Patrik Elias

• 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. 

• Devils Visit Toronto Tonight- The Devils have rebounded in a hurry, winning two straight after dropping three consecutive games due to inefficient and unbalanced scoring. Zach Parise's three goals in the last two games and Patrik Elias' "Mr. Overtime" status have carried the Devils into the Eastern Conference lead with a matchup in Toronto tonight. In fact, the Devils visited the Leafs this past week, earning a 4-1
• 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 Daily 2008 Blog Recap- I am sitting in my bedroom, reading Devils fans criticize Johnny Oduya 24/7. I quickly check Yahoo Sports for Oduya's numbers. What I see surprises me as much as other supporters. Among defensemen, Oduya is tied in second with 16 points. His plus/minus 12 is second on the team to Paul Martin. Instead, three other blueliners are a combined -18 with a combined 21 points. Colin White, Vitaly Vishnevski and Mike Mottau have struggled from the get-go, but nobody is ripping into them. Maybe, we do not see eye to eye, but I'm stating facts, not opinions.

• Devils Best Player in February: John Madden- Globe and Mail writer and blogger James Mirtle lists the top performers in the month of February, which you can also find on Sportsnet.ca. With 15 points, Devils offenseman Patrik Elias just made the list. However, one should note his disparity in goals scored (3) and assists produced (12), tied with four others for third place overall. The Devils also dominated the plus minus rating. They maintained four of the five top ratings, including Elias' league-leading plus 13,  Paul Martin's
• And They're Off...- 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

• 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."
• Salvador Nervous Before Tonight's Game- After wearing a St. Louis Blues uniform for 11 years, Bryce Salvador shared some nervous feelings before tonight's debut with the New Jersey Devils. "It's going to be a good nervous," Salvador told Tom Gulitti of the Record. "It's not nervous to play. It's more nervous, excited to be in a new atmosphere. Once the puck is dropped I'm in my element, so I'm going to be pretty comfortable out there."
• 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.
• NHL's Top 25 Highest Paid Players- I should have brought this to your attention earlier this season, but here are the most expensive contracts in the NHL (listed below).  Some are ridiculously stupid, overpaid, and out of control.  If I were a team owner, the general manager would have been fired immediately after seeing these outrageous signings.  Then again, how many GMs are worthwhile in sports today?  I have found eight successful organizations in the four major sports in America.
  
  Here are my picks (not in any order).
• Devils Visit Nation's Capital- The Devils return to the Nation's Capital this afternoon for a showdown with the Washington Capitals. Both teams are in the midst of the second half of a back-to-back stretch. Whereas the Devils earned their first win of the season over the Islanders yesterday, handing them a 4-2 loss, the Capitals fell to their division rival Hurricanes 6-3. While the Devils have been succeeding with a balanced roster and dominant goaltender (what else is new), the Capitals
• 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.

• 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.

• Gionta Lifts Devils by Senators in Overtime- Scoring his first in 13 games, Brian Gionta gave New Jersey an important 3-2 overtime decision over Ottawa last night. After circling around the net, Gionta found a loose rebound and slipped it through Martin Gerber's legs. Captain Jamie Langenbrunner assisted on Gionta's 14th of the season at 2:14 of the extra frame. In the process, Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur extended his NHL record 30-win seasons to a 12th straight year. The man he trails in career victories, Patrick Roy, only managed 8 consecutive 30-win seasons.

• Tonight in Hockey: Malkin, Ovechkin, Penguins, Ducks/Devils, Flames, Rangers, Islanders, Red Wings- This morning I discussed the White House's Generous Invitation to the reigning champions, Brylin's Stamina and the Tocchet Express. Tonight, we have a few more interesting topics of interest. They might not blow you out of the sky. But when the Red Wings lose to the last place Kings, a Russian boy named Alex has taken over the league dominance, the trade
• Last Minute Line Change Leads to Success-

  I was pleasantly surprised by the Devils lineup this past Saturday night. I noticed a major change. Elias, Gionta and Parise skated on the A line. Zubrus, Langenbrunner and Zajac controlled the second offensive unit, while Madden, Brylin and Clarkson paired the checking line. Asham, Rupp and Pelley played sparingly on the Devils fourth pairing.

• Devils Travel to Sabre-ville, One More Shootout?-

  I enjoyed the VERSUS telecast of the Devils game on Monday night. Nevertheless, I am glad that FSNY will return to its normal duty for Wednesday night's Devils-Sabres game at 7 o'clock. The Devils are playing their fourth and final meeting with Buffalo this season. Since the first three ended with Devils' shootout wins, Buffalo may want to seal a win in regulation.

  Not so fast.

• 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.

• Late Night Statistics IV: Please Score-

  No offense, a weak defensive corpse, an inability to beat a team who was without seven starters. Lately, that's how it's been going for the New Jersey Devils. People are calling for a trade, release, something to my dear friend defenseman Johnny Oduya. His recent nickname Johnny Oh-No-Duya is indicative that he's Oh-No fan friendly in New Jersey. Why single out Oduya who's making $600K this season and not Elias and his $7.5 million or Gionta's $4 million, our supposed top guns?

• Home Team Finally Wins- What a win!!!! It took 10 tries. But, the home team has finally captured a game in the season series. Zach Parise deflected Elias' shot from the point in overtime, ending the Penguins recent dominance at the Prudential Center. In the process, the Devils moved into a three-way tie for first place in the Atlantic Division.
• Zack Parise Waits No Time to Win Game for Devils-

  The Devils needed 39:18 to score their first goal of the game against the Penguins. But, Zach Parise only needed merely 37 seconds in overtime to seal the Devils biggest come-from-behind win this season.  New Jersey embarks to Buffalo, carrying two straight victories over the woeful Kings and division rival Penguins. Zach Parise, who has been Mr. Clutch this season, also assisted on the team’s first two

• Devils at Crossroads with Kings on Horizon-

  After suffering a 3-1 defeat to the Rangers last night, the Devils are back in business. Tonight, they face the LA Kings, who are in the middle of an eight-game road trip. That nearly matches New Jersey's record-tying nine-game road trip which opened the current season.

• 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.

• Starting to level off...-

  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.

• 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.
  

• Devils Host Maple Leafs and NY Football Giants Playoff Game-

  The New Jersey Devils, who are hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs at 5 o'clock, did not expect the New York football Giants to be playing today at 6:30.  To accommodate Devils and Giants fans, myself one of them, the Prudential Center will broadcast the Gmen's NFC Championship Game on TVs throughout the arena and the Bud Light Goal Bar, Restaurant, and Fire and Ice Lounges will stay open for the entire NFC title game in Green Bay.
  

• Devils Notes From Past Week, Late-Night Statistics III-

  While I was on vacation, the New Jersey Devils went 2-1.  They were victorious  in both road contests before falling at home to the NY Islanders last night.  I am sure that everyone wants to know how London was, but, more importantly, we need to discuss the Devils current events.  A lot has taken place, including John Madden’s leg injury, special teams updates, shots on goal and the Prudential Center’s attendance figures.

• 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. 

• 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).

• Devils Deliver Due to Sutter's Teamwork- Teamwork can be defined as "cooperative or coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a team or in the interests of a common cause." I feel the New Jersey Devils have taken in this concept and used it towards their success in the National Hockey League.
  
  Mark Everson of the New York Post, spoke about giving the Devils their due.
  
• NHL All-Star Fan Balloting Final Numbers, Brodeur's 10th Appearance, 4th Career Start- Unlike the Presidential election and last year's "Vote for Rory" scandal, there were no miscalculations this time around.  No illusions, aberrations, or inaccuracies.  The 2008 NHL All-Star Fan Balloting results were as successful as the Winter Classic.  You can't ask for much more for that.
  
• Devils Like New Arena, Very Very Much-

  The New Jersey Devils have now played at their new Prudential Center arena for 11 full weeks.  We decided to review the positive memories and the few bad experiences (opening night) from the past two-plus months, in their new house.  Unfortunately, things were not very joyous on Oct 27th, 2007.  They were not nearly as disastrous as the The NHL's All-Star “Rorygate” voting disaster last season.

• NHL All-Star Game Final Numbers-

  The fans spoke.  After several months of deliberation, they voted for Crosby, Levacalier, Markov, Chara, and Martin Brodeur to lead the east.  Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Phaneuf, and Luongo received the most votes for the Western Conference.  The NHL will officially release the starting line-ups Jan. 8.

• Top 10 New Year's Resolutions for the New Jersey Devils-

  From Guest Blogger Ethan Kwassman, who has hosted many Devils broadcasts on blogtalkradio:

• Devils Battle Atlantic Division Rival Flyers Tonight at Prudential Center- At this point last season, the New Jersey Devils entered the New Year with a 47-26 double-digits lead in points over their Turnpike rivals Philadelphia Flyers.  While the Devils were on their way to another Atlantic Division crown, the Flyers could not wait for the season to end and to clear house (they fired GM, coach, involved themselves in several large transactions during the offseason).
• Devils Late-Night Statistics II-

  Since our first edition of Devils Late-Night Statistics was a great success, we will continue with round two, just earlier in the evening.  We will focus on the Devils' special teams, scoring (or lack there of), goaltending, attendance figures (yikes), and a quick glance at the standings (much better), not in any particular order.
  

• Atlantic Division: New Year's Eve Update- In early November, the New Jersey Devils faced their Atlantic Division opponents in nine consecutive games.  They went 4-1 against Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, but 0-3-1 against the New York Rangers and Islanders. 
• Devils Power Up in Practice-

  The New Jersey Devils completed the post-Christmas weekend at 1-1 yet remain in first place in the Atlantic Division.  Unlike earlier this season, where head coach Brent Sutter may have given his team a day off after playing two games in 48 hours, tis was not the case in this morning's practice. 

   
• Devils Depleted By Injuries, Activate Reserves-

  The New Jersey Devils have roared into 2008 with wins in three of their last four games and a first-place hold in the crowded Atlantic Division.  They have climbed aboard goaltender Martin Brodeur's shoulders as he leads them into the New Year. 

• Devils-Panthers Broadcast Info and Line Changes-

  The Devils host Florida tonight at the Prudential Center.  If you are not attending this contest (shame on you), catch it on FSNY, WFAN 660AM, or NHL radio. By the way, tickets are still available, but the names of back of the Devils' jerseys may seem unfamiliar at first.
  

• 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.

• New Jersey Devils Captain- If Not Elias, Then Who?- Over a week ago, head coach Brent Sutter revealed that he is unsure if Patrik Elias will remain as team captain this upcoming season.  If Jamie Langenbrunner were to replace Elias, that plan might have to be delayed. He went for surgery on his injured groin and will be sidelined for up to two months.
  
• 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.

• Elias, DiPietro Out Tonight- Unfortunately, Patrik Elias tweaked his groin in last night's 2-1 victory over Buffalo and would not play in the Devils' contest in Long Island.  Martin Brodeur started again in the back-to-back matchup.  However, reserve Wade Dubielewicz started in place of Rick
• Devils Lineup, Injury Situation for Weekend- Injuries in sports suck, especially after playing 307 consecutive games dating back to 2003.  Just ask New Jersey Devils forward Jay Pandolfo who has missed the last 12 games with his pelvic ligament injury.  He will not play tonight.  I have a complete preview here and Devils Back in Action Tonight, Host Buffalo at The Rock-

  The Devils return from a three-day holiday vacation as they host the Sabres (18-14-4) at the Prudential Center for the first time this season.  Martin Brodeur continues to shine as he leads New Jersey (20-13-3) to three-point first-place margin in the ultra-tight Atlantic Division.  The last-place Islanders are separated from the Devils by five

• Love Thy Neighbor-

  In professional sports, there are certain successful organizations like the Yankees, Patriots, and New Jersey Devils.  Unlike the Pats and Devs, every non-Yankee fan hates, despises, and loathes the Bronx Bombers.  I did not mean to such harsh terminology, but that is how people feel towards the Spankees.&nbs

• Happy Holidays as Devils Rest Up...-

  First and foremost, I would like to wish everyone a happy holiday, whatever it is that you are celebrating.  I celebrate Christmas and it was one of the most hectic ones ever!  So I hope that everyone has been having happy and healthy ones everywhere. 

• The North American Hockey League-

  In 2000-1, there were 36 rookies from Canada, 4 from the United States, and 33 from Europe in the National Hockey League.  The tables have definitely turned since that season (See below), especially with the rise in U.S.A Hockey (Devils Rumors and Myths-

  Before getting down and dirty, we just wanted to wish everyone happy holidays from everyone at Devils Daily.  Sorry though, no snow in our neck of the woods.  I have been hearing a lot of talk about Martin Brodeur, Patrik Elias, and Johnny Oduya in the limited hockey airwaves.  I need to clear up the air so everyone can inhale, exhale,

• 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.

• Puffy Coats and Exaggerated Dollars-

  The NHL has a creative salary cap system that has forced general managers to sign players to fatter and more extensive contracts.  This has led to overpaid and some ridiculous contracts.  For starters, Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro signed a 15-year, $67.5 million deal to remain in Long Island essentially until he retir

• Devils Break Out of Scoring Drought with Three in Third Period - Defeat Oilers-

  The New Jersey Devils were moving dangerously close to being shutout for the second consecutive game.  Then came the third period and unusual coaching decision by Edmonton Oilers Craig MacTavish.
  

• 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
• New Attitude Key to Devils Success-

  When the New Jersey Devils (15-10-2) were slumping earlier this season, they had a tendency to lose focus and play a lackluster second period of hockey, leaving them trailing going into the final 20 minutes.  Now that the Devils are back on track, (eight straight after last night) t

• 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.