All About The Jersey - New Jersey Devils vs. New York Rangers: Game Stream #6A world class blog for Jersey's team: the New Jersey Devilshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47083/lou-fave.png2014-10-22T00:33:02-04:00http://www.allaboutthejersey.com/rss/stream/67890722014-10-22T00:33:02-04:002014-10-22T00:33:02-04:00An Embarrassment - Devils 3, Rangers 4 (OT)
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<img alt="When you don't pick up the trailer in overtime, this is what happens." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/D1HczKaxcUaQ73icfj7JbklGMbM=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/42430864/20141021_pjc_se8_225.JPG.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>When you don't pick up the trailer in overtime, this is what happens. | Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The New Jersey Devils went ahead 3-1 early in the third period against the New York Rangers, but lost in overtime with three unanswered goals. This recap deals with all of the frustration of such a loss from the goals against to the non-sellout crowd at the Rock.</p> <p>Over the course of an 82-game season, any team regardless of their quality is going to have some bad nights. Some of them will be where nothing goes right. Some of them will be where the other team simply steamrolls them. Some of them will feature a lead being choked away . As a fan, you just hope those games don't happen on a night you're attending and against a hated rival. Yet, that is exactly what happened at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey this evening. The <a href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New Jersey Devils</a> were up as much as 3-1 early on in the third period against the <a href="https://www.blueshirtbanter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Rangers</a>. They had the better run of play at even strength. Yet, they found a way to lose the game. In overtime, 4-3 because no one picked up a trailing bottom-pairing defenseman named <span>Kevin Klein</span>. The silver lining is a point, though it's a double-edged lining as a Devils winner would have still given a division opponent a point.</p>
<p>It was maddening to witness the Devils concede three unanswered goals on a night where the Devils power play scored three goals. And they were good goals off mostly good set-ups. <span>Damien Brunner</span> missed his shot, but <span>Jaromir Jagr</span> was in a position to pop it in. Jagr made a sweet pass to the left dot where <span>Adam Henrique</span> beat <span>Henrik Lundqvist</span> shortside. Brunner managed to win a puck and play it out to the other end of the zone for <span>Jon Merrill</span> to pick it up; Merrill stepped up and beat Lundqvist with a lovely shot. With all due respect to the power play, I'm pretty sure a three-goal night from them isn't going to happen a lot this season. So seeing that wasted was disheartening.</p>
<p>The comeback effort itself was disheartening to see and hear. The Rangers had one on the board in the first period when the Next Ryan Callahan, <span>Chris Kreider</span> pounced on a rebound unannounced and scored the team's first power play goal this season. Later in the third, in an attempt to exit the zone, <span>Mike Cammalleri</span> whacks a puck in mid-air. It goes over the glass and gets called for delay of game. Even if the puck hit the glass or got past the defender, I'm not sure what Cammalleri was going for. So his "bad luck" put the team down. It didn't take long for <span>Ryan McDonagh</span> to sling a cross-ice pass out of reach of <span>Patrik Elias</span> and Adam Henrique to <span>Chris Mueller</span>, who one-timed it past <span>Andy Greene</span> and <span>Cory Schneider</span>. That made it 3-2.</p>
<p><span>Marek Zidlicky</span>, who's very much like that guy at a local pick-up basketball game who feels he needs to show off all of the moves he learned from watching And1 tapes all week regardless of you're ready for them or not, created the equalizer. The puck was dumped in by Mueller and Schneider slowed it down. Zidlicky picked it up and decided a no-look backhand pass from behind the goal line was a good idea. It was not. It almost never is. He did it, he missed <span>Travis Zajac</span> (read: this almost worked), and found Kreider (read: this so did not work), who hammered a low shot on net. Schneider stopped the puck and didn't leave a big rebound. Not that he needed to because as Zidlicky was up to his old tricks, <span>Rick Nash</span> peeled out of the corner and headed to the net. No one could get him, no one could stop him from getting that puck, he made sure not to crash into Schneider again, and no one could stop him from burying it. 3-3 and, no, Zidlicky did not get a deserved secondary assist on the goal.</p>
<p>The Devils responded well to the goal by bringing the house to Lundqvist. They weren't so much knocking on the proverbial door as much as they were slamming that knocker that some large doors have. But Lundqvist and bounces salvaged them. In overtime, a four-some of <span>Dainius Zubrus</span>, <span>Ryane Clowe</span>, Greene, and <span>Damon Severson</span> was out there. It wasn't hideous as Severson put a sweet move past Kreider, but he fired his shot wide. The Rangers counter-attack but both defensemen were back. So was Zubrus, who wasn't paying attention to Klein coming up from behind him. He was puck-watching the whole way. He never heard - or possibly wasn't told - to look out for the man from behind. Kreider, back to goal, passed it back to Klein. The defenseman took a step into space and beat Schneider clean. Bad combination on the ice by Peter DeBoer, ugly goal to allow by Schneider, horrible backchecking by Zubrus (who should know better), and a disgusted arena not-even-close-to-full of Devils fans.</p>
<p>Let me put this more directly: the Devils rebounded from an early deficit to make the Rangers suffer on three power plays to go up 3-1. They were otherwise doing more with the puck at even strength. But their PK gave an opposing team life, they paid dearly for the horrible mistake of a giveaway, and a lack of proper execution doomed them in overtime. All against a hated rival. All in front of a not-even-sold out crowd. Tonight was an embarrassment on all gameday fronts for the Devils, plain and simple.</p>
<p><b>The Game Stats: </b> The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/GS020080.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Game Summary</a> | The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/ES020080.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Event Summary</a> | The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/PL020080.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Play by Play Log</a> | The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/SS020080.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Shot Summary</a> | The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/TH020080.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Devils Time on Ice Report</a> | The <a href="http://naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20142015&game=20080" target="_blank">Natural Stat Trick Corsi Charts</a></p>
<p><b>The Opposition Opinion: </b> <a href="http://www.blueshirtbanter.com/2014/10/21/7034731/rangers-vs-devils-recap-third-period-comeback-fuels-rangers-4-3-ot-win" target="_blank">Bryan Winters has this recap up at Blueshirt Banter.</a></p>
<p><b>The Game Highlights: </b>First the ecstasy of goals scored, then the agony of defeat. Here's the video from <a href="http://www.nhl.com" target="_blank">NHL.com</a>:</p>
<p align="center"><iframe src="http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/embed?playlist=2014020080-X-h" frameborder="0" width="640" height="395"></iframe></p>
<p><b>The State of Your Business or This Is How I Know Your Tickets Are Too Expensive: </b>Before I get into the hockey, let's talk attendance. This game was not a sellout. I repeat: a Devils-Rangers game early enough when nobody's out of anything and the second home game of the season did not sell out. It was not even close. There were large swaths of empty seats in the 200 sections. Some, like 209, were barely half full. There were pockets and stretches of rows of empty seats in the ends of the lower bowl. I'm pretty confident the boxes weren't all sold. The Devils, to their credit, announced a more realistic 14,484 number. But the fact that this wasn't close to sellout is an embarrassment to the business.</p>
<p>Devils-Rangers is arguably the easiest game to sell on the schedule as it's the biggest rivalry. We hate them and they hate us and that should equal money for any competent sales department. Instead, the Brand-focused Devils decided to jack up the variable pricing for the Devils-Rangers game. Charging a bit more for this game, I can understand. But it's ridiculous. My own ticket is listed at $130 before fees, and I'm in Row 16 of Section 1, the cheapest section of the lower bowl for that section. For comparison's sake, my ticket for Friday night's game - Chico Night against Dallas - has a listed price of $50. Even though it's on a weekday night, it wasn't a promotional night, and against a team arguably better than the Rangers, it's worth $80 more? <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSkVrQ4KjN8&feature=youtu.be&t=9s">Come on, son.</a> I can only imagine the markup elsewhere in the arena. Clearly, those who would want to sit in the 200s or in the lower bowl or elsewhere voted with their wallets.</p>
<p>For all the talk of wanting to be more family-friendly and inclusive and welcoming, the pricing is truly the thing holding them back. How can I, a mere fan and blogger see all this. But not someone with the resources of the sales department for a regime that had a season to figure things out? Not the Devils Dancers, now replaced with a "Spirit Squad" and a nervous hostess. Not a lack of a new look for the concourses, which does look spiffy. Not food options, though I appreciate the new ones, pricey as they are. Not fans yelling "You suck" during the goal song, which the fans have started to figure out tonight - good for them. It's the ticket prices, plain and simple. Anyone who disagrees needed only to be at the Rock tonight.</p>
<p><b>Let's Get Back to Hockey, Speaking of, Let's Welcome Back Adam: </b><span>Adam Larsson</span> made his season debut tonight. He played a whopping 12:30, finished even in possession, and looked more tentative than anything else. A defenseman doesn't have to be aggressive - looking at you, Zidlicky - but there are situations where he need to be more forceful. His clearances weren't strong enough, he didn't make many clean exits, and he didn't exactly play the toughest competition. When Damien Brunner made his season debut, he made a point of it to keep his feet moving and be somewhat notable. I can't say the same for Larsson and not in the good way for defensemen not being noticeable being a good thing. If anything, Jon Merrill and Damon Severson looked far better - which is rather telling as Larsson has more NHL experience than both. Bellyache as much as you want about Peter DeBoer not playing him more, but I don't see why he really should play regularly over <span>Eric Gelinas</span>. I would not be surprised if Gelinas returns to the lineup on Friday, actually.</p>
<p><b>Switch Not Effective: </b>Mike Cammalleri, <span>Martin Havlat</span>, and Patrik Elias didn't do so well. I felt Havlat was lost more often than not, despite a positive possession night. Elias' passes weren't all that strong. Cammalleri had an awesome shot hit the crossbar, but he only had one other shot on net. This trio didn't do so well.</p>
<p>On the contrary, Dainius Zubrus, Travis Zajac, and Jaromir Jagr looked like, well, like they did last season at times. They drew the tough matchup of <span>Dan Girardi</span> and McDonagh and generally won that one. The threesome combined for seven shots and came close to scoring multiple times. But I don't think the idea was for them to get close to scoring. While the Devils scored three on the power play; none were at evens and that's no good. I would like to see Cammalleri and Zubrus switched back for the next game.</p>
<p><b>Surprisingly Effective: </b>Surprising to me, the Adam Henrique line had a good game in terms of possession in spite of <span>Michael Ryder</span> being a drain. They did much better when Damien Brunner was moved up for a shift or two. As did Brunner himself. Brunner's two assists on the power play were good to see, but being a positive player in possession will help him stay in the lineup. <span>Stephen Gionta</span> (who played with Cammalleri for like 1:40 for zero shots for/against and that made some people upset) and <span>Jordin Tootoo</span> did little at evens again and were negative for the night. Brunner wasn't, which speaks to how good his few shifts were with others. That's a pleasant finding on an otherwise rotten-feeling night.</p>
<p><b>All Right: </b>I will not say anything bad about the power play tonight. Three goals on seven shots is too good to nitpick. That said, the one that Merrill scored on wasn't really effective at all until Merrill scored on it. By the by, Merrill had a good night.</p>
<p><b>The Calls & the PK, Man: </b>Jagr trips <span>Dominic Moore</span> (who kind of sold it) in the offensive zone. Result is a PPGA. Michael Ryder holds Klein in the offensive zone. Result is a kill. Cammalleri bats a puck in mid-air that goes over the glass. It's good that the Devils kept it to only three tonight, but the yuckiness was amplified by the two PPGAs. I'm almost convinced the team needs to at least communicate better on defense because they're just not reacting quick enough. I think it's because the defender isn't aware until it's just about too late. Something's got to change and it's not as simple as replacing <span>Bryce Salvador</span> or Andy Greene - both PPGAs were on his side, incidentally - with a younger, less experienced defenseman.</p>
<p><b>Cory: </b>Made a number of tough saves, beaten by a one-timer, two rebounds where no Devil could have cleaned it up, and straight up in overtime. The last one was the one he should have had, even though it doesn't excuse Zubrus not picking up Klein. (Aside: DeBoer putting out Clowe-Zubrus as forwards in OT was a dubious decision, but that also doesn't excuse Zubrus not doing his job.)</p>
<p><b>Bench & Everyone That I Don't Like: </b>As with most sports, when the team doesn't get the desired result, many fans want players benched and coaches fired. Some with cause, some without.</p>
<p>I can agree that DeBoer should have benched Tootoo and not <span>Tuomo Ruutu</span>. However, I can't agree that would have made a difference tonight. As much as I like Ruutu's game, he hasn't shown much of anything this season either.</p>
<p>I can agree that switching Zubrus and Cammalleri didn't really make sense and didn't work tonight. I can't agree that it hurt the team because that switch really didn't. Cammalleri was a crossbar away from changing a lot of opinions on that too.</p>
<p>I can agree that putting out Clowe-Zubrus in OT or Salvador-Zidlicky were poor choices; but that doesn't excuse the players when they don't execute correctly. Zubrus needed to pick up Klein. Whether he should have been out there is irrelevant; he was out there and he was in a position to do something. He just needed to turn around and do so. (And for what it's worth, Salvador-Zidlicky did a good job in OT.)</p>
<p>I can agree that Zidlicky played a dumb game tonight and Salvador was a net negative again. I can't agree they lost the game entirely, the PK failed solely because of Salvador (he wasn't picked on tonight), and that Zidlicky should sit for his error. As bad as his error was (among others), he also created plenty of the Devils' offense tonight. I suspect Ryan will point that out more clearly. Sitting him would be kneecapping a team attack that actually topped 30 shots tonight, which is atypical for them. You have to take the good with the bad, even when the bad can be as bad as it was tonight. Salvador is bad on the regular and nothing tonight really disputed that. But he wasn't the guy picked on the PK and he wasn't the one coughing up pucks for equalizers in the third period. Furthermore, I must repeat this: He's not going to be sitting unless he's hurt or there's a situation behind the scenes. Neither is happening and I understand you're not going to be happy reading that, but that's been the case for the last two seasons running. And I'm going to keep saying that in various ways as long as I need to. (And it's not really hurting the youth on defense as half of the blueline remains well under the age of 25.)</p>
<p>I can agree that blowing a 3-1 lead within a period is disgusting. I can't agree DeBoer or the coaching staff is solely at fault because they're not on the ice making things happen like coughing up the puck. They share blame, of course, but let's not act as if this could not have happened with someone else behind the bench. That would be a lie.</p>
<p>I'm disgusted with the loss as much as anyone. I don't like watching my favorite team go winless in three because they couldn't close the deal against a hated rival. Especially in a building that should have been full but wasn't due in part of the organization's ticket pricing decisions. But the worst thing the Devils could do now is to fire DeBoer and make wholesale changes to the lineup. If the team was winless in five and getting pounded in the process, then that's a different story. But that wasn't happening no matter how mad you are about the seventh game of the season going so poorly.</p>
<p><b>Open Ended Question: </b>If the Devils somehow beat Lundqvist in the final few minutes when they stormed his zone or got a shot past him in overtime, then how upset should we be? I think that's worth considering. No need to answer it, though; just ponder it.</p>
<p><b>Your Take: </b> I got what I wanted to say out of the way. Now it's your turn. What did you make of this performance? How do you think the Devils should spend the next two days before hosting Dallas? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about this bad defeat in the comments.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who followed along in the Gamethread and my sparse Tweets with <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twitter.com/inlouwetrust">@InLouWeTrust</a>. Thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2014/10/22/7035759/new-jersey-devils-embarrass-themselves-4-3-overtime-loss-our-hated-rivals-new-york-rangersJohn Fischer2014-10-21T18:00:03-04:002014-10-21T18:00:03-04:00Devils vs. Rangers: Gamethread #6
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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+, Radio: 660 AM & 101.9 FM WFAN</p>
<p><strong>The Matchup:</strong> The <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/">New Jersey Devils</a> (3-2-0) vs. The <a href="https://www.blueshirtbanter.com/">New York Rangers</a> (3-3-0 SBN Blog: <a href="http://www.blueshirtbanter.com/">Blueshirt Banter.</a>)</p>
<p><strong>The Game Previews: </strong>John's preview from earlier <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/10/21/7024533/new-jersey-devils-new-york-rangers-game-preview-six">is right here.</a> For the opposition's point of view, feel free to drop by <a href="http://www.blueshirtbanter.com/">Blueshirt Banter.</a></p>
<p><strong>The Song for Tonight: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whRP0hi4yYg">"Red, White and Black" by OFF!.</a> I am all about the red white and blue any other day of the week except when the Rangers come to town. Patriotism takes on a different meaning for Devils game day.</p>
<p><strong>Gameday Info:</strong> <span>Cory Schneider</span> is starting in net for the Devils while <span>Henrik Lundqvist</span> is expected for the Rangers. <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/">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/2014/10/21/7032181/new-jersey-devils-vs-new-york-rangers-gamethread-6JT Sroka2014-10-21T07:00:02-04:002014-10-21T07:00:02-04:00Devils vs. Rangers: Game Preview #6
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<figcaption>Dainius Zubrus is ready. Is Matt Hunwick? | Bruce Bennett</figcaption>
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<p>Our Hated Rivals, the New York Rangers, come to the Prudential Center to take on the New Jersey Devils. This preview looks at the changes to both teams for this game and what the Devils should try to do to win this rivalry game.</p> <p>Fans, please let them know what you think of the opposition all night long.</p>
<p><b>The Time: </b>7:00 PM EST</p>
<p><b>The Broadcast: </b>TV - MSG+; Radio - 660 AM, 101.9 FM WFAN</p>
<p><b>The Matchup: </b>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/">New Jersey Devils</a> (3-2-0) vs. the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blueshirtbanter.com/">New York Rangers</a> (3-3-0; SBN Blog: <a href="http://www.blueshirtbanter.com/">Blueshirt Banter</a>)</p>
<p><b>The Last Devils Game: </b>On Saturday night, the Devils opened up the Prudential Center to the 2014-15 regular season with a game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fearthefin.com/">San Jose Sharks</a>. The game itself featured a lot of loose pucks and lost control in the neutral zone, but when each side managed to gain control, they found the target quite a bit. Hence, the shots were high while the attempts were not. Antti Niemi and <span>Cory Schneider</span> had a lot to do. The Sharks struck first, second, and third. Joe Pavelski put home a rebound for a power play goal in the first period; Logan Couture slotted in a shot from the slot for a second power play goal; and Patrick Marleau rifled in a shot that Schneider should have stopped in the third. However, it was not 2013-14 so the Devils mounted a comeback. <span>Mike Cammalleri</span> slammed in a one-timer from a 3-on-2 rush. With just under eight minutes, a pass to the middle by <span>Adam Henrique</span> bounced past Niemi's left to make it a one-shot game. Alas, the Devils could not find an equalizer. <span>Eric Gelinas</span> misfired on a neutral zone pass to <span>Michael Ryder</span>, leaving the puck to be picked up by Joe Thornton shortly after the extra skater came on. A sort-of-give-and-go with Thornton and Pavelski ended with Thornton icing the game with an ENG. The Devils lost 2-4; <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/10/19/7001643/new-jersey-devils-dumped-2-4-san-jose-sharks-dreary-performance" target="_blank">my recap of the game is here.</a></p>
<p><b>The Last Rangers Game: </b> Sunday evening saw the Sharks head into Rangerstown for a game against the Rangers. After a scoreless first period with a combined 12 shots on net, the game picked up in terms of offense as the Rangers out-shot the Sharks 17-15. More importantly, they out-scored the Sharks 3-0. Carl Hagelin got his first of the season just past the thirteenth minute. While the Sharks kept shooting, they got stunned late in the period. <span>Martin St. Louis</span> scored and four seconds later, so did <span>Rick Nash</span>. Yes, two goals in four seconds in the final minute of the second period. Remarkable. And bad for Alex Stalock. <span>Kevin Hayes</span> scored his first ever NHL goal in the third period to make it a decisive 4-0 win at MSG. <a href="http://www.blueshirtbanter.com/2014/10/19/7009051/new-york-rangers-san-jose-sharks-recap" target="_blank">Evan Sporer has this recap of the game at Blueshirt Banter.</a></p>
<p><b>The Goal: </b>Clean up the neutral zone. While the Devils atypically put up over 30 shots on net against San Jose, they had troubles moving cleanly through the zone. When they were able to do so, they got good shots. Both of their goals were created with carries into the opposition's end. They should strive to do so for their offense. It will also help them defensively. By not throwing pucks at teammates' skates or errantly into traffic, that should reduce the opposition's opportunities to attack. The neutral zone is important and if <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/teamstats.htm?fetchKey=20152ALLSAAAll&sort=avgShotsPerGame&viewName=summary" target="_blank">the Devils want to keep the Rangers below their early-season average of 32.5 shots per game and increase their own</a>, then they need to improve their puck movement there than they did on Saturday night.</p>
<p><b>Zero Percent: </b>Believe it or not, the Rangers have not scored a power play goal yet this season. <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/teamstats.htm?fetchKey=20152ALLSAAAll&sort=powerPlayGoals&viewName=powerPlay" target="_blank">They are tied with three other teams (Minnesota, Winnipeg, Buffalo) with no conversions.</a> Obviously, that will not last all season - even without <span>Dan Boyle</span>. I doubt a team <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fetchKey=20152NYRSASALL&sort=avgPowerPlayTOIPerGame&viewName=timeOnIce" target="_blank">that boasts Rick Nash, Martin St. Louis, and Ryan McDonagh</a> on the man advantage will remain scoreless. For the Devils to avoid being the first team to give up a PPGA to the Rangers, they can do two things. First, they need to make a concerted effort to avoid <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/10/20/7009269/new-jersey-devils-discipline-problems-plague-start-of-2014-15-season-penalties-hurt" target="_blank">taking a significant a number of penalties.</a> That's been a problem so far in this early season. It should be a priority for tonight. Second, they need to communicate better when they do have to kill a penalty. As much maligned as <span>Bryce Salvador</span> has been, there's been quite a bit of standing about from the players. It appears to me that for there to be improvement, then it cannot just be hoping Schneider stops everything. There must be quicker responses when it comes to getting in lanes and pressuring forwards. That requires the PK players to more clearly call out who to pick up and where to go. That's how I see it.</p>
<p><b>Larsson Debut: </b>Pleasing those unhappy that <span>Adam Larsson</span> has been scratched for the first give games, Larsson will likely play in tonight's game. Salvador has been bad but he hasn't been good for the better part of the last two seasons. He has the 'C,' he's not going to be a healthy scratch. Eric Gelinas has also not been so good recently. If The Truth isn't hitting the net and he's getting beat on defense, then why should he remain in the lineup? <a href="http://fireandice.northjersey.com/fire-ice-1.174987/looks-like-larsson-will-play-gelinas-will-sit-for-devils-tuesday-deboer-wants-more-from-4th-line-1.1113383" target="_blank">Tom Gulitti reported on Monday at Fire & Ice</a> that it appears that Larsson will play with <span>Jon Merrill</span> instead of Gelinas. Like <span>Damien Brunner</span> on Saturday night, there's a reason to hope that Larsson uses this game to prove a point to the coaches that he belongs every night.</p>
<p>Incidentally, Larsson's debut could mean fewer minutes for, again, the much-maligned captain of the team. While Larsson doesn't have the offensive skill set to play on the power play, he could handle penalty killing duties. Before, the team had to rely heavily on <span>Andy Greene</span> and Salvador as the remainder of the blueline was Gelinas (not a PKer), <span>Marek Zidlicky</span> (not a PKer), Jon Merrill (still inexperienced), and <span>Damon Severson</span> (rookie). The latter two got shorthanded ice time. Larsson has a little more experience than both and playing back in a 4-on-5 situation won't expose his issues with skating and playing with too much tunnel-vision as much. This would allow the Devils to use 24-6 less when the Devils to have to kill some penalties. So look for that tonight in addition to #5 lining up next to #7.</p>
<p><b>Brunner Still In: </b>Not pleasing those unhappy with the fourth line came word from Monday's practice that <span>Tuomo Ruutu</span> appears to be the odd man out. <a href="http://fireandice.northjersey.com/fire-ice-1.174987/looks-like-larsson-will-play-gelinas-will-sit-for-devils-tuesday-deboer-wants-more-from-4th-line-1.1113383" target="_blank">Gulitti reported at Fire & Ice</a> that <span>Martin Havlat</span> did practice with a face shield and Damien Brunner took Ruutu's spot in practice on the fourth line. Should Havlat feel ready to play, that would mean Ruutu is scratched. The positive is that the coaches liked what Brunner did enough to give him another game. That means he did his job on Saturday. Look for him to get bumps in ice time when power plays happen.</p>
<p>The negative is that among the trio of Ruutu, <span>Stephen Gionta</span>, and early-team-leader-in-penalties <span>Jordin Tootoo</span>, Ruutu is the one who has to sit. Tootoo has brought nothing positive to the table this season. While Brunner in a fourth line may stick out like a sore thumb, it's arguably worse that his supporting linemates will be Gionta and Tootoo as opposed to Gionta and Ruutu, who can play above a fourth line role. In the linked article from Gulitti, Peter DeBoer said he wanted more from the fourth line. I'm not seeing how keeping Tootoo in for another night will get him more. Hopefully, that experiment ends soon and doesn't hurt the team tonight.</p>
<p><b>The One Line to Change Wasn't: </b><a href="http://fireandice.northjersey.com/fire-ice-1.174987/cammalleri-on-line-with-elias-havlat-ruutu-on-5th-line-larsson-with-merrill-at-devils-practice-1.1113188" target="_blank">Gulitti also noted in practice</a> that Mike Cammalleri was practicing with Havlat and <span>Patrik Elias</span>, while <span>Dainius Zubrus</span> was re-united with <span>Travis Zajac</span> and <span>Jaromir Jagr</span>. I don't quite get the need for this switch. The Elias and Zajac lines were doing fine. Cammalleri is riding a point-streak and both units have been positive in possession. I don't think either will be particularly bad and I'm not sure what potential match-up has given Peter DeBoer cause to switch wingers. If there was to be a change among forwards among the top nine, then why not the Adam Henrique line? While they aren't getting a lot of offensive zone starts, they have been beaten regularly in possession. <a href="http://war-on-ice.com/playertable.html?mansit=2&scoresit=1&homeawaysit=1&shotattsit=1&names=&team=N.J&pos=5&xaxis=1&yaxis=14&caxis=6&saxis=4&panel=&usedaterange=0&start0=20142015&end0=20142015&start1=2014-10-01&end1=2014-10-21&splitseasons=0" target="_blank">Just look at the War On Ice numbers</a>; I would think the "third" line should be the one to be shaken up. We'll see. I think Cammalleri will be fine next to Elias and we know Zubrus with Zajac and Jagr can be a beautiful thing to watch in a cycle. I just don't see why this switch was made as opposed to others.</p>
<p><b>Your Goalies, Not as Statistically Impressive So Far: </b><a href="http://fireandice.northjersey.com/fire-ice-1.174987/looks-like-larsson-will-play-gelinas-will-sit-for-devils-tuesday-deboer-wants-more-from-4th-line-1.1113383" target="_blank">Gulitti did also report that the Cory Schneider will start tonight's game.</a> That should be of no surprise. What is of some surprise is that his save percentage so far hasn't been so hot. While he's made plenty of tough stops, he's let in a share of bad goals and the PK has not helped him. <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?season=20142015&gameType=2&team=NJD&position=G&country=&status=&viewName=specialTeamSaves" target="_blank">His 92% save percentage at even strength</a> has been dragged down <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?gameType=2&position=G&season=20142015&sort=wins&status=A&team=NJD&viewName=summary" target="_blank">to 90.8% overall.</a></p>
<p>It could be worse. He could be Henrik Lundqvist, the likely starter for the Rangers tonight. He's been a top-level goalie for years. He just got a shutout against San Jose. His save percentage is still just barely above <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?gameType=2&position=G&season=20142015&sort=evenStrengthSaves&status=A&team=NYR&viewName=specialTeamSaves" target="_blank">90% at even strength </a>and below it in <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?gameType=2&position=G&season=20142015&sort=wins&status=A&team=NYR&viewName=summary" target="_blank">all situations to an ugly 89.2%.</a> He'll definitely bounce back. However, his start to the season shows he's not perfect. The Devils should make him work. With better neutral zone play, the Devils can obtain more</p>
<p><b>Banged Up Defense: </b>Adding another reason why the Devils should make a point of it to be better in the neutral zone, the Rangers' defense has been damaged in recent games. Dan Boyle has a broken hand. Kevin Klein took a puck to the chin and Dan Girardi's lower right leg was gashed from blocking shots. Andrew Gross, Gulitti's colleague at the Bergen Record, <a href="http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/rangerrants/girardi_still_questionable_to_face_the_devils/" target="_blank">reported at Ranger Rants on Monday</a> that Klein did practice and Girardi did not. That bodes well for Klein playing tonight but not for Girardi. Gross confirmed from Alain Vigenault that if Girardi was unable to play, then <span>Michael Kostka</span> would step in - and Ryan McDonagh may switch sides. Kostka has played in one game and could have been given assists on two goals against in the Isles game last week. I want the Devils to go after Kostka if he does play as well as Klein. They will likely make up the depth behind the far-better McDonagh and <span>Marc Staal</span>.</p>
<p><b>Think of a Train: </b>While the Rangers may also be missing <span>Derek Stepan</span> dearly, they still have some serious threats up front. Carl Hagelin is really quick off the wing, which makes him a threat on counter-attacks. Mats Zuccarello is similarly quick and packs some offensive punch of his own. <span>Derick Brassard</span> is a two-way threat with three goals on 16 shots, so he's been hot to start this season. Martin St. Louis is like Jagr in that in spite of their advanced ages, they are still very strong and productive. Younger players like <span>Anthony Duclair</span> and Kevin Hayes are wildcards.</p>
<p>However, the biggest threat for New Jersey is a large winger that goes by the name of Rick Nash. Whenever he has space to drive in close, he looks like a monster. His size, strength, and speed resembles a subway train; very difficult to stop. Even without the space, he's a handful. As of Monday night, Nash is the league leader in goals with seven and tied for eleventh in the NHL with 22 shots on net. The pairing of Greene-Severson have taken on some tough competition. I would expect them to see plenty of #61 alongside <span>Chris Kreider</span> and Hayes based on Left Wing Lock's line combination tool. It will not be easy, but if the Devils can keep him quiet, then it'll be a big help for tonight' sgame.</p>
<p><b>Atmosphere: </b>Devils fans, I want to hear you all for 60 minutes. Brand-appropriate or not, let the opposition know exactly what you think of them. It should be an experience. Devils players, please feed off of it, at least a little bit.</p>
<p><b>Your Take: </b>What do you make of the lineups for each side? What do you think will be the key factor for tonight? Here's what is at stake: A win denies a losing streak for the Devils, points for a hated rival, and the all-important temporary feeling of bragging rights. Who will get that win tonight? The good guys or Our Hated Rivals? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about tonight's big rivalry game in the comments. Thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2014/10/21/7024533/new-jersey-devils-new-york-rangers-game-preview-sixJohn Fischer