Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Coleman and Gibbons sparking team in a traditional Devils way

November 24, 2017, 3:45 PM ET [11 Comments]
Guest Writer
Blogger • RSSArchive
By Gilles Moncour


With all due respect to the A-line, when one thinks of Devils’ forwards through the years, interchangeable-part checkers and grinders have received much of the credit for five trips to the finals. Consider that the Devils’ fourth lines have been more famous than their first lines.

In the foggy mist of the initial 1995 run to the Cup, the ‘Crash Line’ of Bobby Holik, Randy McKay, and Mike Peluso is the trio most remembered. While the latest run in 2012 was dominated by Ilya Kovalchuk, the line that helped trigger the Devils’ rise from playoff bubble to finalist was the Ryan Carter/ Stephen Gionta/ Steve Bernier unit. Even when they lost to the Kings in the sixth and final game, the most memorable event was the five-minute major taken by Bernier and the three LA goals that quickly followed.

However, by far the most famous of the “fourth-liners” wearing the red and black were John Madden and Jay Pandolfo, who performed just about any task asked of them for over a decade from the late 1990s to 2010 : fourth line, checking line, penalty kill, agitator, spark plug, whatever. Of course, “fourth-line” is a misnomer when dealing with these guys, as their ice time would rise in proportion to the amount of time the Devils played with the lead. Heck, in the Pat Burns era, Madden and Pandolfo were pretty much out there every other shift when the Devils were in a winning position — which was often.

Flash forward to the dynamic Devils of 2017 and Brian Gibbons and Blake Colman, two full-term players from Boston College and Miami University, are performing with such versatility and effectiveness that it recalls the glory days. Both players skate with choppy strides yet seem to get where they need to be faster than anyone else, don’t possess long reaches yet intercept passes with regularity, and constantly find themselves at the center of the action despite starting training camp with bus tickets to Albany already printed.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Blake Coleman, 25, was a late third round draft pick from the Dallas suburb of Plano, Texas who played a year of junior in the USHL with Jaden Schwartz, then had a decent college career for the Miami RedHawks. After being injured for most of his first season in Albany in 2015, his strong play in the AHL led to a call-up last year... but his two points and minus-7 in 22 games with the big club did not portend to his impact this season.

This year Coleman has been a presence — and ever-present — providing hits, steals, shots, and even dropping the gloves a couple times. But his greatest contributions have been shorthanded, where he leads the entire NHL in shorthanded takeaways (10) and shots (9), and is second in shorthanded hits (7). He has helped infuse the penalty kill with an aggressive attitude that has led to an NHL-leading four shorthanded goals and many a momentum swing.

The only thing missing from Coleman’s resume this year is some finish — his 5.0 shot percentage is the lowest on the team, as golden chances and those shorthanded breakaways have ended up smothered in the goalie’s pads. He will never have the release of Oshie or Kucherov, but hopefully a little more experience — and composure — in front of the 4’ x 6’ can lead to increase reward.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The undersized Brian Gibbons, meanwhile, has seemingly been sprinkled with gold dust. How else to explain how a player with just five NHL tallies to his credit (four years ago!) could walk onto an NHL roster and lead the team in goals, while also killing penalties and playing tough minutes. Undrafted, Gibbons played four years at Boston College and was a key cog in winning two NCAA Championships. After signing as a free agent for the Penguins farm team, Gibbons had a cup of coffee with the big boys in Pittsburgh and a sip of tea in Columbus for the Blue Jackets. Shero brought him over to Albany — basically for minor league stability surely — so this is an incredible bonus.

Wednesday night the magic happened again as Gibbons tipped home the tying goal against the Bruins with just under five minutes to go in a first-star performance. Playing against Boston, it struck me that Gibbons displays a striking resemblance to another Brian — Marchand — and he has played like him too (minus the cheap shots): He gets in the face of the opposition, stealing pucks, hitting players where they don’t expect to be hit, showing up in the dirty areas with just enough time and strength to get a shot on goal. Oh… and scoring!

Coach Hynes has used Gibbons up and down the lineup, as if daring his luck to run out… but instead it has spread to whatever line he is on; is it just coincidence that Adam Henrique broke out of a three-week drought when placed on the “fourth line” with Gibbons and Coleman against Minnesota Monday? No way.


What Madden and Pandolfo did for over a decade is unique in NHL history, and in this salary cap era where successful third- and fourth-liners sign mega deals with teams having cap space, their decade-plus checking line run with one team will never be repeated. But if Coleman and Gibbons can keep the magic going the rest of the season: igniting the team, surprising the opposition, and stealing points, then maybe the Devils can sneak back into the playoffs and start a new run of success.



Devils Trivia

Which Devil is the all-time leader in Shorthanded Points?

Doug Brown
Patrik Elias
Adam Henrique
John Madden
KIrk Muller
Scott Stevens

No Googling!
Join the Discussion: » 11 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Guest Writer
» Wally Pipp Moment
» KRAKEN HOCKEY IS BACK!
» Release the Kraken!
» The RF Plan
» THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE KRAKEN GOALTENDING