The Devils are back in action Friday night when they square off against the division rival Penguins in Pittsburgh. It should be a fun game and I look forward to seeing how the Devils play against one of the top teams in the East. Usually the Devils hold their own against top competition so I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case tomorrow.
In the meantime here are a few off-day thoughts to chew on:
1. I was asked what the Devils lineup will look like when Ryane Clowe returns to the lineup, which apparently isn't too far off. Though Pete DeBoer appreciates what Tim Sestito and Cam Janssen have brought to the lineup, my guess is it will be one of those two sitting. Clowe brings a physical element that those guys bring but is a much more effective offensive player. The only top-6/9 forward DeBoer has sat at times this season is Damien Brunner, and given his performance against Columbus I don't see him sitting in the near future. He bought himself at least a few games of zero production before DeBoer thinks of sitting him.
2. After a poor start to the season Martin Brodeur held his own for a while, but he's really struggled of late. In saying that I think it's time to start giving Cory Schneider 2/3 starts until he falters. The Devils have a better winning percentage with Brodeur, but Schneider has been nothing short of spectacular this season. He's been the better goaltender and deserves to start more because of that. The Devils are in the thick of a playoff race so the better goaltender should start.
Their numbers to date:
Martin Brodeur: 8-8-2, .898SV%, 2.44GAA Cory Schneider: 4-6-4, .920SV%, 1.89GAA
Start Cory more, Pete.
3. Before the season Lou Lamoriello took a ton of heat for losing Alex Urbom for nothing by putting him on waivers. Some people ridiculously suggested he should be fired because of it. Well, here we are 30+ games later and Urbom has done nothing in Washington. He's played 20 out of 31 games there, has just two points and is a 44% possession player. Those who follow the Capitals have suggested he's been the worst defenseman on the team this season. He's still young, but I don't think losing Urbom is going to burn the Devils going forward. Realistically they probably wouldn't have gotten much for him via trade. For all we know Lamoriello tried to trade him.
4. On top of reviving a dead power play, logging huge minutes and producing points, Eric Gelinas has also brought a physical presence to the backend. If he remains healthy, he should finish atop the Devils in hits. He has 43 through 23 games.
5. Travis Zajac continues to play well and get next to no credit from most fans. When he was playing excellent in his own zone and on the PK, he was being criticized for not producing offensively, which is understandable given his big contract. He's not scoring at a high rate now, but his offensive production has picked up a fair bit of late and he's still playing stellar defense and dominating possession. Despite that, he's still being criticized. People don't realize just how important he is to the Devils. I think he's a legitimate Selke candidate and I also think the Devils would be near the basement of the NHL without him.
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