Looks like Pandolfo is odd man out, Clemmensen will start

The Devils' morning skate is underway at Sommet Center for tonight's game against the Predators.

Jay Pandolfo appears to be the player who will sit out tonight to make room for Brendan Shanahan in the lineup.

Shanahan is skating at left wing on a line with Bobby Holik at center and Mike Rupp on the right side.

Pandolfo, who has played in all 45 games for the Devils this season, is skating with scratches Jay Leach and Sheldon Brookbank.

Incidentally, Shanahan has scored more goals against the Predators in his career (22 in 41 games) than any other player in NHL history.

It appears Scott Clemmensen will start in net tonight. He was in the net the Devils will defend in the first and third periods tonight and was the first goaltender off the ice at the end of the skate.

All of the other line combinations are the same.

Pekka Rinne will start in net tonight for Nashville.

***

I failed to mention earlier that Claude Lemieux was called up by the San Jose Sharks this morning.

***

Jason Arnott, now the captain of the Predators, said he still keeps in touch with former A Line linemate Patrik Elias and is not surprised by how well he has played this season.

"I've been following him since I left New Jersey," Arnott said. 'We keep in touch all the time. I knew he was going to come back and have an exceptional year. He's one of the dynamic players in the NHL. He really helped me out with my career, no question. I had a lot fun playing with him and a lot of fun still chatting with him."

Arnott said he saw Elias, "a little bit yesterday" in Nashville.

Comments

[Sergei]

My money is on Pando.

[theking72]

Sorry Pando. You are a dinasaur in Sutter's new regime. Stick around though, methinks we will need when Marty returns and we go back to using a checking line.

[Pearl Jammed]

i am shocked its Pandolfo to be honest. but he does need to pick it up a bit if he wants to be a mainstay in the lineup no matter what his contract pays him

[Afro Thunder]

glad that Sutter did the right thing

[YEAHw/e]

i called it

[Pat]

Right call, no b.s. Pando's comments to TG sum it all up:

"It’s always tough, but that’s the way it is," Pandolfo said of the idea of someone being scratched to make room for Shanahan.

Unfortunately, the writing is on the wall for him unless Rupp starts playing like crap or someone gets hurt. I still can't believe he got Lou to agree to both $2.5M x 3 years + NTC.

[JT]

not surprised that pando's out.

can't believe Claude did it. he said he was going to and he did - i give him a lot of credit. started out in Asia and here he is, back in the NHL.

[Nick]

Never thought I'd see Jay Pandolfo as a healthy scratch.

[Captain Cornholio]

I suppose the decision to start Clemmensen tonight surprises me a bit. I figured Brent would play him on Wednesday against the Canadiens and play Weekes tonight. It would still surprise me to see the same goalie in both games. Unless one of the guys absolutely lays an egg before the break, I can't see how Brent can call either one of them his #1 guy.

It would not surprise me if the Devils skated 19 guys besides the goalies tonight. Between the head games it might play with the Predators and the natural competition this has already generated within the Devils, it sounds to me like the right thing to do. Like most of you, I don't envy Brent for this tough decision.

Two games this afternoon in the NHL. The Bruins host the Blues at 1, and the Capitals visit the Islanders at 2. Should the Devils win tonight and the Capitals lose in regulation today, the Devils will sit just two points behind the Capitals for the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a game in hand.

[HBK27]

Good for Sutter for yanking Pandolfo out of the lineup...he the one that deserves to sit. It'll be interesting to see how how long he stays out of the lineup though - I can see him rotating in Pando for Rupp at some point. Wonder if Sutter would consider having some of the older guys like Shannahan & Holik have the odd game or two off down the stretch to keep them fresher for the playoffs now that he has a guy like Pandolfo as a scratch.

[embo slice]

clemmer again, really? ..... i thought they would split the final four games 1-1-1-1 and keep them both hot and fresh....makes me wonder now if we will even see weekes on wednesday, i'm not too sure now......god forbid clemmensen has to sit more than a few days before his next start....if weekes went wednesday then clemmensen would not be playing for over a week...this was the game we should have seen weekes in, i will be really surprised if kevin gets in on wednesday now

[Sarah]

Rupp's been playing far too well to take him out of the lineup, and as much as I love Pando, he's been invisible all season. This is the right move, at least for now.

Ditto on what JT said about Claude. Pretty impressive. Should be interesting to see what he can bring to an already extremely talented Sharks team.

[Bobby]

I love Jay. He's been a great soldier. I feel terrible for him. I kind of hope we can find Jay a spot on a team that could you use later years as a teacher/captain type to straight out an organization. Like a Tampa/Atlanta/Toronto...

[Kris]

Poor Pando. I know he has to step up, but he doesnt really do anything wrong..he just doesnt do anything exceptionally well to get noticed lol

[Captain Cornholio]

Seems to me the Sharks want to end their playoff collapses once and for all by bringing in the master of postseason performances. If they didn't have a history of disappointments in April and May, then they would probably have no use for him.

[Pearl Jammed]

why would you be suprised to see weekes on Wed? Weekes has played pretty well of late in the month of January, infact i think Weekes has 3 wins this month, and Clemmer has 4. and Weekes has only give up 1 goal in his last couple of starts so why not start him on Wed?

[modnarm]

HERE WE GO BOYS!

[Pearl Jammed]

Cornholio is right Claude is there to show that team how to win in April and beyond, not to show them how to win in Feb. That the sharks already know how to do, but for whatever reason, despite their talent they are perrenial playoff CHOKERS!(just like McNever and the Eagles HA!)

[embo slice]

i think everyone knows i want weekes to play more......i said i would be surprised because its sutter, and he loves clemmer, and i never thought weekes would get the home game, no way.....i thought he would get tonight.....and like i said before, if he WAS/IS going to get one of the last 2 games before the break, then why wouldnt sutter have gone 1-1-1-1.....its not making sense to me unless clemmensen gets both games and that will make even less sense.....u follow?

[mikeschoenf]

Gotta feel for Pando but Who would have thought back in July that his contract was this bad? If is not going to play do you think we can get rid of his contract? I hope so..
I also could see playing Pando and sitting rupp vs montreal. It could bring a spark to both of their games if they have to fight for their job on a nightly basis.

[Salvatore from Garfield]

Speaking of chokers, who got their mets tickets yet? :]

I might of missed it in a previous blog but...

how was columbus able to claim Dubbie off waivers if NYI are the worst team in the NHL?

[embo slice]

maybe cuz they are the ones that waived him....i really don't know but that would seem likely why

[Ruppamania]

VIVA LA RUPP! VIVA LA RUPP! WOOOOO!

[Jeff]

I think Sutter made the right choice with Pando. Hopefully Shanny can have an impact especially on the PP.

Great news about Pepe!

[JohnnyB]

I really hate to see someone like Pando being scratched. It does look like he might be the odd-man out but it also seems as if maybe the coaching staff wants to see how things go for now. So I feel this maybe just a test.