The Devils came out with a purpose last night and took a demanding 3-0 lead over the Washington Capitals; however, they let up in the third period (once again) and next thing they knew they found themselves in a shootout. Though they hung on for a win, last night's game doesn't exactly leave fans with a good taste in their mouth. Here are some notes on last night's game, as well as the chances Scott Wedgewood takes over as Team Canada's starting goaltender.
- Last night against Sweden, Mark Visentin didn't exactly impress Canada's coaching staff in a 4-3 loss to Sweden. He was the 'no doubt about it' starter heading into this tournament, but after a couple shaky performances in the exhibition games, it appears as though Scott Wedgewood will at least split the preliminary round games with Visentin. He has a good shot at taking over, and that's all he needs.
- I was impressed with the Devils top line again last night. They created a ton of chances last night and arguably should have produced more than they did. All three of Ilya Kovalchuk, Adam Henrique and Zach Parise tallied at least one point and three shots. It's nice to see them get back on track offensively after Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Rangers.
- Alex Urbom was very impressive yesterday. He played solid defense, and he even chipped in offensively. His stat line: one goal, one shot and a +2 rating. Not bad for a guy who played less than 13 minutes.
- I really like Travis Zajac centering the Devils third line. The Devils top-six - for the most part - is playing to good to break up right now, so why change the lines? That's right, there is no real reason to as of now. Zajac centering David Clarkson and Mattias Tedenby on the third line not only gives the Devils a third scoring line, but it helps elevate the games of Clarkson and Tedenby.
- Quick note on Ilya Kovalchuk: he took six shots last night. It's nice to see him shooting like that. In all honesty I've been thinking he should shoot more as of late. He always seems to gain the line along the boards, stop and pass it to the trailer even if he's not open. I think him shooting more in large part relates to him gaining his confidence back.
- Lastly, the Devils need to step on teams throat when they have a lead going into the third period. They've blown too many leads in the third this season and this needs to be addressed. I'm not sure if they just take their foot off the gas or if they get rattled when they allow a goal, but this needs to change either way....But hey, it's Christmas time. Let's go out on a positive note: The Devils won the game, and they're currently seventh in the Eastern Conference. Devils fans would have killed to be in that position at this time last year.
I won't have a blog up tomorrow so please don't come looking for one. Merry Christmas. I'm sure you all can occupy yourself with something to do for one day.
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