Atlantic Division

• Breaking News: Sidney Crosby Back in Lineup, Will Play Tonight- 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

• Hossa Injured in Penguins Debut: Expected To Miss 1 Week- 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.
• 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

• Getting Better With Age- Martin Brodeur showed many signs of slowing down and aging at the beginning of this season. A 14-year veteran, Brodeur played uninspired hockey in the opening month (3-6-0, 3.02 GAA), allowing weak, atypical goals, and more importantly, losing more games than expected. Fortunately for the Devils team and their die-hard fans alike, the "new and seemingly aging" Brodeur did not last for more than six weeks. Since the middle of November, he has returned to the Brodeur that we are more familiar with: the record-breaking (22 wins away from tying Patrik Roy’s
• Breaking News: Henrik Lundqvist Signs Extension with Rangers- Citing reports in the NY Daily News, the New York Rangers and goalie Henrik Lundqvist have agreed upon a 6-year extension worth about $6.5 million per season. The 25-year-old netminder earned $4.25 million this season and would have been a restricted free agent if he had not signed before July 1. The organization will likely make an official announcement sometime in the next
• Devils Game Notes vs. Islanders (2/23/08)- Here are some interesting game notes from Game 62 between the visiting Islanders and Devils. My game story here. Playing in front of a rare sellout crowd of 17, 625, the Devils concluded a 15 of 18-game
• Defense Nets Four, Devils Roll over Hurricanes- As I stated in an earlier blog, the Devils are in need of a consistent offensive output. Well, their defensemen must have peaked at the post before yesterday's 6-1 rout of the Carolina Hurricanes. Three blueliners scored four goals, including two for Paul Martin and one each for Johnny Oduya and Colin White. Forwards Jay Pandolfo and Dainius Zubrus added the other two goals for the Devils.  

  This year's Devils lineup does not sport the usually offensive-minded defensemen that fans have taken for granted through the years,

• Atlantic Division Preview-

  The Devils have yet to finish fourth in their division in a very long time. If you search the record books, the last time they missed the playoffs was the 1995-96 season. That year the Devils finished sixth out of eight teams in their division. Historically, the divisions were split into the Northeast and Atlantic at the time. Today, there are three divisions in each (east and west) conference. Since that season, they have placed at least third, a remarkable streak. Since the 1990-91 campaign, the Devils have

• 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.

• Wanted: Consistent Offense- The Devils are a defensive-minded team not known for scoring many goals. But, then they go out and score six against the LA Kings on Saturday night, basically teasing us Devils fans! How can the one of the lowest scoring offenses in the league keep teasing supporters with these rare yet kind outbursts? I prefer the Devils support Brodeur with three goals per game, than score six or even seven every now and then.

• Devils on Versus, TSN Tonight-

  The Devils ARE playing on Versus (HD) and Canada's TSN (HD) tonight at 7 o'clock against the Penguins. I believe this is New Jersey's first national telecast of the season (I could be wrong).  What I know is that the Devils play in downtown Newark rather than East Rutherford as an LA Times reporter detailed in her game story.  I also know that the game will take place at the Prudential Center and that Sutter rightfully

• Devils Broadcast Update: FSNY and WFAN-

  New month.  Same deal. Devils need to get back on winning track. Tonight’s opponent is perfect start as the Devils host the Rangers at 7 o'clock on FSNY (preview at 6:30) and on WFAN 660 AM. Despite the rainy, shitty day, the game will go on as scheduled like the Giants-Packers -23 degree NFC Championship Game. Let's pray for two Devils wins this weekend and then a Giants upset

• Devils Have Crucial Weekend at Rock-

  After two straight losses, the Devils have little time to waste.  They host the Rangers tonight and LA Kings tomorrow.  The Devils are no strangers to their cross- river rivals who have captured all four meetings thus far.  Despite the four-game losing streak to the Rangers (0-6-3 if you include the Islanders), New Jersey remains three points ahead in the Atlantic Division, but two points behind first place Philadelphia.  We enter a crucial stretch of hockey, the final two plus months of the 2007-08 regular season.

• 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 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.

• Update: Crosby Placed on IR, Reportedly Out 7-8 Weeks-

  The Pittsburgh Penguins placed Sidney Crosby on injured reserve, after he suffered a high ankle sprain in Friday night's 3-0 loss to Tampa Bay.  Crosby will miss 7-8 weeks, according to the Pittsburgh Sports Insider quoting sources close to the team, includi

• 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.

• Sidney Crosby Suffers Ankle Injury, Could Miss Significant Time and All-Star Game-

  Pittsburgh Penguins captain and reigning Hart Trophy winner Sidney Crosby left Friday’s contest with a high-ankle sprain versus Tampa Bay.  He carried the puck into the offensive zone, fell to the ice due to a slash by Tampa Bay defenseman Paul Ranger, and collided feet-first with the end boards, unable to protect himself.  The similar injury sidelined teammate and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for over a month and possibly longer.

• 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 Host Sabres Tonight, Begin Second Half of Season-

  The New Jersey Devils definitely slept well last night.  Even though they lost to Boston on Jan. 5, they looked at the standings and realized they remained in first place.  Despite injuries and offseason departures, they have managed to hold down the fort for the first half of the 2007-08 campaign.  They have done so with timely scoring, superior goaltending, and the addition of some new arrivals.

• 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.

• Langenbrunner's Contributions Will Surely Be Missed- Jamie is going for surgery today for the sports hernia injury that has been bothering him since February. He actually played through the pain until the season end. I am not sure why he did not go for surgery immediately after the season concluded. That would have been the ideal solution for his groin dilemma. Now, the Devils are in middle of training camp without one of their key players. Last season, he scored 60 points, good for third on the team.
• Devils Dominate Flyers-

  The New Jersey Devils came away last night with a victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.  Patrik Elias returned from a groin injury to pave the way with a goal and a helper.  But, what surprised fans, the media, and everyone occurred in the second period of the Devils 3-0 blanking of the Flyers.

• 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 Stellar Play of Late Earns Coach a Spot in All-Star Game-

  ESPN reported that Mike Babcock of the Detroit Red Wings, Ron Wilson of the San Jose Sharks, John Paddock of the Ottawa Senators and Brent Sutter of the New Jersey Devils will comprise the 2008 All-Star game coaching staff. 

• 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 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. 

• 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 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

• 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. 

• 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,

• Kevin Weekes, Welcome to New Jersey-

  Kevin Weekes, Welcome to New Jersey, the Garden State.  It is time to give the Devils organization some credit, not a lot, but enough for signing a reliable backup to Martin Brodeur in the offseason.

• Sutter- Having Fun Yet?-

  Brent, you definitely have your work cut out this upcoming season. Not only are you the new head coach of the New Jersey Devils, but you have the honor to start the season on a nine game road trip spanning three weeks. Not the fun kind.

• Abandoning Your Crew at Sea or on the Ice- You played your entire career with the the successful Devils- now you’re playing with the Rangers- you are a disgrace, and for what, a few million dollars more than offered by other teams.
  
• Off Season Transactions- With less than three months until opening night, the New Jersey Devils resigned their top scorer from last season Zach Parise( 31 goals). Son of JP, a former Minnesota North Stars Captain, Zach excelled in many facets this past season.  At 4 years and 12.5 million dollars, the restricted free agent was a steal compared to the massive overpaid contracts.
  
• 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.

• NHL - Coming To A City Near You-

  If, for some crazy reason, you packed your bags and moved your family to Las Vegas and you like hockey (who doesn't), then prepare for a professional ice hockey team.  Well, not quite.  But, the NHL is contemplating adding another team to the league and Nevada is a No. 1 destination. 

• Devils Daily Gets Recognized-

  After months of hard work and dedication, Devilsdaily has finally been recognized.  Credit Ian, Mo, Joel, Bill, and everyone else involved for their loyalty and dedication.  We started back in August and have no written over 250 blog posts since then with many more on the way.  Blogtalkradio

• 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

• Time to Say Goodbye- At the end of a playing career, professional athletes and their bodies tend to wear down physically and mentally.  It's one of the reasons that NFL running backs Barry Sanders and Tiki Barber retired before the age of 32.  However, there are other athletes like Brett Favre, who, at 38, is still starting at quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.
  
• Devils Start Three Game Trip Tonight-

  Tonight, our New Jersey Devils hit the road (and plane) to take on the Vancouver Canucks in the first game of a three-game western Canada road trip that will also include the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers.  The Devils are hitting the road after winning a big Atlantic Division game against the Philadelphi

• 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).
  

• New Jersey Hosts Philadelphia Before Western Spur- After taking a 4-1 beating from Phoenix and the referees (nine minor infractions called against NJ) yesterday, the Devils return to the ice today against Philadelphia.
  
• My Interview with Rangers Blogger Daniel Akeson-

  Unfortunately, the Devils have not had much success thus far against their arch-rival New York Rangers.  Nevertheless, I am confident that the Devils can and will rebound in their final four meetings.  Daniel Akeson of Puckonbroadwa

• Philadelphia Crushes a Frustrated Pittsburgh Team...- I saw the boxscore of the Penguins/ Flyers game tonight and wondered if the two teams hate each other and if they were playing professional baseball withe final score.  Philadelphia defeated Pittsburgh 8-2 behind two three-goal outbursts, in a game which included a combined total of 156 pen
• Power rankings, Devils Ahead of Pack...-

  The USA Today's most recent power rankings listed the New Jersey Devils as the second best team behind the unanimous first-place Detroit Red Wings.  You can attribute the team's success to a recent nine-game winning streak that was halted on Sunday.  Others placed the Devils a little bit lower after the quick losses.
  

• Are NJ Devils Too Healthy?-

  After reading forums and other news on the New Jersey Devils organization, I wonder if the team is too healthy (other than Jay Pandolfo's recent injury bug).  Lately, head coach Brent Sutter has had to waste time before games deciding on the 20 bench players allotted.

• 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 Miss Rafalski and Gomez... Still Winning-

  Even though the New Jersey Devils lost two important members of their organization to free agency this past offseason, they are still continuing their winning ways.

• Devils Rest After Ninth Consecutive Win... Rangers Next- After winning their ninth in a row, fifth straight at the newly-designed Prudential Center, head coach Brent Sutter gave the New Jersey Devils players a break on Saturday.  The Devils are in the midst of a three-game four-day tour and looked sluggish towards the end of Friday night's contest against the Washington Capitals.
  
• Cable TV Problems...- Instead of broadcasting the New Jersey Devils game last night on FSNY, MSG, or FSNY 2, the telecast could have been found on another network.  The reason for this was simple: the NY Rangers, Knicks, Islanders, NJ Nets and Devils were all playing between seven and seven-thirty last night, forcing Cablevision, Comcast, and whatever cable you have into tough decision-making.
  
• Devils Going for 8 Straight...-

  Tonight the New Jersey Devils look to extend their winning streak to eight games, and the way they are improving each game, it would not surprise me if they were victorious tonight.  As I posted in my last blog, the Devils finally have started to play 60 full minutes of hockey, 65 full minutes of h

• Atlantic Division, Toughest in the NHL?-

  Last season, four of the five Atlantic Division teams made the playoffs, the most from any division throughout the league, and this season looks to be no different.  We all know the moves that each team made in the off season.  What we did not know was the amount of impact they would have on the teams and ultimately the

• 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. 

• A Lot on the Line Tonight Continued...- Devils defenseman Karel Rachunek returned to practice for the first time since being injured in the home opener against Ottawa on Oct.
• Devils-Canadiens Preview minus Pandolfo- Five wins and counting.  The New Jersey Devils look to keep their winning streak alive tonight against a team they've defeated the past eight matchups.  The Devils face off with the Montreal Canadiens at the Prudential Center tonight after a come-from-behind win over Dallas on Wedne
• 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
• Tonight's Devils Game... Second of Nine Straight vs. Division Rivals- Atlantic Division- Some important games tonight in the NHL NJ Devils take on Penguins in the Prudential Center where they are 2-1 in the new $375 million complex... and the fans are "where in the world" are they... I hope that they fill the arena to the max or at least to a rather full capacity tonight...
• 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

• Devils Face Penguins, Finish Atlantic Division Stretch-

  NJ Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur made history on Saturday night with his 500th career win joining an elite club with Patrick Roy (551).  Brodeur will be back in net tonight against the Pens as the Devils welcome defenseman Colin White to the lineup for the first time this season.  White was injured during tr

• 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...
  

• Preview: Devils vs. Rangers-

  What’s at stake tonight?

• Q and A with Rangers Fan and Blogger Daniel Akeson (11/14/07)-

  I apologize about taking some time off from the Question and Answer feature before each Devils game this season. We are back for the Devils/Rangers game with Outside the Garden’s Daniel Akeson.
  

• HUMMER Metro Ice Challenge-

  MSG and Hummer are teaming up to provide $50,000 to charity.  Tito Belis asked me to post a blog about this generous offer.

• Rangers Visit Prudential Center For First Time-

  Okay, so I have been recapping games and not giving my opinion.  Let me assure you that I am still an opinionated son-of-a-gun.  I just like to recap games from a professional standpoint, but I will ensure everyone that I am here to stay.  Well, Patrik Elias might join me as well… If he can continue performing like a beast in Pittsbu

• 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.

• 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

• Game #16: Devils Travel to Long Island, Brodeur Goes for 500- As the Devils (6-7-2) bus to Long Island for another Atlantic Division matchup with the Islanders (8-4) , whom I gave no hope for the season (boy was I wrong so far), I wonder if the Devils can repeat success.  Can they continue to overcome special teams woes, something that plagued the Jersey
• Training Camp Cuts- I hate training camp roster cuts, but they are part of the process. They determine who is good enough to make the team come Oct. 4th, NHL opening night for the New Jersey Devils. Unfortunately, there are players, who worked hard throughout the summer, who will be left off the roster. Yes, I do feel bad for them.
• 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.
• EVERYONE CAN BREATHE NOW- WEEKES IS OKAY, FLYERS ARE NEXT- Thank goodness that Kevin Weekes will return to practice this week. I was really worried that he could be out a week or two from his injury in the Rangers game. The Star Ledger has more on his status. "Devils backup goaltender Kevin Weekes, who had to be helped off the ice Friday night after taking two knocks to the head in a goal-mouth crash, is expected to skate today.
• 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.
• New Jersey Devils 4 Starting Lines for the 2007-2008 Season- I am going to start listing my top three lines for the New Jersey Devils entering this season. Patrik Elias- command the top line for a change, everyone needs you to return to form (81 in 82 games- 2003-2004, or 96 points in 2000-2001 campaign). We cannot sit by idly while you rack up 69 total points on offense. No excuses this season, earn your fucking stripes.
• New Jersey Devils- Three Lines To Go- Alright, so I am finished with the EGZ line (pronounced eggs)in my previous blog, Devils A Line. If you missed that one, it is Elias, Gionta, and newly acquired Zubrus. In my second line for the Devils this season, I have Langenbrunner, Parise, and Zajac... just like last season.
• Eric Lindros Announces His Retirement from the NHL-

  As a New Jersey Devils hockey fan and now blogger (what's this world coming to!), I'll admit- it's sad to see Eric Lindros retire.  What's more tragic were his (minimum of) eight concussions suffered during his illustrious, yet injury-plagued 13-year pro-career.
  

• 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...
• Devils are Flattened by Penguins-

  The New Jersey Devils were flattened by the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight 5-0.  The season, which had been on the rise, was just deflated by Sidney Crosby and his teammates.
  

• 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.

   

• Quick Atlantic Division Update- Standings: GP W L OTL PTS Phil. Flyers 12 8 4 0 16 NY Islanders 11 7 4 0 14 NY Rangers 13 6 6 1 13 Pitts Pens 13 6 6 1 13 NJ Devils 13 5 6 2 12