Running With The Devils - Striving For Consistency
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The New Jersey Devils are still struggling to find their game. Thus far this season they have been streaky. The split their first two games, then lost two followed by two high-scoring wins against the Thrashers and Penguins. But as soon as you thought they had found their game, they lost four straight. Finally, last week the Devils looked like they had turned the corner again with wins against Tampa Bay and Toronto. But after a well-played shootout loss to the Rangers, the Devils were embarrassed by the Penguins 5-0 on Monday. I have been a Devils fan since they played their first game in the swamp in 1982 and I don't remember a worse Devils performance. It was the worst game of the Brent Sutter era and he made them pay for it.
After being ripped by their coach and having one of those practices that anyone who has ever played hockey dreads, it is no surpise that the Devils came out flying tonight against the Flyers. This was gonna be a tough game for the Flyers from the get go. A motivated Devils team playing against a Flyers team, ending a long road trip, playing on the second of consecutive nights. The Devils came out buzzing, but could not put the biscuit in the basket. After the Devils failed to score on a four minute high sticking penalty, the Flyers got their chance and quickly flicked the mesh as Mike Knuble got the tip of his skate on Mike Richards shot that was headed wide. Thus, about thirteen minutes into the first period, the Flyers were being outplayed yet led 1-0.
That lead didn't last long as in the final seven minutes of the period the Devils clicked for 3 goals. All three goals were the result of questionable goaltending from Martin Biron. After playing in 12 of the first 14 games, one has to question whether Biron should have been given the night off tonight. The Devils tied the game when Biron failed to reset himself after a Devils shot was blocked at the blueline. With Biron screened and starting to stand up, Brian Gionta threw the puck into a basically vacated net.
Devils fans breathed a sigh of relief when Dainius Zubrus, signed this offseason to a 6 year $20.4 million contract, finally connected for his first goal. This time a shot from the point made it to Biron who failed to snag the puck in his glove. The seemingly harmless shot fell right in front where Zubrus quickly put it in the back of the net. Zubrus connected again as the period neared conclusion when his wrist shot bounced off Biron's shoulder and into the net.
Surprisingly, after a subpar period, John Stevens stuck with Biron in net. His faith was not repayed as Biron gave up a terrible goal to Devils' 4th line rookie center Rod Pelley. Pelley threw a strong but harmless backhand on net that Biron inexcusably could not handle. Devils fans should have recognized that goal as it was almost the exact goal that Mark Messier scored in game 6 of the 1994 playoff series where Messier "guaranteed" victory and then delivered. In any event, Coach Stevens recognized that Biron was off his game and made the move to Antero Niitymaki. Congrats to Rod Pelley on his first career goal.
The Devils dominated the tired Flyers in the second period as Philly didn't get their second shot on net of the period until there was less than 3 minutes. Only the strong play of Niitymaki kept the game at 4-1. Hindsight is always 20-20, but after Niitymaki's performance one has to question whether Biron should have been playing back to back nights on the last game of an 8-game roadtrip.
The Flyers came out a little stronger in the third period but five minutes in were being outshot by a 33-9 margin. The Flyers were unable to maintain any pressure as they continued to take bad penalties, the type a tired team tends to take. The game ended without much fanfare as the Devils dominated the third period as they did the entire game. Only the brilliant goaltending of Niitymaki kept the Devils off the scoreboard. Indicative of the flow of the game, the Devils outshot the Flyers for the game 39-14.
GAME NOTES: Scary moment in the first period when Scottie Upshall cross-checked Sergei Brylin across the throat. Brylin lay on the ice for a few seconds unable to breathe. It was the type of dirty after the whistle cross check that happens after at least 75% of stoppages. Hard to believe Upshall intended to get Brylin in the throat but like Randy Jones, Upshall has to have better control than that. Upshall and Brylin both got 2 minute penalties and I would expect it to end there... Terrific fight in the first period between Aaron Asham and Riley Cote. The two middle weights went toe-to-toe with a flurry of punches. Cote landed some nice shots that did some damage, but Asham likely got the win when he bloodied Cote with a solid shot to the cheek and Cote went down. Brookbank and Eager went at it in the second period in a less entertaining but still pretty decent scrap...Karel Rachunek is healthy again and returned to the lineup. Mike Mottau went to the bench and giant Olli Malmivaara went back down to Lowell. Look out for my next column where I do an in-depth profile of former Devils goalie and current color commentator Glenn "Chico" Resch.
-- Cote v. Asham --
