All About The Jersey - Preseason Game Stream #1: New Jersey Devils vs. New York RangersA world class blog for Jersey's team: the New Jersey Devilshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47083/lou-fave.png2014-09-22T22:47:39-04:00http://www.allaboutthejersey.com/rss/stream/44986072014-09-22T22:47:39-04:002014-09-22T22:47:39-04:00Henrique, NJ Devils Tip NY Rangers 5-4
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<img alt="Henrique basically said "It's Over" - again." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/71JYRaoqdaqj2ICyWSdb8UI1L48=/0x200:3031x2221/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/39593744/20140922_ajw_bm4_109.JPG.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Henrique basically said "It's Over" - again. | Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Adam Henrique basically said "It's over" as his top-shelf shot made the difference in a 5-4 New Jersey Devils win over the New York Rangers in preseason. This recap goes over the performances and more. </p> <p>Preseason has begun and it was a victorious night for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/">New Jersey Devils</a>. The results won't matter at all in the long run. However, it wouldn't be much of a recap if that wasn't brought up at all. The Devils won 5-4 in <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blueshirtbanter.com/">Rangers</a>town. The Devils enjoyed the better of possession overall. In all situations, they out-attempted the New York Rangers 58-38. While the Devils' 32 shots meant 26 attempts that weren't shots, it represents who had the puck more often. That said, the Rangers made it very interesting. They scored two goals fairly quickly two times to eliminate Devils' leads. The second instance was within the final five minutes of the game, leading the Devils faithful watching this one to already dread overtime, shootouts, and giving up leads in general. At the 19:08 mark, <span>Adam Henrique</span> decided it was over.</p>
<p><b>The Game Stats: </b>The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/GS010010.HTM">NHL.com Game Summary</a> | The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/ES010010.HTM">NHL.com Event Summary</a> | The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/PL010010.HTM">NHL.com Play by Play Log</a> | The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/SS010010.HTM">NHL.com Shot Summary</a> | The <a target="_blank" href="http://hockeystats.ca/game/2014010010">Corsi Stats at Hockeystats.ca</a></p>
<p><b>The Opposition Opinion: </b> <a href="http://www.blueshirtbanter.com/2014/9/22/6831097/new-york-rangers-new-jersey-devils-preason-recap" target="_blank">Evan Sporer has this recap over at Blueshirt Banter.</a></p>
<p><b>The Highlight Video: </b>You want highlights of a preseason game? NHL.com has got you covered:</p>
<p align="center"><iframe height="395" width="640" frameborder="0" src="http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/embed?playlist=2014010010-X-h"></iframe></p>
<p>As <a target="_blank" href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/9/22/6661439/suggestions-for-what-to-look-for-in-a-preseason-hockey-game">I think preseason hockey is really about the performances as opposed to the final score</a>, I will focus this recap and future ones on those as best as I can. Fortunately, this game featured some positives, some negatives, and some stuff in between.</p>
<p><b>Young Guys Making Good: </b>On paper,<b> </b><span>Reid Boucher</span> has a proverbially large hill to climb if he wants to make the New Jersey Devils roster. On the ice, he's begun his ascent. Boucher was flying right from the get-go on a line with Adam Henrique and <span>Michael Ryder</span>. He was crucial to the Devils' first three goals. He turned a good defensive play - a board battle along the boards for a zone exit - into the game's first goal. Henrique couldn't get on the loose puck, but it was knocked back to Boucher; the youngster hammered a shot that Henrique got a touch on to beat <span>Henrik Lundqvist</span>. Later, Boucher dumped in the puck. His hustle got him into position to hold up play, Henrique eventually got it and sent it back to <span>Eric Gelinas</span>. The Truth was deflected down by Michael Ryder for a goal. In the second period, Boucher turned a <span>Chris Mueller</span> turnover into a lovely pass to the slot that Ryder re-directed past <span>Cam Talbot</span>. In total, Boucher got a goal, an assist, six of New Jersey's 32 shots on net, and 15:08 of ice time. He even was noticeable at times on defense. He had a very good game, arguably the best among the Devils tonight.</p>
<p><span>Adam Larsson</span> and Eric Gelinas are in a different situation. Unlike Boucher, they're a safe bet for being New Jersey Devils. But where will they be? Tonight, they were a key pairing and played like it. Gelinas was solid in his own end and was judicious with his decisions to get aggressive. The Truth was on display with five shots on net; one deflected in for a goal and another blast that torched Talbot for a 5-on-3 PPG. Larsson was given the task of being the leader, so to speak. He largely was. His one miscue was when <span>Chris Kreider</span> got around him on a long pass. He got bodied out on that play and it led to a goal against. So it wasn't a perfect night. On other situations, he held his own physically and was good enough.</p>
<p>I will say I thought <span>Stefan Matteau</span> and <span>Damon Severson</span> were OK. Matteau played the kind of game you'd hope: some hits, some signs of offense, and very little that was dumb. Severson was thrown into the deep end in terms of minutes. He held his own for most of the 23 minutes he played in. He got caught in some bad spots - he definitely got away with a hold on a third period penalty kill situation - but he never really panicked. As for the penalty he took, well, he did put his hands on <span>Tanner Glass</span>, who may or may not have lived up to his last name.</p>
<p>It wasn't all good from the young players. <span>Jacob Josefson</span> was tough to figure out. He didn't do a ton on offense. He showed some good passes, I wished Larsson got onto his saucer pass on a shorthanded 2-on-1. I equally wished he took Henrique's pass on a similar shorthanded rush later in the game. While he was serviceable on the PK, he put the Devils in a tricky spot late with an arm tackle on Kreider at the end of the game. For someone on the bubble, so to speak, he could've done a bit more. He wasn't actively bad or invisible (see: <span>Tim Sestito</span>) but he wasn't covered in glory by the end of the night.</p>
<p><b>Tryouts Not Making Most of It: </b>Generally, it makes little sense to make sweeping judgements off of one preseason game, nevermind the first one. I will make an exception for <span>Mike Komisarek</span>. He was terrible tonight. While he and his partner <span>Dan Kelly</span> were understandably protected, he was just out of sorts. He was caught flat footed several times, most notably when <span>Carl Hagelin</span> torched him on his way to New York's first goal of the game. He was caught out of position on Jesper Fast's all-alone-in-the-slot-so-he-turned-into-Brian-Rolston-for-a-slap-shot goal while Kelly was supremely out of position. Komisarek even had trouble with routine passes. No one is honestly expecting much from Dan Kelly. Komisarek has a career to play for and his first opportunity to do so was an error.</p>
<p><span>Jordin Tootoo</span> may have been lauded in practice, but I wasn't real thrilled with him tonight. He displayed some signs of toughness, grit, and whatever buzzword you have for players of his ilk. That's not offensive on it's own. But I was especially not thrilled with his check to the head penalty. I don't think he really got Michael Kostka's head, but he definitely hit him away from the play and it was brutal. It was a bad time for an offensive zone penalty and that was his main mark.</p>
<p><span>Ruslan Fedotenko</span> didn't do too much. I understand he had to play alongside <span>Cam Janssen</span> and Tim Sestito. But the whole idea of a tryout is to try to do something to stand out. I don't think he really did.</p>
<p>Among those that did play, <span>Tomas Kaberle</span> was the best by default. He played a lot more than I thought he did. I was stunned to see that his ice time was 25:45. I suppose it's a compliment that a defender wasn't all that noticeable despite playing a significant amount of the game. I do think these four tryouts will get at least another game. I would mind Kaberle the least based on how he played tonight.</p>
<p><b>A Slight Edge: </b><span>Scott Clemmensen</span> and <span>Keith Kinkaid</span> split the goaltending duties tonight. I don't think either really made a major case one way or another for the #2 spot behind <span>Cory Schneider</span>. I'd favor Kinkaid a bit more after tonight, though. He made two more saves, I really liked his big stop on <span>Danny Kristo</span> late in the game, and he didn't lose a puck that ended up going off of him and into the net, which was Clemmensen's first goal against. I didn't like Kreider beating him shortside on the rush, but at least that was clean. I'd expect these two to split a few more games in the future.</p>
<p><b>Veterans in Form: </b>Henrique and Ryder looked excellent. Both were pushing forward and skating well. I liked Henrique's play in both ends and he was shooting well. Ryder got the benefit of two tips but in both cases, he got close to the net. The Devils definitely made a point of it to get a body in the slot and it paid dividends with three goals and several tough saves by Lundqvist/Talbot. I was more pleased watching them do what they did as opposed to <span>Patrik Elias</span>, Martin Havlat (he showed some flashes of skill), and <span>Dainius Zubrus</span>. Then again, that may be the result of a match-up of sorts.</p>
<p><b>The Run of Pl...Oh, Another Penalty: </b>Normally, the first preseason game from a NHL team can be a bear to watch. There is a real possibility of players being really rusty and slower than usual. Surprisingly, both teams played at a speedy tempo and didn't appear to botch so many more passes than what you'd see in a regular game.</p>
<p>Yet, the game did get choppy with the chippiness and penalties that came with it. The game had a total of 13 penalties, all minors with a few that ran into each other. Both teams can feel mostly OK with their penalty kill. The Devils did eventually out-shoot the Rangers on power plays and did convert a 5-on-3. However, they were in mid-season form with their zone entries in that they struggled to carry it in and any attempts to dump it in were usually thwarted. If there was a tactical issue with tonight's game, then it's how they approach the offensive zone on power plays coming through the neutral zone. The Rangers were able to gain the zone a bit more easily but struggled to get the shots they were looking for with a few exceptions - and Ryan Malone's one-timer on Clemmensen's flank. The penalty calls were mostly legit; I still think Talbot is still selling Elias nudging his right side, though.</p>
<p><b>As for the Opposition: </b>I would be remiss to highlight that <span>J.T. Miller</span> had another strong game in his quest to permanently stay with New York. Fast's then-equalizer helps, but Miller was a force all night long. Kreider came on stronger as the game went on. He got a goal that made a comeback possible and played to the level he's expected to. I'd say he was New York's second best player of the night behind Miller. Malone played like Malone usually does: a few really strong shifts where he looks like <span>Rick Nash</span> and then more like Kevin Nash on others. The announcers kept hyping up <span>Kevin Hayes</span>, but I didn't think he was that exceptional outside of a few moments.</p>
<p><b>Lastly: </b>This game appeared across the MSG family of networks and the commentary on all of them were Rangers-based. I get it. It's their network and they aired this game because they're playing. At least Deb Placey and Ken Daneyko got intermission work. Still, it was a chore to listen to narrative after narrative. Apparently the main lesson from the SCF was that the Rangers need a big, strong center. I do hope Dolan follows his broadcasters. But like preseason itself, I will endure two-and-a-half hours of Sam Rosen because I can totally forget about it in two weeks.</p>
<p><b>Your Take: </b>The first game of the preseason is in the temporary books. Let me know what you think. Who on the Devils impressed you the most? Who on the Devils disappointed you the most? Who helped or hurt their cause for making the roster? Can you handle two and a half hours of Sam Rosen? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about this game in the comments. Thanks to all those who commented in the Gamethread, followed <a href="http://www.twitter.com/inlouwetrust" target="_blank">@InLouWeTrust</a> on Twitter, and you for reading this recap.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2014/9/22/6831539/new-jersey-devils-tip-new-york-rangers-5-4-in-preseason-adam-henrique-its-overJohn Fischer2014-09-22T18:00:04-04:002014-09-22T18:00:04-04:00Devils at Rangers: Preseason Gamethread #1
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<p>This is the gamethread for today's game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers. This is a post where users can discuss what happens before, during, and after the game until the recap is up.</p> <p><strong>The Time:</strong> 7:00 PM EST</p>
<p><strong>The Broadcast:</strong> TV- MSG +; MSG (Rangers feed) and NHL Network.</p>
<p><strong>The Matchup:</strong> The <a href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/" class="sbn-auto-link" style="background-color: #ffffff;">New Jersey Devils</a> vs. The <a href="https://www.blueshirtbanter.com/">New York Rangers</a> (SBN Blog: <a href="http://www.blueshirtbanter.com/" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Blueshirt Banter.</a>)</p>
<p><strong>The Game Previews: </strong> John's preview from earlier <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/9/22/6800427/preseason-game-preview-1-new-jersey-devils-at-new-york-rangers">is right here.</a> For the opposition's point of view, feel free to drop by <a href="http://www.blueshirtbanter.com/" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Blueshirt Banter.</a></p>
<p><strong>The Song for Tonight: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPIK9wUXogo">"Look at Yourself" by Uriah Heep.</a> Apparently no one ever bothered to write a song entitled "Look at My Preseason Roster" so this will have to suffice. For now.</p>
<p><span></span><strong>Gameday Info:</strong> <span>Cory Schneider</span> will not be in net for the Devils and yet neither will <span>Martin Brodeur</span>. <a href="http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Check in</a> with Tom Gulitti for this and all the latest NJ Devils news.</p>
<p><strong>The Reminder of Rules: </strong>This is a place where you can comment about this game before, during, and after it's played before the recap is up. This is a place where we <em>primarily</em> discuss the Devils game. An odd mention of other NHL games is OK, but it shouldn't dominate discussion. All comments will be clean, respectful of each other, relevant to the game, and legal (read: no streams). Please refrain from super-big pictures and .GIFs to keep the gamethread moving for everyone. If you do post pictures make sure to post a title in the comment. Go Devils.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2014/9/22/6829361/new-jersey-devils-at-new-york-rangers-preseason-gamethread-1JT Sroka2013-09-16T23:51:25-04:002013-09-16T23:51:25-04:00Schneider Shined in Devils 2-1 Preseason Win
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<img alt="Cory Schneider: First star of the game and well earned with 22 saves in 40 minutes." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-I6hn-pZefawX72ApXy3oI_H1oM=/0x247:3513x2589/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/19667749/180798402.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Cory Schneider: First star of the game and well earned with 22 saves in 40 minutes. | Bruce Bennett</figcaption>
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<p>The New Jersey Devils played their first preseason game of the 2013-14 season and defeated the New York Rangers 2-1. This recap runs through general thoughts on the performance while praising Cory Schneider among others.</p> <p><span>Cory Schneider</span> made his debut in a <a href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New Jersey Devils</a> uniform tonight in the team's first preseason game. The opponent was Our Hated Rivals, the <a href="https://www.blueshirtbanter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Rangers</a>. As meaningless as tonight's game was and will become, you still want to get a result over a rival. Especially when it's in your building and the crowd has plenty of people in clad in blue. Schneider gave them a reason to keep them quiet as those in red chanted his name.</p>
<p>Schneider started the game, played through the second period, stopped 22 shots, and kept the scoreboard blank for the visitors. He was named the game's first star and fully deserved it. You can't ask for much more from a goalie than perfection. His best save came early in the second period as he absolutely robbed <span>Brad Richards</span>. It was a Rangers power play and Richards had the whole left of the net wide open. Schneider stretched out his stick to prevent the easy score. He went from strength to strength in terms of holding onto the puck when needed and getting in front of it without leaving a juicy rebound. I'd say his only notably errors were in one or two occasions in playing the puck. This performance, as well as Keith Kinkaid's in the third period, was important as the Devils' defensive effort left something to be desired.</p>
<p>The Devils did allow 34 shots on net, at least ten per period. It's true that the Rangers chased the game. It's arguable they had a stronger lineup on the ice, and it showed as <span>Rick Nash</span>, Brad Richards, and <span>Chris Kreider</span> combined for ten shots total. They weren't all dangerous as quite a few of those shots came from distance as the Rangers defense collectively put up fifteen shots on net; <span>John Moore</span> and <span>Marc Staal</span> combined had ten. Still, it's indicative that defense is a team effort. While I didn't think any of the Devils defensemen had a bad game, the Devils forwards weren't all that helpful in their own end. This shouldn't be much of a surprise as NHL players were mixed with non-NHL players plus a line of Krys Barch, <span>Darcy Zajac</span>, and <span>Cam Janssen</span> was pretty much death on arrival from a performance standpoint. Peter DeBoer didn't shorten the bench - something I can understand for a preseason game - but it did mean that forwards who weren't all about the D kept having to play D. The Rangers, to their credit, picked up on that. Fortunately, Schneider was great and Kinkaid had a good period of his own. The one goal that beat Kinkaid was off a rebound in the slot by <span>Dominic Moore</span> against that pitiful Barch-Zajac-Janssen unit. Again, defense is a team effort and tonight proved that to be the case. At least they held very strong near the end of the game as the Rangers put out their top players hoping for an equalizer. They shut it down quite well.</p>
<p>Offense wasn't totally lacking, it just went away for awhile for stretches in the second period. I liked the tempo brought out by the forwards and they did get 27 shots on net. They didn't just sit back entirely with a 2-0 or 2-1 lead in the third period. New Jersey nearly added a third goal as a few forwards were able to get one-on-ones against Cam Talbot late in the game. I always appreciate that sort of effort and it's something to continue. The goals themselves were also appreciable. <span>Mattias Tedenby</span> scored the game's first goal off a bang-bang play in front of the net to beat <span>Henrik Lundqvist</span>. Tedenby, Andrei Loktinov, and <span>Rostislav Olesz</span> looked the best among all the lines tonight, and that goal finished off a strong offensive shift from them. The second goal came shortly after a Rangers penalty ended early in the third period from <span>Eric Gelinas</span>. Yes, a Devils defenseman scored a goal and it was from distance. <span>Peter Harrold</span> played it back to the right point, Gelinas unleashed a hard shot that just bombed the net. It was a lovely shot and further evidence that he has one. I liked what he did tonight, he was quite calm in his own end, and the goal was a nice highlight.</p>
<p>Overall, I'm fine with tonight's performance by the Devils. Outside of that middle stretch of the second period when the ice was tilted and Schneider had to be big, they played up to their opponent and with some aggression. The next game will surely have different players in the lineup to get them minutes and we'll see how that goes.</p>
<p><b>The Game Stats: </b><a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20132014/GS010015.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Game Summary</a> | <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20132014/ES010015.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Event Summary</a> | <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20132014/SS010015.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Shot Summary</a> | <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20132014/TH010015.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Devils Time on Ice Report</a></p>
<p><b>The Opposition Opinion: </b> Bryan Winters <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blueshirtbanter.com/2013/9/16/4739126/rangers-vs-devils-recap-rangers-fall-2-1-in-preseason-opener">has a recap of this game over at Blueshirt Banter.</a></p>
<p><b>Day After Highlights: </b>The team's official website put a highlight package of this win on Tuesday.</p>
<p align="center"><iframe src="http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/embed?playlist=444933" frameborder="0" width="640" height="395"></iframe></p>
<p><b>Other Notable Points: </b> Since this is a preseason game and performances are more important than necessarily the stats or total plays, I think it's best just to run through some thoughts from my vantage point in Section 1.</p>
<p>I liked the attempts by Loktionov and Tedenby to just charge ahead if they had a chance. Henrique had a really good one during a second period power play. They got through and even though they didn't end in goals, the shots were at least threatening.</p>
<p>I would say Tedenby was the best forward out there. <a target="_blank" href="http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/devils_to_bring_in_brunner_as_camp_tryout/">With Damien Brunner arriving on a try out basis</a> plus <a target="_blank" href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2013/9/12/4720834/devils-preseason-battle-rostislav-olesz-trying-crack-lineup-forward-depth">the roster was already loaded</a>, he really needs to do what he can to stick out. Tedenby didn't just have one or two good moments, he was noticeable all game long. He looked good alongside Rostislav Olesz and Loktionov and he came close to scoring a second goal a few times. He even drew a hooking call which was simply laughable in that Nash literally hooked him down with his entire stick. Tedenby just earned himself some more time in preseason, that's for sure.</p>
<p>I liked <span>Jacob Josefson</span> winning pucks along the boards and firing at will. He actually led the team in shots with four. Like Henrique, I think he suffered from not meshing with his linemates. In this case, that was <span>Mike Sislo</span> and <span>Reid Boucher</span>. Had he been centering <span>Harri Pesonen</span> and <span>Steve Bernier</span>, who were Henrique's linemates, I think he'd have a stronger game.</p>
<p>I didn't like some of the penalties taken by the Devils. I can defend <span>Mark Fayne</span> hooking <span>Darroll Powe</span> to prevent a shorthanded breakaway. I was a little surprised it was just a minor and not a penalty shot since I thought Powe had a breakaway; I guess not. I wasn't a fan of <span>Adam Henrique</span> high-sticking <span>Danny Kristo</span>; it wasn't a necessary play since Volchenkov already checked him at the time. I can't defend Reid Boucher tagging <span>Justin Falk</span> in the hands during the Devils' first power play of the game as it was a needless play. I also can't defend Peter Harrold hooking Rick Nash during a power play. Or rather, attempting to hook Nash as the big forward just powered on through to the slot and got a shot on net. The Boucher penalty killed a power play. The Harrold penalty got the Rock to not only see <span>Adam Larsson</span>, <span>Anton Volchenkov</span>, and Josefson defender a 3-on-5 but help the Rangers keep charging on offense in the second period. Bad penalties will happen but they're still something to work on.</p>
<p>I didn't think much of Boucher's debut. His penalty early in the game wasn't a good one and I didn't notice him again until the third period. He was calmer then and contributed more on offense, most notably playing Sislo in for a one-on-one against Talbot. He did get two shots on net and that second one certainly had some heat on it. It's clear he's very much a work in progress.</p>
<p>I really didn't like Barch-D. Zajac-Janssen. Janssen and Barch got picked on a lot, as expected, and in the rare cases they were in the offensive zone, the play quickly left it. They were also on the ice for the one lone goal against. The requisite fight came in the second and Janssen didn't even win that. DeBoer kept cycling through the lines and pairings so this unit got roughly ten minutes of ice time. I can understand wanting to give guys regular minutes when the games don't count. I still don't get that match up. If you must have a goon, then split them up; limit the damage, so to speak.</p>
<p>I'm non-committal about the power play since two of them were shortened by Devils penalties. Each unit had two defensemen and they had some other cross-ice plays beyond getting the puck to one point. Without a full roster, it's going to be hard to judge whether they're going in the right direction. They got four shots on net across three power plays; Gelinas' goal came shortly after the third one - the only full power play - ended. At least they didn't give up much shorthanded, thanks to Fayne's foul.</p>
<p>The penalty kill looked a bit stronger at times, giving up six shots out of four attempts. Though Richards really should've converted the Rangers' second power play. Alas, Schneider's stick said no. I did like how they clamped down on a 3-on-5 situation for a half-minute. There's hope that this PK could be good under Mike Foligno. Again, I'd like to see it with a full roster, of course.</p>
<p>As much as I don't like saying nice things about the opponent, I do think that the Rangers fans should be pleased that their NHL players played like them. The Devils didn't get too much going against Staal and <span>Michael Del Zotto</span>, which could be their second pairing in two weeks. As stated earlier, the line of Nash, Richards, and Kreider put up a bulk of the offense among their forwards. That could also be a forward line in the regular season. That the Devils prevailed against them despite having a sensible five-man unit that could very well be on the ice from October or onward is a nice touch.</p>
<p>I really had a good time at the Rock. It was good to see the Diablos actually standing and cheering all game long. It was good to be back in my seat in Section 1. It was good to be around fans, both familiar and unfamiliar, that also enjoy the game. It was good to see a hockey game and enjoy it for what it was: an up-tempo game that didn't get too heated but the players gave an effort from start to finish. It was good to see Earl's Dance Party in the second period. It was even...well, there <span>Dainius Zubrus</span>' tunes at warm up. That was still there. And at the end, the Rangers faithful went home quietly; the Devils supporters chanted "Cory!" when Schneider came out to center ice for the post-game interview; and the good guys gave the home fans a reason to smile. The Rock is good, the Devils were good, and the evening was good.</p>
<p>That's my take on tonight's preseason game. The next one will be interesting to follow here as it will be a home game but not on TV. We'll see. What did you like and did not like about the Devils performance? Would you agree that Tedenby was the team's best forward tonight? How about the defensemen, what are your thoughts on them? Lastly, what do you want to see from the Devils based on what they did tonight? Please leave your answers and thoughts about the game in the comments. Thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2013/9/16/4739370/cory-schneider-shined-as-new-jersey-devils-edge-new-york-rangers-2-1John Fischer2013-09-16T18:30:06-04:002013-09-16T18:30:06-04:00Devils vs. Rangers: Preseason Gamethread #1
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<figcaption>Ed Mulholland-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Tonight marks the return of (sort of) competitive NHL hockey in New Jersey. Use this thread to rejoice (and discuss the game)! Go Devils and such.</p> <p> </p>
<div class="m-entry__body"> <p><strong>The Time: </strong>7:00 PM EST</p> <p><strong>The Broadcast: </strong>TV Only: MSG+ (Devils Feed) and MSG (Rangers Feed)</p> <p><strong>The Place: </strong>Prudential Center, Newark, NJ</p> <p><strong>The Matchup: </strong>The <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New Jersey Devils</a></span> (0-0-0) vs. the <a href="https://www.blueshirtbanter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Rangers</a> (0-0-0)</p> <p><strong>The Previews: </strong><a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2013/9/16/4734058/preseason-game-preview-1-new-jersey-devils-vs-new-york-rangers" target="_blank">John previewed the preseason opener here earlier.</a> The preview from the Rangers' perspective is <a href="http://www.blueshirtbanter.com/2013/9/16/4736844/rangers-vs-devils-preview-its-finally-here" target="_blank">over at Blueshirt Banter</a>, if you're into that kind of thing.<a href="http://www.broadstreethockey.com/"></a></p> <p align="justify"><strong>Gameday Info: </strong>DEVILS HOCKEY RETURNS. After what seemed like an approximately 40-month-long offseason, finally there will be hockey -- albeit not particularly meaningful hockey -- at the Prudential Center once again. For me, it is a welcome respite from watching every other sports team I root for get pounded into the earth over the weekend.</p> <p align="justify">Tonight's lineup has a lot of young guys getting their shot at some ice time. <span>Eric Gelinas</span>, <span>Alexander Urbom</span>, <span>Mike Sislo</span>, <span>Harri Pesonen</span>, <span>Reid Boucher</span>, and Darcy (yes, Darcy) Zajac are all in the lineup for the Red, White, and Black tonight. <span>Cory Schneider</span> will get the start in net and likely play the first two periods, while <span>Keith Kinkaid</span> will mop up in the third. <span>Jaromir Jagr</span> and <span>Patrik Elias</span> will be getting the night off along with assorted other veterans (Sorry, folks, you'll have to wait for the debuts of <span>Ryane Clowe</span> and <span>Michael Ryder</span>. You do get a first look at <span>Rosti Olesz</span>, though). Most notable of all lineup moves is the existence of a <span>Krys Barch</span> - Darcy Zajac - <span>Cam Janssen</span> line. Look out, world. <a href="http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/devils_coach_pete_deboer_not_concerned_about_jaromir_jagr_patrik_elias_though_they_remain_off_ice/" target="_blank">Full lineup is posted by Tom Gulitti over here at Fire & Ice.</a></p> <p align="justify"><strong>The Song for Tonight: </strong>Obvious and self-explanatory choice, "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzlgJ-SfKYE" target="_blank">Start Me Up</a>" by The Rolling Stones, because I lack creativity.</p> <p align="justify"><strong>The Reminder of Rules: </strong>This is a place where you can comment about this game before, during, and after it's played before the recap is up. This is a place where we primarily discuss the Devils game. An odd mention of other NHL games is OK, but it shouldn't dominate discussion. All comments will be clean, respectful of each other, relevant to the game, and legal (read: no illegal streams). Avoid large pictures and .gifs as well so the thread doesn't get too bogged down.</p> </div>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2013/9/16/4738148/new-jersey-devils-vs-new-york-rangers-preseason-gamethread-1Mike Stromberg2013-09-16T07:00:05-04:002013-09-16T07:00:05-04:00Preseason Game #1 Preview: Devils vs. Rangers
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<img alt="It's not known at this moment whether Steve Bernier will play tonight, but Henrik Lundqvist will be in the Rangers' lineup." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ltcXCGAt8wgK_EJSQ0dgjkhMhdY=/0x0:3999x2666/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/19595295/20130427_jla_aw8_351.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>It's not known at this moment whether Steve Bernier will play tonight, but Henrik Lundqvist will be in the Rangers' lineup. | Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Welcome back to hockey. Well, preseason hockey with a short and light preview about tonight's game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers.</p> <p>Hockey is back! Well, hockey that's not at all fully competitive and won't count after two weeks is back. It's still the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/">New Jersey Devils</a> taking on Our Hated Rivals, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blueshirtbanter.com/">New York Rangers</a>. Well, it's a bunch of regulars mixed in with players who won't be on the roster in a few weeks on both sides. It's still at the Prudential Center, it costs money to attend, and it will be run as if it was any other game. It's hockey!</p>
<p><b>The Time: </b>7:00 PM EDT</p>
<p><b>The Broadcast: </b>There actually is one! TV - MSG (Rangers) /MSG+ (Devils, only one on TV this preseason)</p>
<p><b>The Matchup: </b>The New Jersey Devils vs. the New York Rangers (SBN Blog: <a href="http://www.blueshirtbanter.com" target="_blank">Blueshirt Banter</a>)</p>
<p>These previews are going to be somewhat different than the ones you're used to seeing. It's preseason so the records and stats don't matter much. I would like to see the Devils win, but it's not the end of the world if they don't. These two weeks are perfect for coaches to experiment with their lineup and tactics while players get up to speed. The Devils have not announced anything as of this writing - which is always done the day prior to the game - other than that <span>Cory Schneider</span> will be in net and <span>Martin Brodeur</span> will not be in net. <a href="http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/comments/schneider_to_start_devils_preseason_opener_vs._rangers_jagr_remains_off_ice_but_improving/" target="_blank">Tom Gulitti reported that on Sunday at Fire & Ice</a> and he notes that it is not even guaranteed that Schneider will get the whole game. Since Jaromir Jagr has not been practicing, I doubt he'll suit up for this one. Plus, <span>Patrik Elias</span> not scrimmaging on Sunday - <a href="http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/comments/patrik_elias_jaromir_jagr_not_scrimmaging_again_today_with_devils/" target="_blank">as reported here by Gulitti</a> - makes me doubt his inclusion tonight. I don't see a need to rush either into this first game since there will be five more and, again, these games don't count. With two veterans likely out, the Devils can get some other guys on tape and see how they do. Of course, I could be wrong. The entire roster should be reported later today.</p>
<p>The Rangers are definitely taking that experimental approach. Gulitti's associate at the Bergen Record, Andrew Gross, covers Our Hated Rivals. <a href="http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/rangerrants/rangers_cut_14_annouonce_roster_for_preseason_opener/" target="_blank">According to this Sunday post</a>, the team cut some players and established most of their roster for Monday's game. There are some definite aces in the lineup like <span>Henrik Lundqvist</span>, <span>Marc Staal</span>, <span>Michael Del Zotto</span>, <span>Brad Richards</span>, and <span>Rick Nash</span>. There are also some guys looking to break into the NHL roster such as <span>Chris Kreider</span>, <span>Danny Kristo</span>, and <span>Justin Falk</span>. The only potential change could depend on Stu Bickel's status. As Gross stated, if his back remains an issue, then <span>Dylan McIlrath</span> will take his spot on defense. Alain Vigneault is not icing a full strength roster and it should be expected for this time of the year. It's appropriate to do that now ahead of the actual season since there's no penalty if something goes awry.</p>
<p>Since this is also the very first preseason game for both teams, there's going to be quite a bit of proverbial rust on players as well. I would recommend focusing on how players perform in general. Whether they're getting that rust off, whether they fit in with someone, and so forth. I'd look at the puck movement more so than attempts on net. Players in sync and in some kind of form should be able to effectively move the puck to their teammates and likewise. Those that aren't will result in a lot of pucks bouncing off sticks or straying from their targets. Effective passing may be enough to create the opportunities for offense against New York tonight, depending on how well the Rangers are set for this game.</p>
<p>There will be two notable rule changes in effect for this and the other five preseason games. The NHL is experimenting with hybrid icing and shallower nets. The shallower net adds a four more inches behind the net, which could yield more wraparounds and players trying to set others up from behind the goal line. Hybrid icing allows the refs to blow a play dead if the puck sails into the endboards from behind the red line. They can let play happen if there is an actual race between a defending and attacking player. I'm not a big fan of hybrid icing because of that judgment call by the ref. If the intent is to reduce potential danger from guys crashing into each other in chasing a puck, then why not just make it no-touch icing and eliminate it altogether? It's not like a lot of offense happens when the offense negates an icing call since there's usually a defenseman in the area to make a play. If I'm not mistaken, the players will decide whether they want to keep either rule change after preseason. It's something to look out for as these two teams skate it out in an exhibition.</p>
<p>Again, this is preseason so there's not really a whole lot of depth to go into. I would recommend just trying to enjoy it. I understand it's a rivalry game, but given that the stakes are very low for the Devils, it's not worth getting up in arms short of the Rangers winning a blowout. Even then, I wouldn't be that concerned since preseason games don't count. The process here will otherwise remain the same. There will be a game, I'll be in Section 1, Row 16, Seat 5 as usual to watch it, there will be a recap sometime after the game, and we will go on to the next one.</p>
<p>Who do you want to see have a good game tonight? What part of the Devils' game will you looking forward to this evening? Are you going to the game? If not, you shouldn't miss this one on TV as it's the only Devils preseason game on TV (I do not know if the other five games will be streamed online by the Devils or their opponents). Please leave your answers and other thoughts about tonight's preseason game. Welcome to the return of hockey and thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2013/9/16/4734058/preseason-game-preview-1-new-jersey-devils-vs-new-york-rangersJohn Fischer