Devils wonder if 'D' can work Scott free

[Rock]

Devils wonder if 'D'

can work Scott free

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/s...8p-300576c.html

BY SHERRY ROSS

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Nearly all of the attention in tonight's season opener will be focused not on the host Devils, but on the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins and teen phenom Sid (The Kid) Crosby. The Devils are used to skating in the shadows, but the three-time Stanley Cup champions still merit respect, despite some question marks:

1. Who will replace the Scotts?: It will take a village. More to the point, it will require the entire six-man defense corps to inherit some of the minutes that Scott Niedermayer (who signed with Anaheim as a free agent) and Scott Stevens (who retired) used to eat up.

Half of the defense is returning from the 2003-04 season: Paul Martin, Brian Rafalski and Colin White. Richard Matvichuk (who last played in Dallas) and Dan McGillis (Boston) are newcomers, while Vladimir Malakhov played on the 2000 Devils Cup team before signing with the Rangers (and playing briefly with the Flyers). Sean Brown will be the seventh defenseman. "I'm extremely happy about our 'D,'" said Larry Robinson, who is back as the Devils' coach after being fired in January of 2002. "We have as mobile a defense as we've ever had, (and) we have some good size back there."

2. How does trapezoid shape up?: Anyone who thought the rule about preventing goalies from handling the puck behind the goal line (except for the outlined zone behind the net) would handcuff the best stickhandling goalie ever had to think otherwise after watching Martin Brodeur in the preseason.

The new rule eliminating the red line from two-line passes has opened up a whole new world for the veteran Devils netminder, who is perhaps the best skater among the NHL's 30 starting goalies. Brodeur worries that the limitation will prove harder on his teammates than himself. "They gave me an option of moving the puck all the way to the other blue line and I'll take advantage of that every day," Brodeur said.

3. What's in style?: The fundamental idea of sound defense leading to offensive chances hasn't budged a bit. "I don't think it's changed much from years past," said right wing Brian Gionta, who was second on the Devils in goals (21) in 2003-04. "It's still going to be a grind-it-out, make-the-safe-play kind of team. We're always a team that works hard and plays smart. There's been the same system here for years and they get the kind of guys that fit into that system."

The Devils will look a little smaller up front (especially with left wing Patrik Elias starting the season on IR due to his recovery from hepatitis A), but a bit faster.

Hip hurray: RW Alexander Mogilny, who missed the last two preseason games with a hip flexor, said it "looks like a go" for him tonight....Parise said his parents (his dad is former Islander and famed Ranger-killer J.P.) will be in town for his NHL debut.

[mddevsfan]

Hip hurray: RW Alexander Mogilny, who missed the last two preseason games with a hip flexor, said it "looks like a go" for him tonight....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So now Almo is playing tonight?

I feel a little better about tonight, but I don't think I can take a whole season of this!

[msweet]

I'd say it's 50-50 that Almo is not retired before Elias returns.

[mddevsfan]

I'd say it's 50-50 that Almo is not retired before Elias returns.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So if its timed right, the cap problem will take care of itself!

[MartinBrodeurNJD#30]

Brodeur will have his work cut out for him.