Rock

They shouldn't give out the award if one loss ends a goaltender's chances for the award! As I said before and Brodeur has said before, individual honors are nice, but a Stanley Cup is nicer! Wow, one "bad" game( I don't think it was that bad a game for him, just that Roy had a great game.) and the finger pointing starts already. As for the warmups, when they are shooting on the goaltender, the warmups are for the goaltender! They usually start shooting softer, easier ones at the beginning of the warmups to get the goaltender moving and they go to a little more difficult ones as the warmups proceed. The intention is to get the goaltender loosened up not to shoot the hardest shots they can.

Leafs had `better' offer on table for Pens star, Watters says http://waymoresports.thestar.com/NASApp/cs...eafs/MapleLeafs Feb. 11, 2003. 01:00 AM Glen Colbourn Sports Reporter Once again, the Maple Leafs are a bridesmaid at the NHL trading altar. The cash-starved Pittsburgh Penguins shipped Alexei Kovalev

FOR DEVILS, DEFENSE PAY$ By MARK (N)Єverson http://www.nypost.com/sports/devils/30248.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- February 11, 2003 -- DENVER - When the Devils speak of buying into team defense, some of it could be money talking. There's more than just pride in the fact that the Devils are best in the league in goals-against as they face the Avalanche here tonight and visit Phoenix tomorrow. They're earning extra spending money, too. In nearly half their games, 24 of 54, the Devils have earned team bonuses for allowing fewer than two goals. It may seem small potatoes for players who earn up to $80,000 each per game, but each Devil on the team bonus plan is said to make $1,000 each time they shut out opponents and $500 for each one-goal game. Those tiny spuds make a nice side dish. The Devils have allowed one goal 17 times this season and completed seven shutouts. That's a total of $8,500 per player for the one-goal games, and $7,000 more each for the shutouts, $15,500 extra per regular, a total team outlay of $330,000 so far, just on that bonus. It was all in fun and the bonus was probably the last thing Joe Nieuwendyk was thinking, but he posed as a towel-clad reporter Sunday after Martin Brodeur set an NHL record by winning 30 games for the eighth straight season. The Devils beat Minnesota 3-2, but missed the bonus when Brodeur dropped a point shot that was rebounded by Pascal Dupuis for the second Wild goal. "What were you thinking on that second goal?" asked Nieuwendyk, who lost the draw on that play. "I was thinking that my centerman [Nieuwendyk] was going to win the faceoff," said Brodeur, expected to face boyhood hero Patrick Roy here tonight. Corey Schwab, who could face Phoenix tomorrow, has done his part in the bonus department. He has cost GM Lou Lamoriello money in each of his last five starts, missing only in his long-delayed season debut. Schwab owns one shutout and four one-goal games, one of those being a 1-0 loss. The scant 17 goals the Devils have allowed in those 24 payoff games have pointed them toward their third Jennings Trophy for best goals-against the NHL. Another Jennings would be an additional qualification for Brodeur to win his first Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goalie. While Roy has won only 18 games this season, he would still tie Brodeur's record of eight straight 30-victory seasons if he wins 12 of the Avs' final 28 games. "He's playing well of late, so there's no reason why he couldn't do it," said Brodeur, on pace for 45 victories this season, which would make him the only goalie to post four 40-victory campaigns. (How about that? If true, (N)Єverson actually reported something interesting and not malicious!)

POOR PLAY MIFFS HOLIK http://www.nypost.com/sports/rangers/30238.htm By DAVE CURTIS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- February 11, 2003 -- Bobby Holik keeps looking for even the smallest hints of progress. He wants to believe that the Rangers of the near future can resemble the Cup-contending Devils with whom he spent the last decade. But he's sick of struggling to find promise in his team. He's sick of its play and its penalties, sick of its perception and its place in the standings. "There's a way this team needs to play to win, and we don't play that way," Holik said yesterday, hours before the eight-player trade that brought back former Ranger Alexei Kovalev. "We're playing with more passion, more spark. But the bad still outweighs the good," Holik added. Holik's frustration has accumulated throughout the season, particularly during recent Ranger woes. Although it may be tough for the hard-nosed center with 134 career playoff games to see his squad tied for 11th in the East and six points out of the playoffs, he says he's also disgusted with an impatient fan base. "I believe that this team plays hard every day and we show it every day," he said. "But the results aren't there, so people think that we don't. We play hard, we care, and that's all that's important [regardless] of anything else." Even with a coaching change and typical lineup tinkering, Holik thinks the Rangers still need a boost. The addition of Kovalev and the Pittsburgh crew will overhaul about a fifth of the roster. Brian Leetch and Pavel Bure both practiced again yesterday, insisting they hope to play again soon. Leetch's left ankle remains sore, and he's still unable to stop when moving to his left. He said yesterday that he took several cortisone shots, the last coming four weeks ago, to help reduce swelling and speed his recovery. Now, aided only by rest and anti-inflammatory medicines, Leetch continues to work his way back. "[Yesterday], I could skate backwards, snow plow backwards," he said. "I can do a little of that now. It's a slow process, though. It's taking a lot longer than anyone else thought." Like Leetch, Bure ruled himself out of tomorrow's clash with Florida (head coach and general manager Glenn Sather deemed them both "doubtful"). Bure stayed on the ice for extra shooting after the workout yesterday and then retreated to the weight room. There, he hooked himself to a resistance machine and hopped from leg to leg, strengthening his injured knee and trying to give his teammates another reason for optimism. "I want to play and help the team," he said, dispelling any notion of him sitting out the season. "I don't even need to be 100 percent. But there are still little things where my body reacts differently [than before the surgery]."

Devils have dispelled their demons http://www.sportingnews.com/voices/kara_yo...o/20030210.html February 10, 2003 For three months, the Devils quietly collected close wins. The team was good but not great, and it definitely was deficient up front. Suddenly the Devils are the hottest team in the league, boasting a potent offense and their usual stingy defense. This transformation can be attributed to the turnaround of two key offensive players. Center Scott Gomez struggled at the beginning of this season, unsure of his role under new coach Pat Burns, whose personality is the polar opposite of Gomez's. Gomez thought about things until he was so confused and angry, he didn't see a way out of the abyss. Someone familiar with his struggles says Gomez finally gathered his courage to ask the ornery Burns for an explanation. The players don't feel the coach's door is open, but Gomez knocked anyway. He didn't get an answer from Burns. After that, things got worse, but the team kept winning, thanks to great goaltending by Martin Brodeur and the defense. But you can't expect to win every game 2-1 or 1-0. Patrik Elias also struggled early and fought through Burns' ways and his constant line tinkering. For Elias, friends and family helped him believe in himself again. Elias says teammates must support each other under a coach such as Burns. But what happens when the boosters can't be found? Then, like Elias, a player must look outside the arena. For Gomez, it took a visit from his parents in late December to wake him up. "I felt bad the way I acted (during their visit)," Gomez says. "I wasn't myself. I was down. I was really letting it get to me." His father, normally counted on to tell his son to stop whining, instead sympathized. His son wasn't playing in key situations and wasn't playing enough. Someone was messing with him. Gomez had validation. Now what? A less mature player would have gone to reporters and disrupted the team or packed it in. Gomez took a different route. He woke up one morning and decided enough was enough. He was at his breaking point but refused to break. Was this what Burns wanted all along? Gomez doesn't know and doesn't care. Did the Devils' turnaround start with Gomez's parents and Elias' friends? Maybe. But don't discount a visit in January from former coach and current consultant Larry Robinson. "Larry can make a homeless person feel like the richest man in the world," Gomez says. Robinson can also make a struggling player (or two) remember the good times, remember the joy of playing the game and rebuild the confidence another has slowly eroded. It is no coincidence that since Gomez and Elias started having fun and playing with confidence, the Devils have started to look dominant. About that same time, Burns juggled the line combinations. He reunited center Joe Nieuwendyk and right winger Jamie Langenbrunner, a duo that had success with Dallas and played well together before with the Devils. But, since training camp, Burns wanted nothing to do with the past. He created his own combinations to work in his own view of how things should be. Eventually he gave in. Did somebody finally tell him to? "Nobody tells Pat what to do," says one person who knows Burns. Burns offers no explanation of the impetus for the change. He's not one to let us in on his reasoning. A few games after putting Nieuwendyk and Langenbrunner together, Burns put Elias on Gomez's left. The two played together earlier, with Elias at center and Gomez on the wing. Both were uncomfortable, and the combination didn't jell. Months later, here they were, back together, hitting their stride and gaining confidence. They helped make the Devils the hottest team in the league. Elias and Gomez were put together January 13. In the next 10 games they played together (Elias missed one game because of a back injury), they combined for seven goals and 18 assists, and the Devils went 9-0-0-1. Elias is the finisher for Gomez, a playmaker who often sets up behind the net and finds Elias in front. Jiri Bicek, who has speed, solid positioning and quick passing skills, completed the line. Despite that success, Burns broke up Gomez and Elias again. With winger Sergei Brylin out for two to three months because of a broken wrist, Burns moved Elias into Brylin's spot on the checking line with John Madden and Jay Pandolfo. Turner Stevenson replaced Elias on the line with Gomez and Bicek. The better move would have been to put Stevenson with Madden and Pandolfo -- those three have a history -- or plug winger Christian Berglund into Brylin's spot. Instead, the team's leading scorer found himself on the checking line. Burns talks about having two lines of offensive players and two lines of role players, but he mixed and matched. It was a mistake. It left Gomez without a finisher. It made Elias' primary responsibility prevention instead of production. And the Devils lost to the Thrashers, 4-2. The next game, the duo was back together. Burns can try, but he can't get around it: The success of his team goes hand-in-hand with the production of Gomez and Elias. At the moment, they are at their best together.

Next milestone in Brodeur's sites: No goaltender has EVER posted 4 40 win seasons in their career. Go Marty Go!

BRODEUR NETS 30TH AS DEVILS ICE WILD By MARK (N)Єverson -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- February 10, 2003 -- The NHL's GMs could prove they aren't utterly clueless, that they actually know something about hockey. Come April, the braintrust could finally vote Martin Brodeur his first Vezina Trophy. Perhaps the strongest indictment of their brilliance is that in his nine previous seasons, Brodeur has been runner-up only twice, despite the fact that he has won far more games (352) than any other goalie since 1993-94, when he broke into the league for good. (It's kind of shocking to see his poison pen used against somebody else instead of Lou or the Devils.) Brodeur today stands as the only goalie in NHL history to post eight straight 30-victory seasons, breaking the record with a 3-2 triumph over the Wild at the Meadowlands yesterday. Should he win 10 of the Devils' final 28, and he's on pace to win 15 of those, he'll be the only goalie to record four 40-victory seasons. The names he is eclipsing are those of legend, while he makes one of his own. Brodeur moved past Patrick Roy (1996-97 through 2001-02) and Tony Esposito (1969-70 through 1975-76), who had shared his record of seven straight 30-victory seasons. The only other goalies who managed three 40-victory seasons are Terry Sawchuk and Jacques Plante, perhaps the greatest of the ages. And still no Vezina. It is as big an injustice as the writers never voting Scott Stevens a Norris Trophy. "I have two Stanley Cups. That's where I try to keep my mind," said Brodeur, 30-15-3 this season. "I had stats good enough to win that award and it just didn't happen. "If it happens, I'll be really excited about it. If it doesn't, I'll look at what I have accomplished." Since Brodeur entered the league, Jose Theodore, Dominik Hasek (six times), Olaf Kolzig and Jim Carey have won the Vezina, first awarded in 1928 to Montreal's George Hainsworth, named for Montreal's Georges Vezina, who died from TB scant months after collapsing in a game Nov. 28, 1925. It goes to the "goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at his position." This year, scouts, GMs, players, coaches, are widely agreeing that Brodeur is the best. "The Olympics I think opened some eyes towards me," Brodeur said. "It's not something I'm going to lose any sleep over, although it's something I'd love to win." First things first with a Vezina, but if Theodore could win the Hart Trophy last year as NHL MVP, Brodeur surely merits consideration for that biggest award. He leads the league in victories, stands third in goals-against and second in shutouts. "Hey, I'm up for anything," Brodeur said. "It doesn't change anything, but [awards] are fun to get." Despite the tightness of the victory, there was little doubt that Brodeur would set his record once the Devils took a 2-0 lead. Colin White opened the scoring 15:58 into the first, his right point slap finding the high short side on Dwayne Roloson after John Madden won an offensive draw from Sergei Zholtok. Patrik Elias pulled up on a right wing 1-on-1 rush and used Lubomir Sekeras as a screen for his 17th at 3:06 of the second. Pierre-Marc Bouchard put the Wild on the board at 7:04 of the second, converting a power play, roofing his fifth from the right side of the crease, over Brodeur's left pad and glove. Jamie Langenbrunner reopened the Devils' two-goal lead at 11:21 of the third with his 15th, directing Brian Rafalski's right point shot under Roloson's glove, short side. That goal proved vital when Pascal Dupuis answered 2:09 later. Darby Hendrickson beat Joe Nieuwendyk on an offensive draw, and Brodeur dropped Nick Schultz's point shot, easy pickings for Dupuis' 13th.

Stevens sacrifices body, escapes serious injury http://www.bergenrecord.com/page.php?qstr=...UVFeXk2MzM5NjU1 Monday, February 10, 2003 By TOM GULITTI Staff Writer EAST RUTHERFORD - Scott Stevens said he was never worried. But some eyebrows were raised at least temporarily on the home bench and among the crowd at Continental Arena when the Devils' defenseman had to drag himself off the ice after being struck by a shot from Minnesota's Pascal Dupuis with three minutes remaining Sunday. Stevens went down in the right circle to block Dupuis' slap shot and took the full force of it on the outside of his right knee. "It just hit a nerve and my leg went numb for a while," Stevens said after the 3-2 victory. "There were no muscles, just the nerve." After the feeling returned, Stevens took a test skate in front of the bench during a stoppage in play in the final minute, but did not play. CHECKMATE: The Devils' checking line of Jay Pandolfo, John Madden, and Turner Stevenson combined with defensemen Scott Niedermayer and Colin White to hold Minnesota's most dangerous offensive player, 20-year-old all-star Marian Gaborik, without a shot on goal for only the second time this season. Gaborik leads the team and is tied for 12th in the league with 26 goals. Burns opted to use Niedermayer and White over Scott Stevens and Brian Rafalski, who often get the assignment of playing against the opposition's top line. DEVILS BRIEFS: Including his goal Sunday, Patrik Elias has three goals and six assists in his past five games. ... Rookie center Mike Rupp missed his third consecutive game with the flu, but did fly with the team to Denver on Sunday night. The Devils play the Avalanche Tuesday and are in Phoenix on Wednesday before returning home. ... . Right wing Brian Gionta (hairline fracture right fibula) is expected to begin skating this week.

First goalie to post eight straight 30-win seasons http://www.bergenrecord.com/page.php?qstr=...UVFeXk2MzM5NjY1 Monday, February 10, 2003 By TOM GULITTI Staff Writer EAST RUTHERFORD - Martin Brodeur decided long ago not to worry about things he can't control - such as the voting for the Vezina Trophy or even the Hart. The Devils' goaltender focuses instead on things he can have a direct hand in - such as stopping pucks and winning games and Stanley Cups. So, Brodeur is leaving it to others to decide what reaching 30 wins for the eighth consecutive season does for his Vezina chances. Brodeur accomplished the feat Sunday afternoon when the Devils defeated the Minnesota Wild, 3-2, at Continental Arena. No goaltender in NHL history has achieved that level of consistency. Only two others won 30 games seven years in a row: Tony Esposito (1969-70 to 1975-76) and Patrick Roy (1995-96-current). And Roy is going to be hard-pressed to get his eighth in a row this season. He had 18 wins entering Sunday's game against Calgary. The team rebounded nicely from Friday night's 4-2 loss to Atlanta that ended its streak of 14 games with a point (12-0-1-1). The Devils remain the only team in the league this season not to go two games in row without a point. That's a big reason why they are only one point behind Ottawa for first place in the Eastern Conference and first place overall. Coach Jacques Lemaire's surprising Wild, who are in the middle of the Western Conference playoff picture in just their third year of existence, forced the Devils to battle until the final buzzer, despite twice falling behind by two goals. The checking line of Jay Pandolfo, John Madden, and Turner Stevenson combined with defensemen Scott Niedermayer and Colin White to hold Wild all-star Marian Gaborik without a shot on goal.White scored the Devils' first goal on a slap shot that clanked in off the crossbar with 4:02 remaining in the first. Patrik Elias, released from his two-game stint on the checking line and reunited with Scott Gomez and Jiri Bicek, made it 2-0 with a highlight goal 3:06 into the second. After skating into a beautiful lead pass from Gomez, Elias pulled up in the right circle, allowing Lubomir Sekeras to fly by, and then used the Wild defenseman as a screen while ripping a wrist shot over goaltender Dwayne Roloson's right shoulder and into the top corner of the net. But a power-play goal by Pierre-Marc Bouchard, which Brodeur got a piece of with his glove, made it 2-1 at 7:04 of the second. Then, after a Jamie Langenbrunner deflection 11:21 into the third put the Devils back up by two, Pascal Dupuis pounced on a rare sloppy Brodeur rebound to make it 3-2 with 6:30 left. Brodeur and the Devils were able to hold off the Wild the rest of the way, though, and were in a light mood in the locker room afterward as they prepared to fly to Denver for Tuesday's game in Colorado. As Brodeur was assessing his milestone, Joe Nieuwendyk, who lost the draw that led to Dupuis' goal, popped his head into the media scrum and asked, When it comes to individual awards, Brodeur has learned not to think at all. He won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie in 1994 and that's it. But he does have two Stanley Cup rings. So he's not getting caught up in the talk that he will finally win the Vezina he's deserved for so long or that he could pick up a Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player, too. "I'm up for anything," he said. "It doesn't change much in my life either. They [awards] are fun to get. Just to be recognized is nice." Now, Brodeur's looking forward to the next milestone. He would be the first goaltender to post four 40-win seasons. And Bernie Parent's record of 47 wins is still a possibility with 28 games remaining. "It's still going," Brodeur said. "Hopefully I'll be able to add onto this." MR. CONSISTENT Of all Martin Brodeur's feats, becoming the first goalie with eight straight 30-win seasons is one the most impressive. Here's how other great goalies stack up: Goalie Consecutive seasons Martin Brodeur 8, 1995-96 to present Patrick Roy 7, 1995-96 to present* Tony Esposito 7, 1969-70 to 1975-76 Other notables Jacques Plante 6, 1954-55 to 1959-60 Terry Sawchuk 5, 1950-51 to 1954-55 Ken Dryden 5, 1974-75 to 1978-79 Bernie Parent 3, 1972-73 to 1974-75 Dominik Hasek 3, 1996-97 to 1998-99 Glenn Hall 3, 1961-62 to 1963-64 Grant Fuhr 2, 1995-96 to 1996-97 Billy Smith 1, 1981-82 * Has 18 wins entering Sunday night's game

With every record he sets, I hope more people realize how special he is, and to enjoy his play right now. To think about how often we take him for granted! We get to see him play game in and game out!

Just thought I'd add this little blurb from Spectors on something Strachan wrote in the Toronto Sun: The Calgary Flames would like to move Jarome Iginla, but only for three players who can step into their roster and contribute right away, which makes a deal unlikely. Spector's Note: Way to go, Strach! Two in a row! Nice to see he's staying away from the truly bizarre rumours he used to report, like Eric Lindros going to Boston because the Bruins needed a marquee name.

Rupp was out for warmups then the only scratch for the Devils,

It's not Lou's style to block trades. The Devils would have to give up a lot to get Iginla. The Flyers have the ability to pay him, but will probably have to strip a big part of their future to obtain him, as would any team. The Devils are doing very well right now, I don't see Lou dismantling the team to get a major star. On radio, coming home from the game Velishek (sp?)pointed out that in the last 16 games out of a possible 32 points the Devils got 28!!! That's without a so called superstar mentioned in trade rumors. Why ruin a good team to get one player?

There was a loud Wild contingent sitting a couple of sections away from me. They were chanting Lets go Wild, I finally got the Devils fans to drown out "Wild" with "Devils", Of course there were the counter "Wild Sucks!" after the chant, but I feel it's always best to drown out the opposition, especially at CAA.

He had his head down on the bench for a few minutes, when they had the TV timeout he got on the ice and did a little skate around in the Devils end. He could put weight on it. But no, he didn't see any game action the final minutes.

Devils' Niedermayer quietly effective http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=e...UVFeXk2MzM5Mzcy Sunday, February 9, 2003 By TOM GULITTI Staff Writer WEST ORANGE - To play for the Devils is to do so quietly. So, here is defenseman Scott Niedermayer, hardly making a peep, while many of his teammates believe he is having his finest NHL season, a season worthy of Norris Trophy recognition. He has nine goals and 18 assists in 53 games and is on pace to have his best offensive season since he registered 48 points in 1999-2000. But his most important contributions have come in the defensive zone, an area where he has greatly improved since he used to butt heads with Jacques Lemaire early in his career. His plus-17 defensive rating is tops among the team's defensemen. Ironically, Niedermayer, 29, now concedes he learned much from playing under Lemaire, who returns to Continental Arena this afternoon with the Minnesota Wild. Niedermayer's strong play was a big factor in the team's run of 14 consecutive games with a point (12-0-1-1), which ended with Friday's 4-2 loss to Atlanta. Although Stevens and goaltender Martin Brodeur were selected for last weekend's NHL All-Star Game, Niedermayer was overlooked. Not that it bothered him much. He was just as happy to stay home for the weekend and rest. Which is the same attitude Niedermayer is taking toward the Norris Trophy, which goes annually to the NHL's top defenseman. Mostly because his offensive numbers aren't good enough to place him among the league leaders, he has received little mention as a contender for that award. Few would dispute that Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom is the favorite to win his third consecutive Norris. But after that, the names mentioned include Al MacInnis, Sergei Gonchar, Rob Blake, and Sergei Zubov. Stevens still gets more recognition around the league than Niedermayer and he has never won the Norris. Like Brodeur with the Vezina Trophy, Stevens long ago gave up paying attention to Norris talk. Still, though the Devils have been widely recognized as one of the top defensive teams in the league for the past decade - they lead the league in goals-against average and penalty killing this season - they have never had a player win a Vezina or a Norris Trophy. The only defense-oriented individual award they received was the Selke Trophy John Madden won two seasons ago. So, Niedermayer isn't counting on anything this season. "People talk about it as a possibility, not necessarily this year, but I've heard it before," he said. "There are a lot of good defensemen out there and, again, it's one of those things you can't really control." DEVILS BRIEFS: After using Patrik Elias on the checking line and sparingly on the power play Friday, Burns reunited him with Scott Gomez and Jiri Bicek Saturday and plans to use that trio together today. "He's an offensive guy, so you put him with offensive guys," Burns said. ... Defenseman Colin White sat out practice after being struck in the ankle with a shot Friday night, but will play today.

Lemaire's brand of hockey has spread like wildfire http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=e...UVFeXk2MzM5MzY2 Sunday, February 9, 2003 By TOM GULITTI Staff Writer Philadelphia Flyers' coach Ken Hitchcock was talking recently about the similarities between himself and Devils' coach Pat Burns. "Both of us come from different pasts, but both of us coach the way Montreal played in the 70s and 60s," Hitchcock said. Call the system what you want. When Jacques Lemaire was the head coach of the Devils, somebody labeled it the neutral-zone trap. Lemaire always insisted his teams had been playing it for years, back to the days when he was playing and winning Stanley Cups with the Canadiens. No one had called it "the trap" before, but the name stuck. The Devils used it to win the Stanley Cup in 1995. Lemaire even named his boat after it. There are variations. Detroit plays the left-wing lock, but it's essentially the same thing. And a lot of it goes back to Lemaire. Lemaire's Minnesota Wild are more than getting by with it as their system. They come to Continental Arena this afternoon in solid playoff position in the Western Conference - they were in fifth place with 63 points entering Saturday's action - and they are in just their third year. Burns termed the Wild "a mirror image" of his own team, and it's no coincidence. When Burns was head coach of the Canadiens in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he often picked Lemaire's brain. At the time, Lemaire was out of coaching, working as an assistant general manager for the Canadiens. Burns talks much the way Lemaire used to. He thinks in terms of scoring chances, not shots on goal. And, most of all, wins and losses. (Now we have another piece of the puzzle, Lou wanted to get back to Devils hockey under Jacques, when he hired Burns.)It's been nearly 10 years since Devils GM Lou Lamoriello persuaded Lemaire to come to New Jersey and teach his team how to win. And, though Lemaire stepped down in 1998, the Devils have kept winning his way. They captured a second Stanley Cup under Larry Robinson in 2000 and came within one win of a third in 2001. Now, they're battling for first overall under Burns, and little has changed. Except that now, Lemaire is getting the credit he often was denied during his days in New Jersey. Some of his own players needed convincing that thinking defense first was the right way to go. Now those same players are preaching his principles. Earlier this season, Bobby Holik, who often complained of feeling restrained under Lemaire, invoked his former coach's name and the lessons he learned under him when talking about the problems the Rangers are still having with committing to team defense. Similarly, Devils' defenseman Scott Niedermayer now admits Lemaire had a strong positive influence on his development as a player. "I remember at one time there was a lot of [complaining] going on here about Jacques Lemaire not letting them play," Burns said. "I think the players understand now that they're more mature that they learned a lot and he made a lot of players a lot better here." Lemaire's way of winning wasn't always as widely accepted. The Rangers played it under Roger Nielson before it was called "the trap" and didn't win, so he lost his job. There were many critics that complained that the Devils' 1995 Cup was bad for the sport because other teams would soon mimic them. When John Muckler, a disciple of Glen Sather's run-and gun tactics in Edmonton, was head coach of the Rangers, he called the Devils' 1995 triumph "a mistake." Whether you like it or not, though, being defensively responsible, and sometimes passive offensively in order to protect a lead, is the only way to win in the NHL now. Hitchcock points out that there are only three or four teams that don't play that way today and "they're having a tough time." "I think the whole league has moved that way in the last 10 years," Niedermayer said. "With the nature of the game right now, to be successful you have to play strong defense. We're here to try to win, so I guess being able to play that way is an advantage."

I think you are preaching to the choir here. We all attend as many games as our situations allow. Even if every registered member happened to attend the same game, it would be about 200-400 more depending on who we brought with us. Not the couple of thousand they need to sell out the cavernous barn. The trick is to get the casual hockey fan there, not the rabid ones here.

Devils' big problem is replacing Brylin http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=e...UVFeXk2MzM4NDI0 Friday, February 7, 2003 By TOM GULITTI Staff Writer WEST ORANGE - The Devils call Sergei Brylin "The Remedy." Now they a need a cure. Or at least a long-term substitute. The versatile forward underwent surgery Thursday morning to repair what Devils' general manager Lou Lamoriello termed "a severe fracture" of his right wrist. Lamoriello said the surgery involved placing pins in the wrist and that Brylin will be out two to three months. That means Brylin, who was injured in a collision in the first period of Wednesday night's 4-1 victory at Washington, will miss the remainder of the regular season and probably the start of the playoffs. Brylin's injury comes at a time when the Devils are the hottest team in the league. They are 12-0-1-1 in their last 14 games and were tied for first overall in the league with Dallas and Ottawa with 73 points entering Thursday's action. The Devils will be going after two milestones in tonight's game against Atlanta at Continental Arena. With a victory, Martin Brodeur would become the first goaltender in NHL history to record eight consecutive 30-win seasons. The team is seeking its ninth consecutive win at home, which would break the team record set in 1987-88. Brylin, 29, has 11 goals and eight assists in 52 games this season. Burns had been using him at right wing on the checking line with John Madden and Jay Pandolfo for the last four weeks, but he's played him at every forward position and in offensive and defensive roles this season. He also kills penalties and has played occasionally on the power play. In Wednesday's game, Burns used Patrik Elias in Brylin's spot on the checking line and the move paid off when Madden scored three goals and Elias assisted on all three. But it's more likely Turner Stevenson will end up in that position more often than Elias. Stevenson filled in admirably on the checking line earlier this season when Pandolfo was injured. "I think Pat wants to keep Patrik and [scott Gomez] together because they work so well together," Stevenson said. "But I don't know what Pat has planned. But I've played with [Madden] and [Pandolfo] before and I have no problem with that." Another option is right wing Brian Gionta, whom Lamoriello said should be ready to return from a fractured right fibula next week. There's also a possibility that Lamoriello would look outside the organization for a replacement. Atlanta's Shawn McEachern has previously been linked to the Devils in trade rumors. McEachern, 33, is a two-way forward much like Brylin in that he can play in offensive and defensive roles. The Thrashers are looking to move him before the March 11 trade deadline and their asking price is not likely to be high because he is slated to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. For now, the Devils will move on with what they have. But they don't think they've seen the last of Brylin this season. DEVILS BRIEFS: Lamoriello said concussion specialist Dr. Karen Johnston is overseeing defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky's recovery, though he continues to insist Tverdovsky did not suffer a concussion. ... Tony Esposito (1969-70 through 1975-76) and Patrick Roy (1995-96 to current) are the only other goaltenders with seven consecutive 30-win seasons. Roy had 16 wins this season entering Colorado's game Thursday in Detroit. ... The Devils also won eight in a row at home from Oct. 9 to Nov. 7, 1987.

I thought that our own team inflicted injuries were a thing of the past when Holik left!

msweet, by putting up all of his quotes, it looks like you are starting to think like Pat Burns! B)

Supposedly in another article Brodeur was given the choice to start the 2nd or the third period. Marty was quoted as saying he chose the 2nd. Though he wished he had picked the third, because he thought a "shoot out would be fun" It was in one of the Monday papers.

Madden does the trick as Devils keep it going http://www.bergenrecord.com/page.php?qstr=...UVFeXk2MzM4MTM5 Thursday, February 6, 2003 By TOM GULITTI Staff Writer WASHINGTON - Pat Burns had to make a quick decision and, like almost everything the Devils' coach has done lately, it turned out to be a stroke of genius. When Sergei Brylin went down with an apparent fractured right wrist in the first period Wednesday night against the Washington Capitals at MCI Center, Burns turned to Patrik Elias to take Brylin's place on the checking line with John Madden and Jay Pandolfo. Their assignment: Hold the red-hot Jaromir Jagr in check. They did better than that. Although Jagr set up the Caps' only goal, he watched helplessly as Madden scored three times and assisted on another goal to lead the Devils to a 4-1 victory that continued their roll as the NHL's hottest team. It was Madden's second career hat trick. Elias assisted on all three of his goals. "It feels great," Madden said. "They had been playing real well. It was a good win for us." The win was New Jersey's fourth in a row and upped its record to 12-0-1-1 in its last 14 games. The 14-game point streak is the longest in franchise history, with an overtime loss in Los Angeles on Jan. 25 the only blemish. With Ottawa beating the Rangers on Wednesday, the Devils remained tied with the Senators for first place in the Eastern Conference with 73 points, but they extended their Atlantic Division lead over idle Philadelphia to seven points. "We just don't want to lose now when it's going this well and we're having fun and we're winning," Devils captain Scott Stevens said. The Capitals lost for only the fourth time in their last 23 games (12-4-4-3). Jagr had scored seven times in his previous six games, including a hat trick against Tampa Bay on Tuesday night to reach 500 goals for his career. "We keyed on him," said Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur, who moved within one win of becoming the first goaltender to record eight consecutive 30-win seasons. "He's been destroying teams as of late, and we wanted to make sure it didn't happen to us." The Devils began the night with the five-man unit of Pandolfo, Madden, Stevens, Brylin, and Brian Rafalski playing against Jagr's line. But when Brylin went down, Burns was forced to make a change. He used Turner Stevenson there for a couple of shifts before turning to Elias, whom he had put in that spot three times before the all-star break in an effort to get him more ice time. Burns didn't offer much of an explanation for why he did it Wednesday. he said. (What other reason does a coach need?) Madden, who reinforced his case to win his second Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward, offered more insight. At first, Jagr had the upper hand. He split the Devils' defense in the slot, sailing past Pandolfo, and threw a backhander on net that Brodeur kicked out with his right pad. But Michael Nylander was in front to backhand home the rebound to give the Caps a 1-0 lead 4:49 into the second period. Ironically, it was Stevenson, taking Elias' spot on the line with Scott Gomez and Jiri Bicek, who pulled the Devils even at 1-1 at 9:59, scoring on a one-timer from the right circle after Madden had worked the puck free behind the net. A Jagr turnover led directly to Madden's go-ahead goal with 3:13 left in the second. With New Jersey's Scott Niedermayer and Washington's Steve Konowalchuk off for roughing, the teams were skating 4-on-4 when Rafalski picked off a blind spin-around pass by Jagr in the neutral zone and quickly passed to Elias on the left wing to start a 3-on-1 rush. Elias passed back across to Rafalski, but Kolzig slid over to make a fine left pad save. Madden was there, however, to pounce on the rebound. Madden made it 3-1 6:12 into the third by taking a feed from Pandolfo, while cruising into the slot and lifting a backhand over Kolzig's catching glove for his 12th of the season. He completed his hat trick with an empty-netter with 52.9 seconds remaining.

Injury puts Brylin on shelf http://www.bergenrecord.com/page.php?qstr=...UVFeXk2MzM4MTE2 Thursday, February 6, 2003 By TOM GULITTI Staff Writer WASHINGTON - The Devils' enjoyment of their 4-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night was tempered by the knowledge that it had cost them the services of forward Sergei Brylin. Brylin suffered what probably is a fractured right wrist in a pileup of four players with 6:05 left in the first period. X-rays were inconclusive because of swelling in Brylin's wrist. He will be reexamined in New Jersey today, but the fear is the wrist is broken. "It looks like a fracture," Devils' coach Pat Burns said. It appeared Brylin was hit by teammate Colin White when both were sandwiched between Washington's Jeff Halpern and Steve Konowalchuk. Brylin went down and immediately grabbed his right wrist. He left the ice with medical trainer Bill Murray and did not return. "I felt something happen to my wrist," Brylin said. "I think it hit somebody. I don't know for sure. It happened so fast." MARTY'S CHANCE: Devils goalie Martin Brodeur took two shots at the Capitals' empty net before John Madden scored the empty-net goal that sealed the win. His first shot flopped short in the neutral zone. His second sailed wide right and went for an icing with 1:02 remaining. Brodeur previously scored empty-net goals in the playoffs and the regular season. MAKING PROGRESS: Center Steve Guolla said his two-game stint with Albany over the weekend, during which he scored a goal, gave him a good gauge of how far he's come since having back surgery Nov. 27. But he's still not all the way back. "I'm not where I need to be," said Guolla, who accompanied the Devils to Washington but did not play Wednesday. "But the good thing is I'm getting stronger. It had been a long time since I played." Guolla said the muscles in his back are still a little sore, but he's had no problem with the herniated disk he had trimmed. "Do I have discomfort? Yeah, there's discomfort," he said. "But it's the kind of discomfort anyone would have who had surgery." DEVILS BRIEFS: Rookie center Mike Rupp became the latest victim of the flu bug that is running through the team. He sat out Wednesday night and was replaced by Christian Berglund. (Every year it's the same thing, I guess the team doesn't believe in flu shots.) ... Brodeur was back in net after watching backup Corey Schwab beat Buffalo on Tuesday night. ... The Devils return home to play Atlanta on Friday night. They will be looking to set a team record with their ninth consecutive home win.

I was thinking of the Masterson..... or wait, was it the Stanley Cup? I get those two confused!