NHL FanHouse

Islanders vs. Devils Live Blog

Christopher Botta — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

The Devils are a perfect 7-0 on the road this year, but a pedestrian 2-4 at The Rock in Newark, where they'll be hosting the Islanders Friday night. After six straight losses to open the season, the Isles have won four out of their last five behind John Tavares, who has four points in that stretch. FanHouse's Christopher Botta is live-blogging the Atlantic Division contest from the time the puck drops at 7 p.m. ET.

&lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;altcast_code=7ac6a3e17c" &gt;New York Islanders at New Jersey Devils&lt;/a&gt;

Islanders vs. Devils Live Blog originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Lou Lamoriello's Creed: Competence, Loyalty and Work Ethic

Christopher Botta — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:25:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, NHL Hall of Fame

New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello will be inducted into the builders section of the the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday. The architect of three Stanley Cup-winning teams was the guest on a media conference call on Friday afternoon. Some highlights ...

His reaction to the call from the Hall:

"It was surprising. I wasn't thinking of it in any way. I wasn't even aware the selection committee was meeting. When they first called, I was in a meeting with Slava Fetisov and had no idea why (the Hall of Fame) was calling. When I called back, that's when I got the news.

"No question it's touching. It's a flashback of how fortunate I've been. I've had the opportunity to work in two organizations (Providence College and the Devils) with such quality people. This honor is the result of so many of the people around me."

Lamoriello's business philosophy:

"You have to have a philosophy that you believe in yourself and practice on a daily basis. Competence, loyalty and work ethic are vital. Find the people who believe in what you believe and have those characteristics. Get strong people. Don't let the media and fans distract you from the information you have. You just hope that you don't make more mistakes than things you get right. Stay the course.

"That's why there is the logo on the front and the name on the back."

Career highlights:

"Nothing surpasses the three Stanley Cups. Nothing. If you had to look for one highlight beyond the Cups, I would say John MacLean's shot in 1987 [in overtime on the last day of regular season for New Jersey's first playoff berth]. That was the turning point, getting to the playoffs and setting the stage for everything else to come.

"There was also the 1996 World Cup [gold medal with Lamoriello as GM]. Also, watching the success of our players. Watching Scotty Stevens go into the Hall of Fame last year."

Fellow class of 2009 inductees Brian Leetch and Brett Hull:

"I'm touched to be going in with them because I have experiences with both Brett and Brian going back to college. I played in college for years against [Leetch's] father. I tried to recruit Brian, but I think he followed his dad's influence to Boston College.

"Brett and Brian were big parts of our World Cup team. That was a special group. We brought them to Providence College for a few weeks to try and build a team. The coaches were Ron Wilson, Paul Holmgren and John Cunniff. They worked hard and were a big part of it. Brian was our captain. He haunted me before that tournament and he haunted me after."

Present-day challenges of being a GM:

"The core challenges are still the same. The biggest challenge is the Collective Bargaining Agreement today and having free agency at such an early age. The challenge now is maintining success over a period of time.

"Every challenge is different in every organization. Where it's the same is making the judgment on players at an early age. Bad decisions today will stick with you in this system through a long period of time. The chemistry, what goes on in that locker room, is always carried out on to the ice."

Lou Lamoriello's Creed: Competence, Loyalty and Work Ethic originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

No Shutout for Martin Brodeur, But Devils Get a Win

Adam Gretz — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, Predators, Rangers, Senators

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the story lines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Devils 4, Rangers 2: With a shutout on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur would have tied Terry Sawchuk's record for most career shutouts. While the future Hall of Famer will have to wait for another night to reach his next milestone, he still managed to stop 29 shots to help lead the Devils to a 4-2 win.

Zach Parise scored a pair of goals -- and assisted on another -- as New Jersey handed the Rangers their second straight loss. The Devils, meanwhile, have won five of their past six.

Also: Crazy game in Ottawa, video of the day, and more.

Predators 6, Senators 5: For the first time this season, Nashville scored more than four goals in a single game, lighting the lamp six times in Ottawa ... and it still almost wasn't enough thanks to a ridiculous third period that saw the Senators score five goals.

The Predators entered the third period with a 3-0 lead, only to watch Ottawa rally for three goals in 10 minutes. From there, the two teams exchanged goals, including each team scoring in the final minute of regulation. With the Predators leading, 5-4, and on a power play, Ottawa managed to get a shorthanded goal from Chris Phillips with less than two-seconds to play in regulation to send the game to overtime.

Fortunately for Nashville, Shea Weber scored a power play goal at the 2:11 mark of the overtime period (his second goal of the game), giving the Preds the win.

Nashville not only set a season-high with six goals, it also scored two goals with the man advantage. The Predators entered play on Thursday with only one power play goal on the season.

J.P. Dumont had five points, including four assists, in the win.

Thursday's Other Games

Atlanta tries to comeback against Washington, but comes up short. That fluke goal turned the entire game around. [Box Score, Jeff Schultz's goal]

The Flyers pick up a shootout win against Boston. [Box Score, Recap]

After finally earning a win on Wednesday, the Islanders get blown out in Montreal. [Box Score, Recap]

Steve Stamkos scores two for Tampa Bay. [Box Score, Recap]

How about the Coyotes? Overtime win against Detroit. [Box Score, Recap]

Edmonton gets a pair from Dustin Penner in a 6-4 win. [Box Score, Recap]

Hats off to Anze Kopitar [Box Score, Recap]

Loose Pucks

-- The Sergei Kostitsyn drama in Montreal keeps taking bizarre twists and turns. [TSN]

Video Of The Day

Ottawa Loses to Nashville in overtime, but Chris Phillips gets the Senators a point with this last-second shorthanded goal.

Friday's Key Games

Penguins vs. Panthers: Pittsburgh is, quite simply, on a roll right now and enters Friday's game against Florida with the best record in the league. It's the Penguins first game without Sergei Gonchar, who will miss four-to-six weeks with a broken bone near his hand. Brent Johnson is expected to make his second start for Pittsburgh. Florida has lost five of six.

Blues vs. Wild: The Blues return home after a three-game road trip that ended with a sour note in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. They're hosting a Minnesota team that has been struggling all season, losing six of eight games.

Hurricanes vs. Avalanche: Colorado enters play on Friday tied for the second-most points (14) in the league, having lost only one game in regulation. The 'Canes have lost four in a row, including two in a shootout.

No Shutout for Martin Brodeur, But Devils Get a Win originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Analyzing Goalies as Martin Brodeur Nears Record

Susan Slusser — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Devils

Martin Brodeur is one shutout away from tying Terry Sawchuk's all-time shutout record. How meaningful is that? And what is the best means for judging goaltenders' performance?

A quick gander at the NHL Official Record Book isn't necessarily the final answer. It shows a mere page here and there for goalie stats mixed among dozens of stats for everyone else. Even just simple things that once were listed are no longer there: most shots ever faced in a 60-minute game, for example. Maybe not all that meaningful from a statistical standpoint, but interesting nonetheless: Blackhawks Hall of Famer Sam LoPresti faced 83 shots from the Bruins on March 4, 1941.

NHL statistician Benny Ercolani told FanHouse that the tidbit is no longer included in the official record book because the game sheet that includes shots on goal was not introduced until the 1955-56 season. (Plus-minus, same thing.) The LoPresti information probably came from a newspaper account, Ercolani guessed, but the league can't consider it entirely official without shots recorded from all games before 1955-56.

"Guys like (Martin) Brodeur, Patrick Roy, Ed Belfour, have one thing on their mind -- giving the opponent as little as possible. That speaks volumes about Marty's mental toughness."
-- Darren Pang on Martin BrodeurSo goaltenders' stats tend to be just the basics: goals against average, wins, losses, shutouts. It's a fairly open-and-shut job description; maybe it's over-thinking to want more.

That's why FanHouse went to hockey analyst Darren Pang, himself a former Blackhawks goalie, to find out if the basic goalie stats are enough to judge a goaltender's performance.

"That is one area hockey could do a better job," Pang told FanHouse by phone. "There are no statistics that indicate quality shots on goal. That's what I'd like to see. Or how many saves does a goalie make when the game is 2-1? Or when his team is trailing 2-1? Those things are definitely more meaningful."

Baseball is ahead of most sports when it comes to that kind of analysis, as FanHouse's Adam Gretz pointed out several months ago. Measuring defensive performance in baseball is tricky, making it something akin to goaltending, but there are more tools to do so accurately in baseball now with things such as zone ratings. That requires trained observers to note where balls are hit and how hard, along with recognizing defensive positioning and other factors.

There's no reason hockey couldn't do something similar. Pang said that current stats crews have their hands full recording hits and takeaways and the like, so he suggests the NHL staff games with former goaltenders to keep track of quality shots and game situations for goaltenders. Ercolani pointed out that quality shots would be a very subjective measurement, but both Ercolani and Pang said that NHL coaching staffs already are keeping track of such things. So it's not impossible, even if some stats are judgment calls (same thing with some aspects of zone ratings in baseball -- a soft lineout is a flyball to some and a lineout to others.)

Then there are other factors that can influence goaltenders' performance. Does one goalie have a terrific defensive unit in front of him while another has to try to deal with his team's defensive shortcomings? Does a team play a particularly stingy defensive style?

That's always been the one knock on Brodeur, if anyone could possibly quibble with a future Hall of Famer: New Jersey's defensive scheme means he doesn't face a lot of shots. But Pang and Ercolani said facing fewer shots doesn't diminish Brodeur's accomplishments at all. "Some people can't appreciate how good he is, but he always makes the big saves," Ercolani said.

Pang said that facing relatively few shots can make things more difficult for a goalie, rather than easier. "You'd think it would be easier," he said, "but some goalies mentally fall asleep. They'll face 18 shots and give up three goals. Marty has the ability to shut everything else out and make the saves he's supposed to."

Brodeur has 102 shutouts in his 15 years in the league (an average of nearly seven per season). How significant is the shutout as a statistic? Pang said this is another instance where he'd like to know the game situation. A 2-0 shutout is a bigger deal than a 6-0 blanking. Plus, some of the all-time greats weren't shutout goalies; Grant Fuhr, for instance.

"It didn't matter to him if it was 6-0 or 6-4 as long as they won the game," said Pang, who never recorded an NHL shutout. "Guys like Brodeur, Patrick Roy, Ed Belfour, have one thing on their mind -- giving the opponents as little as possible. That speaks volumes about Marty's mental toughness."

Brodeur has a chance to tie Sawchuk Thursday night against New Jersey's rival, the Rangers, which would definitely be an accomplishment considering that New York is leading the league in scoring.

Analyzing Goalies as Martin Brodeur Nears Record originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Puck Talk: Returning to New Jersey

Bruce Ciskie — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, Eastern, FanHouse Exclusive

This week, our Puck Talk podcast chats about the Devils. We're joined by radio analyst Sherry Ross, who returned to the booth in 2007, just in time to watch Brian Rolston return to the ice, and eventually Jacques Lemaire return to the bench. Seems like everyone ends up going back there at some point.

We talk with Sherry about this year's team, how Lemaire is adjusting to his young talent, and what kind of workload goalie Martin Brodeur will face this season. Check out this week's podcast after the jump.

Listen to the podcast above, or click here to download the file.

Puck Talk: Returning to New Jersey originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Like Cream Rising, Brodeur Stops Canes

Christopher Botta — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:11:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, Hurricanes

NEWARK, N.J. -- For Martin Brodeur, the first victory of the year on home ice never gets old.

When the horn blared after the Devils' 2-0 victory over Carolina on Saturday night, the 37-year-old future first ballot Hall of Fame goaltender raised his stick high and grinned like it was his first NHL win instead of his 561st.

"I always celebrate," Brodeur said after his 26-save shutout of Carolina for the Devils' first win at the Prudential Centre after three unsuccessful attempts. "Getting the first home win is important. It took too long this time, but we have to get our home-ice advantage back. This was a start."

Like everything at this early point in the Devils' 4-3-0 season, little came easily.

In a goaltending duel between potential Canadian Olympic teammates Brodeur and Cam Ward, a scoreless tie was broken by the Devils 26 seconds into the third period. After a poke check by Ward, the puck caromed off captain Jamie Langenbrunner and into the Carolina net for the game-winner. Other than Langenbrunner's upper body goal (an empty-netter by Zach Parise with 40 seconds left clinched the game), the offensively-challenged Devils worked hard but could not get anything past Ward.

Brodeur, who is now just one regular season shutout shy of Terry Sawchuk's NHL record of 103, knew it was going to come down to him vs. Ward.

"When we scored the first goal, I was thinking that might be it, that might be all the production I'm going to get tonight," Brodeur said with a slight laugh. "Cam is such a good goalie. I'm always impressed by him. Any time you play against one of the best, you have to raise your game."

Devils head coach Jacques Lemaire said it was an easy decision to come back with Brodeur after his team lost 4-2 to Atlanta on home ice on Friday night. The coach pointed out that his team does not play again until Thursday against the Rangers in Madison Square Garden. When Brodeur made a sliding save on a 2-on-1 early in the game, Lemaire said, "It was all downhill. That's how we know him. That's the type of game he can play."

While he stuck with Brodeur, Lemaire made many adjustments to his lineup. The biggest was breaking up New Jersey's No. 1 line of Travis Zajac centering Parise and Langenbrunner, a line Lemaire said in the preseason he was likely to stick with most of the year. The returning head coach placed Dainius Zubrus between his top wings and Zajac between skilled youngsters Matt Halischuk and Niclas Bergfors. He was happy with the results.

"I feel much better with what we have right now," said Lemaire, who discussed the changes with his players before the game. For his part, Parise understood the change. "It's not like we were scoring four or five goals a game," he said.

For the third game in a row and fourth in five, the Devils made a game tougher with the self-inflicted wound of a too many men on the ice penalty. "I think we're practicing our penalty kill," Lemaire joked.

When you win, mistakes can be laughed off -- especially when it's your first victory at home and the players have a day off before three days of practices.

"Yeah, we needed this," said Brodeur. "You don't want to have four days without games after you've lost two in a row at home. (Former coach) Pat Burns was the first guy to come in here and preach about winning at home. He said there were a lot of advantages -- you can match lines, you're coming to the games from your own homes, you play in front of your own fans. Pat always said you have to win these home games because you never know what the road might bring."

ETC: Saturday night was the first meeting between the two teams since "The Shock at the Rock," when Carolina scored twice in the final minutes of Game 7 to win an opening round playoff series over New Jersey last season.

The Devils scratched D Cory Murphy, LW Andrew Peters and RW Ilkka Pikkarainen. The Hurricanes scratched D Jay Harrison and are without RW Erik Cole (broken bone in leg -- expected back in a month). D Joni Pitkanen returned after missing five games with a lower body injury.

After the game, Lemaire raved about the play of rookie left wing Niclas Bergfors. "I liked him from day one," said the coach. "I think he is a player. Him and Matt (Halischuk), they never stop."

According to a published report, Devils all-time leading scorer Patrik Elias is slated to return to the lineup on Nov. 4, a home game against Washington. Elias underwent groin surgery on Sept. 15.

Hurricanes C Eric Staal played in his 343rd consecutive regular season game. To tie the franchise record of 419 set by now-Phoenix coach Dave Tippett, Staal would have to play in every game this season and the opener in 2010-11. The 24-year-old Staal is one of just six NHL players with 30 or more goals in each of the last four seasons, joining Dany Heatley, Jarome Iginla, Ilya Kovalchuk, Alexander Ovechkin and Henrik Zetterberg.

Like Cream Rising, Brodeur Stops Canes originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Flyers, Devils Celebrate New Season With Street Fights

Kevin Schultz — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, Flyers, NHL Fans

Sports fans in Philadelphia get a bad rap as one of the worst groups of sports fans in the country. There's the old legend that they booed Santa Claus and there's the factual occurrence of their booing Donovan McNabb. But, as with any sweeping generalization, there's a part based in rumor and legend as well as a part somewhat based in truth. While details are still sketchy about what happened one thing is clear -- Flyers and Devils fans decided to open the season with a bang with some European style hooliganism on the streets of New Jersey and Philly (Note: Fair warning, there are some graphic, NSFW descriptions after the jump).

The Flyers and Devils squared off at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday night. As you might expect, a good amount of the folks in attendance came in from Philly for the game. The Flyers won easily by a final tally of 5-2 and even led 4-0 early in the third. And afterward things got really crazy. It was probably due to a combination of excitement for the start of hockey season, alcohol and general douchebaggery that helped to create fan-on-fan royal rumbles on the streets.

I mean, it's sports. There's alcohol. There are dimwits. This is what occasionally happens and to single out the Philly fans for one video (Ed. Note: the video in question has been pulled down by YouTube.) and some rumors is certainly not indicative of the whole bunch. Clearly some Devils fans are a part of the melee, as well. But come on, it's only the first game of the season. Do these guys really have 81 more fights -- not to mention playoff bouts -- in them? Pace yourselves!

But in all serious, there wound up being a pretty scary situation after some people got back to Philly later in the night.

According to The700Level.com, the fighting managed to find its way back to Philly and it was nothing to joke about. This is an account from one of their readers.

When we got back to the The Arena bowling alley in the Northeast, there were cop cars everywhere and a big brawl taking place. These were all Flyers fans fighting. I don't know why. I guess drinking all day had something to do with it? Anyway, some guy comes walking by with his buddy screaming, "Call an ambulance!" He had been stabbed and his intestines were literally hanging out! There was blood everywhere. We were just a little freaked out and didn't want to be stabbed so we left.

Yeah, people, come on. There's no place for that anywhere especially in sports. Think about that word for a moment. Sports. We're talking about sports. Let's hope for the best for all involved.

Flyers, Devils Celebrate New Season With Street Fights originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Brendan Shanahan, Devils Part Ways

Adam Gretz — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:05:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, NHL Free Agency

Brendan Shanahan's second stop with the New Jersey Devils -- and perhaps his career -- has come to an end, as the 40-year-old winger and the team have decided to part ways. Speculation started to mount early Thursday morning when the Shanahan was not at the morning skate, while Rich Chere of the Star-Ledger reported that the Devils had cut the 21-year-veteran (even though he's still a member of the roster ... as of now).

Chere quotes general manager Lou Lamoriello as saying the split was a mutual decision.

From the Star-Ledger:

"Over the past couple of days Jacques (Lemaire) and I have had conversations. The unexpected has transpired," Lamoriello said. "It's not that Brendan cannot play. It's that these (young) players have become something special at this time."

Shanahan also issued the following statement: "I have not decided to continue with the New Jersey Devils for my 22nd NHL season. When I signed this past summer, Lou Lamoriello, Jacques Lemaire and I agreed that if we were unable to find a suitable fit in which I would be able ti compete and contribute at the level I expect from myself, then I would simply step aside. I have great respect for Lou, Jacques and the entire Devils' organization. This decision is both mutual and amicable. I am planning to spend the next couple of weeks with my family to reflect on and evaluate my plans for the future. Most importantly, I would like to thank my former teammates and wish them the best of luck this season."

So, for now, the door remains open for a return to the NHL this season. While clearly not the player he once was, he should be able to contribute to something if he decides to continue his career. Just tossing names into a hat, I'd make a wild guess that a club like Montreal or Vancouver could find some use for him.

In 34 games with the Devils in 2008-09, Shanahan scored six goals to go with eight assists. In his 21-year career he's amassed 656 goals (11th most all-time and tops among active players), 698 assists and 1,354 points, while also being a member of three Stanley Cup winning teams in Detroit.

Brendan Shanahan, Devils Part Ways originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

No Farewell Tour for Brendan Shanahan

Christopher Botta — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:02:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, Islanders, FanHouse Exclusive

UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- There won't be a final season tour for Brendan Shanahan. "I don't think I'd get any pre-game flowers from the other team," he said.

There won't be any premature announcements of retirement. "I don't think that's a good idea," said Shanahan with a smile. "You don't ever want to un-retire."

And you won't see the 22-year veteran purposefully avoiding the rigors of training camp. "Nah. Camp is hard for all the players, but it's helpful."

Shanahan, one of 12 players in NHL history to play more than 1,500 games, does not know when his last season will be. He politely declined a request from FanHouse to declare whether 2009-10 would be his final NHL season.

"I honestly don't know either way," the right wing said before his New Jersey Devils played a preseason game against the Islanders on Wednesday. "It could be my last season, but I could also play a few more years."

"You get in trouble when you're chirping all the time. It doesn't work if you always have something to say."The 40-year-old Shanahan has signed one-year contracts each season since the lockout of '03-04. This has been by design.

"I've had two-year offers, but I've preferred to go one season at a time at this stage of my career," he said. "The way the CBA works, teams have some cap flexibility signing players older than 35. For me, earning a contract year after year is motivating. Plus, if the season goes poorly for me or the team is not happy, you're not locked into a second year."

After joining the Devils -- the franchise that drafted him second overall in 1987 -- as a free agent for the second half of last season, Shanahan's first choice was to return to New Jersey for season 22. His teammates were happy to receive a full year of education from one of the top leaders of this generation.

"Brendan's been in every situation in the league and he knows how to handle them," said Devils fourth-year center Travis Zajac. "The thing he does best is keep everyone calm when we're getting too high or too low. He's not a loud or talkative guy. He really picks his spots when he says something in the room or to you individually. So when he has something to say, everyone listens."

Shanahan almost bristles at the concept of locker room loudmouths. "You get in trouble when you're chirping all the time," he said. "It doesn't work if you always have something to say." With Jamie Langenbrunner returning as captain and a roster with veterans such as Martin Brodeur, Brian Rolston, Colin White and Patrik Elias, the Devils do not lack for leadership. "You don't have to play a long time to be a leader," Shanahan said. "We have a room full of guys who are natural leaders."

Zajac, with 51 goals over his first three NHL seasons, said he marvels at Shanahan's approach at the rink. "Here's a guy who has over 650 NHL goals and he's out there every day working on his shot," said Zajak. "As a guy who wants to score more, I watch him at work. He has that incredible release, but he seems to do something different with every shot. He still has it."

Whether Shanahan will be sniping beyond this year is anyone's guess, especially his. "I'll know at the end of whenever my final season is -- not the beginning of the next one," said Shanahan, who lives in Manhattan. "It will be a gut instinct. It will come down to love of the game and whether I'm confident I can play at a level that's more than acceptable for me."

ETC: The Devils defeated the Islanders 4-2. Yann Danis made 20 saves for New Jersey, Martin Biron 27 for New York. There were approximately 4,000 fans in attendance for the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum debut of 2009 first overall pick John Tavares, who had one assist on a goal by Matt Moulson. Announced attendance was 8,256.

Islanders RW Trent Hunter suffered a strained pectoral muscle in the team's preseason game in Kansas City on Tuesday night and is listed by the team as day-to-day. Forwards Doug Weight and Sean Bergenheim are out with groin strains and have begun skating with the hope of returning to practice by next week. Devils C Patrik Elias underwent what the team termed "minor" groin surgery last week and is expected to be sidelined anywhere from 3-6 weeks.

The Islanders have yet to release a prognosis on the health of second-year RW Kyle Okposo, who suffered a concussion after a crushing center-ice check by Calgary's Dion Phaneuf in a preseason game last Thursday. On Monday, Okposo -- possibly on the verge of his breakout season -- returned to New York from the team's training camp in Saskatoon.

FanHouse asked Brendan Shanahan, who suffered a concussion in February of 2007 in a collision with the Flyers' Mike Knuble, for his advice to Okposo. "Thankfully, I've had just one in my career, but it was a serious one," said Shanahan. "The key thing I'd tell him is, when you think you're ready, you're probably not. I was cleared to play and I felt like I could play. But each week after I came back I'd think, 'Wow. I feel much better than I did last week.' Maybe I shouldn't have come back when I did. After the concussion, I had vertigo for a month. It is a serious, serious injury. You have to take your time with it."

No Farewell Tour for Brendan Shanahan originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NHL's Top 50: Martin Brodeur (No. 11)

Adam Gretz — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, NHL Fans, NHL Videos

FanHouse's Adam Gretz takes a look at his top 50 players in the NHL. No. 11 is New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur.

After missing nearly four months of the 2008-09 season with torn triceps, Martin Brodeur returned to the lineup in spectacular fashion, recording shutouts in two of his first three starts. Business as usual for the NHL's all-time wins leader, and one of the greatest players to ever play the position.

The NHL's Top 50 Players: See the Entire List

Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur	GAA	SV %	Shutouts
Career Totals	2.21	.914	101

Draft Year: 1990

The 20th overall pick, Brodeur was actually the second goalie off the board, selected nine spots after the Calgary Flames drafted Trevor Kidd.

Why He's On My List

Brodeur's list of career accomplishments speaks for itself. He's won the Vezina and Jennings Trophies four times each, won more games than any goalie in the history of the game, and has his name on the Stanley Cup three times. He's also played in nine All-Star games, and is just two shutouts behind Terry Sawchuk on the all-time list. Perhaps the best puck-handling goalie of all time, he's basically a third defenseman when he's on the ice. I don't think he's quite as dominant as he once was (especially in the playoffs in recent years) which is the only reason he's not higher on my list. He's still one of the best players in the NHL.

Obligatory YouTube Video

Brodeur has always been known for his puckhandling abilities, so here he is scoring a goal against the Montreal Canadiens. He's scored two goals in his career.

NHL's Top 50: Martin Brodeur (No. 11) originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Zherdev Becomes Free Agent; Shanahan Reportedly Re-Signs With Devils

Adam Gretz — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, Rangers, NHL Free Agency

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our daily look at the previous night's action. During the offseason, we'll look at some of the storylines and moves taking place around the league three times per week. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Rangers Part Ways With Zherdev

After being awarded $3.9 million in his arbitration hearing, the New York Rangers decided they would rather part ways with Nikolai Zherdev, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent, than invest nearly $4 million in a streaky, one-dimensional forward. He has the talent, but he's been somewhat of an enigma his entire career, and his one-year stint in New York was no exception. Newsday's Steve Zipay reports that Zherdev's top priority is to find another NHL team before turning to the KHL as an option. He has his flaws (inconsistency being the big one) but he should still be able to sign on with another NHL club in need of offense.

Five Hole Fanatics can't understand what Rangers general manager Glen Sather is doing (then again, who can?), and makes the following point about the decision to let Nikolai Zherdev become a free agent:

So...let me get this straight. Years ago, Glen Sather inked checking forward Bobby Holik to an outrageously long and expensive contract. He did the same thing again with Chris Drury and Scott Gomez - lots and lots of dollars over many years for slightly better than average players. Then he did it again with Wade Redden last summer - except Redden isn't even better than average anymore. Marian Gaborik was the lottery winner this summer. At least he's a phenomenal talent I guess. Shame about the tissue paper groin though. But suddenly, 3.9M for one year is too much for 24 year old Nikolai Zherdev?

Devils Agree To Terms With Brendan Shanahan

Devils beat writer Tom Gulitti reports that 40-year-old forward Brendan Shanahan has agreed to terms with the team, and will be returning for his 22nd season in the NHL. Shanahan played 34 games with the Devils in 2008-09, scoring six goals to go with eight assists.

Loose Pucks

... Boston Blue Line takes a look at how much money restricted free agent Phil Kessel can reasonably expect to make this season.

... The Detroit Red Wings signed Patrick Eaves on Monday after he was bought out by the Boston Bruins (after they traded Aaron Ward for him).

... Apparently Jeremy Roenick isn't the only player set to announce his retirement, as James Mirtle points out that Teppo Numminen is also set to hang up the skates. [From The Rink]

Zherdev Becomes Free Agent; Shanahan Reportedly Re-Signs With Devils originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NHL's Top 50: Zach Parise (No. 22)

Adam Gretz — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, NHL Fans, NHL Videos

FanHouse's Adam Gretz takes a look at his top 50 players in the NHL. No. 22 is New Jersey Devils forward Zach Parise.

The New Jersey Devils have been fighting the perception for years that they're a boring, sluggish team that simply sits back and clogs up the neutral zone, trapping teams into mistakes. The return of Jacques Lemaire, the trap-master himself, behind the bench probably didn't do much to help that perception. No matter the system, he's coming to a team that finished 15th in goals scored this past season, and boasts one of the best young wingers in the NHL, 25-year-old Zach Parise.

The NHL's Top 50 Players: See the Entire List

The Numbers: Zach Parise
Zach Parise	Goals	Assists	Points	Pim
Career Totals	122	131	253	107
Average Per 82 Games	30.3	32.8	63.9	27.0

Draft Year: 2003

Selected 17th overall after the Devils moved up five spots, giving up the No. 22 and No. 68 picks, in a draft-day trade with the Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton ended up with Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Jean-Francois Jacques.

Why He's On My List

Parise has improved his production across the board every year he's been in the league, and his breakout season in 2008-09 launched him into the NHL's elite. He finished in the top-five in scoring (trailing only Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Pavel Datsyuk), top-three in goals scored (trailing only Ovechkin and Jeff Carter), played in his first All-Star game, and was a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy. At 5-foot-11, 195-pounds, he obviously doesn't possess great size, but he's tough, fast, and durable. In just four seasons, he's already recorded three consecutive 30-goal campaigns.

Obligatory YouTube Video

Parise's top-five goals of the 2008-09 season.

NHL's Top 50: Zach Parise (No. 22) originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Good News, Devils Fans: Coaches Do Slightly Better 2nd Time Around

Adam Gretz — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:05:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, NHL Coaching

Since the New Jersey Devils decided to bring back Jacques Lemaire for a second go-around behind the bench, I wanted to take a look back at the other situations in NHL history where a coach made a return to his former team.

The somewhat promising results (if you're a Devils fan) after the jump.

So, You're Back Again
Coach	Team	1st Win %	2nd Win %	Dif
Al Arbour	Islanders	.531	.398	-.133
Art Ross	Bruins	.487	.506	+.019
Bob McCammon	Flames	.440	.577	+.137
Bob Pulford	Blackhawks	.381	.454	+.073
Cecil Hart	Canadiens	.552	.381	-.171
Charlie Burns	North Stars	.227	.286	+.059
Dave Lewis	Red Wings	.800	.585	-.215
Dick Irvin	Blackhawks	.464	.271	-.193
Don Waddell	Thrashers	.400	.447	+.047
Ed Johnston	Penguins	.329	.554	+.225
Glen Sather	Oilers	.559	.367	-.192
Glen Sonmer	North Stars	.440	.319	-.121
Harry Neale	Canucks	.337	.391	+.054
Harry Sinden	Canadiens	.459	.548	+.089
Ken Schinkel	Penguins	.337	.462	+.125
Larry Pleau	Whalers	.263	.472	+.209
Larry Robinson	Devils	.529	.438	-.091
Lou Lamoriello	Devils	.640	.666	+.026
Michel Bergeron	Nordiques	.457	.150	-.307
Milt Schmidt	Bruins	.374	.274	-.100
Newsy Lalonde	Canadiens	.537	.402	-.135
Paul Maurice	Hurricanes	.407	.578	+.171
Sid Abel	Red Wings	.410	.514	+.104
Tony Granato	Avalanche	.408	.390	-.018

Just a couple of quick notes:

1) I think this is all of them. After hours of digging through the Hockey-Reference library this should be all of them. If you know of any that I missed, or find any that I missed, please point it out in the comments and I'll factor them in.

2) In some cases, like Art Ross for example, the coach had more than two stints with the team. In such situations, I combined the second and third records as the second winning percentage, simply to save space on the chart and make it all fit.

3) Dave Lewis' first coaching job with the Red Wings? Five games. Lou Lamoriello's second stint with the Devils? Two games.

4) Of the 24 coaches that had more than one head coaching job with a specific team, 13 of them did better the second time around, while 11 of them did worse the second time around. The overall winning percentage the first time: .456. The second time: .437. Keep in mind, these winning percentages are low because almost all of these guys coached in an era where games could end in ties.

Good News, Devils Fans: Coaches Do Slightly Better 2nd Time Around originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Lemaire Returns to Devils Bench

Bruce Ciskie — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, Eastern, NHL Coaching

UPDATE: The Devils have made it official.

It's a story that really isn't all that shocking at all. The only surprise might be how long it took for the move to be made.

The New Jersey Devils are going to replace coach Brent Sutter -- now with the Flames -- with a very familiar face. Former Devils coach Jacques Lemaire, who led New Jersey to the Stanley Cup in 1995, is reportedly set to make his return to the club as head coach.

The 63-year-old Lemaire spent nine seasons as head coach of the Minnesota Wild. He led the Wild to three playoff appearances, including a stunning run to the Western Conference Finals in 2003. For much of that time, he was chided for encouraging a "boring" style of hockey, even though he often was able to take lesser-talented Minnesota teams and make them competitive against the league's best.

Lemaire looked to see the writing on the wall after the 2008-2009 season, and he resigned shortly before general manager Doug Risebrough, who had brought Lemaire to Minnesota, was fired. Thanks to injuries that affected guys like now-former Minnesota star Marian Gaborik, this past season's Wild team might have been one of the worst since the expansion team. Instead of letting them flounder at the bottom of the Western Conference, Lemaire kept the Wild in contention for a playoff spot in what could have been his best coaching job yet.

While there were reports of clashes with some Wild players, there's no question Lemaire can still coach. Reunited with good friend and former boss Lou Lamoriello, Lemaire will likely have to adapt a little bit.

The Devils were more of a wide-open team under Sutter. How will centers Zach Parise and Travis Zajac feel about a system that would likely take away some of their creativity? On the bright side, Lemaire has a likely ally in Brian Rolston, who was signed as a free agent from Minnesota in the summer of 2007. Rolston always seemed to appreciate Lemaire's coaching, and his departure may have paved the way for some of the acrimony that was reported this past season.

For Devils fans, it's a bit of a double-edged sword. Lemaire's teams were always well-prepared and ready to play, and they were usually successful. However, the stigma he carries with them can make life difficult for a fan, especially if the team isn't winning.

Lamoriello is taking a bit of a risk. If Lemaire can relate to his younger, faster team, things should go well. If things go sour, will Lamoriello figure it out before it's too late?

Lemaire Returns to Devils Bench originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Offseason Roadmap: Atlantic Division

Kevin Schultz — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, Flyers, Islanders, Penguins, Rangers, NHL Free Agency

It's officially the offseason, meaning the time is right to look into the future. We continue our division-by-division preview of the potential wheeling and dealing with the Atlantic Division.

It will be an interesting summer for the five teams in the Atlantic. Four teams made the playoffs, including the eventual Stanley Cup champion, and the one team that didn't make it -- the New York Islanders -- holds the first pick in Friday's draft, which isn't a bad consolation prize. All around it was a pretty successful season for these five teams.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Coming off their Stanley Cup victory, the Penguins are facing a situation in which many of their role players are going to be free agents as of July 1, but the nucleus of their championship team should stay in tact. They have 15 players under contract next season for a total of $48.6 million, a group that includes most of their stars -- Marc-Andre Fleury, Sergei Gonchar, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Maxime Talbot to name a few.

That leaves the likes of Bill Guerin, Miroslav Satan, Petr Sykora and Ruslan Fedotenko without contracts for next season. Those guys may not be back. However, a pair of important defenseman -- Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi -- will be needing new contracts and would likely get them. Look for the Pens to make a push to bring back those defenders and possibly a one-year deal for Guerin. Guerin had 15 points in 24 games with the Penguins during the postseason and would be worth taking a look at if he doesn't call it quits first.

New Jersey Devils: This summer the Devils will have to make some serious decisions as to which direction they want to head in the future. First up will be to find a new coach. Brent Sutter stepped down at the beginning of June and a successor has yet to be named.

Secondly, they need to decide if they want to continue with Martin Brodeur as their starting netminder. Brodeur missed most of last season due to injury and at age 37 the team needs to decide if this was a bump in the road or the beginning of the end. Scott Clemmensen was stellar in relief of Brodeur this year -- .917 and 2.39 in 40 games -- and is unrestricted. He's the heir to the throne in New Jersey if the Devils want to give it to him. Otherwise, he should be garnering some serious interest from other teams around the league.

The Devils do have a few other key free agents. Brian Gionta, John Madden and Johnny Oduya are all unrestriced while Travis Zajac is restricted. Signing those guys shouldn't be too much of an issue though as the Devils have 14 players signed for next season at around $40 million.

Philadelphia Flyers: For the second year in a row the Flyers were knocked out of the playoffs by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Two years ago it was in the Conference Finals and last season it happened in the first round. The Flyers finished fifth in the standings, right behind the Penguins, but were dispatched in six games.

In terms of free agents, the Flyers don't have much of an issue when it comes to skaters. They have 17 skaters under contract for next season for a total of $55 million. Mike Knuble is their only major free agent and he is unrestricted. The main issue for them this summer will be in net. Both Antero Niittymaki and Martin Biron are unrestricted and played pretty mediocre during the season. They ended the year with matching GAA and save percentages that came within .003 of each other. Neither is a clear cut solution at this point. And to add to that the Flyers, for reasons unknown to me, decided to sign Ray Emery, who is currently their only netminder under contract for 2009-10. If I'm the Flyers, I'm getting Clemmensen on the phone ASAP.

New York Rangers: The Rangers took some big risks to make the playoffs last season by replacing their coach, bringing back Sean Avery and acquiring free-agents-to-be in Derek Morris and Nik Antropov. They were able to make the playoffs but ended up getting bounced by the Washington Capitals in seven games after holding a 3-1 lead in the series.

Now, the Rangers pay the price for their risks as they face the possibility of getting nothing in return for Antropov and Morris. The Rangers have the fewest returning players, 10, in the division. Their big name stars -- Henrik Lundqvist, Sean Avery, Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival -- are all returning but almost the remainder of the roster is without a deal. If I'm GM Glen Sather, I don't think twice and buy out Redden and get to work on filling the roster and re-signing key RFAs Brandon Dubinsky, Nikolai Zherdev and Ryan Callahan.

New York Islanders: The Islanders finished last season as the worst in the NHL and, for that, were rewarded with the first overall pick in Friday's draft by way of the draft lottery. They accumulated more than 500 man games lost due to injuryr. They likely wouldn't have factored into the playoff mix even without all the injuries, but they surely wouldn't have obtained the first pick without them

Forget about July 1 -- the Isles will likely not make any kind of a splash there -- the draft is their time to shine. In addition to the top pick, they also have six more picks in the first three rounds. Look for them to take a stab at moving up into the middle of the first round after they make the first pick.

The Islanders also have very few free agents of any consequence. Blake Comeau is restricted and should be compensated nicely. They have four UFA skaters, all of which should not be back with the exception of Andy Hilbert who, for some disturbing reason, management likes a lot. If it was up to me, he would have been cut two years ago. But it's not up to me.

The biggest acquisition the Islanders need to make is a goaltender to split time with Rick DiPietro. DiPietro missed all of last season and has been rumored to still be on crutches after season ending surgery in November. After all the injuries he has gone through, the Islanders need to sign a '1B' goaltender to split time with Ricky Franchise in case DiPietro's legs continue to be fragile during future seasons.

Offseason Roadmap: Atlantic Division originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Lemaire Interested in Return to Devils

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:10:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, Eastern, NHL Coaching

To the surprise of precisely no one, Brent Sutter stepped down after two years as head coach of the New Jersey Devils. Between his desire to be closer to family and the potential interest in joining brother Darryl in Calgary, Brent Sutter had every reason to leave.

As Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello searches for a replacement, an old friend seems to be emerging as a serious candidate. This, too, should come as a surprise to nobody.

When Jacques Lemaire stepped down as coach of the Wild on the last day of the season, it was clear he had no intention of retiring on the spot. While many assumed that he wanted the job in Montreal, where Lemaire played, Lemaire talked at his press conference about how tough it is to work with the media there.

With Brent Sutter gone in Jersey, it's possible that Lemaire could return to his old stomping grounds. He won a Cup with the Devils in 1995.

Asked if he's returning to the Devils as coach (he coached them from 93-98 and won a Cup there in 95), Lemaire said, "I can't talk about that. There's nothing done yet. There's nothing that I can talk about right now."

I told him I bet Brian Rolston wishes he comes there and Lemaire laughed and said, "Problem is he's not the guy that decides."

There's no doubt though that Lemaire is interested in going back. He said he realized during the playoffs that instead of just taking any consulting job that came down the pike, maybe he does still want to coach in the right situation.

For Lemaire, the question isn't whether he works in 2009-2010, but instead where. Michael Russo notes that Lemaire has offers to do consulting work, so he could always do that if he decides not to coach.

While the fit in Jersey appears to be a slam dunk (Lemaire is a respected winner, and he and Lamoriello are very good friends), there are no guarantees. Steve Politi lays out part of the case against Lemaire, while also propping up assistant coach John MacLean as a solid candidate for the Devils gig.

He also would return the Devils to their trap-happy defensive roots, and do so at a time in the NHL when the teams with the most firepower are having the most success.

The Devils proved this year to have plenty of skilled offensive players. Why squash that with a coach like Lemaire, who at 63 is nearing the end of his Hall of Fame career anyway?

This is an important off-season for the Devils. They've been knocked out of the playoffs in the first round two years in a row, and the window of opportunity to win with Martin Brodeur in goal is not going to stay open forever. Getting this coaching hire right is a significant task for Lamoriello, who cycles through coaches like crazy.

Lemaire Interested in Return to Devils originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Devils Coach Brent Sutter Resigns

Bruce Ciskie — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, Flames, Eastern, Western, NHL Coaching

Ever since the Calgary Flames fired Mike Keenan after a disappointing end to their season, there has been much speculation about the future of New Jersey's Brent Sutter.

While Sutter has been successful with the Devils, his roots are in western Canada. Not only that, but his brother, Darryl, is the general manager of the Flames.

With that in mind, there appears to be a connection between Brent Sutter's decision to resign as the coach in New Jersey, and the fact that Darryl Sutter has yet to name Keenan's successor.

Brent Sutter announced his resignation at a Tuesday news conference. CTV Calgary reports that he could eventually be named the coach of the Flames.

There has been some speculation that Daryl Sutter has been waiting to make a decision on his team's head coaching opening to see if Brent would be available.

Sure enough, when Darryl Sutter named himself as the top candidate for the Flames job, he eluded to there being three coaches under contract with other teams that he saw as good candidates. He thought of himself as the next choice.

It's worth noting that Brent Sutter is not necessarily a lock to become Calgary's next coach. He is apparently citing personal and family reasons for stepping down.

As for Sutter, it has not been an easy decision. Ultimately, being away from his family for long periods and the two-year struggle of his junior team (the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL), were the determining factors.

Sutter was indeed a bit of a fish out of water in Jersey. Talk since mid-season has been that he would head back west after the Devils were done. He was away from family a lot, and he missed home.

After the Devils lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals to Carolina, Sutter referred to the loss as the worst of his hockey career. Since then, he has been silent about his future, even though his decision has been made for some time. He reportedly made an agreement with Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello to keep the resignation private while Lamoriello looked for a new coach.

There is no indication where New Jersey will look for a new coach. Assistant John MacLean has to be thought of as a candidate, but remember that former Devils and Minnesota coach Jacques Lemaire is available, and he has indicated he wants to coach again.

Devils Coach Brent Sutter Resigns originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Versus Fails to Keep Word to NHL Fans

Bruce Ciskie — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, Hurricanes, Eastern, NHL Media Watch

The word "fail" sure seems to be commonly associated with Versus, doesn't it? Fair or not, the network gets a lot of flak from hockey fans for its coverage of the sport.

Last week, the NHL's cable television partner bailed from the epic ending of the Carolina-New Jersey game so we could listen to their people drone on about a game that hadn't started yet. To make matters worse, they were back at it again Tuesday, as two epic Game 7s were contested in the Eastern Conference.

Surely, no one had a problem with Versus deciding to air the Rangers-Capitals game. We're not stupid out here. We know that this stuff is driven by ratings, and we get that the Rangers and Capitals will likely draw the network a bigger number than the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils would.

That said, we do expect Versus to keep their word.

Two best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarterfinals culminate in a best-of-one Tuesday night when the Washington Capitals host the New York Rangers (7 p.m., ET, VERSUS, TSN, RDS) and the New Jersey Devils entertain the Carolina Hurricanes (7:30 p.m., VERSUS joined in progress, TSN2, RIS) in series-deciding Game 7s.

At the risk of boring you with details of my life, I have NHL Center Ice at home. Due to an emergency, I couldn't be at home Tuesday night, but did have access to a television. We were able to watch the end of the Rangers-Capitals game on Versus, and then fully expected to see the end of the close, down-to-the-wire Carolina-New Jersey game.

Needless to say, since I expected to see the end of that game, I was quite surprised when it never happened. Instead, Versus viewers were treated to a chat about the Ducks-Sharks series, John Tortorella's postgame press conference, and eventually a package of highlights about the Carolina-New Jersey game, but only once it ended.

Perhaps I've confused the term "joined in progress" with something else. Last time I checked, when a network said they were going to join a game in progress, it actually meant that they would show the conclusion of the game in question.

In Versus' case, it apparently means "show a couple highlights of the game while it's going on, then run more complete highlights when the game dramatically ends".

According to Katie Bradshaw of Versus, this was the best they could do.

As the exclusive cable television home of the NHL in the U.S. VERSUS strives to give hockey fans the most complete coverage of the NHL postseason and that is made possible by using various network's playoff coverage. Throughout the first round VERSUS aired two and sometimes three games each night. Game seven in the Devils/Hurricanes series was an unfortunate situation where a deal couldn't get worked out to air another network's coverage featuring the remainder of the game upon VERSUS' completion of the Rangers/Capitals game.

However, VERSUS aired a live look-in of the Devils/Hurricanes game during the network's studio show, Hockey Central. For live look-ins, due to regulations, VERSUS cannot air more than two minutes of live game action nor can the network air the last two minutes of the game or overtime coverage. The network also extended its Hockey Central telecast to show Devils/Hurricanes highlights after they happened so that hockey fans were able to see the amazing finish to the Devils/Hurricanes game.

Naturally, this makes one wonder why exactly Versus was billed as joining the game in progress when they had no means by which to air the game live.

It also makes me wonder why Versus would have to work out a deal to beam this particular game nationally. Exactly what harm is it to a local broadcaster if their coverage of a great game is aired nationally?

In the end, it's another situation where hockey fans lose. In this case, Versus needed to be more careful about the promises they were making to those fans.

Versus Fails to Keep Word to NHL Fans originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Hurricanes Stun Devils With 2 Late Goals

Tom Mantzouranis — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:50:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, Hurricanes

The Hurricanes must not have been content with letting the Washington Capitals take the spotlight for the night. After the Capitals defeated the Rangers in a thrilling contest on a stellar shot from Sergei Fedorov, the 'Canes one-upped that ending with their own miracle finish, scoring two goals in the final 80 seconds to overcome a 3-2 deficit and eliminate the Devils. The 'Canes advance to play the Bruins in the second round.

But that's a discussion to have later, because Carolina deserves to revel for a night in its tenacity, busting through a Devils defense that stifled for 55 minutes, particularly in the second half of the game. The sequence that unfolded over the game's final minutes left the jaws of everyone watching agape, with the Devils and their fans staring at the floor wondering how their season went from dashing to deceased.

Hurricanes 4, Devils 3: Recap | Box Score | Tuesday's Scores
More: Fedorov the Unlikely Hero for Washington

It appeared the 'Canes had wasted their best chance to get back into a game in which the Devils were outplaying them when New Jersey took three penalties in a little over three minutes to give Carolina a serious manpower advantage (including a lengthy 5-on-3). Instead, the Devils' penalty kill was spot-on, hording the game's momentum like rationed water in a drought. That trend continued into the third as the Devils continued to put the choke on the Hurricanes' speedy offense.

But a familiar pattern began again for the Devils: the inability to play a full 60 minutes or close out games when necessary. And as the Hurricanes began to string chances together, you could see their pulse beating with more and more conviction. Jussi Jokinen finished a breathless sequence by burying the tying goal past Martin Brodeur, who was stretching across the crease to try to get to the shot and who now officially can be considered supremely fallible as underwhelming playoff appearances are becoming more the rule and less the exception.

When Jokinen knotted the game there was under 1:30 left in regulation, but you might as well have written the final score in pen right after leaving just the "how" to be filled in, as the Devils have a history that extends past this season of heartbreaking losses to the Hurricanes, particularly late in games. Of course, that "how" wouldn't be blank for long, as Eric Staal's goal with 32 seconds left ensured that lightning strikes more than twice.

It'll take a night of sleep for each team to begin to grasp what happened on Tuesday night, as coaches Brent Sutter and Paul Maurice admitted to having never been a part of a game like that. One team is likely to sleep a lot better than the other, though, convinced that hard work really does spawn good karma while the other rolls listlessly, trying to eradicate mental rewinds of missed opportunities. Regrets? They probably have a few.

Hurricanes Stun Devils With 2 Late Goals originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Lou Lamoriello's Role Not in Danger

Tom Mantzouranis — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, NHL Economics

The news around the Devils Tuesday should rightfully be about their Game 7 against the Hurricanes, but Sports Business Journal had other plans. They reported Tuesday morning that the team was looking for a business executive to take over revenue-building duties, stripping those duties from do-everything honcho Lou Lamoriello and allowing him the opportunity to focus solely on the hockey operations side.

Apparently, the league has been bitten for the second day in a row by an erroneous report. After ESPN wrongfully reported Monday one-game suspensions for Capitals Donald Brashear and Mike Green only to redact the report shortly thereafter, Devils chairman/managing partner Jeff Vanderbeek called the Lamoriello report "very inaccurate."

They never talked to me about it," Vanderbeek said.

Vanderbeek said emphatically that "Lou is not being relieved of his duties and Lou and I are both working together on this."

The Devils have retained the services of James and Co., an executive search firm, fueling the rumors. Additional kindling could also have rested in the fact that, while the Devils have been very successful on the ice under Lamoriello's watch, they've suffered on the balance sheet, failing to capitalize on a run between 1995 and 2003 that saw three Stanley Cups with any significant revenue growth or marketing initiatives. Certainly, the team can improve on becoming more visible in a digital community that is ripe with opportunities to build a following and some profit.

Still, Lamoriello will continue his omnipresent role with the team, as Vanderbeek said he won't be losing any powers.

The position the Devils are seeking to fill, according to Vanderbeek, is an "arena business executive" position, which will oversee sponsorships, legal development, and finance/ancillary development around Prudential Center, which will also include working with indoor soccer team NJ Ironmen as well as Seton Hall's basketball team, two squads which also play in The Rock.

Some have bemoaned Lamoriello's expansive role with the team, saying it's detracted from the attention he paid to building a near-dynasty in the mid-90s through earlier this decade, but like it or not Lamoriello is the authority of the New Jersey Devils and, like other towering figures in front offices across professional sports (Al Davis, George Steinbrenner, etc), will likely only give up his duties with his last breath.

Meanwhile, a job has opened up in this economy! Get your rèsumés updated.

Lou Lamoriello's Role Not in Danger originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments