devspage

I had a REALLY good feeling about this game and just didn't want to say for the dreaded fear of jinxing. I'm glad it came to pass. Nice power-play action!!!

Jamie short-handed???!!!! Oh baby, Maddenbrunnner is German for "get out of my freakin' way!!!!"

These games in PARTICULAR are gonna be Marty favorites. He will be up for them. Our schedule has been so slow anyway that it's not a big deal.

I don't think it's so ridiculous. I mean, I'd prefer that he starts one of the two back-to-back games against the Canadiens. But logically, Marty is fresh tonight from yet another two day layoff and he ALWAYS gets up for games in Montreal. There's pretty good reasoning behind it.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=12...675&hubName=nhl Report: Flames close to dealing Savard The Calgary Flames have narrowed the field of potential trading partners for centre Marc Savard to two teams, TSN has learned. One of the teams is in the Eastern Conference, sources told TSN, and the other is in the Western Conference. The trade is expected to be consummated today, although that was true more than a week ago, too, when a potential deal fell apart because of injuries on the team that was ready to finalize a trade for the offensive pivot. Savard joined the Flames in 1999 following a trade with the New York Rangers, who made him the 91st pick overall in the 1995 draft. After posting a career high 23 goals and 65 points two years ago, Savard's relationship with the Flames started to sour last season when an injury saw him lose his spot on the top line with Jarome Iginla. His ongoing battles with head coach Greg Gilbert resulted in a trade request over the summer. Savard showed up for training camp out of shape this year, further deepening the rift between player and coach. He has been a healthy scratch in six of the last eight games for the Flames.

Well I meant goals for us. I would expect he isn't gonna be thrilled about the other kind -- and we certainly do see goalie reactions to those on tV.

Like I said, wasn't particularly aiming it at anyone. Trade talk comes up a whole heckuva lot. In fact is it more since the pinned post saying slow down? At the same time, I understand it. Like you say, as hypocritical as that may sound. I'm just expressing my preferences. I understand everyone's right to theirs. The team on the ice is my team. I'm not bemoaning who we do or don't have (even the seems-like laundry list of guys no longer with us who I DO still like).

Didn't trick me. I don't know how anyone could fall for that.

Our guys should be cult heroes here. They've sure done a lot for this franchise. If this team played in Canada, they would be cult heroes there. The Devils don't catch many breaks, even with their own fans. (This isn't aimed to sundstrom, it's something I've been thinking about for a while. A slump means 'off with their heads' to a lot of people. And that's wrong. Now if their predominant attitude becomes one in which they're hurting the fabric of this team, that's when I have a problem. But in the meantime, I'll just keep seeing them as untouchable on our end.)

I love stuff like these. We've got three Cups with these guys and playmaking postseason appearances from both, but they're easily discarded for guys who had better years last year or something. Well, everyone's welcome to their opinion. Mine just is that I'd rather have these two guys familiar with this team's style and proven in the postseason than to go with two guys who may have had better seasons last year. (Of course I just may have proven the theories of all those who wanted to keep Arnott and Sykora, but I do feel those situations were different.)

I bet that actually WOULD free him up, just cause he's not sitting on the bench and thinking too hard. But it doesn't seem to be a Burnsy kinda deal.

I'm not sure which post this was actually in response to. But there's no reason to trade Gomez -- not that I think you think that anyway. Our top two lines should certainly be scoring threats. There should be a line with Gomez on it and a line with Elias on it. Now looking that way, it seems Nieuwy belongs on the latter.

I disagree with 7's statement in regards to Elias as well. I think Nieuwy and Elias work VERY well together. As we all know, Jamie was born to be on the Maddenbrunner line and I think that's where the fault was with them as the No. 1 line. I wish Burns would give them another go. We have pretty limited combos, but he keeps trying the other ones so maybe he'll get around to it. Right now we have him at center, and he works pretty hard there, but he needs guys with some instinct as well to finish off and set up some of these things. I vote Nieuw-E line!!!!

Don't forget the three Elias game-winning goals. (Actually I'm not worried, cause I keep bringing them up myself.) Actually, it's more than coincidence. Obviously these are Fox Sports "keys to the game," who other teams are looking to stop before they do the damage they're capable of. All of them are gonna have to find their way around double-teams and the like, so they can progress to the highest rank of stardom. But the only one I really concern myself with doing it is our guy.

This is from tsn.ca: Bobby Holik is expected back in the lineup when the New York Rangers face the Calgary Flames Thursday night. However, the gritty forward says the hip injury which has kept him sidelined for the last couple of weeks isn't going to get much better. Holik, who signed a five year, $45-million contract with the Rangers in the offseason, has missed eight straight games with a strained hip flexor. While he took part in a full practice on Wednesday, Holik says the hip is about as good as its going to get. "Right now, I've got to get to the point where it's not going to get any worse by playing," Holik tells the New York Times. "But I don't think this will completely go away this season. I'm looking to get to the point where I won't feel worse." Holik suffered the injury in the team's final preseason game October 5 when he was hit in the foot by a slap shot. While x-rays proved negative for a broken foot, Holik complained of lower back pain four days later. It's believed that by favouring his right foot when he skated, he overcompesated which led to the hip problem. This season, Holik has just one goal and one assist in 10 games. Considered one of the best two-way centers in the league, he has an uncharacteristic minus-4 rating.

Well, we obviously feel that way too. Just expressing personal preferences about our former first-team all-star playing the position he won that award for. He seems to like the idea which can only help on the mental game end.

Yep, I don't abide by Elias at center either... and Gionta prob. needs to not be on this line, but he works hard at center. It has much the same effect as, oh say, putting him with Nieuwy would?? (There's another option, Pat.) This move would be a lot better with another serious scoring threat on the line.

Me too. Then Patty can play with Brendan again. Unfortunately tho Naslund's got that slot.

Ah, thanks Little J.

I just saw Marty in the background of one of Little J's pictures, and it brought to mind a question I've always had. Does Marty react to goals in any way noticeable during regular games? I mean regular goals by non-Martys during the regular season. I see precious few, so I'm pretty much watching the action on the ice. And I've meant to look back and see him, but I always forget until it's too late. So anyone got some Marty/goal stories?

Uh, I obviously was there since the term I've given to our third line was in evidence. There was a reminder in the day's articles. Unfortunately it was the ONE day I had to go into work early and was busy all day, sometimes the forces just work against you. Any other day I woulda been here talking about it all early afternoon... I know I'm gonna burned for saying this, cause there are people in here that asked these questions but PLEASE stop asking the same things over again. I don't wanna know anymore what the guys think of their new teammates or the coach or what OBVIOUSLY was his favorite moment. I am soo sick of seeing those questions pop up. Let me add that I'm not trying to just focus in on people here this was meant VERY generally -- and obviously there are Devils fans who aren't here who are gonna ask these questions anyway. I just think we can do better for ourselves than finding out again what Friesen and Tivo are like a-gain when the person isn't really gonna say anything negative. I had a ton more better questions. And he was being so honest that they mighta been answered. But conversely, I'm actually THRILLED to see that no one got a question in twice. I think everyone should at least get a chance for one. So the only solution is I'll have to feed people questions...

Very nice!!! Thanks for posting them for us. --the photo 'ho

I agree Gionta was out of place on that line. The missed shot hurt -- but they all do of late cause we're hunting so hard for offense. Gionta works hard, but he's always seemed third or fourth line to me. He's a sparkplug, but there are still some limitations because of his size -- and he's not bulked up yet. Brylin has learned to survive and flourish at his height. It's something Gionta will have to do. I get the impression it won't be us. But I do think he has trade value, and mainly because he does have a sparkplug nature and because of his playoff experience. It would need to be in a package, but it would work.

The Good: I don't think we'll have to survive all year on Maddenbrunner. We've still got an awful lot of weapons. Just need our weapons to start firing, so to speak... I agreed last night too. Fourth line working VERY hard for their money. (And Jimbo's assist is a good reward.) The Bad: Forgot Berglund. As good a game as he had Saturday, that's how bad it was last night. But it happens. Probably wanted to do too much. Gionta is the wrong horse for the Elias line. But I guess Burns is trying stuff and maybe he'll get around to the Nieuw-E line sooner or later. I think he's thinking away from that because of how they started the season, but I think at that time it was just Brunner needing to be on another line. The Ugly: Marty was apparently worried about the side bet he made with Sykora. He fully expected McDonald to drop pass and not to shoot.

Without a doubt, Maddenbrunner is carrying us. But that's the great thing about this team. It's a long season. At different point in the season, different guys are gonna carry you. And when you're struggling -- even with a good record like we have -- it's gonna be the hardest-working line who gets it done. The Ducks announcers last night were all like "that is NO third line!!!"