After facing shots for 20 minutes this afternoon, goaltender Martin Brodeur won't make the trip with the team to Long Island tonight for Saturday's game against the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.
He wouldn't get much work during Saturday's morning skate, so he's going to stay behind and skate at Prudential Center instead. He said he would face shots, but wasn't sure who would be shooting at him.
"It will be the same," he said. "I've been doing the same thing over and over and over."
Brodeur has begun breaking in a new pair of pads. "I might as well if I'm going to be facing all of these shots," he said.
It's evident that Brodeur is bored with facing shots from a handful of guys.
"Oh yeah," he admitted, "I'm getting there. It's part of the process, so you've got to do it. But I feel real good."
Right now, all Brodeur needs are some full practices to sharpen his game.
"I feel good," Brodeur said. "I'm good to go, I think. Two or three guys shooting, this is what I've been doing for a week. It's just that the schedule doesn't permit me to go and feel that I'm OK for a game, yet. Hopefully, next week we're going to have a lot of practices and that's going to tell me if I'm good to go. But right now I feel no pain, nothing. I'm able to do things now that a week ago I was not able to do it. So, I'm really happy about the way everything is going on."
What can he do better now than a week ago?
"Shooting the puck, freezing the puck, reacting to a loose puck, extending my arm on the ice," he said. "If somebody goes around me, I'm not afraid anymore. Before I was kind of tentative. All of these little things, pushing a guy. It's funny. If somebody was going to tackle me a week ago, I would have (put up his arms to protect himself). Now, I'm not afraid to grab a guy for fun."
Does that mean he's ready for Bobby Holik to run into him in practice?
"Maybe not yet," he said, laughing. "I don't think you can ever be ready for that."
Brodeur is looking forward to having the chance to get in three full practices next week before Thursday's game against Colorado, which is the target for his return from a torn left biceps tendon.
"I am excited," he said. "When I go out there and I do whatever I want (physically) for me that's like being normal. I've been doing that for a couple of days now, so it's really exciting that it's around the corner some time."
***
Devils coach Brent Sutter would not say whether Scott Clemmensen or Kevin Weekes will start in net Saturday night. It appears he is leaning toward Clemmensen, but after not revealing who his starter would be throughout the nearly four months that Brodeur has missed, he's not going to change that now with Brodeur's return so close.
"The days are counting down (until Brodeur's return), so you're trying to catch me on one (before) Marty gets back," Sutter said, laughing.
When I pointed out there's probably only one game left, Sutter said, "Yeah, but we'll jinx ourselves."
***
Sutter said one of the reasons why only a four players -- Brodeur, Jay Pandolfo, Anssi Salmela and Jay Leach -- skated today was because he wanted to keep the players away from each other while the flu bug is going through the team. Zach Parise and Bryce Salvador played through the flu in Thursday's 3-2 shootout win at Tampa Bay.
"That's the reason why I wanted guys staying away from the rink today," Sutter said.
When asked if anyone else had caught the bug, Sutter replied, "Not that I know of."
Brian Gionta left for part of the third period on Thursday, but Sutter said that was because Gionta had to have his skate repaired.
Sutter admitted he was surprised that Parise came back in the third period -- and scored the tying power-play goal -- after sitting out the second.
"Seeing the way Zach came back after he was down and out, I thought there was no chance," Sutter said. "I was completely shocked when he was getting his equipment on to start the third period. I looked at him. I asked him what he was doing and he said, 'I'm coming back out to play' and he was whiter than a ghost. But that's just Zach. It's his character and the type of guy he is. He's going to play through stuff and he goes out and scores a big goal for you. And (Travis Zajac) gets cut like he did (on the upper lip) and he comes right back after getting stitched up. Sure, it tells you a lot about the individuals.
***
The Islanders traded defenseman Chris Campoli and center Mike Comrie to the Ottawa Senators this afternoon for center Dean McAmmond and San Jose's 2009 first-round draft pick (acquired in the Andrei Meszaros trade with Tampa Bay).
I suppose this rules out any chance of him playing tomorrow and surprising the heck out of us.
TG, has Brodeur remained pain-free lately?
Posted by: Captain Cornholio | February 20, 2009 at 05:37 PM
comrie and campoli to ott for dean mccammond and 1st rd pick
Posted by: Pat | February 20, 2009 at 05:38 PM
What do the new pads look like?
Posted by: modnarm | February 20, 2009 at 05:41 PM
Mr. Hillary Duff to the Senators? Wow, I didn't see that one coming! Why would either one of those teams make such a deal with both of them so far out of the playoff hunt? Did the Islanders feel the need to dump salary?
Posted by: Captain Cornholio | February 20, 2009 at 05:51 PM
New pads appear to be the same as the old ones. I'll add a quote from Brodeur, but he said he has no pain.
Posted by: TG | February 20, 2009 at 05:52 PM
Dumb trade for the Isles. Why would they let go of Campoli?
Posted by: Andrew | February 20, 2009 at 06:08 PM
campoli was the isles best D man besides Streit. A stupid stupid trade for them.
Posted by: Sohl | February 20, 2009 at 06:23 PM
Thanks, TG. Sounds like Brodeur needs to clear just one last hurdle before he plays in a game.
I guess the Senators really wanted Comrie after Daniel Alfredsson went down with that jaw injury. Campoli will also help with their transition game. As for why the Islanders made the deal, they probably couldn't pass up what will ultimately end up as the 29th or 30th overall pick in the upcoming draft.
In something unrelated, former Devils broadcaster John Hennessy has left Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield. He and his wife still live in Jersey, by the way, but I don't know where.
Posted by: Captain Cornholio | February 20, 2009 at 06:23 PM
The Isles are cutting salary to look more attractive to Kansas City Investors
Posted by: Jeff | February 20, 2009 at 06:32 PM
The Islanders did it for the first round draft pick. Comrie was gone after this season anyway.
Posted by: TG | February 20, 2009 at 06:34 PM
I wouldn't bet on the Islanders moving to Kansas City yet, Jeff.
The Central Hockey League will have a team in Independence, Mo. next season at a brand-new 5,800-seat arena. If the fans can't fill that place in the suburbs, then what kind of sense would it make to move a bad NHL team to Sprint Center and expect that place to sell out every night?
I know a huge difference exists between the appeal of a major league franchise and a low minor league start-up, but wouldn't K.C. rather have basketball? I don't think NHL hockey would work there right now for the same reason it really hasn't worked in Atlanta.
Posted by: Captain Cornholio | February 20, 2009 at 06:47 PM
who are u captain cornholio? u always have all this random information posted on here.
Posted by: modnarm | February 20, 2009 at 06:50 PM
I am Cornholio! I need TP for my bunghole!
Posted by: Captain Cornholio | February 20, 2009 at 06:59 PM
Great stuff as usual TG. Zach just gets more awesome every day.
It looked like Clemmensen had a stomach bug as well. I forget when, but at one point, the camera caught him hustling down the tunnel in quite a hurry. I won't expand on that.
Posted by: Josh | February 20, 2009 at 07:22 PM
Clemmensen may have simply gone down the tunnel to retrieve something for the bench. However, if he had the bug, then that might explain why he didn't look sharp on Tuesday.
No excuses, but most of the boys may have had at least a touch of it on Tuesday. All the more reason for them to get away from each other today.
Posted by: Captain Cornholio | February 20, 2009 at 07:45 PM
Well, if Clemmensen was sick and not playing Thursday, there would have been no reason for him to skate Thursday morning, but I guess you never know.
Posted by: TG | February 20, 2009 at 07:57 PM
Zach just continues to impress, and Zajac too.
The Isles/Sens trade just seems pointless to me. But the Isles did manage to dump Comrie's salary, and received a first rounder in a deep draft, so it works in their favor. McAmmond doesn't equal to Campoli though...
TG, I heard Campoli wanted a trade...do you know if that's true?
Posted by: JerseyLove | February 20, 2009 at 09:21 PM
Bettman has made my bunghole angry! The Rock gets no respect!
Before the Hurricanes beat the Lightning 4-1 tonight, Bettman said the Hurricanes would host the All-Star game. While he didn't say when, it could easily happen in 2011.
The Coyotes had planned on hosting an All-Star game in 2006, but lost the opportunity when the league decided not to hold such games during Olympic years. Amid fears the Coyotes won't play in Phoenix in 2011, the Hurricanes and the Penguins both emerged as host cities for that year's game. Meanwhile, the Senators expressed interest in hosting the 2012 game.
God forbid Bettman would ever do the Devils or The Rock a favor.
Posted by: Captain Cornholio | February 20, 2009 at 09:46 PM
There is a long waiting list and the Rock has existed for fewer than two years.
That's just the way it works. Bettman said on the night the building opened last season that The Rock would be a great place for an all-star game, but there's a long waiting list.
Posted by: TG | February 20, 2009 at 11:03 PM
Puck Daddy blog on Yahoo Sports predicted 2010 US Olympic Team:
Parise and Langenbrunner were included and so was
Scott Gomez, New York Rangers
LEAHY: Maybe putting him on a line with former teammates Zach Parise and Jamie Langenbrunner will bring back the glory days.
Wouldn't that be interesting?...also not one mention of Paul Martin, guess they haven't seen these past couple games
Posted by: Brian | February 21, 2009 at 02:48 AM
Brodeur is getting well and if he goes back in the game, things will really be different for him and for everybody. The new set of pads will surely add help. With a lot of practices and determination, he will surely make it.
Posted by: long island girl | February 21, 2009 at 04:17 AM
I'm surprised people are questioning this trade by the fish sticks... You knew they were going to move peices, every loss gets them a little closer to Taveras and who else was going to pay a first round pick for two, IMHO, average hockey players?
Frankly, the Islanders have been so bad, the thought of them having 3 of the top 33 picks in the draft to build around guys like Okposo makes them look a little like the Blackhawks before Kane and Toewes came through the draft. Great deal I thought, curious to why the Sens did it really. Maybe hoping Comrie can regain old form he had when he last played there through their cup year if I recall correctly.
Posted by: Jacko | February 21, 2009 at 10:30 AM
If Marty has new pads, hopefully he went back to the old helmet design, the new one was bad juju!
Posted by: jquag115 | February 21, 2009 at 10:45 AM
So basically it's Campoli for a late first rounder. Not a bad move for either team actually. Ottawa might move Kuba now and the Isles might be able to move McAmmond somewhere also. He's a very solid player defensively and a good character guy who could help a contending team add some depth in exchange for a late round pick (I've always thought he would fit in well with the Devils - played for Albany during the lockout but didn't re-sign). That is unless the Isles have ideas of keeping him to help with the rebuilding.
Posted by: JJ | February 21, 2009 at 10:48 AM
the sens are freakin crazy to give a 1st rounder for campoli. Hes worth maybe a 2nd and a prospect. .. but hey i'm not a GM. .. let alone MURRAY! what do i know?
Posted by: modnarm | February 21, 2009 at 11:18 AM