Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur said he has told the coaching staff that he is ready to play and he is preparing as if he is going to play Thursday night against the Colorado Avalanche.
Now, it will be up to head coach Brent Sutter and general manager Lou Lamoriello to decide if he will play Thursday.
"They know that I'm ready to go," he said. "I told them a few days ago. I kind of got sick. I wasn't supposed to play on (Long) Island anyway. I think it was good to take some time off too just to get me back. I told them I'm ready and it's up to them to look at me and feel comfortable. That's the bottom line. They have to feel comfortable having me there."
Sutter would not commit to playing Brodeur on Thursday, but also did not say he would hold him off until Saturday's game against Florida or Sunday against Philadelphia.
(To the right: Brodeur takes a break during today's practice).
"I'm not going to say," Sutter said. "I've never (said) because I don't want to speculate whether it's going to be Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, next week. I don't know. It's going to be a feel for him. It's a situation where -- I've said this before -- it's not training camp. You're in the last 20-something games of the season. You're playing teams at a high level now and you need your goaltending to be sharp and be good."
So, how will the decision be made on when Brodeur will play?
"I'll get a feel for him and (goaltending coach Jacques Caron) and what they're telling me and then Lou and I will discuss it with the coaches and make the decision," Sutter said.
Brodeur has not played since he tore his left biceps tendon on Nov. 1 against Atlanta. He had surgery to reattach the tendon on Nov. 6. Thursday will be exactly 16 weeks since his surgery.
Although Thursday's game was the target for his return and it's clear he wants to play that day, Brodeur isn't going to make waves if Sutter and Lamoirello make him wait until Saturday's game against Florida or Sunday's game against the Flyers.
"I can't afford to be thinking like that," he said. "Right now, four months is four months. I don't think one day would be a big deal. I'm really excited about coming back and if it's not on Thursday, well, it will be soon enough. I'm working right now to get back in the net as soon as possible."
And that still might be Thursday night.
"I'm preparing to get back on track and if it's not the next game, it will be the one after or whatever, but I'm working towards getting back and playing, he said. "This week is important. There will be a lot of good practices for me. A lot of good practice time."
Today's practice was the most strenuous for Brodeur to date. He had two shorter full practices with the team prior to this in which he had to share a net with one of the other goaltenders. Today, he had a net to himself. The practice lasted for about 40 minutes after the 15-minute team meeting.
"I've practiced a few times, but this was more intense than I've gotten since I've started skating, that's for sure," he said.
(To the left: Brian Gionta moves around Paul Martin while Martin Brodeur squares up for a shot.)
What else does he have to work on?
"I think I'm prepared," he said. "I'm going to use these practices to do what I do. There's not much that's going to be different. Definitely, practicing power plays and scrimmages and stuff like that, I'm sure we'll have a little bit of that in the next two days and we'll go from there. They'll judge if I look good enough in there to play a game."
Brodeur says he feels ready, though.
"Oh yeah," he said. "Definitely. My arm is good. My reaction time, even on my glove side is getting better and better each day. So, I'm comfortable with it."
For what it's worth, Sutter said a couple of weeks ago that the goaltender playing in the next game would have his own net in practice while the other two would share a net.
***
Brodeur said he was bothered over the weekend by the flu bug that was bothering some of his teammates, but said he is feeling fine now. "I had the flu a little, but not as bad as these guys," he said.
Sutter was hopeful that the rest of the team was rid of the bug as well.
"Everyone seemed healthier today, so that's a good thing," Sutter said.
***
Brendan Shanahan said his right foot swelled up on him again after he was hit with another shot in Thursday's game against Tampa Bay. He was able to play Saturday against the Islanders, but Sutter told him to skip practice today. Shanahan, who was limping again today, said he intends to practice Tuesday morning. Shanahan missed two games last week with a bruised right foot. He said the shot that hit him on Thursday hit him in a different spot than the original bruise, caused by a Dennis Wideman shot on Feb. 13 against Boston, but it caused the original bruise to swell up again.
"It sort of swelled up in that area, but also it sort went down to the area that was initially hurt against Boston and ballooned that up again," he said.
Shanahan still hopes to play Thursday.
"I was hoping to skate today and it was really a last-minute decision not to skate that Brent sort of made for me," he said. "So, I'm hoping that it will be good today and I'll be skating tomorrow morning."
Dealing with the swelling has been one of the problems.
"Part of it is just the swelling and fitting into my skate," Shanahan said. "We'd done a really good job of getting the swelling down and it was feeling really good. It felt great in the Tampa game until I got hit there again in the third period. It was just a fluke."
Shanahan said he is probably going to add an extra piece of plastic over the laces -- similar to what Colin White has on his skates, "just to get through a few games without getting hit in the same spot."
***
Defenseman Paul Martin said he felt "pretty good" after today's practice. He has missed the last four games with an upper body muscle pull and had not been on the ice since warm-ups for the game against San Jose eight days ago.
"I felt pretty good, better than I thought I would for not skating for a week," Martin said. "I was more concerned about that part than the actual injury. I hadn't been out for a while and I felt pretty good. I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow."
Martin thinks it's possible he will be able to play Thursday.
"I hope so," he said. "I felt good today. I'm sure tomorrow will be the test of just going through everything for the first time because of soreness and what have you tomorrow. Then, if that's good, then, hopefully, I'll be in Thursday."
***
Sutter on the five minutes of skating without rest that ended today's practice: "I just think every now and then you've got to have some skating involved at the end of your practice and today was a good day to do it. We have two more days before we play and, if we were going to do it, today's the day to do it."
PUT HIM IN!!!!!
Posted by: teatime99 | February 23, 2009 at 12:24 PM
well for my fantasy team, i hope he is back thursday with Ryan Miller out for god knows how long :)
Posted by: Pearl Jammed | February 23, 2009 at 12:26 PM
By the way, Renney out in NY and Jim "Have another doughnut Koharski you fat pig" Schoenfield supposedly in
Posted by: Pearl Jammed | February 23, 2009 at 12:28 PM
Whoo Hoo!! get-r-done Marty
Posted by: Mark in So. Jersey | February 23, 2009 at 12:34 PM
why wouldn't they be comfortable having the greatest goalie ever in net?!?
PUT HIM IN BRENT!
Posted by: Jeff O. | February 23, 2009 at 12:41 PM
TG,
I know it was only practice, but what is assesment on Marty's play so far in practice?
Posted by: JL | February 23, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Yea it's between Schoenfield or MAYBE Tortarella... if thats the case, which I think would be an interesting move and get the players motivated, he'll keep Avery in check if he comes back by the deadline. When Averys sloppy seconds deal happened he said on TSN to basically ban him for good and he can't stand Averys attitude.
Posted by: Mikedeadworks | February 23, 2009 at 01:04 PM
Brodeur looks in practice as if he never were injured. From my perspective, I don't see any difference.
Posted by: TG | February 23, 2009 at 01:13 PM
Haha the Rags just canned a good coach. He was not the problem. They should have fired Sather.
Posted by: frankied | February 23, 2009 at 01:15 PM
It looks like Thursdays game is on MSG Plus 2 which I don't get (drives me crazy). Does anyone know an internet site that you can watch games live when this happens?
Posted by: Matt Block | February 23, 2009 at 01:16 PM
SOOOOOOO excited about Marty. And Paul Martin. Might we have a full lineup on thursday???
Posted by: Rob | February 23, 2009 at 01:25 PM
The Renney thing is a joke. I feel for the guy. He did a good job of getting the team back on the map and it's ALL Sather's fault that this team was so poorly constructed and had no identity, and they fired the wrong guy imo. For a couple years there it looked like Maloney was pulling the strings then this off-season it collapsed. I mean seriously did anyone think it was smart to trade away Tyutin & Backman for Zherdev and replace them with Redden & Kalinin??? Tyutin is a mainstay in Columbus with 28 points in 60 games and loggin 24 min./game and Redden is the biggest waste of cap space in the NHL right now. Anyone could see that early in the season they were doing it with smoke and mirrors and that it was Lundqvist holding them in. Dolan (or "Triple" as insiders call him because he was born on third base) is a drunken boob. Him and Sather are probably throwing back the Johnnie Blue and mulling over their next move while inebriated. Sucks to be a Ranger fan that's all I gotta say!
Posted by: JJ | February 23, 2009 at 01:32 PM
TG, just wondering if in the future you could put videos in the post as part of the "extended" post? Like when you click "Continue Reading...", since the videos have to load up on the main page every time and there is no control to stop them from playing and they auto-play.
Posted by: DevsFaninTX | February 23, 2009 at 01:32 PM
sather is indeed still the main problem for the rags..
Posted by: Ben M. | February 23, 2009 at 01:34 PM
TG,
Anything on what the meeting with NHL officials was about?
Posted by: BF | February 23, 2009 at 01:34 PM
Geez, TG goes all out and puts video on his blog and you want him to perform special requests? The guy's a journalist not a web designer. :)
Posted by: JJ | February 23, 2009 at 01:36 PM
Thanks for all your info TG! Loving the pictures and videos.
Glad to hear Marty's looking good, and am loving the thought of a a truly full lineup for the first time since November by the end of the week.
Posted by: Sarah | February 23, 2009 at 01:41 PM
All four coaches of the teams that played in Europe to start the season have been fired. Wonder if Marty's mask was in Europe at the time. :)
Posted by: JJ | February 23, 2009 at 01:58 PM
Isn't this great that the rags are build around gomez a great passer and not a scorer and now they are put in a corner and can not score. All I can say is Thank you Lou!!!
Posted by: Devil Fan | February 23, 2009 at 02:02 PM
mmmmm... JJ don't talk about Johnny Blue in the middle of the day like that, makes it harder for me to concentrate. Great work with the photos and the videos TG!
I thought the Zherdev deal was a good one, but they needed to replace Tytin with someone who actually plays hard every game not Redden. Didn't sather make the same mistake with Redden in Ottawa when he chose Wade Redden over signing Chara?
Posted by: Pearl Jammed | February 23, 2009 at 02:07 PM
What's the deal with going back to Elias - Zubrus - Gio? This obviously hasn't been working for a while and Sutter has been switching that line up very early in the last few games. I guess they really don't like any of E/G/R at center or else they'd stick with it and see how it goes. I don't remember Elias being any good at faceoffs except for the occasional go forward move in the O-zone and Gio is just way too small to be the regular faceoff guy.
Here's to Toronto, Buffalo, Florida, Anaheim and Phoenix completely tanking this week. That should loosen up the trade market and lower values of some key players.
Posted by: Pat | February 23, 2009 at 02:10 PM
Ohhh and Poor Andrew Gross, he has Major news in the Rangers firing Renney, and he still can't get more posts than you TG and all you have is a practice to report today.
Any new trade rumors to report?
Posted by: Pearl Jammed | February 23, 2009 at 02:13 PM
Not sure RJ, hasn't Sather been in NY since 2000?
How do you guys feel about Lou trading for Antropov? Derrek Morris?
Posted by: JJ | February 23, 2009 at 02:20 PM
A C and top 4 D would really solidify our chances this year. That would be awesome JJ. We need another D who can play top minutes. Greene/Salmella/Mottau/Leach are not those players.
Posted by: Pat | February 23, 2009 at 02:26 PM
i would be on board for either or both, but i think Morris might be the more pressing need.
Speaking of needs, wheres that Johnny Blue you were talking about JJ, its been a long day already
Posted by: Pearl Jammed | February 23, 2009 at 02:34 PM