The New Jersey Devils have off from Saturday night’s 4-3 OT loss, until they face the New York Rangers on Thursday evening. In that extended time frame, they need to work on special teams and defense especially.

While the referees have not been best friends with the Devils this far, they cannot be held accountable for rookie mistakes and blunders. Defenseman Johnny Oduya made a huge error in the Islanders game, bending down to pick up his stick, leaving two open men in front of the net. Head coach Brent Sutter mentioned Oduya’s name in his press conference, but focused more on playing a full game.  The Devils led 1-0 after the first period, and then allowed three unanswered goals in the second, before tying the game in the third, and sending it into overtime.

In the last five games, the Devils have been outscored 13-3 in the second period, according to Fire and Ice’s Tom Guliti.

"Our commitment in the second period was brutal," Sutter said.

Since then, Devils players were spotted at the new Prudential Center, signing autographs and taking photographs with fans that came out to see the arena. Actually, Sunday’s event was planned for season ticket members only, but security personnel wisely allowed all Devils fans to enter the magnificent work of art. Literally, there are murals depicting Martin Brodeur and numerous other members of the Devils organization.

Patrik Elias and Jay Pandolfo did not practice with the team on Monday, according to Guliti, but that they should be fine for Thursday’s big game.

The bigger news is that defenseman Sheldon Brookbank will be in the lineup come Thursday. Claimed off waivers and held out of the lineup for the first eight games, Brookbank, was sent to Lowell on a conditioning assignment to play in an AHL contest Saturday against Worcester. Sutter did not reveal who Brookbank will be replacing, but if you paid attention to anything I just said, Oduya is my No. 1 leading candidate. The other defensemen have also played unacceptably, including two offseason signings, Vitaly Vishnevski and Karel Rachunek (0G 1A, +/-  -5) between the two of them. Until Colin White returns from his eye injury (he was signing autographs on Sunday, but I guess, he’s learned how to use the other eye since then), these two idiots are in the rotation.

"He's going to play," Sutter said of Brookbank. "We brought him back to play. That's our plan as of today. He'll be in the lineup Thursday night."

Sutter also shifted his offensive lines a bit in practice, still trying to find the right units.

According to Guliti:

Today's forward lines and defense pairings:

Forwards: Elias-Zajac-Asham; Zubrus-Parise-Gionta; Pandolfo-Madden-Clarkson; Rupp-Pelley-Brylin.

Defense: Oduya-Martin; Greene-Rachunek; Vishnevski-Mottau; Brookbank.

It should be an emotional game for Jay Pandolfo, Brodeur, Madden, and many other players who spent time with former teammate Scott Gomez, now with the Rangers. Star Ledger’s Rich Chere has a nice piece on Pandolfo’s close bond with Gomez.

I will have a more thorough preview for Thursday’s first of eight meetings with the Rangers this season.  This game also ends the record-tying season-opening nine-game road trip for the Devils. I know that sounds like a mouthful, but it’s really just nine road games to start a season for the team, trying to even their record (3-4-1).  I will also continue my Q and A session with a Rangers blogger prior to the game on Thursday, as the season slowly starts to pick up with 14 games in the month of November, or a game every two days on average- YIKES!

• ‹ previous
• 118 of 431
• next ›