Rock Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 Nieuwendyk showing signs of breaking out http://www.bergenrecord.com/page.php?qstr=...2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2 Tuesday, May 13, 2003 By TOM GULITTI STAFF WRITER OTTAWA - The goal was vintage Joe Nieuwendyk. The Devils' center took a pass from Jeff Friesen in the neutral zone and streaked in behind the Ottawa Senators' defense at full speed on the left side. He froze goaltender Patrick Lalime with a slight hesitation before beating him with a low shot to the short side. Just like that the Devils' comeback had begun and Nieuwendyk had made his presence felt in the Eastern Conference finals. That the Devils lost Game 1 of the best-of-seven series, 3-2, in overtime Saturday night only diminished slightly the importance of Nieuwendyk's contribution. " It felt good," Nieuwendyk said Monday, eagerly awaiting Game 2 tonight at the Corel Centre. "And then we got another one right away from Jay [Pandolfo]. I think it started to turn things around for us a little bit." Prior to the series, head coach Pat Burns presented his team with the challenge that it needed to get production from more than just its checking line, which carried the bulk of the offensive load in the first two rounds. Nieuwendyk, 36, had only one goal in this year's playoffs before Saturday night and that one came in the second game of the opening round. That's not the kind of output people are used to seeing from Nieuwendyk in the postseason. He ranks ninth among active players with 59 career playoff goals. No one still participating in this year's tournament has scored more. Consider that Ottawa's entire Game 1 lineup had only 68 total playoff goals to their credit before this season. Nieuwendyk scored 11 goals during Dallas' run to the Stanley Cup in 1999, six of them game-winners, and was voted the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs. So, to have only one goal in the first two rounds couldn't have been satisfying for a player who prides himself on coming through in big games. "I don't look at that," Nieuwendyk said. "I try to play within what the team is doing. We try to keep it tight out there and I definitely have to try to create some opportunities and I feel like that's starting to come on a little bit now." Nieuwendyk has been more involved offensively since being placed on a line with Jeff Friesen and Brian Gionta midway through Game 3 of the conference semifinals against Tampa Bay. Nieuwendyk set up Friesen for a goal in that game and seems to have gotten better with each contest. All three players on the line are fast and create room for each other by forcing defenders to back off. Gionta had a wide-open chance from in front only 1:32 into Saturday's game, but Lalime got a piece of his shot with his right arm. That was just the beginning of an active night for the trio. They combined for eight shots on goal in the game. Nieuwendyk generated several chances by carrying the puck with his speed. The Devils hope that his goal was just the start of something much bigger. "You're not going to keep him quiet too long," Gionta said. "He's one of those players that he's got the speed and skill and if you get him open, he's going to score." Nieuwendyk will be the first to admit that he didn't have the best first half in the regular season. He scored only three goals in the initial 38 games as he struggled to adjust to playing in the Eastern Conference after spending his entire career out West. He warmed up as the season wore on, though, and finished with 17 goals and 45 points. Among the highlights were his 500th career goal on Jan. 17 in Carolina and 1,000th point in Pittsburgh on Feb. 23. Nieuwendyk denies it, but it appears he's had to make another adjustment in the playoffs, where the play is much tighter and physical in the East. "He's been skating," Devils' coach Pat Burns said. "It was just a question of getting things, maybe. We've talked about how players react when they change conferences. It's different sometimes when some guys go from the West to the East. For some players, it's nothing, but other players do [have trouble adjusting]. I think he [Nieuwendyk] is slowly coming into the game in the Eastern Conference, the game without the puck. It's very, very important of how you position yourself and I think that part of the game he's starting to get it. The way he picked that puck up [on his breakaway goal], you could tell he knew what was going to happen." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteyvegas Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 Yeah, I broke out myself. A glass of wine with dinner and chocolate cake afterward gave me a new zit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJayDevil Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 Relevant... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sen4Ever Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 Nieuwendyk broke out long long long time ago, now he is just breaking down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantaRay Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 Niewy seems to be nothing without Langenbrunner as his winger. I would rather see Langer-Niewy-Friesen as a line combo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nieuwy25 Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 Nieuwy is FAR from nothing without Langs. He's FAR from breaking down. He's still got his legs and his good hands and his scoring touch. Sit back and watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weekes Head Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 Nieuwy is FAR from nothing without Langs. He's FAR from breaking down. He's still got his legs and his good hands and his scoring touch. Sit back and watch. Thank you, couldn't have said it better myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brylin18 Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 he's been playing better. scored a really nice goal in the first game....then made that nifty pass to friesen to start him on the 2 on 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njdevils783 Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 Nieuwendyk is a class act and has proven himself time and time again, he doesnt need to put up the big numbers anymore just having a guy like that in the locker room, whose been throught all this multiple time has got to be a little inspirational dont ya think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDF Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 Maybe...burnsy should try Newy with Elias and Gomer with Friesen. GO DEVILS!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantaRay Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 Don't get me wrong, I love Niewy, but he just seems to click with Langs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insanity_gallops Posted May 15, 2003 Share Posted May 15, 2003 Maybe...burnsy should try Newy with Elias and Gomer with Friesen. I dunno about this, simply because the Gomez-Friesen experiment failed in the beginning of the season, when it was expected to work incredibly well. All the two of them could talk about was playing on a line together, but it really didn't work out. Only time Gomez-Friesen worked was when Elias centered it, and even then that line had some issues. Nieuwendyk with Elias would be interesting, but Niewy's line is starting to really click, and I think the GEM line is coming around. I'd rather stick it out for now; I think at least one of these lines is going to have a really big game, very soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainScotty Posted May 15, 2003 Share Posted May 15, 2003 GEM line coming around? you mean like getting stoned? Elias is working, I see it, hes double teamed by two senators, and Gomer is being ridden out of the play, and the two of them seem reluctant to pass to Marshall, who somehow doesnt seem to keep up with the play. Its one thing to throw a couple pucks off legs against tampa, and an entirely other thing to skate with Ottawa and play the puck into the net... I agree, Elias needs new linemates. Perhaps move Elias to Madden's line, and Langs with Gomer... AND WHY THE HELL IS GIONTA IN??? Gets pounded continually, and hes the only one going to the net. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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