Devils left wing Patrik Elias will not play in tonight's game against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wachovia Center because of what head coach Brent Sutter called "lower-body soreness."
I suspected this morning that Elias might not play because he was at the arena for treatment. When I asked him, however, I either misunderstood his answer, he did not tell me the truth or something changed after that. It would be undertsandable if he didn't believe he was allowed to tell me he wasn't playing tonight.
Regardless, Sutter said he decided to play it on the safe side.
"It's day-to-day," Sutter said. "We've got an opportunity here with three days between games and I talked to him about it and I talked to the trainers and we felt it was the best thing to do for him to not dress tonight."
Elias was excused from practice on Satuday, but said he was "just resting." Then, he didn't take a shift in the final nine minutes of Sunday's 4-1 loss in Boston, Elias said it was because "We were losing, 4-1," but Sutter said it was related to his lower-body problem.
"It bothered him a little bit through the game (Sunday)," Sutter said.
Elias was not around to comment. He will be at the game later. If I see him, I will ask him about it.
This will be the first game Elias has missed this season.
Brendan Shanahan will be be back in the lineup tonight after resting Sunday. We might see him take Elias' spot on the line with Brian Rolston and Brian Gionta.
There will be no other lineup changes.
***
Sutter on whether having a chance to clinch a playoff spot tonight is motivation for the team:
"We all know where we want to be. It's not something that comes out and is said, but we have goals inside of our room that we cetainly discuss and talk about and, obviously, one is that (clinching a playoff spot). There's other ones. too. But's not something that's reminded and continued to be talked about."
Call him out TG. We need a clarification here.
Posted by: Craigwell | March 23, 2009 at 05:26 PM
This sucks, but hopefully Rolston and Gio can get Shanny going again.
Posted by: Steve | March 23, 2009 at 05:32 PM
hard to imagine that line can get any worse but it has
Posted by: dp | March 23, 2009 at 05:37 PM
Steve I wish someone can get Rolston going.
Posted by: momo from Brooklyn | March 23, 2009 at 05:43 PM
man we really are losing all our chances to get on the very top and stay there... if devils relax there is a chance others will build off of it
Posted by: rg9 | March 23, 2009 at 05:43 PM
Some of the fair weather fans the Devils have anger me to no end. The team can do good things with people out if the lineup. If you have no reason to believe that then you're fairly dull.
Posted by: Baggy Spandex | March 23, 2009 at 05:44 PM
i hate the fact that everybody on this page is so negative. I mean for real what hockey team has gone 82-0. Everybody needs to take a breath for once. Its almost like you guys watch the game just to see mistakes and then exploit them on the web. Watch the game and live your lives. Let the players worry about theirs. Remember there is only 1 gm per team, sorry if you missed that memo.
Posted by: Matthew Butterworth | March 23, 2009 at 05:44 PM
should be interesting to see how Shanny does with more skilled players.
Posted by: modnarm | March 23, 2009 at 05:45 PM
I was quite pleasantly surprised when I stopped into a local convenience store today
and when I checked for the latest issue of The Hockey News, there was our boy Parise
right on the cover. Needless to say, I picked up a copy!
I like seeing mainstream media give this team (and it's impressive players) some credit
after past years of glancing them over as an untalented defensive team...
Posted by: kstatik | March 23, 2009 at 05:48 PM
it hurts patty is out but unless we dont win again this year we are in the playoffs thats all u can ask for i would rather elias get ready for the playoffs healthy
Posted by: brian | March 23, 2009 at 05:53 PM
Patty will be missed but if the rest helps us down the line that's all that really matters I would rather see him with lower body soreness now than in 3 weeks when we really need him.
Posted by: JPL | March 23, 2009 at 06:06 PM
Wow Im really excited now to see how this new line turns out. Shanny, Rollie, Gio. I hope they light up the lamp tonight.
Posted by: Bob | March 23, 2009 at 06:14 PM
Looks like shanny's gona have to skate hard to night, its about time!! GO DEVILS!!!!!
Posted by: shredder29 | March 23, 2009 at 06:28 PM
I was wrong about that. It's Zubrus centering Rolston and Gionta. Shanahan is playing with Madden and Clarkson.
Posted by: TG | March 23, 2009 at 06:44 PM
I'm with Butterworth on this one. I get the sense that certain frequenters on this site are just itching to find a scapegoat.
Posted by: Salvatore from Garfield | March 23, 2009 at 07:01 PM
Yeah, all Elias does is play on the power play, penalty kill, and even strength, but I'm sure we won't miss a beat !!
Posted by: devilstown | March 23, 2009 at 07:09 PM