Brodeur not getting caught up in Avery hype

Although Sean Avery is back with the Rangers now, Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur doesn't think that facing him tonight at Madison Square Garden will be any different than when Avery visited Prudential Center with the Dallas Stars on Oct. 22 and the Devils won 5-0.

"Not at all," Brodeur said. "It's the same. He's a player on their team, trying to do our job regardless of where he plays. Definitely, people put more emphasis (on it) because he's with the Rangers."

A lot of people will be watching if anything happens between Avery and Brodeur tonight, but Brodeur isn't worried about that.

"You can't worry about what people are looking at," Brodeur said. "If I start doing that, I would go crazy because a lot of people are looking what I do all the time. Regardless of how I play, how I act or whatever, it's just part of what I am and what I am do. If I let these things affect who I am and how I play, I'm not doing it the right way. To me, it's just going to be the same situation as when Sean Avery came with Dallas. We won 5-0, so it didn't really affect me then. So it shouldn't affect me right now."

Devils coach Brent Sutter said more is being made of the Avery-Brodeur angle than is warranted. The Devils' concern is on getting back on track after losing their last four games.

"It's such a non-issue," Sutter said. It's not the center of what's happening here. All that is is a sideshow that people want to make it a sideshow. This is about the New Jersey Devils trying to do what we need to do to get our game back to where we want to get it to and continuing to push forward and I suposed the New York Rangers want to play well and do the same thing to get themselves in a playoff situation. That's what this game is about.

"All this stuff about Marty and Avery, it makes a great storyline, but it's totally irrelevant about what's going on." 

Left wing Brendan Shanahan had a different perspective from anyone else in the Devils' locker room because he played with the Rangers last season and is friends with Avery. He said the players aren't nearly as concerned with the Brodeur-Avery storyline as some in the media are.

"As players, it's less of a story," Shanahan said. "They're on a two-game losing streak. We're on a four-game losing streak. We're all a couple of weeks from the playoffs and the bigger story for both teams is trying to get a win."

Shanahan was one of the few who were supportive of Avery after he was suspended for his comments about former girlfriend, actress Elisha Cuthbert.

"I'd like to think I'm supportive of all of my teammates," Shanahan said. "I think that's when you need to support somebody (when they're in trouble). Supporting somebody and agreeing with everything they do and say are completely different."

When you push aside all of the antics --waving his hands and stick in Brodeur's face in Game 3 of the playoffs last season -- and sometimes coarse behavior -- insulting Brodeur and making comments about his messy divorce and family life -- Avery was an effective player for the Rangers against the Devils last season. He had three goals and two assists in the Rangers' five-game first-round playoff win over the Devils last season. The game in which Avery waved his stick in Brodeur's face to try to screen him was the only game the Rangers lost in the series.

"I thought he was important for us last year (in the playoffs) as he was the year before," Shanahan said. "I don't think anyone denies that when Sean is focused on playing hockey, he's an effective hockey player. I think he's remembered more for the incident in the crease, but if that never happened he'd be remembered as having a pretty effective playoff series.

"As players we do our best to just focus on the ice and on the game and neutralizing our opponent. I see him as one of the Rangers." 

Shanahan wouldn't speculate on whether the Avery-Brodeur sideshow had a significant impact on Brodeur or the rest of the Devils last season.

"I can't say whether it did one way or the other," Shanahan said. "That's last year. A lot of things have changed since then. A lot of people have changed. The proximity of the two teams in the standings have changed. Their coaching staff has changed."

Comments

[Mikedeadworks]

lets hope tonight we win 5 - 0... ha!

[JJ]

ZZZZ. Who cares about Avery. We just need 2 pts.

[DevilsCapsGal]

This is just another media-generated sideshow - like the Ovechkin "celebration" stuff of a few weeks ago. I liked what Coach Boudreau said during his press conference before the game; something like the only people who cared about this anymore were the media....

That said - the best way to end this nonsense is for the Devils to put a beating on the Rags tonight, in their own building! Great way to snap out of a slump and make all of Devildom happy!

Let's Go Devils!

[Jason]

Agreed. Don't say Avery is such a terrible guy, bash what he did, suspend him, etc in one breath, and then in the next, play up this rivalry to garner interest. The hyprocrisy in sports these days is mind-numbing. The NHL needs guys like Avery, because the masses love drama. If watching talented premadonas pump 10 goals a game into the net was all it took, Lacrosse would be the most popular sport in the country.

[ronmexico3]

well said Jason!

[Pearl Jammed]

meh i still hate Avery, and while i don't deny he can be an effective player, all the same this is supposed to be a game thats played with HONOR AND INTEGRITY... at least it used to be, and a player like Avery has and plays with neither, thats why i don't like sean. If he played his game WITHOUT the antics he would be one of the better role players in the league without a question, you could never call a guy who could at best put up 50 points a star. However he can't keep the BS out of his game for too long, and most of the Rangers locker room was happy to be rid of him last year.

[JPL]

Of course we can't worry about Avery or let him be a distraction that being said should the oppurtunity arise I would love to see him sent through the glass into the 3rd or 4th row.

[DCdevil]

Did you all know that New Line Cinema is making a movie about gayverys "double life" of being a hockey player/fashion toolbag. Any title suggestions?

[Ray]

so gay. all you need is money to make a movie.

(see beverly hills chihuahua, toxic avenger 2, nights in rodanthe, spiderman 3, etc..)

by the way theyre remaking slap shot. inconceivable.

and will smith is remaking the karate kid with his son and jackie chan as mr miagi.

end of the world in 2012 seems more likely