Sunday off for the Devils

The Devils have today off to lick their wounds after being carved up by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in a 4-1 loss to the Penguins Saturday night at Mellon Arena.

The Devils, who had their five-game winning streak snapped, don't play again until Thursday in Phiadelphia, so it probably makes sense to make today a day off. I'm in the airport awaiting my flight home. The airport is pretty crowded today with it being the end of Thanksgiving weekend. We were hearded to an alternate security checkpoint, which still had a long line, but it went pretty quickly.

While I'm waiting for my plane, I'll share some of my observations from Saturday nights' game.

**Crosby and Malkin are pretty good (no kidding). Crosby recorded his second career hat trick and also had an assist. Malkin had two assists and was quite impressive with his stickhandling. That one move where he flipped the puck up in the air, past Paul Martin, and batted it down might have been a high stick, but was still unbelievable.

**Crosby appeared to enjoy not having to face John Madden. It was probably the best game of his career against the Devils, who have had trouble with Malkin in the past, but usually do a pretty good job on Sid. This was a reminder that the Devils - when healthy - need Madden and Jay Pandolfo checking the top line of the opponent. They got away with it against Tampa Bay last week, but the Lightning are terrible, so you might get away with taking your chances some nights with Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis.

It sounds like Madden will be back from his bruised left ankle this week. Thursday will be two weeks since he was injured and he has been skating with the other injured Devils, so it doesn't appear the team is hiding a more serious injury.

Bobby Holik (broken pinky) might also be ready soon, but he's only been skating for a week after being off the ice for five weeks.

I'm hesitant to guess how far away Brian Rolston is from playing. Rolston (high right ankle sprain) has been skating for a couple of weeks, but something must be holding him back from practicing with the team. I have a feeling it's possible we might not see him before Christmas. Remember how long it took Crosby to come back from his high ankle sprain. He missed 29 total games (21 games initially and then another eight after he came back too soon .Rolston has missed 18 games so far.

**Paul Martin and Bryce Salvador had a tough night playing against Crosby. The Devils didn't have Madden to slow up Crosby and the defense had trouble with his speed. Malkin's speed also seemed to overwhelm the Devils.

**Playing Sheldon Brookbank with Patrik Elias and Brian Gionta in the third period Satuday was not one of Brent Sutter's finest moments as a coach. I know he had limited options with Dainius Zubrus weakened by a stomach bug, but there were other things he could have done. As I said at the time, I would have put Zach Parise up with Elias (at center) and Gionta and taken my chances that way. He could have put someone else (possibly) Mike Rupp with Travis Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner and cobbled togehter a third line.

**One thing is clear: Sutter does not believe Petr Vrana can play quality minutes in the NHL. That Sutter continued to play Barry Tallackson (he even used him with Elias and Gionta in the third period after the failed Brookbank experiment) after his second period blunder on Crosby's second goal, showed that he has more trust in Tallackson than Vrana, who played only four shifts for 1:38 Saturday. That Brookbank also played with Elias and Gionta over Vrana also says a lot.

I don't know what the answer is with Vrana. He has not played well in his own end. At some point, Sutter might have to give him a chance to do more, though.

**I've understood Sutter's use of Brookbank, a defenseman, as right wing on the fourth line and it's actually worked out well for the most part, but on a night like Saturday when Zubrus is ill, the Devils need to call up another forward and dress him in case Zubrus can't play the full game (which is how it turned out). The Devils had all day Saturday to make a move and always say that Lowell is not that far away. They can't have a situation where Sutter has to turn to Brookbank to play in an offensive role in a game in which the team is trailing by two goals, but still in position to come back and win the game.

Comments

[Ali-P]

TG, I agree.. I guess he was looking to fit a big body to replace zubrus but he should have stacked that line with parise or find someone who can play at that skill level. Johny Mac please take over.

[SonicDude]

@ kevin from the other day

who said elias is playing terribly? but this type of play has become the exception and not the rule with him. i try to look at the devils objectively...and in no way is elias a $6M a year guy. as to gio, he is simply too small and not creative enough to pay him the $4M he's getting. i would trade gio right now while he is hot. if gio parlays this season into a $3-4M deal with clueless lou, and with the cap not going up next year, do you want $10M tied up in elias and gio?

@jj

i can see salmela being a top 4 guy too. but our quasi-top 4 of salmela, martin, oduya and bryce needs an upgrade...i really think we need a top 4, 20+ minute stay at home. gio for volchenkov or phillips?

on another note, crosby appears to have elevated his play. with malkin, and gonchar and whitney coming off the IR before he break...they will be difficult to de-throne.

[Steve]

On Pittsburgh's 3rd goal the one scored by Crosby on the 4 on 4, why was Barry Tallackson and Dainus Zubrus out on the ice with Crosby and Malkin out there. Tallackson flubbed that pass and it ended up in our own net, I could understand if he was getting consistent shifts, but this is a player that sits on the bench and he was out there against the most lethal combo in the game.....very questionable

[Marc]

@ SonicDude...Why would you want to give up Gio. You would give up one of the top players on your team right now! for a player from a different team who may nto pan out at all?

Gionta is currently:

3rd on the team in goals - behind Zach and Patty.

Tied for second with Zach in assists.

Third on the team in points - behind Zach and Patty.

Tied with Patty for second on PP goals.

Has the teams ONLY SH goal.

Tied for thrid with Zajac for best plus minus on the team.

Currently has a 7 game point streak in which he has registered 5G, 5A - 10P

Has a Career +/- of +58

The top 4 Right Wings in the Eastern Conference RIGHT NOW based on point production.

1. Nikolai Zherdev - NYR - 8G, 15A - 23P

2. Daniel Alfredsson - OTT - 6G, 15A - 21P

3. Trent Hunter - NYI - 10G, 9A - 19P

4. Brian Gionta - NJD - 7G, 12A - 19P

Keep in mind that Zherdev has played 5 more games than Gionta, Hunter has played 3 more and Alfredsson has played the same amount.

Gionta is one of the best Right Wings in the East, WORKS HARD EVERY GAME, has alwasy been a team player, and fits great on this team.

Just my two cents.

[Kevin]

Obviously no one is going to say Elias is playing poorly right now, and with the exception of last year, he has never had a bad season. The guy is a point a game player, that is a fact. He is on pace for that again this season. THAT is a 6MM a year guy, if not more.

And as Gionta goes, I tend to agree with you to a point. I say use this season with Elias and Zubrus (locked in for the next few seasons) as a starting point. You know the guy can score 25 goals per and plays with grit in the corners. Is that not worth 3-4MM per? If he doesn't pot 30 goals this year I say let him go. Similarly, if they're out of the playoffs, I would trade him by the deadline. With that said, if they can continue scoring though, why not keep him. He has played well with Patty for the past few seasons and Zubrus has obviously stepped in nicely this year.

I understand that this board takes a game by game basis approach to the core of the team, but we need some consistency. Regarding Madden, I would say Clemmensen play had more to do with his success then Madden not playing. Goal one Clem scored on his own, goal two was a perfect pass to an open player, and goal three was an empty netter? Did he elevate his play or did he have a lot of luck? Probably both but more luck than anything else.

Take this game for what it was, a solid defensive performance by Pitt, a good night from a hard working player in Crosby, and a subpar performance in net by Scott. We had a lot of confidence going into the game that was sucked out within 2 minutes because Scott lost track of the puck. Good goalies don't close their eyes when they poke check and Clem did. We'll get em when they come to the Rock!

[DS]

Sutter is a effing joke! The man drives me nuts and I just wish Lou would wake up and realise that he just must fire that man. Geeeez.....the man is terrible as a coach and has no business in the NHL. He forgives Tallackson for a defensive mistake and gives him PP time....but when Bergfors and Vrana play their heart out he chooses to bench them?! What a complete joke of a coach! I'm sick and tired of him!

[AreJay]

It seems to me Sutter values experience over talent. And North Americans over Europeans. Why we see guys like Tallackson and Brookbank (little real talent there) instead of more talented, but European players like Bergfors and Vrana, I figure.

Bergfors appears to be tearing it up in Lowell, but whatever. He won't get a fair shake this season, but his time will come. If Sutter was wanting to use a defender to play in an offensive role, why not just use Salmela there instead? Or Oduya for a shift or two?

Regardless, Pittsburgh is a lot better than an injured, Scott Clemmensen-backed hockey team like the Devils right now so this was a predictable loss. I hope they can scrounge a few points from the upcoming schedule against higher quality opponents and keep themselves in it. Until everyone gets back, this club really is the 8th or 9th best in the Conference.

[John]

Bergfors 2G 1A +3 tonight. Very nice.

[Tapiolevo08]

I read Bouwmeester is available and Florida is looking for a player, a prospect and draft pick. How about Gionta, Bergfors or Corrente (whoever is ranked lower by the Devils scouts) and next year's 1st round pick?

Possible line-up
Parise Zajac Langs
Elias Zubrus Rolston
Padolfo Madden Clarkson
Rupp Holik Let-Leblond

Bouwmeester Oduya
Martin Salvador
Mottau White

[Puckster]

Florida wouldn't want to trade a UFA Bouwmeester for a UFA Gionta. That doesn't make any sense for them.

It doesn't make any sense for us to give up Gionta, a prospect and a #1 draft pick for a player that will a UFA next season either.

[mikeford]

Joe Corvo is also supposedly available for trade and might command less of a bounty than Bouwmeester.

Either way, Lou better be on the phone with both teams GMs figuring something out.

[shredder29]

bring back general burns!!! he'll know what to do. In my opinion, claude julien was doing much better then sutter. If we need leadership, then look no further then our aging captain. Funny, i dont see drury having problems scoring, leading and staying out of the penalty box, and they have similar ages.
Its about time gio woke and started skating hard again, gonna need that trade value to go up bc we have a log jam at forward and could really use a boumeester!!!!!!!!!!!

[Matt]

I can't believe Sutter and Lou are happy with the goal tending. Yes, we won 5 in a row, but Clemmensen is not very good! Like Kevin said earlier, he closes his eyes. And Weekes does the same thing. I've never seen goalies who look like they haven't a clue as to where the puck is once it's bounced off their pads, but Clem and Weekes have that act down. Clemmensen faced, what, 35 shots against the Pens? And how many of those did he hold on to? Maybe 3? All the rest were bounced off his pads for his defensemen to scoop away or recovered by the Pens to continue their attack. Pittsburgh scored 3 goals on Clemmensen and two of them were misplays by Clemmensen. The first one, he poked checked Sid and then had no idea where the puck was. Then on the third goal if he just sits in the crease and readies himself for a shot/pass from Malkin (who was already diving by the time Clem left the crease) he would have saved/deflected the puck away from Crosby. If we're going to continue with these two goal tenders we need to mix it up more and not let one guy get too cocky about his job security. Clemmer-relax and stop trying to do too much!

[Per]

btw, what about that completely amateurish play on Cooke by Clarkson...it did nothing but waste two valuable minutes. Cooke had to be got somehow after his hit on Parise, but that was not a smart way.

[TG]

So, trade Gionta, Bergfors or Corrente (both former No. 1 picks) and next year's No. 1 (which might turn out to be the team's highest pick in years) for a player who can leave for nothing at the end of the season?

Not sure about that one.

[Pete]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the two ridiculous poke checks that Clemmensen tried like he was Marty Brodeur or something. He got his act together after that but he wasn't even close either time. It should have been 1-1 in the 3rd because other than that, he played well enough for it to be.

[TG]

I don't think you're being completely fair to Clemmensen. He was to blame on the first goal, but I don't think the pokecheck was necessarily the wrong play. On 90 percent of the players in the league, that would have ended the scoring threat right there.

He might have been too agressive on the third goal too, but if he sits back, he's facing a 2-on-0 vs. Malkin and Crosby, not just a simple shot by Malkin. It's more of a pick-your-poison play than the simple choice you make it out to be. Martin Brodeur might have made the same play.

As for not controlling rebounds, you were right about the first 10 minutes of Saturday's game. He was shaky and pucks were more hitting him than him stopping them. But i thought he did a good job of steering shots into the corners and controlling rebounds after he settled down in the second half of the first period.

And, for the most part, he's done a pretty good job of that in most of his starts. That's one of the things they like about him. When he's playing well, he's very calm and in control. In the Florida game, he was very good about preventing the second shot until the last couple of minutes when his teammates let him down.

Weekes' rebounds are more out of control.

Was goaltending the reason the Devils lost last night? I can't say it was all goaltending. It contributed. But when Malkin and Crosby are flying like they were, that's because the team wasn't playing very well in front of him. The Devils had some games with Brodeur in net when they couldn't stop Malkin.

[NeptuneTim]

TG
Thanks for your personal thoughts! It's so great to have your perspective because you see/write/think about this team so much.

[Shtikl]

As an L-Devils fan, I almost don't mind if Sutter wants to waste Petr Vrána's time by giving him less than 2 minutes a game. If the Devils waive Pizza, somebody will probably claim him. (Great for him!) And if he's not claimed, he'll find a Czech team that wants him. (Also great for him!) But he'll be gone, and then Sutter will have to call up somebody else to be a healthy scratch or warm the bench. And that will hurt Low Hell's game, which would be a shame, because the guys sure are having a whole lot of fun winning together.

THANKS, Sutter, for sending Bergfors back to us! He's shredding the opponents' defenses down here, he's confident, he's motivated, he's making smart defensive plays, and he's pretty much pwning the ice. Wouldn't make sense to put him on the fourth line in Newark and only give him 2 minutes a game, that's for sure.

And Rod Pelley is just confidently marking time, winning face-offs, killing penalties, and hammering away at the other side all night long, no wonder he's a starter almost every game. It shows on the scoreboard, he's worth a whole lot more than 4 goals, 8 points, a +4, and an "A". Wouldn't want a valuable guy like that taking up space on the bench only to play less than 2 minutes a game. Good thing he's not in the Press Box every night, too.

And DiSalvatore -- what an off-season pick-up! The guy's amazing, fast, smart, hard-working, great shot, runs the point on the PP. Not a bruiser like Davis (who's looking really solid and smart, good thing he didn't stick in Newark!) and definitely not a boxer like LeBlond (another reason to rejoice, wouldn't want a great pair of hands like that wasted in the N), but he certainly can cruise on a scoring line. Sure wouldn't want to find out if he can handle the speed of the game in the N, because he's so much fun to watch in the A.

It won't last, but it's totally awesome to have these guys (and then some) playing well in Low Hell while Sutter puts Brookbank at forward!

[ryan]

Off topic for a bit, anyone else catch The new Hockey News this week. There is an article in there AGAIN about the Devils trapping style and how it was the death of the NHL. Now they are claiming the trap is dead. Get the F over it already. I think we all know how THN is though with its writing style, so no surprise should be needed.

[Matt]

A 2-0 against Malkin and Crosby on that third goal? We saw the same game, right? Malkin was on his face swiping at the puck. And he hit it! Right past the charging Clemmensen to Crosby who had Mottau standing right behind him. Doesn't sound like a 2 against none opportunity to me. Sounds like a bad play by a goalie and bad positioning by a defenseman.

[Bobmilldevils]

The team is lacking a first line center. They are like a doughnut, a hole in the middle.

[kstatik]

I blame this loss on three things.

1. A better offensive team in Pittsburgh (Malkin, Crosby et al.)
2. Poor coaching decisions (Playing Brookbank at all, NOT trying out the stacked-out all offensive
lines previously suggested in previous posts, Tallackson, NOT calling up anyone...)
3. Injuries (we needed Madden to make Crosby ineffective. No Madden? Full Crosby = 3g, 2 with Clemmer
IN net...)

I don't blame Clemmer, he was hung-out to dry! He did what he could; the first goal was weak but
the second one wasn't (our defense *was*) and the third one was ANOTHER bad coaching decision by
Sutter - stop pulling the goalie Brent! It NEVER works. Stack the lines at the end of the game -
give them a little Parise - Elias - Gionta with Oduya and Langenbrunner, see if THAT gets a goal...

It's better than always watching the other team score on our empty net.

[NJSwampdragon]

A lot of the fans of this board subscribe to "the grass is greener on the other side" philosophy. They always want to trade all our players and are in love with minor leaguers and guys from other teams. Bouwmeester has not had a good year from what I've read, yet people want to trade half the team for him. So many people also hate the coach, yet the team has been absolutely decimated by injuries and has a better record than last year. Wake up people! This team could be really, really good with a full line-up.

[casey]

its a shame vrana isnt getting any ice time. i don't see him sticking around next year.