Poker.  Pack your bags, enjoy the show.
  

• Devils Poor On Shots In Weekes' Rare Start-

  After the New Jersey Devils' 45th shot on net tonight, the final buzzer rang, and both teams were definitely exhausted.  Unfortunately, goaltender Kevin Weekes, who spelled Martin Brodeur in net for the first time since Dec. 10, seemed uncoordinated, and allowed three first-period goals in the Devils' first loss in a week.

• NJ-FLA Wrap-Up-

  Penalties.  Tonight's theme was penalties, and lots of them.  Most of them were good, legitimate calls. Others were bogus. Calls that any hockey fan would have been upset with. The prime example, of course, was the penalty on David Clarkson in the 2nd period that resulted in a PPG for the Panthers.  Florida won 3-0.

• Islanders Score Three in Final Period, Hold Down Fort against the Devils-

  Just when it looked like New Jersey was back in this game, the Islanders responded with two goals in an important 3:19 span of the third period.  New York added an empty netter in the final minute to defeat the Devils, 5-2, their fourth consecutive win over their division rivals this season.

• Perfect Pass Leads Devils to Overtime Win-

  Merely 25 seconds into overtime, Patrik Elias took advantage of a Flame s turnover, and one-timed a Brian Gionta assist by Miikka Kiprusoff to give the Devils the 1-0 overtime win.

• Devils Still Looking Good Despite Loss...-

  I was fortunate enough to attend last night’s contest at Madison Square Garden between the New Jersey Devils and their arch-rival New York Rangers.  By now, any genuine Devils fan or supporter knows that the Rangers won 1-0 in overtime.  I still feel the Devils looked impressive despite not

• Luongo Wins Battle of the Nets-

  As I wrote in my last blog, the Vancouver Canucks were due for a boost in their play with Roberto Luongo coming back into the line up after a few games off with an injury.  And he was more than up to the task, shutting out the New Jersey Devils and out dueling Martin Brodeur 5-0 last night at the GM Place in Vancouve

• Madden Scores Twice as Devils Defeat Flyers 4-2-

  New Jersey Devils forward John Madden scored twice, including a shorthanded goal, and winger Aaron Asham answered the call as well, as the Devils scored three second period goals in a 4-2 victory over the rival Philadelphia Flyers (16-12-3).
  

• With Philadelphia on Horizon, New Jersey Looks Past Phoenix... Big Mistake-

  NEWARK -- Two professional hockey teams, one in first place and the other tied for last, competed at the Prudential Center in downtown Newark this past afternoon.
  

• Devils Come Alive... Defeat Bruins- Quick update...The New Jersey Devils defeated the Boston Bruins 3-1 behind some timely scoring and an impressive defensive effort in the final period.  After a scoreless first, Brian Gionta's 10th from Johnny Oduya opened the scoring 1-0 at 10:57 of the second period.  Jamie Langenbrunner added the first of two goals less than four minutes later, on the power play.   Zach Paris
• Devils Lose To Capitals, Snaps 10-Game Point Streak-

  Playing in the nation’s capital for the first time this season, the New Jersey Devils were defeated by the Washington Capitals 3-2.  In better news, Bill shares his thoughts on the New Jersey Devils Ice Hockey Program.

• Devils Lose in Overtime, End Unbeaten Streak at Nine Games-

  The stakes were simple: The New Jersey Devils were trying to extend their unbeaten streak to a season-high 10 games and the NY Rangers were looking to end a three-game losing slump.
  
  In the end, Brendon Shanahan's one-timer beat Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur 30 seconds into overtime, and reversed both trends for the time being.

• Devils Win Again Behind Some Timely Scoring... Run Streak to Nine- I just wanted to offer a brief synopsis of the New Jersey Devils ninth consecutive victory last night.  Joel will have the full scoop later this weekend.  Defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski scored the Devils first goal unassisted.  It was his first of the season and only 15th of his career.  Newly acquired Danius Zubrus added the second one, less than five minutes later on the power
• Winning Is Contagious... Thanks to Elias- It appears as though Patrick Elias reads my blogs because I stated that we (Devils fans and players) needed him to come alive and what an answer he had for me (us)!
  
  The game had all of the makings of ending the Devils' seven-game unbeaten streak.  They were down 3-0 after the first, the game looked out of reach, and the 14,012 in attendance were silenced.
  
• Win Streak Continues: Devils Play 60 Full Minutes of Hockey...-

  Of course we are all happy that the Devils won the past six games, but up until last night, I do not feel that the Devils have played to their full potential or 60 full minutes of hockey.  Last night was the best team effort of the season, highlighted with a few nice individual achievements; Zach Parise's first hat-trick of his promising career and Marty's 94th shutout of his career. 

• Devils Shoot Thrashers Out Of Newark, Extend Win Streak to Seven- The New Jersey Devils can now add a shootout win and another stellar performance by goaltender Martin Brodeur to their seven-game wining streak.  Brian Gionta scored the only goal in the shootout and the Devils held on for a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers.
  
• Devils Extend Longest Winning Streak of Season To Five -- Upend Dallas- After the first period ended, the Devils down 2-0, I was confused.  The Devils were coming off an incredible four-game road-trip sweep and were losing for the first time in five games.  Other people, media perhaps were concerned coming in that they had not played in the Prudential Center much this season and were only 3-4-0 in the downtown arena.
  
• Devils Daily: Brodeur and the Devils Return Home With All Smiles- I really don't know any other way of describing the New Jersey Devils 4-0 road trip than dominant.  I think the team is unconscious right now.  Bill thinks they are catching fire.  After the first two wins of the trip, I had this feeling that they were overcoming some early season jitters.&nb
• Devils Are Catching Fire...-

  Martin Brodeur and the rest of the NJ Devils are starting to play like the team we all know and hoped they were this season.  Last night the Devils beat the always dangerous Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in Tampa.  Despite outplaying the Lightning for most of the first period, it was Vinny Lecavalier who opened up the scoring less than a minute into the second period.   This

• Rick DiPietro earns his 100th NHL victory.- Normally I am not a big NY Islanders fan, but today is different, for two reasons.   One is that the Islanders beat the division leading NY Rangers, which keeps my Devils only 7 points back. The second and more important reason though is that Rick DiPietro earned his 100th NHL win.
• Devils Welcome Brodeur to Elite 500 Club, Take Care of Flyers-

  New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur earned milestone win No. 500 over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night... congratulations to Marty and his family... you could even see a smile across his face (under that mask) after the final horn sounded...
  

• Devils Leave Pittsburgh With Much-Needed Win, Prepare for Rangers and Scott Gomez's Return on Wednesday-

  The New Jersey were coming off a disappointing showing in Long Island and fans were beginning to wonder which direction the season was headed.

• Thank You Patrik Elias, Devils beat Penguins, Get out of the Cellar- Hey Patty, I don't know if you've been keeping up with these posts but it certainly seems like it.  Just hours after my positive criticism, you were able to score the game-winning goal with only five minutes thirty seconds remaining in regulation.  This goal, along with your helper on Zach Parise's power-play goal, will hopefully get you back on track. 
  
• No. 500 Must Wait for Brodeur: Devils Lose to Islanders-

  With the game on the line, tied in the third period, someone from the New Jersey Devils bench (rookie coach Brent Sutter refrained from revealing the culprit) uttered some abusive language towards one of the referees.  As a result, a bench minor infraction was called on the Devils bench, coupled by a penalty to Devils defenseman Shelden Brookbank, leaving them down t

• LIVE CAPPING THE PRESEASON- 2MANADVANTAGE has a nice live cap of the game last night. Thanks guys for your efforts. TOM GULITTI also blogged last night's contest between the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers.
• DEVILS WIN THEIR SECOND PRESEASON GAME, RANGERS & ISLANDERS BRAWL IN THEIR CONTEST- YAHOO SPORTS has the full recap on the New Jersey Devils game. Rookie Nicklas Bergfors scored two goals to lead the Devils to a 3-1 victory over the Flyers Monday night.
• Devils Win Their First Preseason Game- Congratulations to Brent Sutter, Rangers are Next- Head coach Brent Sutter can now sleep better at night. The New Jersey Devils won their first preseason game of his Devils professional coaching career, 3-0, over the Boston Bruins last night. For a full recap, check out Yahoo Sports.
• Recap on the Devils-Rangers Game- After Weekes departed, Jason Parise came into the game. He played alright, saving 22 out of 25 shots, in the 4-3 defeat. Danius Zubrus scored his first Devils goal of his career, unassisted, in between four Rangers goals. The Rangers scored two in the first, the first by Dane Byars and the second by Ryan Callahan.
• Devils Heed Sutter's Words... Take Flight over Philadelphia Tonight- The New Jersey Devils needed this game badly... especially after an awful showing against Pittsburgh on Monday night...after allowing the game's first goal, the Devils clamped down defensively, allowing 14 shots on net... solid Devils-style defense...
• Madden and Brodeur Cannot Win Every Game for Devils-

  John Madden and Martin Brodeur cannot win every game for the New Jersey Devils.  As much as they are counted on for scoring and defense, there are 17 other players on the gameday rosters who have to contribute.

   

• Devils Beat Leafs Friday Night, Lose Shootout to Rangers Next Night-

  I just wanted to offer my sincere apologies for not posting recaps, Q and A for Rangers game this past weekend.  I had some difficulties accessing Devils daily from my location.  Anyway...