Clemmensen will start again; Rolston and Sutter chat

Devils coach Brent Sutter said Scott Clemmensen will start in net again in tonight's game against the Buffalo Sabres at HSBC Arena.

Clemmensen made 25 saves in Tuesday night's 3-2 shootout loss in Toronto. It will be the first time this season that Clemmensen will start in games on consecutive nights for the Devils, but he has played on back-to-back days many times in the AHL.

"He's done it before," Sutter said. "Really last night he didn't have a lot of work, not a lot of difficult work. He made some big saves when he had to, but I don't think he had [moments] where you would sit there and say, 'Wow. There were a lot of quality scoring chances.' In the first period, we never gave up a quality scoring chances."

Sutter said Kevin Weekes' poor career numbers at HSBC Arena -- 1-8-0 with a 4.07 GAA and .872 save percentage in 10 career starts -- did not factor into his decision.

"We just felt [Tuesday] it was the right thing to do to go back to Clemmer, especially with the roll he had been on," Sutter said. "He had a few days to regroup and coming in here it was a situation where he didn't have a lot of work last night. None of us thought it was a difficult night for him. so we felt throw him back in there again tonight."

Weekes and defensemen Andy Greene and Sheldon Brookbank were the only Devils to skate this morning. Bobby Holik and Brian Rolston were also at the arena, but did not skate.

Brookbank and Greene will be scratched again tonight, but Sutter said Greene (broken right hand) will get back in the lineup soon -- maybe as soon as Friday night against Ottawa. He said he wanted Greene to come on this trip with the team -- though he knew he would not play -- just to get in skating time with the coaches and spend time around his teammates again.

"It's just the fact that he can be out on the ice with the guys and it's timing, timing situations," Sutter said. "I know it's not a perfect situation because we play three in four nights, but it is what it is and he is going to get back in the lineup. It's just this something that I wasn't expecting him to play [on the trip], but I really felt that I wanted to give him a chance to skate with the coaches and being around guys, so when he comes back -- there's nothing worse than putting a player in a situation that is setting him up to fail. I don't like that as a coach because it's not fair to the player."

***

Sutter he spoke with Rolston this morning about the struggle he has been going through since returning from his high ankle sprain. Bobby Holik seems to have adapted better sinc returning, but plays a simpler game than Rolston, which made his return simpler.

"I had a discussion with Rollie about that this morning," Sutter said. "I learned this through Al (Arbour). He'd always say to me, 'What's easier? For a guy to come back from an injury or someone to get out of a slump?'' It's usually a guy that's more of a work, more of a greasy player because that's what they can go back to. And someone who has skill, they've got to try to get back first and then get back to that skill. I think Brian is handling it and I'm aware of it. This is the first time Brian has had a significant injury in his career. He didn't know what to expect when he came back.

"And getting hurt when he got hurt was at a tough time of year too because we were just getting started. Then, you get hurt and everyone else that's getting started keeps going and then you're trying to catch up."

Rolston insisted that though his ankle bothered him in his first few games, his problems with it are behind him now.

"I' feel fine now," he said. "I'm 100 percent. There's no reason to talk about it anymore really."  

Comments

[brian s]

good to see rolston on the ice trying to get back into form. hey tg with the ways the devils have been rolling, minus the last two games, does rolston still fit into the chemistry if this team right now. when in top form he is still a great player, but where does that leave him with the devils. the first two lines are playing great hockey. the 4th line pumps up the team. the 3rd plays some good defense. wouldnt he be a bit to much of a playmaker for the 4th. he is probably faster than holik and clarkson, a bit smarted two. what about mad dog and pando, does his offensive talent go wasted there too. seems like there is just no fit right now. i hope the last two games woke up the team. their second period last night cost them the game. they were just holding on in the 3rd to get the one point. why is this team cursed with missing easy goals. they had toskala out of position 3-4 times last night and could only bang home one of those easy goals. oh and i think langs is starting to get his edge back. i still think parise should be wearing the c, but langs is getting there.

[Chris]

Lets hope Clems rebound control is better tonight.

[Mike in Idaho]

I agree with Chris, last night Clemmensen's rebound control was atrocious. I still don't think he is playing well enough to earn all these starts, I guess we'll see what happens tonight.

[SonicDude]

very little positive to take away from last 2 game. rolston seems even more lost...who takes a slapshot in a shootout?

i agree w brian s that langenbrunner looks better. but i disagree with how sutter keeps saying we are playing OK.

[Sarah]

Just for the sake of playing devil's advocate (no pun intended), I have seen a decent number of guys take slapshots in the shootout before. Chara does it whenever Boston randomly decides to use him in their top 3, and I'm pretty sure I've seen Kubina do it before, just off the top of my head. If you've got a shot like those guys (and Rolston) have, why not?

Rolston's attempt last night certainly wasn't the best example ever, but its really not THAT ridiculous of a move.

[VinnyC]

Rolston had beaten Luongo with a slapper in the shootout before, so I can't blame him for trying really. I just can't see why sitter didn't send out Gionta or Zubrus before Rolston. Maybe to try and up Brians confidence? If so, I can't be mad for that.

[Dan D]

If that Rolston slap shot hadn't glanced Toskala's shoulder and instead hit the crossbar and went in, he'd be a hero right now. He'll be back in form soon enough. The team has been rolling either way.

[Chris]

Yeah I think he did it to try to boost his confidence... I hope it didn't back fire and shatter it

[Adam]

Rolston's strength is his slapshot. He's scored many shootout/penalty shots with the slapshot. It was good to see him go with his strength, but why be disappointed anyway? We got a point out of that ugly game, and that's all that matters to me...

[JJ]

Why are we sitting back and letting teams come to us? When we are playing aggressive we are winning, just look at the Rupp goal. White jumps up into a 2-on-1 and we score. We've got to see more of that kind of thing in the 2nd & 3rd last night. There's no reason why we should be out-shot & out-chanced like we were late in that game.

Two best calls of the night;

Doc - in the first after a holding call; "Grabovski will spend some time in the gulag"
Chico - after OT still tied; "and now we'll have a little bit of skills competition"

I absoultely HATE the shootout and the loser point.

[Rob]

Yeah, but new fans love it, and it is exciting when you're there, you have to admit..

[Kevin]

Clemmers rebound control was fine. He gives up rebounds, yes... But in the third especially, he was kicking pucks to the corner with the best of them. Now, if you want to talk about our chances to win this game if he keeps giving up fluff goals, then I have your back, because he cost us a poiint giving that cream puff away to his Marlies buddy

[brule2000]

Rolston scored some highlight making shootout goals with the slapper when with the Wild.

He stated that he saw Toskala was playing deep in the net. Unfortunately, unlike many of us, Toskala was aware of Brian's ability to slap it by him and made a good save.

I think it was a good call to have Brian shoot fourth and a good decision to go with a shot that had worked before. It just didn't work. Later in the season, once Rolston's up to speed, it wouldn't even be an issue.

I hate the shootout too; precisely because it leads to discussions like this (minor decisions get blown up out of proportion, because they directly cost a bonus point).

[brule2000]

Personally, I think if you have the shootout, the league should award 3 points for a regulation win, 2 for a win secured after the 60 minutes are up, 1 for a loss in OT or the shootout, 0 for a loss.

That way each game is worth the same number of points. As things stand, there's no major incentive to try to win a tied game in the last ten minutes of regulation and down the stretch you can win 4-0 only to see the two teams you're trying to catch in the standings agree to a shootout so they can each stay ahead.

[Pearl Jammed]

i think 3 points screws up the standings too much. 2 points is plenty, but maybe a team doesn't get 1 point for getting to OT, take that 1 point away and make teams go for the throat!

[DP]

TG, any word on whether sutter is gonna keep the same bottom two lines as last night or is he gonna go back to what was used before?

[JJ]

This game is all about the Cup run anyway and I find nothing exciting about deciding playoff spots with a skills competition that you never will see in a playoff game anyway. So what if "new" fans don't understand that sometimes a tied game is a good thing? Let them become veteran fans and they'll appreciate a "good tie" once in a while when they see both teams battle their hearts out and both walk away satisfied a little. There's no such thing as a "good" tie anymore. Now a tied third period is often a boring defensive fest and instead of having an exciting finish to the game both teams are content to split the points (like they used to do in 5-on-5 OT). I understand the original idea of the loser point was obviously when they started the 4-on-4 in OT to make OT more exciting and get away from the defensive fest OT's but now all they've done is make the third period lame (ironically the only time the game is played the way it's supposed to be at 5-on-5). Further, it is unecessary because it's very hard to play a conservative defensive game 4-on-4 anyway so teams who try to hang onto the one point will often pay the price and get ZERO out of it in the end anyway. Keep OT 4-on-4, eliminate the loser point and eliminate the stupid skills competition.

[Guy]

Worst call of the night, compliments of Mr. Resch.

Chico(in OT):"Big save there by Toskala to keep this game tied." Uh....DUH

[Chris]

Sutter's comment about not wanting to put players in a position to fail is laughable. Did he already forget about Vrana and Bergfors when they had to play with Rupp and Brookbank??

[SonicDude]

out of all the shootout goals i've ever seen, the vast vast majority are not from slappers.

rolston is a highly skilled player. i think skilled players should use their moves to get the goalie out of position. you have far less control with a slapshot.

===

a prev post says devils are on roll...cant really agree with that either, not from what we've seen in the last 2 games. toronto does not have a very good roster right now, so you know the only way they can beat a better team is by outworking them...and that is exactly what happened to us last night, which is frustrating.

tonight is a huge game for us, and very winnable, esp. with rivet out.

[embo slice]

there may be another reason for the shootout and why the nhl wants a win/loss every game and no ties.....GAMBLING.....obviously with a tie, you don't have the possibility of a graded wager....maybe not many people gamble on hockey, but the nhl might be looking at some of the reasons why the NFL is so huge.....the NFL is so big because of gambling(ever been to vegas on a sunday?).....we live in a copycat society so the nhl might be thinking what works for the NFL, might help bring the NHL more fans and attention

[Pearl Jammed]

True Embo... but there are ties in the NFL, albeit they are rare, but they exist.

[Skillet]

I know he was injured but from what I have see from Rolston during preseason and the games he has played so far. He is a best in my books as far as this season goes. I do not think he will last long in a Devils jersey, he is slow and his shot is less effective than that of Jamie Langs.

Gionta on the other hand is proving his worth over the last 2-3 weeks of hockey. He seems to have found his heart again.

[embo slice]

tell that to mcnabb...hahaha....and yes, very rare

[JJ]

Too early to say Rolston's a bust embo slice. You may be right in the end, but you might remember Zubrus was being called "Zubust" last year, Elias & Gionta were considered to be done and said by many here that they would never regain form, Oduya was routinely killed last year based on his play in the first 5-10 games and people didn't start to come around on him until he was like a +20, and everyone still seems to hate White & Langenbrunner despite the fact that they are both playing very good hockey over the past 15-20 games. It's a long season.