BBeR 5:07 PM update: [Sorry for butting in by the way, just wanted to add one thing]
Souray's deal will pay him a total of $27 million over the course of 5 seasons, according to nos amis over at RDS.
According to TSN.ca:
Sheldon Souray is on his way to Edmonton as the Oilers and the free agent blueliner agreed on a contract.
The Elk Point, Alberta native appeared in 81 games with the Montreal Canadiens in 2006-07 and had a career year with 26 goals and 64 points. Nineteen of his 26 goals came on the power play, which set an NHL record for defencemen.
The six-foot-four, 220-pound blueliner was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the 1994 entry draft. He has played in 506 regular-season games with New Jersey and Montreal, recording 66 goals and 120 assists while posting 812 penalty minutes.
The two-time All-Star played three seasons with the Devils before being traded to the Canadiens in 2000 in a deal for Vladimir Malakhov.
(Details to follow)
Looks like Kevin Lowe finally succeeded in landing a big-name free agent. It will be interesting to see how much Souray got.
12 July 2007
Souray Signs with Oilers!
Report: Cullen Could be Headed Back to Carolina
According to a report by John Dellapina in the New York Daily News, Rangers' Center Matt Cullen could be heading back to the city to which he helped bring Lord Stanley's Cup in 2006. Dellapina writes:
Sather is shopping center Matt Cullen, with a trade back to the Carolina Hurricanes very much on the front burner. Should the Rangers shed Cullen's contract (three years left at $2.8million per), they'd trim nearly $3million from this season's cap hit.
That could simply provide flexibility for potential in-season moves. But it just as easily could be the first step in a plan to clear enough cap space to sign free-agent defenseman Sheldon Souray, whom the Devils and Islanders have pursued. Unloading defenseman Paul Mara's $3million salary undoubtedly would be another requirement.
As we have discussed here all week, the Rangers moving Cullen is not a surprise. Cullen is a terrific third-line center, with great speed. He does all the little things well, and he is certainly the kind of guy you often find on successful teams. However, he is the most logical forward on the roster to be moved to clear cap room. The Rangers really created this problem when they signed Cullen last summer. As I wrote above, he is a good third-line center, but the Rangers signed him to center the 2nd line and set up Brendan Shanahan, hence his $2.85 million cap number. After watching Cullen struggle on the second line on Broadway, the Rangers felt so strongly that Cullen was not the answer at that spot, that they broke up their top line late in the season and moved Martin Straka to center the second line. They then proceded to tie up $14 million in cap space on Scott Gomez and Chris Drury to center their top two lines. When you have that much invested in your top two centers, you simply can't also pay $3 million to your third center. Well, at least not in the salary cap era (we all remember the Rangers paying Bobby Holik $9 million a year to be their third center). So, while I like Cullen, and I wish the Rangers didn't have to move him, the reality is that when you add as much salary as the Rangers have this summer, sacrifices must be made elsewhere on the roster. And, this is a necessary sacrifice.
As for Souray, I continue to believe that, even if the Rangers deal Cullen and move Mara and his $3 million salary, it still won't be enough to get a Souray deal done, unless you can get him to take a one year deal for $4 million. If Souray was willing to take that kind of deal, he would have already been signed. I know his agent is very close to Glen Sather, but Souray is also close to Martin Brodeur, so if he wouldn't take that kind of deal from the Devils to play with Marty, why would he take it from the Rangers?
18 June 2007
Julien gets another shot?
Coaching changes and GM changes seem to be in style when it comes to the new NHL.
A report out of the Fourth Period.com, quoted by Greg Wyshinski in his column over at AOL Fanhouse, suggests that the Bruins have hired former Devils and Canadiens head coach Claude Julien to replace the failure that was Dave Lewis.
Julien, if you remember correctly, was shockingly fired on the eve of the Devils playoff debut by Lou Lamoriello, who obviously saw something he didn't like.
Julien had a terrific season behind the bench and it's time this guy got settled down somwhere, he's too good of a coach and too classy of a guy to be flimsing in and out of motel rooms accross the country, dragging his poor wife with him in the process.
If the report is true, then Claude Julien will have a challenge and a goal to fulfill in Boston, that is, make the playoffs and turn the franchise's misery around.
It's not that Dave Lewis was a bad coach, it's just that he was a sour-head who obviously doesn't fit in anywhere except the Wings, and it's not as if it's that difficult to coach a talented team like Ken Holland's, is it now?
Oh, the Datsyuks, the Zetterberg, the Haseks, the Lidstroms, the Chelioses, the Schneider, the Fillpullas, the Bertuzzis, the Kronwalls and the Clearys are a terrible bunch with limited or no talent.
You make the call, and I'll make mine: anyone can coach the Detroit Red Wings, they're just that kind of team, just like anyone can manage the New York Yankees.
--BBR
21 April 2007
So long, farewell, the Islanders and Predators are gooonne!
From the classic "Sound of Music"
And that little line perfectly tells us fans what happened to two teams yesterday night, as the battle for Lord Stanley's Cup is getting narrowed down.
First off, those New York Islanders...tss, tss...the Islanders drop Game 5 last night in Buffalo, 4-3 and they have been eliminated from the playoffs.
It wasn't too unexpected, although, many thought this would be a sure sweep.
The Islanders played a good series and you can see the potential that this team has, the potential to be an even better team.
What I'm wondering is...how come they haven't become a better team?
I'd like to the Islanders become kind of like the Rangers, in terms of progress, and make a run for the division next year.
The Rangers have been improving ever since their pre-lockout (sad...) laughstock and the Islanders should do the same.
Well, not this year, since New York didn't even finish 10 points above the Isles, but I'm also thinking about last season, when the Rangers were making a serious run to win the Atlantic.
Not saying the Isles are a laughstock, but, they're just...the same, the same as they were before the lockout.
Make the playoffs, as the 8th seed, lose to the Lightning or the Sabres in 5 games.
And it could be even tougher to win the Atlantic Division, with teams like New Jersey, Pittsburgh, their cross-town foes and possibly the reinstatement of the Flyers, might make the Atlantic Division the best in all of hockey.
It didn't help the Islanders that Sean Hill wasn't in the lineup, after he was awarded a 20-game suspension for taking "performance-enhancing drugs", or as the NHL likes to call it, "substance-abuse".
I'd also to commend Ted Nolan's fantastic work behind the bench, he has been by far better than his predecessors and he probably deserves the Jack Adams award, he's been that great...
His team played, in the final month of the season, as if all their games were Game 7, as if they all counted (they did) should they make the playoffs or not.
I also congratulate Rick DiPietro for doing his best in goal, even after his return from injury, and his backup Wade Dubielewicz, who has earned himself a roster spot next year and potentially 10-15 starts behind DiPietro.
Dubie also got them there down the stretch, but it was DiPietro who carried the team on his back for the most of the season before getting injured.
Garth Snow surprised everyone in his rookie year, and made some good moves, most notably getting Ryan Smyth.
Who says a backup goalie can't be a GM? He knows the players better than a GM, he's PLAYED against them!
The Sabres were just overmatching them in every category.
Even in goal, when Ryan Miller made a spectacular save in the dying seconds of Game 5 with his hand, and blindly!
"I panicked,"said Miller,"and luckily I got a hold of it!"
The Islanders haven't gotten past this round since 1993.
That's about 14 years!
And the Preds go down...again.
I know the Preds are still a "young" team in terms of longetivity in the NHL, but, I am beginning to wonder if the label "choke" should be associated with them?
03/04: Lost to Red Wings in quarter finals 2-4
05/06: Lost to Sharks in quarter finals 1-4
06/07: Lost to Sharks in quarter finals 1-4
It's also funny that it's been San Jose knocking them off, and the way things looked between the teams in this series, it could be the start of a nice new rivalry.
I just don't understand...yes, San Jose is a very good team, but the Predators are supposed to be better!
When, when will Nashville finally show they can play in the regular season, and advance in the playoffs?
They have the team, they got Forsberg for chrisssakes! They got Arnott, Kariya, Vokoun, quality d-men, a scary offense!
Their team has been constantly progressing, from 91 points, to 106 points, to 110 points, what's next? 120 points and getting swept from the first round?
The Sharks will most probably face the Red Wings in round 2, should the latter drop the series to Calgary.
Patrick Marleau scored with under 5 minutes remaining to put away a vastly improved Predators team.
"We kept putting our fingers on the stove, and we got burnt by it," said Nashville coach Barry Trotz."
And NHL.com says his job may be in jeopardy, since the team's dropped 3 straight quarterfinal series.
I say no, Trotz is a great coach and there's no way they can get rid of him, not after the way he's made his team better, but they haven't made themselves any better by losing again last night, 3-2 against San Jose.
Then again, if Julien gets fired on the verge of a hundred point season, so can Trotz.
sigh, this is really an enigma.
Or maybe it was that Tomas Vokoun wasn't as good as he should've been, or simply Evgeni Nabokov was better.
Or maybe it was just meant to be.
Happy golfing Preds!
-The Devils shut out Tampa 3-0 on home ice and take a 3-2 lead in the series. Martin Brodeur finally played a good game after allowing a few weaks goals in the previous games.
15 April 2007
Goalies Johan and Johan stand tall...
Johan Holmqvist, Lightning.
in case you hadn't guessed that by now...
Rangers/Thrashers
Johan Hedberg actually played very well for Atlanta, he made 37 saves, and despite the 2-1 loss, he was not to blame.
The first goal was an unlucky bounce after an Avert dump-in along left-wing boards, he went out to play the puck but it ended up taking a funny bounce and going in to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.
Ilya Kovalchuk scored a great goal early in the 3rd period, he snapped the puck past a screened Lundqvist top-shelf.
It was all for none as Sean Avery buried his second of the game with 4 minutes remaining on a lunging Hedberg in the slot to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead heading back to MSG.
Lightning/Devils
After a paltry performance in Game 1, Johan Holmqvist stepped his game up, and led the Lightning to a surprising 3-2 victory over Brodeur's Devils.
What surprised me more, is that Johan was able to outplay the Devils' netminder, after a really crappy show in Game 1.
The big guys, Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis carried Tampa to victory with a little help from Filip Kuba, who scored a short-handed marker in the first and Martin Brodeur, who clearly wasn't on his game especially after allowing St. Louis' goal from a seemingly impossible angle.
"I was just trying to put it on net and get some air underneath it," St. Louis said. "I don't know where it went but it found its way in."
Brodeur's reply.
"I was there, it just went through me," Brodeur said. "I would love to have it back, but it doesn't work like that in hockey. He had nothing to lose and he hammered it as hard as he could and it went through me."
Zach Parise continued his fine play and scored for the Devils, on the powerplay late in the first, and Jamie Langenbrunner had the other New Jersey goal.
Pens/Sens
Very good game by both teams, especially Ottawa for the most part.
Pittsburgh really woke up in the third period.
The Sens kept their play cool and organised all game long, you can tell there was nothing to complain except the powerplay if Bryan Murray wasn't over his head after the game.
But, the powerplay is not very cool at all. (1 for 9 in this game)
"They got a goal on their first shot and our power play wasn't very good - understatement - but I thought that we really didn't give up any chances for two periods," Senators coach Bryan Murray said. "We couldn't score enough to do any damage and at least get the game in a position where you could just play a checking game. And then they played a great third period."
Sidney Crosby scored on a mirror-play of Alfredsson's setup by Spezza and Heatley ON THE POWERPLAY in the second, that proved to be the game-winner.
Crosby scored just two minutes after another youngstar, Jordan Staal sniped it passed Ray Emery to tie the game at 3.
Jason Spezza scored for Ottawa, and so did Chris Kelly.
Ryan Whitney and Gary Roberts scored powerplay goals for Pittsburgh, respectively in the first and third period and Marc-Andre Fleury rebounded after a terrible playoff debut, and made 34 saves.
He also stoned Mike Fischer with a little over 10 second remaining to steal the win for his team.
Ray Emery was not-so-hot, and he needs to step up his play a notch.
He allowed 4 goals on 21 shots, hardly the .918 SPCT% he put up in the regular season.
Isles/Sabres
Wow, just a good all-around game, thanks for giving us a nice performance!
The Islanders were a completely different team in Game 2, they scored the first goal and even went ahead 2-0 before the Sabres crawled back to tie it.
They had 1 shot in the first period in Game 1, well, in Game 2 they had 12.
Trent Hunter and Bruno Gervais put the Isles up 2-0, and in response, defencemen Tony Lydman and Dmitri Kalinin (who played an awesome game) tied the game at 2.
Rick DiPietro was MARVELOUS in his first game back in nearly a month, and made so many spectacular saves to lead New York to an upset 3-2 win over Buffalo.
The game-winner came from Marc-Andre Begeron on the powerplay, with 10 minutes left to play.
The Sabres, played a good game, but not good enough in Lindy Ruff's eyes.
"We weren't moving our feet," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "Obviously, we want to clean up the first 10 minutes of the game (when the Islanders went up 2-0)."
"It was nice," DiPietro said of the win. "We did a lot of the things we talked about."
It looks like they actually listened to Ted Nolan for a change, anyhow, the series is tied at 1 heading in New York...
-Ottawa will be looking for revenge in PIT, as they face Crosby and the Penguins today at 6:00 PM...Read More
-Calgary tries to even things up today at 1:00 against Detroit while they get Robyn Regehr back while the Wings don't get Bertuzzi back... Read More
-Two "late" games includes Minnesota, at home, trying to come back from a 2-0 deficit to the Anaheim Ducks...Read More...and the 'Nucks trying to take the lead against the Stars in Dallas...Read More
Until later...
02 April 2007
Lamoriello fires Julien - The league is shocked, but Devils fans are unsurprised
Once again a Devils coach has been fired midseason, and for the second time in recent memory it's been in the very final stretch of the season. In 2000, Lamoriello fired Rob Ftorek with less than ten games left in the season. Now, in 2007, Claude Julien finds himself out a coaching job - although he apparently will remain inside of the Devils organization - and Lou Lamoriello himself will be back behind the bench.
Lamoriello was definite in his stance that he would never coach again following last season, after a long winning streak which ended against the eventual champions, Carolina, but has reneged on that position and goes back behind the bench.
For the NHL, this comes out of nowhere. The Devils, while they have fallen off slightly from their earlier success, have returned to their winning ways in recent games. But many Devils fans have been far from happy about the recent play of the team, despite the victories, and felt that something was missing which push the team from playoff caliber to serious contender.
From Lamoriello's recent remarks, he and Julien were both aware of this fact as well and have since acted, with Julien's firing, to attempt to rectify the problem. I personally have felt for weeks that the Devils were missing... something undefinable... and so here we are.
Will Julien's firing make the Devils a better team going into the playoffs? I don't know, and I won't ever know, since Julien's Devils no longer exist and they're now Lamoriello's team again. But I do know that yesterday the Devils, while they were a playoff team, were not a Stanley Cup team, in my opinion. This change might not make the team better, but it has the potential to be that spark that every championship team needs to go the distance.
To paraphrase: this would have been an easy to decision not to make, and a difficult one to make, but Lou decided to make the hard decision and go out on that limb, as he has so many times before. There is a reason that Lamoriello is still around, despite 14 coaching changes, 3 owners, and multiple roster remakes during his 19 year tenure as Devils GM. Lou looked at New Jersey, saw a team missing something, something undefinable, and acted to try to make a change which could push the team over the hump. It's not the first time he's done something like this and it will not be the last.
What makes Lou the best GM of the league is that he's willing to make the tough decisions, put himself on the line and submit himself to ridicule, if he believes it will make his team better. Today the Devils strike me as a stronger team than they did yesterday.
The league might not like it, but this is the kind of decision I want my GM to make in a crisis...
Quoi! Claude Julien fired...again?!
This is out of nowhere, really, Lou Lamoriello today fired his head coach Claude Julien.
Julien was fired mid-way through the 2005-2006 season by the, guess who, Montreal Canadiens.
The Canadiens were in the midst of a slump that saw them fall desperately out of a playoff spot; Jose Theodore's shoddy goaltending was the reason to blame, but in hockey, you don't blame your players, you blame the coach.
The Canadiens and Bob Gainey had no problem with Julien, but the team needed a major shakeup and they thought by firing the coach they would do that.
The New Jersey Devils are not in need of a desperate shake-up.
1 year and 3 months later, Claude Julien gets canned again.
Just a day after leading his team to a 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins and regaining posession of the top spot in the Atlantic Divison (recently taken over by the surging Pittsburgh Penguins), Lou Lamoriello insists there were no "personal circumstances" involving the Ontario-born coach's dismissal.
"It came to a point where, were this decision not made, I would not be doing my job," Lamoriello said.
Call me vulgar if you like, but, what the hell? 
The Devils have suffered a small funk recently, emphasis on small, which resulted in them in a dismal 3-7 record, but they pulled their act back together, by winning 4 of their last 5 and taking over the Atlantic Division lead and the no.2 spot behind the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference.
But really, what the hell?
The guy leads his team to a 102 point season with a 47-24-8 record and he can't hold onto a job.
I don't think it's a question of "making a decision" Lou, you didn't have to make any decision, you could've left him where he rightfully belongs and merits, behind your team's bench.
Oh and so what, a few players complain to you about his tactics and you go ahead and fire him?
And looky here, this isn't the first time Lamoriello's done this, I don't know what he feels and how he feels about certain GM's, but I think it's bull that there were no personal circumstances to this, how else can you explain it?
"I don't think we're at a point of being ready both mentally and (physically) to play the way that is necessary going into the playoffs," Lamoriello said outside the Devils' deserted locker room at the Continental Airlines Arena. "I am not saying that is going to change. But I think there has to be better focus going forward."
Maybe there were no personal circumstances, maybe Lamoriello just didn't like Julien's coaching manner.
Oh but for God's sake, your team goes in a slump and comes back strong and you think they're not ready for prime time?
His team manages to win 4 of their last 5 without Brian Gionta, John Madden and Patrick Elias, but, which probably caused Lou to overreact, have lost 8 of their last 15 overall.
Nevertheless, Lamoriello's record last year, after assuming the coaching duties from Robinson, was a great 32-14-4 (a .680 winning percentage).
Maybe the bizarre move had nothing to do with Julien, and he was just upset at his team's effort over the month of March.
Something's sure to come out in the next few days, and until then, good luck Claude Julien, you are a very underrated coach and a great person.
Lou Lamoriello's a smart guy, but I don't think this was a smart move.
15 March 2007
Jocelyn Thibault looks to revive dead career...
A few weeks ago, while the Penguins were riding high on a somewhat unbeatable streak and rose from "scrub" to "contender", goaltender Jocelyn Thibault publicly admited he would like more playing time behind former first overall pick, Marc-Andre Fleury.
After a terrific month of January in which Fleury showed why he was a first overall pick, he went 7-1 with a 2.05 GAA and a .932 SPCT% to go along with 2 shutouts in that span, Fleury's play has gone from outstanding to mediocre.
Despite posting a 7-2 win-loss record in the month of February, Fleury's save percentage was a paltry .888 and his GAA floated around 3.22 during that month and he only managed to win games due to the emergence of Pittsburgh's offence, centered mainly around Sidney Crosby.
Most fans brushed this month off, claiming fatigue to be a factor as Fleury played in 10 games while Thibault only 3. His bad streak has not left him yet and he is still posting mediocre numbers in this month of March with nearly the same as the previous month with a 3.17 GAA and a .889 SPCT%, a miniscule improvement.
Despite his wins, head coach Michel Therrien did not leave these struggles go unnoticed by reacting with Jocelyn Thibault getting the nod against two powerhouses: the Ottawa Senators last week and the New Jersey Devils yesterday.
He has not dissapointed and that can be proven by looking at the final score of yesterday's Devils-Penguins game: 3-0 Pittsburgh...his first shutout of the season.
Although this is kind of premature: Thibault's numbers for the current month of play are impressive, maybe surprising considering he's fallen to a no. 2 goalie status.
3 GP, 2 W, 1 L , 1.46 GAA, .932 SCPT%, 1 SO
Before All-Star: 1-5, 3.42 GAA, .895 SPCT%
After All-Star: 5-2, 1.94 GAA, .929 SPCT%
This is Thibault's chance...with Fleury floundering he brings a lot to the table that the young netminder doesn't: experience.
He better not screw this up...
06 March 2007
Cam Janssen on hitting Tomas Kaberle
"I was committed to the play and I really had no other choice but to takeNice choice of words.
the body there and I would have taken the body there one way or the other,"
Janssen said. "If it was at center ice, we wouldn't be talking right now, but it
was against the boards and that's what did it. I hope he's OK with everything,
but I was just finishing my check."
really, he has no excuse, that hit was useless and careless on his part.
He should have gotten more than a mere 3 game suspension.
Amazing, Scott Nichol gets an 8 game suspension for sucker punching and he gets 3 for knocking the wind out of the guy and putting his career in jeopardy.
I love the way the "new NHL" works, hey, what can I say?
And just a quick side note: Darcy Tucker is going to be in the lineup for the Leafs next game against the Devils. Better watch out Zach Parise and Brian Gionta, Tucker's known for going after players smaller than him.
Bleu, Blanc et Rouge
03 March 2007
Janssen violates the Hockey Code, but not the rulebook.
Since the hit which landed star defenseman Tomas Kaberle in a hospital, Devils enforcer Cam Janssen has been the talk of the NHL. The specifics of the hit: did Janssen lead with the elbow, or the shoulder; did Janssen's skates leave the ice prior to contact; and most importantly, was the hit late, have all been broadcast throughout hockey media.
From watching the video it's impossible to truly determine if Janssen's hit was "late." The rulebook itself isn't especially clear and people have used numbers ranging from 1.3 seconds prior to Kaberle's passing of the puck to 3-4 seconds. Which number is accurate, no one can really tell at this point. Personally, I think the hit was in the grey, drastically moreso than Chris Neil's vicious but clean bodycheck of Buffalo's Chris Drury.
But the real problem with the hit wasn't the hit itself. Even if Janssen lead with the shoulder, kept his feet on the ice, and hit Kaberle soon enough that the hit wasn't legally late, Janssen knowingly took a shot at a defenseman in a vulnerable position and did so in a situation where the hit couldn't possibly provide his team with any tangible benefit on the play. The check was deep in Toronto's end - Kaberle was the last man back. There was no scoring chance to be created by the check and Janssen wasn't preventing the creation of one.
It was an unnecessary bodycheck, one that provided sufficient force to injure and was made in an uncompromising position. If Tie Domi was still in the NHL and had taken a similar shot at Brian Rafalski I'd be up in arms - not because the hit was necessarily illegal, but because you just don't do that.
Claude Julien benched Janssen for the rest of the game, preventing Toronto from going after him in retaliation, although no one in uniform for the Leafs would have won a fight with Janssen, a reputed pugilist. But next time the Leafs and Devils get together Janssen is going to be a marked man - and he deserves to be.
Last night the Leafs got the best kind of revenge - they won the hockey game. Next time Janssen will pay for violating the unwritten rulebook.
The Battle of the East tightens
Martin Brodeur is one win shy of the 40-win plateau for the season...Tomas Kaberle suffered a serious head/neck injury and was taken off in a stretcher.
The Leafs now sit 4 points behind the 8th spot in 10th place with 2 games in hand over the Canadiens and Hurricanes.
Despite earning a point, the Devils still sit 4 points back from the East leading Buffalo Sabres
The Penguins drop a contest to the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-2. Sidney Crosby got his 200th career point with Pittsburgh's first goal and Ryan Malone the other while Carolina got some goals from Scottie Walker, twice, and Frantisek Kaberle.
The Hurricanes now move up to the 8th spot in the East with a one point lead over the 9th place Canadiens.
Pittsburgh remains in the 5th spot, 3 points behind Ottawa for 4th and 5 points ahead from falling out the playoff picture.
The Sens lose to the Thrashers 4-2; Dany Heatly provides the offence for Ottawa, potting his 39th and 40th goals.
Newly acquired Pascal Dupuis scored the insurance goal for Atlanta late in the third, whereas equaly newbie Eric Belanger scores twice to propel the Thrashers to a win over the Senators.
The win moves the Thrashers to only 2 points behind the Southeast leading Lightning, they are now in 6th place with a point deficit behind the Penguins.
Ottawa remains firmly in 4th place.
Derek Roy had 1 goal and 3 assists, Jochen Hecht added 3 helpers, Tomas Vanek and Michael Ryan each scored twice while Teppo Numminen scored his second of the season and added 2 assists.
02 March 2007
Brodeur anchors the Devils as Rafalski and Parise provide the offense.
Despite the absence of the injured Brian Gionta, New Jersey continues to move along nicely in the consistent, almost mechanical fashion that people have come to expect from Lamoriello's Devils. Their success, of course, is largely dependant on the play of Martin Brodeur, who was named one of the stars of the month of Februray by the NHL. But even the Devils can't win without scoring goals.
The most impressive performances have come from defenseman Brian Rafalski, who has put up eight points in his last eight games, and sophomore winger Zach Parise, who has been the most important cog in the Devils' offense in recent times. Playing on a line with another skater out of the University of North Dakota, the rookie Travis Zajac, and the veteran Jamie Langenbrunner, the three have been together for the entire season. The trio has quietly put up 59 goals so far this season, including Parise's team-leading 26, more than the 54 from the team's first line of team captain Patrik Elias, Scott Gomez, and Gionta.
Rafalski in particular has been playing at a level which makes the still recent loss of defenseman Scott Niedermayer to Anaheim easier to swallow. In the last ten games Rafalski has demonstrated the ability to put up goals, points, and bodychecks which are almost reminiscent of those Scott Stevens would throw around on a daily basis. No one will ever say Rafalski is a major physical presence on the blueline, but despite that Rafalski has a nasty hipcheck which often shows up when least expected.
Other Devils defensemen have shown the ability to elevate their games recently as well. Despite the falling off from the earlier stellar play of rookie Johnny Oduya, who was a recent free agent signing, the Devils haven't missed a beat. One of the reasons for this is defenseman Brad Lukowich. Lukowich has been nothing short of awesome all season long, much to the astonishment of fans from Long Island, whose team shipped him to New Jersey a year ago for a third-round pick. When one thinks of Lukowich one doesn't see a #2 defenseman on a team challenging for the President's Trophy and yet he has elevated his game to that level. Lukowich isn't likely to sustain that level of play forever, but with the trade of the troubled David Hale to Calgary it's becoming clear that Lamoriello and Claude Julien are preparing to integrate the injured Richard Matvichuk back into the lineup.
In the meantime, while the Devils appear to have the necessary cap space to activate Matvichuk if they were to send enforcer Cam Janssen down to Albany, they have filled his roster spot with another rookie free agent signing, defenseman Andy Greene. Greene is a defenseman in the Brian Rafalski mold: he has speed, sound positioning, and a nice shot from the point which will nicely fill in on the second powerplay unit. Greene appears to be an immediate upgrade over Hale, who never found his stride after missing the beginning of the season with an eye injury, and he played well in a 1-0 shutout of the high-powered Penguins. Despite not having the cap space to make a deadline deal, Lamoriello still found a way to improve his team from within.
26 February 2007
TSN/Team 990: Berard requests trade!
Denis Casavant, on the local sports radio station in Montreal, the Team 990, just reported Brian Berard requested a trade out of Columbus.
He mentioned it as they were ending the show.
New Jersey is rumoured to have interest in him. The Ducks, Canucks and Oilers are all possible suitors.
Stay tuned...
EDIT: I overlooked TSN's article
Bleu, Blanc et Rouge.
