Hard Hits: A leg up

[Derek21]

I put some good research into this. Even found some good stuff on the history of shutouts with goalies. Hope you'll enjoy it .

Hard Hits: A leg up

Dec. 16, 2003

Derek

Brodeur Focused: Even with a teammate flying by, Devils goalie Martin Brodeur still makes save against Flyers.

The defending Stanley Cup Champion Devils have already proven that they should be the favorite to repeat. In a season not even halfway through, it's the Devils that standout over their stiffest competition. It's their speed. Their physicality. Toughness. Character. Determination. This team just doesn't back down from challenges.

Already, the Devils have taken five of a possible six points against the Flyers and four of four against Ottawa. What's been even more impressive is how they've done it. Against the Flyers in the first meeting of the season at home on October 30, the Devils cameback from a 2-0 first period deficit and scored three unanswered to win. In the first of an intense home-and-home this past Friday, they managed a 3-3 tie without John Madden, Jamie Langenbrunner and Turner Stevenson. In the rematch Saturday night at Wachovia Center, they posted a 2-0 shutout with even a fourth regular out (Eric Rasmussen). With the victory, they became the first team to defeat the Flyers at home this season, breaking their 12-0-2 unbeaten record. What was most impressive was the machine-like play by the game's best netminder, Martin Brodeur. On most nights, Brodeur isn't asked to be his team's best player. But in these two games, with the Flyers applying strong pressure, Brodeur was asked by the Devils to bail them out. Time and time again, he repelled an onslaught of Flyer shots to keep his team in each contest. When the two games were over, Brodeur had finished off a 32-save shutout for his league leading seventh blanking of the season. In total, the '02-03 Vezina winner stopped 69 of 72 shots (.958). Not too shabby.

What's daunting about the 31-year-old Brodeur is that he shows no signs of slowing down. Having only missed one start this season when backup Corey Schwab filled in admirably during a 1-1 tie on November 7th, Brodeur is on a record-setting shutout pace. The modern-day record for most shutouts in a single season is held by Hall of Famer Tony Esposito. In 76 games for the Chicago Blackhawks, Esposito recorded all 15 of his team's shutouts in the '69-70 season matching a number reached by the '25-26 and '27-28 Ottawa Senators along with the '27-28 Boston Bruins. What separates those teams' marks however were that their seasons were much shorter (36 GP once, 44 GP twice). It shows how much the game has changed with expansion. Even with an increase in games, no team has ever come close to the '28-29 Montreal Canadiens mark of 22 shutouts in just 44 games. What's even more remarkable was that all 22 were recorded by George Hainsworth. That same season, the New York Americans finished second with 16 shutouts shared by two different goalies (Roy Worters-13, Flat Walsh-3).

At his current pace (7 SHO in 27 GP), Brodeur would eclipse Esposito's once unreachable mark. Whether he gets there is another story. During his illustrious Hall of Fame caliber career, Brodeur has recorded 71 shutouts. The most he's ever had in a season was ten. He did it back-to-back seasons in '95-96 and '96-97. In his first ever Vezina season, Brodeur led the league with nine blankings. It's startling to think that he's just two shutouts from matching his '02-03 total. Brodeur not only is leading the league in shutouts this season but he ranks second in GAA (1.53), first in wins (16) and tied for second in save percentage (.933). He also helps out his D with the best puckhandling and outlet passes that most goalies cannot complete. This has helped contribute to the Devils' #1 ranked penalty killing unit (89.8 percent). In other words, there's nothing Brodeur can't do to better his team.

Aside from Brodeur, what separates the Devils from other teams is how stingy they are on D. If one were to look at the top 25 in scoring, you wouldn't find one Devil. With 24 points (9-15-24), Patrik Elias paces his team. On a team that has allowed just 43 goals while scoring 66 in just 28 games, they don't need a top scorer to win. To illustrate how stellar their D is, the only teams that come close to allowing that few goals are the Lightning (58 GA in 27 GP), Blues (58 GA in 27 GP) and Flyers (57 GA in 30 GP). That shows how much in a league by themselves the Devils are. They rely on superior skating and backchecking to win the one-on-one battles. That along with the best goalie in the game make it almost impossible for opponents to score. With this formula along with frequent Devils diving to block shots and break-up plays, the team only permits 23.4 shots to get through. Just the Flames allow less (22.8). Just another roadblock for opponents to get through.

One other thing the Devils boast that most other teams don't is their world class defense. It all starts with the heart-and-soul of the team, Captain Scott Stevens. Whether it's a crunching hit or a tirade after a whistle, Stevens leads by example. He is not afraid to rub out an opponent after a whistle just to make a point. What usually happens is his team follows and becomes that much more difficult to play against. This year has been no exception. Turning back the clock in a couple of games, Stevens has scored two big goals to lead his team to victory. One came against the rival Flyers in their first meeting at Continental Airlines Arena. It tied the game and gave his team huge momentum heading to the third. Mike Rupp wound up winning it with a left wing blast past a shaky Jeff Hackett. The other Stevens goal was the difference in a 1-0 shutout at Ottawa in their first meeting. Off a Scott Gomez face-off win late in the third period, Stevens caught Patrick Lalime leaning with a left point blast. These moments are what make Stevens shine. He once was a great offensive D-man but changed his game to suit his team. When given the opportunity though, he still can make an impact.

As great a Captain as Stevens is, this season on D is about Scott Niedermayer. Niedermayer, 30, in his 13th season, has come into his own this year. Always a threat on both sides of the puck, this season, Niedermayer has been turned loose. Already with seven goals (5 PP), he has been jumping into the play with more confidence. Boosted by a strong 2003 postseason which saw him finish tied for first in points (2-16-18) with teammate Jamie Langenbrunner, Niedermayer is playing with more confidence. He also leads the Devils with a +10 rating and is third with 16 points (7-9-16). This could be his best chance to win a Norris Trophy for league's best defenseman. Having never been nominated, his chances are higher this time. Niedermayer is getting more notoriety around the league. With rating three-time winner Nicklas Lidstrom off to a slow start (3-13-16), the door is open for someone to step up. Niedermayer should be one of those candidates. His best competition ironically could come from another Red Wing. Mathieu Schneider has never been recognized for his D but is having a big season in Detroit (4-20-24, +13). Whether the potential restricted free agent beats out Schneider for the award remains to be seen. But it doesn't make or break how valuable Niedermayer is to the Devils. Without him, they'd lose that extra skill he brings.

Niedermayer's teammate Brian Rafalski also contributes offensively from D. Rafalski ranks second on the Devils in scoring with 17 points (3-14-17) and a +9 rating. Rafalski has terrific vision. He can thread the perfect breakaway pass to a teammate cutting across the middle. This is his most dynamic skill. Also superb at keeping the puck in at the blueline, Rafalski is great at joining the rush. He can turn normal rushes into 3-on-2's. He is excellent on the power play as well. Rafalski uses his small 5-9 195 frame well on D. He isn't afraid to take out an opponent with a hip check. This is his best arsenal on defense. His style is just another dynamic that opposing teams have to contend with.

What makes the Devils the Devils are these sort of defensemen. They have been built from the goal out and it shows. Fourth year defenseman Colin White plays a gritty physical game similar to what Ken Daneyko brought. White is a better skater and could become an even better defenseman. The Devils are also guiding along rookies Paul Martin and David Hale. Both have shown improvement already just from getting experience. They will be heard from in the future.

One other thing that separates the Devils from most teams is their fiery coach Pat Burns. A former Canadian cop, Burns plays that role well as a coach. He calls the shots and runs his team well. He knows what buttons to push and what line combinations to throw out there. He's as unpredictable as it gets in that aspect. But one thing is certain. His players respond to him. If they didn't respect him, then they would question his tactics. Already successful in guiding the team to their 3rd Cup last season, Burns has them focused on winning it again. He isn't afraid to get in his players' faces either. During one recent Ottawa game, Burns held a closed door meeting after his team trailed 1-0 after two periods. What transpired was one of the most resilient comeback victories you'll ever see. With Ottawa trying to hold on, the Devils kept coming. It eventually paid off when Niedermayer forced Wade Redden into a bad turnover right to Elias. Elias quickly found Niedermayer, who beat Martin Prusek to knot the game up with under 2:00 remaining. If that wasn't enough to get into the Senators' heads, Brian Gionta did one better when he was left all alone at the doorstep, stuffing in the winner with just 18 ticks left in front of a stunned Corel Centre.

These type of efforts have become routine for the Devils. It's why Burns is arguably the best coach in the league. Just another reason to give the Devils the edge come next Spring. If a team knocks them off, they will have earned it.

Hard Hits Tidbits:

-Pavel Datsyuk is so good already, it's scary. He picked up another goal and assist tonight and is leading the league with 39 points (18-21-39). Will he ever be stopped?

-Jeff Hackett sure established himself against the Devils. About as much as Ron Hextall did!

-Is Glen Sather going to blame Eric Lindros for not benching Petr Nedved or overusing 42-year-old Mark Messier?

-Is there a better story than the one that's developing in Calgary. At 14-9-2-3, the Flames are sixth out West. They last qualified for the playoffs in '95-96. The longest current postseason drought. Second is the Rangers, who last made it in '96-97. Is Slats paying attention here or is that on Lindros also?

-Bobby Holik is having a Selke season but somehow, he was demoted to the 4th line the past two games. What games were Sather watching exactly?

-Mike Modano has been so ineffective as the Stars team Captain, it brings back memories of what Brian Leetch played like with the 'C.' Modano should give up the captaincy now before it further burdens his game.

-Whatever happened to Peter Forsberg?

Edited December 16, 2003 by Derek21

[sundstrom]

great read, derek. c'mon admit it, you'd love to be a devils fan....

[sammyk]

Good research, but Marty stopped 69 out of 72 shots, not 59 out of 62.

[Derek21]

You are correct Sammy. I can at least fix that in this copy. Thanks.

[sammyk]

You are correct Sammy. I can at least fix that in this copy. Thanks.

Where did you publish it?

[Derek21]

On my Fantasy Hockey League website Sammy. We have one off CBS Sportsline. That's where I write all my columns. This was my first Hard Hits column of the season. I had written game recaps the first two months. But haven't done anything since I started work. Too bad I can't go back in and edit like with posting. I hate making mistakes. Especially with math. I think in the back of my mind, I knew that part was wrong. But when i saw 62 total shots, I was thinking, "That's a lot for the Devils to give up in two games." But the first game was 37 stopped out of 40 while the 2nd game was 32 of 32. So, it should have added up to 69 for 72. I did fix the save percentage. I love stats.

[Rock]

I'm sure the Forsberg question was rhetorical. From reports it seems he has an Foster like abdominal injury. (He was my leading scorer on my fantasy team. )

[rbdf]

Derek, man, what a homer article. Admit it, you're a dev's fan, you converted didn't you?

By the way, the only way you could make it more of a devils homer article would be to add in that the guy ahead of marty in GAA and SV% has played something like 10 games less than marty, so realistically, marty is #1 in all categories.

Well written article though, you've definately improved over the last couple of years.

[Pepperkorn]

[sammyk]

I'm sure the Forsberg question was rhetorical. From reports it seems he has an Foster like abdominal injury. (He was my leading scorer on my fantasy team. )

Well, it's surely not his spleen.

[sammyk]

So why are you grinning Ms. Pepperkorn?

[SC Devs Fan]

I think their sucess is due to Marty, a phenomenal defense and, most importantly, Lou's devotion to building a team that puts winning first and individual stats much farther down the line. In todays stat driven society that is amazing. While the guys here are not the most talented, they play to win every night, every shift, and that kind of dedication is rare. Credit Lou for finding these guys.

[Pepperkorn]

So why are you grinning Ms. Pepperkorn?

Derek's paragraph raving about Stevens even though he knew all he really wanted to say Nieds was the top Dman now.

He'll make some woman a great husband one day!

[SueNJ97]

Derek, man, what a homer article. Admit it, you're a dev's fan, you converted didn't you?

Give him a break...he's not a fan...he's an admirer. There's a difference.

His heart will always be broken by the clowns across the river. He can only gaze in wonder at what could have been if he had not been born a Ranger fan.

Seriously, you can't expect Derek to switch allegiances. No matter how awful the Rangers are, you just don't do things like that. Would we become Ranger fans if positions were reversed? I think not, despite all the morons who call us bandwagon fans. Only Avalanche 'fans' are bandwagon fans.

[Devs25]

Derek, you know you wrote this to jinx the Devils!!! Jinxy!

Good article. I'll remember it the next time you call Brodeur overrated and say his #'s wouldn't be this good if he was on another team.

Edited December 16, 2003 by Devs25

[Derek21]

Derek's paragraph raving about Stevens even though he knew all he really wanted to say Nieds was the top Dman now.   

He'll make some woman a great husband one day!

LOL PK. I tried to be fair in this column. I wanted to use the goalie and the three top D-men to illustrate my point. I could have also included Madden and Pandolfo for defensive forwards. Stevens still drives the Devils. As great as Niedermayer is, if you took Stevens away from the Devils, I don't know if they would be as tough to play.

Thanks for that other compliment I think . LOL

Well written article though, you've definately improved over the last couple of years.

-rbdf

Thanks rbdf . I think Sue said it best about me. I can appreciate what kind of team the Devils are. I can put my thoughts together without having a bias.

Rock, you were dead on about my Forsberg question . The guy is the best overall player in the league when healthy. But every season, he gets hurt and misses time. The Avs didn't miss him much when they won the Cup in 2001 and they aren't missing him much now. Imagine if Forsberg ever was healthy for all 82 games.

[JunkYardDog]

Forsberg's mental condition holds back his physical abilities at times. Peter is a strange individual.

Interesting article on the Devils' blueliners and Marty. Funny how the Rangers two best players, Bobby Holik and Mike Dunham, are ex-Devils. Without those two, the Blueshirts would be chasing the Penquins. Funny, that's all.

[IAmCanadian27]

Good job, Derek! The Nieds part especially

[Weekes Head]

Nice read...I always liked reading your Hard Hits columns