Devils Game Previews
Game 69 Preview: New Jersey Devils vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
by John Fischer on Mar 17, 2010 12:00 AM EDT
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The Time: 7 PM EST/4 PM PST
The Broadcast: TV: MSG+ (HD); Radio: 660 AM WFAN
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (41-24-3) vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins (41-23-5)
The Last Devils Game: A great start gave away to the Boston Bruins trying to claw their way back into the game. Or did they? While the Bruins had the quantity in shots, the quality wasn't really there and Martin Brodeur stopped all he had a chance on. The first period explosion of three goals by Rob Niedemayer, David Clarkson, and Zach Parise was enough to yank Tim Thomas and hold on for the win. The Devils won 3-2 and I recapped the game here.
The Last Penguins Game: The Penguins got two scares on Sunday against Tampa Bay: a slewfoot by Steve Downie on Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin leaving the game early after taking a Kris Letang shot off his foot. Crosby was OK and played a ton of minutes in the third to make up for his absence. The score may have been close at 2-1, but the Penguins outshot the Lightning 39-22 and Marc-Andre Fleury played very well against those 22 shots. Hooks Orpik at PensBurgh recapped the game.
The Last Devils-Penguins Game: This seems a bit daft given that it was just on Friday. All the same, the game itself was emotional, intense, physical, and loaded with action. Both goaltenders played well, but the Devils got the better of the bounces - be it off the boards for Patrik Elias to score, off Fleury's pads setting up Andy Greene for a pile driver of a shot, or a deft push of a glove allowing Ilya Kovalchuk's shot to get through. The Devils won 3-1 and it was big not just because of the opponent but it was a second consecutive win at the time - their first since the second week of January. I recapped the game here; and Justin M of PensBurgh had his take over here. The Devils are 5-0 against the Penguins this season and are looking for the season series sweep tonight.
The Goal: Don't get caught up in the hype. The night Scott Stevens' number was retired. The night Ken Daneyko's number was retired. The nights honoring the Stanley Cup Championship winning teams. The night were Martin Brodeur had a chance to win his 552nd career game (a year ago to this date!). They weren't just memorable games, they were games where the Devils won - often with a dominating performance. Tonight's game has the same feeling of history as for the first time in the team's history, they will wear throwback jerseys from the 1980s. Some players love the look; Brodeur's going to rock his original mask from his 1992 call up; and it's going to be big atmosphere at the Rock tonight what with the promotion and it being St. Patrick's Day.
You know who doesn't care? Pittsburgh. They bounced back from Friday's loss and they want this game. They don't want to go 0-6 against New Jersey. They don't want to give up the Atlantic Division lead. They don't want to falter yet again to Martin Brodeur and his crew. They definitely didn't forget about Friday's game and more than a few Pens would love to have a crack at a few players. If the Devils get too caught up in the day, they're going to suffer at the sticks of the Penguins. The Devils knows what it takes: consistent effort, consistent puck movement, consistent shots, and smart decision making in their own zone. But they're not going to be able to do it one more time if they're just showing up happy to be there.
Check out PensBurgh for the Penguins' side of things in tonight's game. Please read on after the jump for my additional thoughts.
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Game 68 Preview: New Jersey Devils vs. Boston Bruins
by John Fischer on Mar 15, 2010 12:00 AM EDT
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The Time: 7 PM EST/4 PM PST
The Broadcast: TV: Versus (HD); Radio: 660 AM WFAN
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (40-24-3) vs. the Boston Bruins (30-25-12)
The Last Devils Game: After an emotional win over Pittsburgh, a letdown on Long Island. The Devils struggled through the second period to let the game go into the Islanders' hands. An attempt at a comeback in the third period was thwarted by the one-two punch of an nonthreatening power play and the concession of a shorthanded goal. The Devils lost 4-2 and I wrote that the loss a "step back" for the team in my recap.
The Last Bruins Game: The Bruins took on their hard rivals in Montreal and were decisively defeated by the Canadiens. Boston started off the game slowly, paid for it twice, and Montreal tacked on another in the third which ultimately held up. The Bruins lost 3-2, here is the recap from Stanley Cup of Chowder.
The Last Devils-Bruins Game: Way back on November 27, the Devils traveled to Boston for a very close game. Goaltenders Martin Brodeur and Tuukka Rask were the stars, stepping up to block many shots. Only one beat them in regulation and a shootout was required to decide the winner. Jamie Langenbrunner beat Rask five-hole in the shootout for New Jersey to leave Boston with two points. The game was also notable as Martin Brodeur became the NHL career leader in minutes played in that game, surpassing Patrick Roy. The Devils are currently 2-0 against Boston this season. Here is my recap from that game, and here is a short one at Stanley Cup of Chowder.
The Goal: Puck movement needs to be consistent and on-target. While there is much ado and frustration over the Devils' power play, the baser problem of puck movement plagued the Devils against the Islanders. From the final 3 minutes or so of the first period and all throughout the second period, the Devils just struggled to get the puck into the neutral zone, much less keep it within it and go into the offensive zone. The struggles got worse as the second wore on and the Islanders, surprising no one, took advantage and ultimately struck the goals needed to win the game.
Let's put it this way: were the Devils as inconsistent and ineffective in passing or clearing the puck against the Rangers or Pittsburgh, games that the Devils won? No. The Devils were able to move the puck effectively for the most part through all three periods. I don't think that's coincidence. Therefore, the Devils should make the effort to not only make smart reads with the puck, but actually pass it effectively. Otherwise, forget about the power play, we could very well see a repeat of what happened on Long Island.
Check out Stanley Cup of Chowder later for a Bruins' perspective on today's game. Read on for my further thoughts after the jump.
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Game 67 Preview: New Jersey Devils at New York Islanders
by John Fischer on Mar 13, 2010 2:42 PM EST
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The Time: 7 PM EST/4 PM EST
The Broadcast: TV: MSG+2 (Islanders' feed is on MSG+ if you need HD that badly); Radio: 660 AM WFAN
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (40-23-3) at the New York Islanders (26-32-9)
The Last Devils Game: It was last night, it was emotional, it was intense, it was exciting, and it was a win for the New Jersey Devils. Ilya Kovalchuk and Andy Greene shined as did Martin Brodeur en route to a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The win was the first time the Devils won two straight since January 12 and now the Devils are 5-0 against the Penguins. I recapped the game here with praise and criticism.
The Last Islanders Game: The Islanders took on the St. Louis Blues and it was a close, exciting affair. Martin Biron and Chris Mason both stood tall as both teams took it to each other. A shootout was required, where the Blues pulled ahead for the win. While the Islanders got a point, they still remain on the outside looking in - standing still as the playoff bubble floats on through March. Dominik at Lighthouse Hockey recapped the game here.
The Last Devils-Islanders Game: The New Jersey Devils went into Nassau Coliseum looking for revenge that night and got it with a 4-2 win. The game itself was odd as the Devils played an entire second period without putting a shot directly on Rick DiPietro and managed to score a goal at the end (Zach Parise's pass to the slot got deflected in by Freddy Meyer). It definitely wasn't a good second period as the Islanders cashed in twice on a 5 minute power play due to Colin White's hit from behind on Sean Bergenheim; but despite the deluge of shots, the Devils took over in the third period with a goal to re-take the lead and holding the Islanders to at least 10 minutes without a shot on goal. I praised the win, whereas Dominik felt the Islanders blew a chance to build on their second period success.
The Goal: Continue to build on the good work done in the last two games - which requires maintaining focus. Friday night's game had a lot of tempers flaring, emotions running high, and so forth. The Devils will need to dig deep to get up for this game and make a statement against the Islanders. While the Devils have done well to get two wins in a row, the Devils have not done well on the road with only two road wins since January 12. The Islanders may have struggled more recently (as Gulitti pointed out, they are 3-12-1 in their last 15), but tell that to the Blues who needed extra time and a shootout to beat them on Thursday. If the Devils aren't careful, the Islanders may roll them over.
Apologies for the very late preview. There's not a whole lot of new news on the Devils' side of things so there's not a whole lot to say. Do check out Lighthouse Hockey for Dominik's preview of tonight's game. I have a few more thoughts going into tonight's game after the jump.
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Game 66 Preview: New Jersey Devils vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
by John Fischer on Mar 11, 2010 11:00 PM EST
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The Time: 7 PM EST/4 PM PST
The Broadcast: TV: MSG+ (HD); Radio: 660 AM WFAN
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (39-23-3) vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins (40-22-5)
The Last Devils Game: It was a game that had it all. Hits. Hustle. Horrible defensive gaffes. The Devils took advantage the most, putting the Rangers' defense to the sword for the first 40 minutes, and scoring 5 goals in those two periods. They tacked on a sixth to complete a 6-3 beat down of the New York Rangers, Our Hated Rivals. I recapped the game here.
The Last Penguins Game: The Penguins began a five game road trip in Carolina and the start didn't go as well as planned. The Penguins battled back to answer Carolina's first three goals within the first two periods. A third period was ultimately a stalemate, but the Canes pulled through in overtime thanks to a quick strike by Brian Pothier. The Pens outshot the Canes 40-22, but leave Carolina with only a point.
The Last Devils-Penguins Game: Believe it or not, but the Devils have been a thorn in the side of the Pittsburgh all season long. The Devils are not only 4-0 over the Penguins so far this season, but they have held Pittsburgh to a whopping two goals total in those four games. The last game was like the third game but not as historic and it was in New Jersey: a Devils shutout win. The 2-0 win itself was a goaltender's duel between Brent Johnson and Martin Brodeur; with now-former Niclas Bergfors scoring the lone non-empty net goal. It did not feature Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby playing as well as one would expect. I recapped the win here; as for the Pittsburgh perspective, Hooks Orpik was a "hater" in his recap of the Penguins' loss.
The Goal: Solid effort (save for the lapses on defense), now do it again. Just as I said at the end of my recap of the 6-3 win over the Rangers, the big question is whether the Devils can win a second straight game, whether the team as a whole can put together a good performance for a second straight game. Regardless of how Pittsburgh did in Carolina on Thursday and past games against them, they're an excellent team who has been playing excellent hockey recently. It'll be difficult but whoever said a NHL game would be easy? The quotes coming out of Thursday's practice, here reported by Tom Gulitti, are heartening. Now the Devils just have to go out there and do it again.
Check out PensBurgh for a perspective from the Pens' point of view. Read on after the jump for my further thoughts.
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Game 65 Preview: New Jersey Devils vs. New York Rangers
by John Fischer on Mar 10, 2010 12:00 AM EST
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The Time: 7 PM EST/4 PM PST
The Broadcast: TV: MSG+ (HD) ;Radio: 660 AM WFAN
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (38-23-3) vs. the New York Rangers (29-28-9)
The Last Devils Game: The Devils went out there in Edmonton and...um...well, Martin Brodeur played well and the rest of the team just didn't. The Devils lost to the Oilers 2-0 and quite frankly no one who plays for, works for, or supports the Devils was happy about the loss. I recapped the game here.
The Last Rangers Game: Stuck just outside of that crucial eighth place spot in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers took to the ice at MSG and played a close game against the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Henrik Lundqvist both played well, yet for the third straight game, the Rangers lost at the point of the season where they need points. The Sabres won 2-1 in overtime, the Rangers are now 1-6 after regulation, and only 16 games left to make something happen. The mood from Jim Schmiedeberg's recap at Blueshirt Banter was somber, to say the least.
The Last Devils-Rangers Game: Going back to February 6, the Devils went into MSG and did as well as you could expect on offense. The Devils dropped all kinds of shots on Henrik Lundqvist, 42 in total, and he stopped everything he had a semblance of a chance at. The Rangers surged for exactly 4 minutes in the second period, got the big lead, and were set for a victory if only because Lundqvist played out of his mind. Oh, the days when the Devils didn't look totally miserable in losing to a team. The Devils lost 3-1 and the season series at 3-1 2-2 for the Blueshirts. I recapped the game here; Jim at Blueshirt Banter did his recap here.
The Goal: Adjustments, adjustments, and more adjustments. On Monday, I wrote a big rant pleading Devils fans to take a deep breath and look at the Devils' slump/struggles with a calmer mind and suggested some tangible ideas that might just work. Thinking about it now, the big one I'm still hung on are adjustments: both by the coaches and the players. The Devils need to be able to recognize how the Rangers are playing as well as how the Devils' own tactics are effective throughout a period. If they aren't going to do that, then either whatever it is their doing must be working or they plan on hoping the Rangers are going to be terrible.
This is a rivalry game and both teams and their fanbases are unhappy with way their team's have played recently. There's going to be a lot of emotion and frustration. The Devils must be able to read the game's flow and modify their gameplan, their lines, and/or their decisions appropriately. If not, I don't see how they will win tonight.
If you'd like to read more about tonight's game from the viewpoint of Our Hated Rivals, I guess you can go to Blueshirt Banter for that. If you'd like to read on further, please continue after the jump.
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Game 64 Preview: New Jersey Devils at Edmonton Oilers
by John Fischer on Mar 7, 2010 12:50 AM EST
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The Time: 8 PM EST/6 PM MST
The Broadcast: TV: MSG+ (HD); Radio: 660 AM WFAN
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (38-22-3) at the Edmonton Oilers (20-38-6)
The Last Devils Game: A good first period followed up by a very poor second period and . The Calgary Flames put 5 straight past Martin Brodeur and the Devils (with some help by Andy Greene, Bryce Salvador, and Ilya Kovalchuk). The Devils had a late chance at a comeback, but it was too little, too late. The Devils lost 5-3 and the Devils fans are frustrated and unhappy with the loss because it was so much like the several bad losses as of late. My recap of the game is here.
The Last Oilers Game: A win, a win, the Oilers won a game. It needed the shootout, but that speaks well to how well Jeff Deslauriers held it down against the Minnesota Wild. OK, 29 shots for the Wild isn't exactly a lot, but the quality of the shots sufficed. The Oilers won their 20th game of the season. Bruce McCurdy saw the game and gave his take at the Copper & Blue.
The Goal: Take initiative in getting puck control, especially after giving up a goal. The more I think about it, the common strand between both the 4-3 win in San Jose and the 5-3 loss in Calgary wasn't just that the Devils gave up goals in quick succession but that they occurred when the Devils didn't have good puck control and didn't keep the other team honest. The opposition managed to get better shots, longer shifts on offense, and - most of all - take advantage of defensive errors for goals. The Devils weren't taking initiative, they weren't making good clearances out of the zone, and they were stuck in a cycle of attempt at a clear - get a clearance - get a change - repeat. When the opposition does score, it's like they are shell shocked and that just leads to the opposition striking for another goal not long after the first one.
In the San Jose game, after the third goal against and the timeout, the Devils vastly improved in this regard. When they had to clear it, they did; and the top two lines - especially Ilya Kovalchuk - made efforts to at least get the puck in deep in San Jose's end. They didn't pepper the goalie with shots, but they did keep the opposition honest, which was huge in preserving their lead. That's how they broke that cycle. Needless to say, they didn't do this enough in the second period and or halfway through the third in Calgary. Yet, in both cases, it needed to happen after the first goal against, not the third or the fifth.
It's not just me who thinks that puck control needs to be better. According to Tom Gulitti's post on Friday, Jacques Lemaire noted that puck control was lacking with respect to the second period woes continuing. Well, let's see that rectified in Edmonton. If they can do that, then it very well could play a big role in winning tonight's game.
If you want to check out more about the Oilers and become incredibly educated in the process (e.g. learn about individual point percentage averages, understand why a goon like Derek Boogaard is detrimental to a team), The Copper & Blue is an excellent source. Read on further for my thoughts on tonight's game.
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Game 63 Preview Addendum: The Calgary Flames from a Flames Fan's Perspective
by John Fischer on Mar 5, 2010 5:20 PM EST
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Kent Wilson was the managing editor of Matchsticks and Gasoline and is the managing editor of FlamesNation.ca, as well as the writer of his own thoughts at Five Hole Fanatics. Needless to say, he's a serious Flames supporter. I asked him a few questions about the Flames, their coach, and their statistically poor offense as a team. Consider this as an addendum to the New Jersey Devils-Calgary Flames preview that went up (much) earlier today.
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Game 63 Preview: New Jersey Devils at Calgary Flames
by John Fischer on Mar 5, 2010 12:15 AM EST
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The Time: 9 PM EST/6 PM PST
The Broadcast: TV: MSG+ (HD); Radio: 660 AM WFAN
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (38-21-3) at the Calgary Flames (30-24-9)
The Last Devils Game: The Devils went down to San Jose and came out winners, believe it or not. The Devils played a very good second period, scoring three goals - including a power play goal. They added a fourth in the third period; but a mix of bad bounces and some poor defending moments got San Jose within 1. Most surprisingly of all, the Devils held on for the 4-3 win. Not once did the Sharks, a top team in the West, pull ahead in the game. No wonder Steve's recap was positive. There's plenty to be positive about.
The Last Flames Game: In contrast to the Devils, the Flames returned to NHL action at home and it wasn't pretty. The Minnesota Wild rolled in and finished their chances against Miikka Kiprusoff. Four times. The Flames didn't generate many chances, made enough errors, and suffered a 4-0 loss to the Wild. In their own building. Ouch. Maimster at Matchsticks and Gasoline felt empty after the loss, which could be costly given their position in the standings.
The Goal: A strong start to the game can/will sink Calgary early in my opinion. The Flames are not an offensive team. They do not win games with offense. They are poor in that regard. While the Devils aren't the Washington Capitals, they put up four goals in a row on the road in San Jose. However, what struck me was that the Sharks had the better start - Joe Thornton hit the post early, Martin Brodeur made some tough saves, and the Devils had to eventually claw their way back into it. While they've done so and struck first; they can really put the screws to Calgary right from the get-go. They're coming off a bad loss, the Devils' offense is coming off a good game, so why not try to take advantage early? I'm not saying the Devils have to put 4 goals in the first period; but a few early goals could be enough of a hole for the Flames to be buried.
Want the Flames' side of tonight's game? Check out Matchsticks and Gasoline and find out what you need to know. Are you over 21 and want to watch tonight's game in a drinking establishment in Hoboken? User Cherno77 is running this meetup event for Devils fans to watch the game - check that out. Want to read more of my thoughts about tonight's game? Please continue after the jump.
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