Well-deserved bike ride

The Devils earned their first post-game stationary bike ride of the season with tonight's 6-5 shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Niklas Hagman scored the deciding goal in the shootout, but the damage had been done in regulation, in which the Devils gave up a season-high 48 shots and three power-play goals in blowing leads of 2-0 and 4-3.

So, after briefly speaking with the media after the game, the players had to do a 15-minute ride on the stationary bicycle.

"A lot of players in there have to play better than they have the past three games," Devils coach Brent Sutter said afer his team's third consecutive loss. "That's just basics, getting back to what they're supposed to do. Certain guys have certain roles and they're getting away from our game plan and what each individual has to do. Saturday (home game against Atlanta) can't get here quick enough."

Sutter didn't blame any players by name -- he did say "our goaltender (Martin Brodeur)  was the best player on the ice" -- but twice made indirect references to John Madden and Jay Pandolfo. When asked about rookie Matt Halischuk, who earned an assist in his first NHL game while playing on a line with Madden and Pandolfo, Sutter said, "I thought his two linemates struggled, but he played OK."

Pandolfo agreed. "We didn't have a great game," he said.

Pandolfo and Madden weren't the only ones, though. Other than the pair of Mike Mottau and Andy Greene, the Devils defensemen really struggled. Not that the forwards gave them much help. Even Brodeur gave up a softie on Alexei Ponikarovsky's power-play goal that put Toronto up 5-4 10:25 into the third.

"It was a tough everybody," Brodeur said. "These guys were coming hard and put a lot of pucks on me. I don't think anybody is to blame for his loss. It's an effort we all made together not to play well."

Greene, who had a career-high three assists, was one of the few exceptions.

"He was probably our best defenseman," Sutter said. "I thought Motts and he played well tonight."

Greene didn't take much pleasure out of the three assists.

"Three assists really don't matter on a night like tonight because we didn't play a team game for a full 60 minutes and you saw what happened giving up 48 shots," Greene said. "It (the three assists) is something that really doesn't matter to me when you have that kind of game."

Sutter also said he was satisfied with Jamie Langenbrunner's effort in returning to the lineup after missing one game with a charley horse.

"He hadn't skate in five days," Sutter said. 'I thought Jamie was fine. I didn't expect any more than that. He played a lot of minutes (19:54)-- probably more than I would have liked to him -- because of the circumstances and the way we were playing."

Comments

[Jill]

well-deserved bike ride if you ask me. 48 shots is a no-no.

[FOTC]

Bikes? Forget the bikes... He should have sent them outside and made them run a valet service for all the fans that had to witness that horrid performance.

[HF]

oduya's play is disgusting. enough already!

[RG]

If that was a 'fine' game by Langenbrunner then I'm gonna throw up. Takes a lazy penalty that costs us a goal, then gets a goal by pure luck on a double deflection, and takes possibly the worst shootout attempt I've ever seen short of losing the puck before you shoot.

Gionta got 3 chest logos tonight... the hat trick - good job.

Marty let in 2 weak goals too - despite the quantity, those 2 were easily stoppable.

I'm just glad we got a point... sigh.

[Al]

Despite the on bad goal from Marty, which he IS allowed because of what he has done for this team..I hate to say it but Mad Dog and Pando really did not play well tonight. Pando has not been great or himself all year. Madden has been slow defnesively a bit. I know they wil come through, but Zajac MUST..MUST hit the net on a 2-1 and PLEASE take Paul Martin off the first PP unit. Everyone on here know's Andy Greene is fave of mine and fave young player. The guy is just getting better and better. I don't see why we had to bench Vrana in the third period, kid was creating out there. We crashed the net..got goals. We know we can correct this defensively, but at least we're scoring and yes I know the Leafs suck defensively.

WHY..WHY shoot the SAME PLACE in the shoot-out over and over again? Ever think Vessa was "WANTING YOU".."GIVING YOU" that look on purpose? We'll be better.

I like th bike ride as well...keep on them Coach, but PLAY VRANA in the third.

[Frankie D]

Yeah stationary bikes? They should have done suicides... until someone says, what team do you play for???

[HF]

agreed FOTC. I thought sutter did an awful job with the lines tonight. halischuck had no business playing with madden-pando. gotta put him with elias line there and see what the kid could do with some offensive players. i thought brodeur was great in the first and then god awful after that. the devs defense lacks toughness in front of the net. teams are driving hard on marty with no problems. no one is hitting them or getting under sticks in front which is leading to countless goals. does sutter or lou not see our defense lacking!!!

[AK47]

TG, is there anything wrong with Pandolfo.Compering to the beginning of the last season to this one his game went down (scale wise)so low I don't even think its possible? And why Sutter sad "they didn't get any help from forwards" they scored 4 goals, unless Sutter meant the shootouts and PP in OT? Thanks.

[JerseyLove]

I don't think a bike ride is enough. It seems like this team is carrying on the same inconsistency as last year.
Rolston and Holik are certainly missed, in terms of their defensive game. --not to take away anything from the kids, because aside from Parise, everyones game has been slightly off.

[TG]

Playing Halischuk with Madden and Pandolfo should have been the smart, safe play in his first NHL game. As it turned out, Pandolfo and Madden didn't play well, but asking Halischuk to play in an offensive role in his first game wouldn't have been fair to hime.

It was the right coaching move that didn't pan out as planned. I know everybody is dreaming of him being this great scorer, but let's take it one step at a time. Playing him on one of the scoring lines would have been asking for trouble tonight.

He had trouble keeping up with the pace at times as it was. That's to be expected in his first game. Throwing him in the deep end would have just made it worse.

[TG]

It was me writing that the forwards didn't give much help. That wasn't about scoring goal. That was helping out defensively. The Devils were a mess a five-man unit in their own end for much of the night.

[AK47]

Thank you TG.

[crashlanding]

The worst coaching move of the night was putting out Rupp-Vrana-Halischuk late in the third in a one goal game. If Sutter wanted to reward the two rookies with ice time (as well he should have) he should have kept Halischuk with Madden and Pandolfo and put Vrana up instead of Clarkson. Honestly, Sutter's love of grinders like Clarkson and Langenbrunner is blinding him from their extremely inconsistent play.

[TG]

By the way, for those of you questioning the choice Langenbrunner as the Devils' fourth shooter in the shootout, he was 3-for-6 last season with two game-deciding goals. For his career he was 6-for-14, with three game-deciders heading into this season.
Other than Viktor Kozlov, who was 8-for-12 as a Devil, no one on the Devils had a better percentage (42.85) of shootout success entering this season. Zach Parise (12-for-28) was also at 42.85 percent entering this season, but is 1-for-2 this season.

[jerseypride]

Devils still could have had the game despite the terrible defense but Sutter blew it sending Langs out there for the decider...He has no moves! We would have been better off with 1.Parise 2.Elias 3.Zajac 4.Halischuck...Gionta also seems to forget that you get a goal when you get it past the goalie not hit him or the glass behind him!

[mike redante]

heyyy gio plays with guys other then panel n madden and c what happens 2assists suttee needs to keep him with parise

[Matt]

Sutter should tell Langs that the "C" means not taking stupid, cheap, badly timed penalties. Every game this season, Langenbruener has taken a crap penalty and today it cost us big time. Take the "C" off his jersey and give to someone deserving. And teach the defensemen to play properly. I'm tired of watching them try to attack the opposing player with the puck at the top of the circle and then getting beat by that player on the around. Either attack and stand the opponent up at the blue line or play solid-positioned defense all the way back to the boards.

[Jeff]

I have to agree when I saw Jamie take the ice for the Shoot out I put my jacket on and started heading towards the exit. I know he was good in the past but there's not when you watch Jamie on the ice and it looks like he's playing the wrong sport and last night was one of them. I think he was playing basketball last night.

[JJ]

A totally undeserved 2-0 lead after one period and instead of coming out with a purpose in the 2nd to make up for the crappy play in the first we hand them THREE FREAKING GOALS???!!! And if I hear one more complaint about how the building was dead...even with a 2-0 lead we had virtually nothing to cheer for because the played like dogs and had us all shaking our heads.

[DevilfanFLA]

did Mr Untouchable( never admits to a bad game...but I still love him) have to ride a bike too...Marty Brodeur?

[maddening11]

TG, what was the attendance last night? Agree to disagree, I think the building was less full than it was for Dallas. I think it was reported that Dallas was around 12k, last night it looked around 10k.

We lost the game because after scoring 2 softies in the first period, most of the guys figured that they wouldnt have to pay the price in order to get a W--hence the pitiful coverage in front of our own net, and the sloppy D zone coverage. If Toskala wasn't as brutal as he was it very easily could have been a 5-2 loss.

[TG]

I haven't heard that anyone was excused from the bike ride. Still, though Brodeur gave up at least one bad goal, no one could accuse him of not working last night. He faced 48 shots and then the shootout.

[TG]

The announced attendance was 14,119, which was about 2000 more than the Dallas game (12,101).

[TG]

Through their first four home games, the Devils are averaging 14,646 per game. Through their first four home games last season, they averaged 14,850. So attendance is down a little, but not much.

[Zman]

Matt,
I agree 100% on your assessment of Langenbrunner...I think they should give the "C" to Parise....the kid plays with more heart and purpose on every shift. The dumb penalties Jamie and others have taken lately is due to poor postioning & lack of conditioning. The Devs could have put a noose around the Leafs neck but instead let them off the hook with soft goals and shatty D. Besides Rupp using Hollefag's face as a speedbag the highlight of the night was that guy from Cranford splitting the board in "Score-o". Come on Devils...wake the "f" up and play with some tenacity and grit..as if you were getting paid!!!