Devils face Rangers next

After being shut out for the second game in a row tonight, the Devils don't have much time to regroup and work on their scoring touch.

They play the Rangers Saturday night at Madison Square Garden and don't want to see this scoring slump turn into something even bigger.

"It's a huge game, especially considering the way the last two games have gone," Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner said.

The Devils have gone seven full periods, plus a five-minute overtime, without scoring. Their last goal came 8:36 into the second period of Sunday's 3-2 shootout win over Philadelphia. In all, their scoring drought is 156 minutes and 24 seconds.

"You have to keep going at it," said goaltender Scott Clemmesnen, who lost despite allowing only one goal for the second game in a row. "You don't get down on yourself. If there's a team we can break through on, it's them, hopefully. It's always a big game when we play them no matter what the circumstances. Last time was a wild one. We'll take that again, if it means a win."

The Devils defeated the Rangers, 8-5, in their last meeting on Dec. 12 at Prudential Center. The eight goals matched the most the Devils have ever scored against the Rangers and also equaled the most Henrik Lundqvist has ever allowed in a game.

The Rangers have not played since blowing a 4-0 lead in a 5-4 overtime loss to Washington on Tuesday.

"I think it's a big thing," right wing David Clarkson said of facing the Rangers on Saturday. "You play against a team that's just across the river there and we'd love to go out and just play the same way we're playing, but bear down a little bit more. The last time we played them, we won and we have to continue on like that."

***

Clemmensen was disappointed that he didn't get enough of Ruslan Fedotenko's shot to keep it out of the net. The puck squeezed through a small hole between Clemmensen's left arm and his body before trickling over the goal line for the only goal in tonight's game.

"It just squeezed through me," Clemmensen said. "I felt it. I knew I got a piece of it. I wasn't sure if I had all of it, so I looked back and I looked back just in time to see it trickle over the goal line. It's the second game in a row where we lost with one goal (against) each game and both shots were just trickled in kind of through me a little bit. Those are annoying to give up, especially if they end up being the game winner."

Comments

[Bobby]

I think that Oduya/Martin on the same pairing is making things a bit difficult for the guys who are out with Leach and White.

[DP]

sorry clemmer i feel for you giving up 1 goal in two straight and still going 0-2........pathetic, and looks like they are back to the same garbage as last year. but idk like bobby said maybe it is b/c of martin and oduya being on the same pair that the puckmoving isnt as spread out??? i mean this has been going on since sal got injured but im not gonna bank on that being the problem

[Christian T]

2 games and we need to trade the team now? Jeeze relax

[DevsFanInTX]

I think the problem is we are returning to bad habits. Most of our goals were hard-fought in front of the net when someone crashed it or setup there, and the shots were not from the point or blue line but from the sides of the circles with a decently hard shot where a small rebound would pop out to be scooped up.

All I see now are giant blasts from the tops of the circles with rebounds jumping back just as far, and guys like Gio who rush up the ice to the side of the circle along the boards and take a shot that lifts off the ice for no rebound since he jumped up so far ahead that no one is there to go for it anyway. Every time I see a right-winger race up the near side boards (Gio, Langs, and Clarkson), they all do the same exact thing and take a wrist shot right into the goalie's chest. We'd be golden if they would either hold on to it and go to the corner before tossing it in front of the net or throw on the brakes and let the team setup so the play can develop a bit.

[josh]

well to start, devTX, ths isn't nhl 09 here you cant just throw on the brakes or go to the corner and get the nice pass to the slot all the time. don't get me wrong they are nice plays from time to time, but you aren't gonna get that 9 outa 10 times. more often you just need to throw the puck on the inside pad and get a rebound to a driving forward eg. that langs blast that came out to elias.

Look at san jose, they have been running on fancy goals for years and now that they shot for rebounds and drive the net they score more goals than ever and are winning games at a championship clip. the Devils have been there these last two games they just need to put it n the net and I really think this ranger game with all the pressure is exactly what they need.

Ironic that i was always renny that was saying it was a game against the devils that the rangers badly needed to get back in shape.

[SonicDude]

2 very tough losses. i agree w previous posts that we're getting into some bad habits, losing puck battles, not hitting enough...the little things.

bryce's absense is also really hurting us. we need another stay at home d-man, bryce or no bryce. i am also getting increasingly frustrated with rolston.

but at least we're playing the NYRs tonight, which always gets the guys juices - and hopefully their games - going.

[NeptuneTim]

Hopefully the boys will unleash their frustration against the Rags tonight at that dump of a Garden. Like always, Zack will be going to the net and Patty will keep on playing smart. Maybe even Langs might want to make up for that missed chance agains the Pens.

Either way, it will be a good time and team to rally against.

[ronmexico3]

TG: I was at the Penguins game last night and I don't know if you commented on this yet, but what about the (near) goal for the Devils in the third that looked like it went in but they waved it off after replay. I had a very clear view of it and they replayed it on the big board and it looked like it went over the line before a Penguin kicked it out. They offered no explanation, only that it was No Goal? The only thing I (and all the fans around me) could figure was it must have been kicked by a Devil.

[TG]

Ron, the replay clearly showed the puck never completley crossed the line. Brent Sutter said so too -- if you look at the post below.

[ronmexico3]

Thanks TG. The only replay we got at the game was the overhead and it looked like it was over the line. Either way it must have been really really close.

[mckay21]

Great crowd last night seemed like a lot of energy in the stads BUT,as soon as the,played out, "Rangers suck chant" started (aka sect 234 KnuckleHeads) Pens score!nice job guys....and the T-shirt dancin guy every time you look up on the big screens, got old....Highlight hits,scores more general fans shots having a great time good stuff...fake drunk guy all the time,nah.

[TG]

MSG Plus showed a close-up on the overhead that showed part of the puck was still on the line. It was very, very close, though.

[YEAHw/e]

neither leach or white can move the puck which is destroying the transition game for whichever line is with them. they are pretty solid defensivley though...just dont put them with Parise or Elias' line

[Pearl Jammed(RJ Arditti)]

Any idea who is starting in net tonight TG?

[Shari]

I thought They played pretty well last night, just didn't finish well the chances were there. Energy is key tonight and I believe They will get back on track. I did think that Maddolfo played well, so that is a good sign. That puck stopped right at the line, part of it was over the line but not the whole puck, it was cleared just before it went all the way over, very very close.

[95-00-03]

I agree Shari - 2 really close games and tonight's game is sure to be an action packed, hard checking fists flying game!

Clemmer has done all he can do to keep us in it till the last minute.

Beat the rags tonight and those 2 losses are erased from my book.

GO DEVILS!