Nieuwy25 Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 Here's the link: http://www.faceoff.com/nhl/teams/devils/ne...ews2145950.html Devils Holiday Report Too many players stuck in offensive slump By DARREN (N)Єverson Faceoff.com correspondent Dear Santa: I'm not sure how to ask this. I know what the Devils want -some offense - and what in particular they need - a power play. Problem is, you've already given them all the pieces they should need to assemble a good power play. Maybe not a Pittsburghian power play, but surely not the 29th-best unit in the league. Believe it or not, that's where the Devils ranked in power play conversion (10.5 percent, ahead of only the Blackhawks) on Dec. 16. That's where they stood despite possessing Scott Gomez, Scott Niedermayer, Brian Rafalski, Oleg Tverdovsky, Joe Nieuwendyk ... Speaking of Nieuwendyk, could you please bring this kind man a goal? If you could spare four, actually, that would be great. Nieuwendyk has been stuck on 496 career goals for 19 games now, the longest personal scoreless streak he can remember, yet despite this he hasn't stopped doing something else he's known for: conducting himself like a professional. If Nieuwendyk doesn't start scoring soon, his Devils career may come to a very quick end. That may happen anyway, given that he's 36 years old and in the final season of his contract. Lou Lamoriello didn't want to pay Alexander Mogilny $5.5 million per season after he scored 43 goals for the Devils in 2000-01, so it's hard to believe he'd pay anywhere near that amount for Nieuwendyk, who's three years older and making $5 million this season. A trade - either now or near the March 11 trading deadline - seems likely. But wherever Nieuwendyk is, this request still holds. Four goals for Joe, and a bunch more for the Devils' power play. Better to give than receive: On your way back up the chimney, Santa, it'd be great if you'd take Mike Danton with you. Both the team (which needs offensive help) and the player (who'd like to move on with his life and career) would appreciate it. Danton has been living in exile since Nov. 29, when Lamoriello sent the outspoken forward home to New Jersey during a road trip and declared he wouldn't play for the Devils again. Lamoriello said he'd try to trade him or assign him to an AHL team, but so far Danton has been assigned only to the Devils' affiliate in Albany, which he understandably does not want to report to. Lamoriello has suspended him for not doing so. Up until Dec. 14, I would've requested you take Christian Berglund back to Albany. The rookie winger hadn't been as effectively feisty this season as he was at the end of last season. Then he scored a go-ahead goal at Ottawa. Don't jettison him just yet. Lump of coal: Offensively, just about every Devil forward who's supposed to score deserves one. Patrik Elias: Goal-less in his last 11 games, Elias actually has been in a slump for over a year now (he went 29-32-61 last season after going 40-56-96 the season before). It extends back to when he was still on Jason Arnott's and Petr Sykora's right. This has to end. Jeff Friesen: Another nice guy, but another relative newcomer who hasn't taken off yet (6-8-14 in 28 games). Oleg Tverdovsky: Hard to figure who's benefiting from the Sykora for Friesen/Tverdovsky deal this past summer. Sykora has 10 goals for Anaheim but a minus-10 rating. Tverdovsky hasn't had much of an impact yet. Christmas angel: Martin Brodeur deserves one, for it was his hot streak (and stamina) that got the Devils off to an 11-5-1 start, during which he played every game. Besides him ... Brian Gionta: His numbers (6-4-10) are modest, but he's begun to look like an NHL scorer. Colin White: The big, third-year defenseman has improved by becoming more discipline. He's a plus-14, by far the tops on the team. New Year's resolution: Somehow, the Devils have to score more goals. Whether they make a trade or Pat Burns makes up some ingenious power play strategies, they have to do better than 2.5 goals per game, or else this season is going to end just like last season: early. Maybe in the first round again. Getting together: John Madden's checking line is the one line Burns doesn't fiddle with, since it's the one that's been effective offensively and defensively all season. The defensive pairings are set as well. All of the other pairings remain under constant reconstruction, and rightfully so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devspage Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 Very cute. I'm sure it will sell a lot of papers. Too bad he doesn't understand the concept of a team game. And he'll never understand the Devils. Keep putting down that everything they do hinges upon seeing goal numbers on paper. And they'll keep winning in the meantime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nieuwy25 Posted December 17, 2002 Author Share Posted December 17, 2002 Are Darren (N)Єverson and Mark (N)Єverson related? It's weird that they both cover the Devils, and they're both so negative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammyk Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 Darren (N)Єverson usually writes for the Daily News, and took over for Kara Yorio at faceoff.com. He isn't always negative, and I don't think they are related. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 I don't see what's so negative in this article. Part of the problem with Devils articles this year is that they will pluck one player out of the whole and use his stats to say he's struggling. Earth to journalists: all of the Devils' stats suck because they haven't gotten power play goals and assists which usually comprise a good portion of a player's points. Otherwise, he's basically dead on, and he doesn't use the (N)Єverson "I don't want to live" tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devspage Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 Here's what I see as negative. We have a WINNING record. This article makes it seem like we suck ass. We don't. And no one ever gets credit in the media for our wins but Marty. And he's not the only one doing something on defense. It takes EVERY SINGLE body out there for the games to be as close as they keep them. The penalty kill is one or two in the league depending on the day. Yes, scoring would be good. But couldn't that be brought up every OTHER day instead of every FRIGGIN' day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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