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 Puckonbroadway was generous enough not blow my head since he is a Rangers fan.  Instead, he sat down (via email) and asked me some questions about the Devils in an exclusive interview.  Enjoy.

Pucks on Broadway: Jeremy, first and foremost, the Devils are on quite a streak here despite falling to the Rangers in OT and Washington. Why the quick turnaround?

Jeremy Kenter: Credit the NY Rangers and Washington Capitals for stepping up their games the past two nights. Even though the Rangers were on tilt after losing three straight, they muscled up the energy (as always against the Devils) to slow down the Devils. Then again, Tom Renney and Bruce Boudreau are respectable coaches of the two aforementioned teams and prepared well-designed game plans against the Devils. And another thing… unlike the Chicago Bulls of the 90’s, the Devils cannot win every game this season. Nine straight was nice. The Rangers, Caps, and even upcoming Boston and Phoenix are not “easy” wins so I will enjoy the competition and the upcoming matchups the Devils are facing.

PB: I am very intrigued with how the Atlantic Division goaltending is shaping up. With the premier goalies of the league, always being set against the precedent of Martin Brodeur, who do you see as the next great goalie?

JK: Wow, Daniel I’ve been hearing that question for a while now. I want to say Henrik Lundqvist but what confuses me is that he seems to struggle against non-Devils teams. I mean struggle might not be the best word, but he’s 11-11-1 against the rest of the league and was just pulled in two consecutive starts. Does he have the potential above every other goaltender in the league right now? Absofreakenlutely. Just watch him against the Devils. It’s Brodeur-esque what he is capable of doing. But, if I had to throw out some names who are playing Vezina-worthy goaltending, including Pascal Leclaire (six shutouts, third in save percentage, second in goals against average) on the list and Evgeni Nabokov, who quietly has put up four shutouts thus far in addition to a 15-9-4 record.

PB: I would be remiss to not ask this question: what do you think of the new Arena and why aren't people going?

JK: To put the Prudential Center in perspective, Devils fans are showing up more than they did last year. That, to me is a start in the right direction. But, as many people know, it’s very expensive to attend a professional sporting event nowadays, with the ticket prices at record prices. Hence the reason that the Devils management cut prices in half and will continue to do so until the arena begins to fill to capacity. What I don’t understand is why the team doesn’t offer student rates to weekday games and then family weekend promotions. They need to sell seats and put fans in the 17,625-seat arena.

PB: What are your thoughts on Brent Sutter, his style, his abilities, his job thus far?

JK: I’ve discussed Brent Sutter in depth on my blog. He’s a veteran player and successful coach. I am confident in his abilities to lead the Devils to the postseason and beyond. I still believe that the Devils need to upgrade their defense, but that is GM Lou Lamoriello’s department.

PB: With Colin White and Sergei Brylin in the lineup, how do you see the veteran leadership shaping up? Do they have enough?

JK: Don’t forget Madden, Elias, and Brodeur who have also lifted the Stanley Cup in their days. The team is definitely younger with Parise, Gionta, and some others at the blue line. Having White and Langenbrunner back in the lineup is important to the team’s success. In terms of veteran leaders, the Devils could use a small trade for a defenseman -- Francois Beauchemin of the Ducks would be a perfect fit. So, we will see what happens as the season progresses.

PB: The Devils have used an abundance of mid-level and young defenseman this season, but been generally successful. What do you feel is the cause for this success despite the lack of a true stud?

JK: The Devils made plays when necessary. They have capable players who have been around long enough and understand the nature of the game. There was only one season in the league where the Devils. That season, the 2000-2001 campaign, the Avalanche overcame a 3-2 finals deficit to win in seven. Patrik Elias finished the regular season with 96 points and played on the ‘A’ line with Arnott and Sykora. The funny thing is the year before, the Devils won the Cup with the same line when Elias had 72 points. So scoring isn’t everything in hockey. Defense is part of the equation as well.

The Devils find ways to win by drafting and raising players in their farm system from Marty and Madden to Gio and Parise.

PB: The division is tough, what will it take for the Devils to succeed long term throughout the remainder of the season?

JK: To win the Atlantic Division, the Devils need to stay healthy and compete for a complete 60 minutes each game. There are times this season when they have mental lapses and leave Marty and Weekes hung out to dry. They need to settle down on the power play, make the right pass, take the right shot when it’s there.

PB: I have to ask one Rangers question: Gomez is starting to put together a nice chemistry with Brendan Shanahan and Sean Avery, and is putting up points. What would you attribute to the change in his success?

JK: Gomer is a talented hockey player. He might not have scored 100 points per season in New Jersey due to the team’s defensive, low-scoring style of play. However, with the right mix, he can definitely reach or surpass the 84-point mark set in the 05-06 campaign. With that said, as a Devils fan, I know that many players have left the organization for the Rangers, Ducks, and other teams. Holik, Gomer, and Shanahan (and maybe some others) have all made the trip across the Hudson River to play for the Rangers after being drafted in NJ. I don’t think there is a necessarily a curse upon leaving the Garden State but at the same time I don’t think the Rangers have the personnel to win a Cup… and $10 million for Gomez??? That’s overpaying an above average player by a long slide, especially when the next highest bidder reportedly offered $5 million for his services.

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