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Posts Tagged New Jersey Devils

NHL Photo of the Day

Feb 6

Posted by EB in NHL Photo of the Day | 1 Comment

Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images

Losing back-to-back games over the weekend, the Philadelphia Flyers are in a temporary state of free-falling. This is largely do in part by the combination of struggling net-minders.

Seen here, Sergei Bobrovsky passes while being replaced by Ilya Bryzgalov after letting 6 goals in midway through the second period against the surging New Jersey Devils Saturday night. The loss was followed up by another one against the New York Rangers Sunday night. Together, the two goalies allowed 10 goals on 68 shots faced for a .853 save percentage.

Sure, the Flyers are still sitting comfortable within the Eastern Conference standings, currently in 4th place, but going 4-4-2 in their last 10 games needs to come to an end or other suitors will gladly knock them out of playoff contention.

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Ilya Kovalchuk Gordie Howe Hat Trick

Feb 5

Posted by Chris in Media, News | No Comments

Ilya Kovalchuk proved to the Philadelphia Flyers last night why he is one of the most dangerous players in the game right now – in more ways than one.

Kovalchuk had a big three point effort with a goal and two assists en route to a 6-4 victory over the Flyers. Perhaps the biggest highlight of the night came midway through the third period, however, when Kovalchuk capped off the Howe Hat Trick and dropped the gloves with Flyers forward Brayden Schenn. This was Schenn’s second fight of the season and Kovalchuk’s first. However, for being one of the best snipers in the game, Kovalchuk is no stranger to dropping the gloves as he averages at least one fight per season according to HockeyFights.com.

The two pull away from a scrum at 11:38 of the third period and immediately drop the gloves. It doesn’t take long for the two players to engage each other to establish a dominant position. Kovalchuk appears to be the much stronger player as he throws Schenn around a bit and then lands several solid blows to Schenn’s head before finally landing a solid right hook to Schenn’s jaw that drops him for the count. Check out the full video below that highlights not only the fight, but Kovalchuk’s power play assist and dirty two-on-one snipe for his lone goal of the night. Stick around to the end of the video for a slow-motion replay of Kovi’s right hook on Schenn.

 

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Zach Parise Likely to Play Elsewhere

Dec 6

Posted by EB in Rumors | 1 Comment

Zach Parise may be a New Jersey Devil today, but come trade deadline or free agency, expect him to be on the move.

New Jersey Devil fans have it tough, real tough. If it is not bad enough that the Devils are currently sitting 12th in the standings in the East, young superstar Zach Parise is likely to play for another team come trade deadline or in the off-season.

The Minnesota native Zach Parise is coming into his production years at the age of 27. Playing 7 seasons with the Devils, it is time for some new scenery. With a Silver medal under his belt from 2010, Parise wants a Stanley Cup ring, that of which the Devils won’t do for quite some time.

The Devils of old were once a powerhouse team. Hard hitting defender Scott Stevens, a younger Martin Brodeur between the pipes and head coach Jacques Lemaire made every team cringe. How the years have passed, as the Devils of new are nothing but a pushover. Last year the team missed the playoffs by 12 points. To this day the team is once again sitting on the outside looking in. An argument could be that they are only 2 points back from 8th, but the Eastern Conference is a tricky beast.

My how a few acquisitions, trades and years makes a difference. The Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs have surprised the hockey community as both are currently sitting in playoff spots. It seems Brian Burke’s master plan to take over the hockey world is finally taking form. (insert lightning/thunder/evil laugh now) On the flip side, the Washington Capitals, Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning, all three teams who made the playoffs last season, are currently on the outside looking in. The Devils competition is only going to get tougher.

Over a quarter way in, Parise has only 16 points in 25 games. His total is from a combined 7 goals and 9 assists, a rather poor total for such a player of his caliber. On top of that, Parise has a plus minus rating of negative 10, second to worst on the team, that of which belongs to Ilya Kovalchuk with a negative 11.

Devil fans enjoy the season while it lasts, despite the slow plummet to miss the playoffs yet again. Parise is on the move come trade deadline or free agency. If you are lucky another team will be offering a trade and you can get some depth and draft picks.

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Kings Look to Prove Their Worth

Oct 29

Posted by EB in News | No Comments

Jonathan Quick, net-minder for the Los Angeles Kings has topped the charts for fantasy goalies. Going 6-0-1 in his first 7 starts, his play could be an early indicator of the Kings success this year.

Tonight, the Kings will face the Phoenix Coyotes in a division showdown. The Coyotes are off to a rough start, 4-3-2 in 9 games so far, look to build upon their recent win over the New Jersey Devils. With Ray Whitney, Keith Yandle and Captain Shane Doan leading the team, it is only a matter of time before the Coyotes fight for first place within the division. Factor in a new netminder Mike Smith, after Ilya Bryzgalov went to the Philadelphia flyers (3-4-1 and a 3.44 goals against average this season), and the team is definitely hungry.

The Kings come into this season with a lot to prove after an early exit last year in the playoffs. This was largely in part to the injury to Captain Anze Kopitar. This season, Kopitar looks to have recovered from his broken ankle, as he is tearing it up with 4 goals, 8 assists and a plus 5 overall rating. Furthermore, new addition Mike Richards has 1 goal and 8 helpers so far. Richards had 23 goals last season and 31 the season before that, fans are just waiting for the dam to break.

You cannot speak about the Kings without mentioning defensman Drew Doughty. Doughty had a rough start to the season, holding out for more money then now having an upper-body injury. Tonight he is expected to suit back up against the Coyotes, and hopefully tries to prove he is indeed worth his contract.

The season is young, still too early to see who really has what it takes this year to go all the way. Still, the Kings are looking really good early on. Once all the puzzle pieces start coming together, it will be interesting to see if any team in the Pacific division stands a chance.

 

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Zach Parise Shootout Goal vs. Kings

Oct 14

Posted by EB in Media, News | 1 Comment

Last night the New Jersey Devils took on the Los Angeles Kings on home ice. What ended in a 1-1 tie after regulation and overtime, the two teams went to a shootout.

New Jersey put on a show with Ilya Kovalchuk going first and making it look easy, Johan Hedberg stacking the pads very nicely on Simon Gagne, and about 1:15 in Zach Parise pulling of a nice move that looked effortless. Hedberg cleaned up with a stop on Anze Kopitar who tried the one-hander. Check it out below.

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Devils Strategically Name Parise Captain

Oct 6

Posted by EB in News, Soap Box | No Comments

Change that "A" to a "C" and what do we get? Still uncertainty on whether or not the New Jersey Devils can lock up Zach Parise at the end of his contract.

The New Jersey Devils have named Zach Parise their team Captain with Ilya Kovalchuk and Patrik Elias as Alternate Captains. Parise, who has played all 6 NHL seasons with the Devils, could be the face of the franchise for years to come. Or maybe not.

In the off-season Parise and the Devils had a shaky go at signing the young 27 year old to a multi-year deal. What looked like an inevitable arbitration hearing, the two sides finally agreed upon a 1-year, $6 million dollar contract. For Devil’s fans, this was a step in the right direction in keeping Parise long term. For all other hockey fans, it seemed likely Parise will become possible trade deadline bait in the upcoming NHL season and/or one of the top off-season free agents.  With the new Captaincy placed firmly on his chest, hockey fans are now left to wonder even more what the future holds for the star forward.

The Devils have named Parise Captain, for better or for worse, but in hopes of creating more of an emotional tie to the organization. In doing so, the team is hoping that they can avoid losing him to another team after his contract is up after this season. What surely is a ploy could very well come back and nip the Devils in the butt.

Not all players are cut out to be Captains, but that does not seem to be the case with Parise. Parise is a superstar and a genuinely good player with heart. When healthy, Parise can easily reach the 35+ goal mark, throw in about 45 assists, and you have yourself a perennial 80 point player. Like many sports, those who produce tend to be Captain.

Still though, the question of if Parise wants to play for the Devils has to come into play. Without a doubt Parise will give it his all as Captain for the Devils, but if he ends up moving to a new club, what are Devil’s fans supposed to think and feel? Are fans OK with that, or does it create a negative, hopelessness feeling inside?

The Devil’s organization are playing with fire by making Parise Captain. Maybe it will work out in their favor, they are the Devils after all. But maybe their decision will not. But hey, if the Vancouver Canucks can make a mistake naming goaltender Roberto Luongo Captain, the Devils can make one too.

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Zach Parise Agrees to Terms; Top Fantasy Pick

Jul 31

Posted by EB in Fantasy, News | 5 Comments

The New Jersey Devils and winger Zach Parise have come to terms. After what seemed to be a a guaranteed arbitration hearing, both sides have agreed to a 1 year 6 million dollar contract.

The 26 year old Minnesota native was one of the hot topics of the off-season. Parise, who was a restricted free agent, had the possibility of becoming an unrestricted free agent if the bargaining between the two sides went sour. Had Parise become an unrestricted free agent, Parise could have been approached by other NHL team with contract offers. The talented young player would have definitely had his pick of the litter.

Parise is coming off of an injured 2010-2011 NHL season. He injured his knee during off-season training, opting to play through the pain. Unfortunately hockey is a rough sport, and to his disliking, Parise missed the majority of the season due to exploratory arthroscopic surgery.

The winger broke into the NHL in the 2005-2006 season with the devils and posted a respectable 32 points in 81 games played. Over the next 4 seasons, Parise totaled 303 points in 326 games. His high, only to this point in his career, was 45 goals and 49 assists totaling 94 points in 82 games played. Simply put, Parise is the real deal.

As noted earlier, the Devils and Parise have avoided arbitration and have agreed to a 1 year 6 million dollar contract. In looking at this, the length of the contract, I do not believe Parise will play with the Devils beyond the 2011-2012 season. For Parise, this means that the upcoming NHL season is a season where he needs to not only prove his worth, but play to a caliber that would warrant a big contract. For you as a fan and a fantasy player, this means Parise is going to be putting up big points, upwards of 90+ points. So who might he rival next year? Both Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and yes, Alexander Ovechkin will return to the mix of scoring leaders. Oh, one more guy would be a healthy Sidney Crosby.

Parise has one more year as a Devil and he’s jumping ship. If you are sitting in the third to seventh spot in your draft, Parise would be a good option to take.

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New Jersey Devils file for Arbitration with Parise

Jun 18

Posted by EB in News | 1 Comment

The New Jersey Devils have filed for arbitration with restricted free agent Zach Parise.

On the surface, for Devil’s fans, this is excellent news. Filing for arbitration will look to have Parise play next season with the Devils. After sustaining an injury that took him out for the majority of the season, having his roughly 80 – 100 points a season could mean a lot to a team who missed the playoffs

It is unknown if the Devils look to ask for a reduced salary or are merely protecting their rights to Parise for a year. An arbitrator can reduce a players salary no more than 85% of his current salary, putting Parise at 4.25 million for next year. New Jersey keeps stating that their goal is to sign Parise long term, if so, having his salary reduced would be the last thing they would want to do.

Still though, with the Devils putting themselves in salary cap problems after after signing Ilya Kovalchuk for insane amounts of money, as well as having coaching problems, New Jersey may not look to be appealing to a stud like Parise. Parise, who currently is making 5 million, could easily ask for 7 million. New Jersey could meet his financial request but at a cost of not being able to sign enough depth players to make a go at the Stanley Cup. If talks are not going well between the two parties on a long-term deal, maybe it is in the best interest of the club to have his salary reduced and spend that money elsewhere.

It will be interesting to see what pans out, be it Parise signs for a long-term deal with the Devils or plays for one year and tests the free agency market. One thing that will tip off the Devils and Parise’s plans would be the arbitrator’s salary decision. If Parise plays next season at a reduced salary, expect Parise to be hitting the free agency in the 2012-2013 season.

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Finnish scoring leader Lahti may be free agent target

Jun 14

Posted by Chris in Rumors | No Comments

With a lack of quality scorers in this year’s free agent pool, some NHL teams may choose to look outside the box for sleeper players ready to contribute to their team. That’s what Finnish scoring leader Janne Lahti is hoping anyway.

Lahti is gaining attention as a possible sleeper in this year’s free agency pool after having played in the Finnish hockey league the past three seasons. Last year, Lahti racked up 37 goals and 59 points in 59 games with Jokerit Helsinky.

This wouldn’t be Lahti’s first go-around with North American hockey, however. Lahti spent a season with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League in 2007-08, but struggled at times and only managed a meager nine goals and nine assists in 65 games.

Rumors are swirling that Lahti is weighing offers from several NHL clubs right now with the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings being the frontrunners for his services, but a decision will need to be made soon as June 15 is the deadline to sign European players for NHL teams. New Jersey probably holds an advantage over Detroit as Lahti could immediately step in and claim a roster spot with the Devils where the Red Wings would possibly choose to put Lahti back in the AHL to see what he is capable of  and allow him to acclimate to the North American style if he doesn’t earn a roster spot out of training camp – something that is highly unlikely as Detroit has an abundance of players right now both waiting to crack their lineup and hoping to return instead of being forced into retirement.

Several other teams are looking for quality scoring and could get in on the hunt today or tomorrow before Lahti makes a decision. The Kings, Rangers and Maple Leafs have all expressed interest in beefing up their offense this offseason.

Landing a highly coveted European free agent comes with its risks. Several years ago, Fabian Brunnstrom was a relative nobody garnering a lot of attention from NHL clubs. After being courted by several teams, Brunnstrom decided to sign with the Dallas Stars where he was offered an immediate roster spot. Brunnstrom struggled and has spent most of his career in the minors since signing in 2008-09.

Ville Leino was another highly coveted European free agent when he signed with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008 after posting 77 points in the Finnish league. Leino came in with high promise but never fully panned out with the Wings but found himself a home with the Philadelphia Flyers where he was a key component in their Stanley Cup playoffs run last season. Leino followed up that performance with 19 goals and 53 points this past season and could still have more potential in the future.

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New Jersey Devils Playoff Chances

Mar 25

Posted by Matt in News | No Comments

Ilya Kovalchuk New Jersey Devils

Ilya Kovalchuk of the New Jersey Devils

From the start of the regular season to the second week of January, no team had an outlook as miserable as the New Jersey Devils. With star forward Zach Parise sidelined for the better part of the remainder of the season, fans began to lose all hope in their home team. But after firing former head coach John MacLean, and re-hiring defensive minded Jacques Lemaire, things slowly began to turn around in Newark.

The low point for the Devils, on January 8th, 2011, saw the team sitting last place in the NHL and holding only 27 points. The very next night, however, you could sense a change. With the red hot Tampa Bay Lightning in town, the Devils rallied for a 6-3 victory, piling up the most goals in a game since a 5-0 rout of the Capitals on November 22. Five nights later in Tampa Bay we saw a repeat performance from the Devils, winning 5-2 and picking up only their second set of back-to-back wins all season. The next week, more of the same. The Devils picked up points in eight of their final nine games in January, and were no longer an afterthought.

Come February, the New Jersey Devils were the hottest team in the NHL. GM Lou Lamoriello, who brought in the talented Ilya Kovalchuck, was finally seeing his work pay off. Kovalchuk, who had been streaky throughout the season, began to settle in to his role and picked up points in all but one game in February, scoring seven goals in the process. The Devils added eleven wins to their record, and notched points in all but one game in February. For a team that had such a slim chance at making the playoffs one month prior, the goal was actually looking like it might happen.

Through the start of March, more of the same. The team looked brand new, and unbeatable, behind the stellar play of Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg. After their win against the Thrashers on March 15th, the Devils had worked their way up to a 5.74% chance of making the playoffs according to Sports Club Stats.

Unfortunately, a string of three losses in the four games following has taken a huge hit in their shot at the playoffs. With only nine games left in the season, we will have to see the Devils win virtually every game left, and have a great bit of luck, to keep them in it. While we can’t say they’re definitely out of it yet, things are starting to look grim again for the Devils.

On a positive note, for anyone who is still holding on to hope, Zach Parise is set to return to game action March 30th against the Islanders. Will he be a difference maker coming down the stretch? Can he help the Devils complete the impossible turnaround?

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