Monthly Archives: December 2011
Best to Wear #20 – Jay Pandolfo
NUMBER: 20
HEIGHT: 6′ 1″
WEIGHT: 190
POSITION: Left Wing
SHOOTS: Left
BORN: December 27, 1974
BIRTHPLACE: Winchester, Massachusetts
The Devils drafted Jay Pandolfo as the 32nd overall pick in the 1993 draft. Pandolfo started his career as a Devil during the start of the 98-99 season. Some say his first season with the Devils was his best. He scored 14 goals and 27 points in 70 games.
Pandolfo has two Stanley Cup wins with the Devils. The first one in 2000 and the second in 2003. Pandolfo scored his first career hat trick on October 31, 2007 agaisnt the Tampa Bay Lightning. His first hat trick was also the first hat trick in the Prudential Center.
Jay Pandolfo’s 307 consecutive game streak came to an end on November 30, 2007 with a pelvic injury. He curently holds forth longest franchise record for consecutive games played. The current leader is Travis Zajac. Jay Pandolfo currently plays for the New York Islanders.
| Career Stats with the New Jersey Devils | ||||||||||
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GW | S | S% |
| 819 | 99 | 124 | 223 | 15 | 154 | 2 | 7 | 19 | 1068 | 9.2% |
Game Preview – Game 37: Pittsburgh Penguins vs Your New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils (20-15-1, 41 points) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (21-12-4, 46 points)
3:00 PM EST
TV: MSG+
Radio: WFAN 660 AM
Matchup:
Today’s matinee matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New Jersey Devils will be the second game between the two clubs this season and the first of three at Prudential Center.
Balanced Scoring is Success:
The Devils have won eight of our their last 11 games, and the credit for this success is the balanced scoring seen from the team this season.
The Devils, who currently sit sixth in the Eastern Conference standings with 41 points, are tied with the Philadelphia Flyers with seven skaters with double-digit goals.Patrik Elias is the leading scorer so far this season with 13 goals, but right behind him are Zach Parise (12), David Clarkson (12), Ilya Kovalchuk (11), Petr Sykora (10), Dainius Zubrus (10), and rookie sensation Adam Henrique (10).
Speaking of Adam Henrique, he is the player to watch for the Devils today. Remember, Henrique made the team out of training camp this season, to find himself on the fourth line and not really making the most of his chance. He was sent down to Albany of the American Hockey League to work on his game. Following an injury to Jacob Josefson (broken clavicle), Henrique was recalled and has been on fire since. Currently on a three-game point streak (2 goals, 1 assist), the rookie is second on the team with 18 assists and third on the team with 28 points. He is only seven points, behind Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for the rookie lead in scoring.
Last Game Against Pittsburgh:
NJD (L) @ PIT (W)
Final Score: 4-1
Devils Goal Scorers: Patrik Elias
Pittsburgh Goal Scorers: Staal (2), Kunitz, Neal
For more game stats from this game, click here.
Projected Devils Lineup:
Parise (C) – Henrique – Kovalchuk (A)
Sykora – Elias (A) – Zubrus
Tedenby – Zajac – Clarkson
Boulton – Sestito – Janssen
Salvador – Larsson
Volchenkov – Foster
Tallinder – Fayne
Brodeur
Hedberg
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The Latest on the Pittsburgh Penguins:
The Penguins looked to move into a tie with the New York Rangers at the top of the Atlantic Division, but the Philadelphia Flyers prevented that from happening and snapped the Penguins’ four-game winning streak.
Speaking of four-game winning streaks, the Penguins look to win their fourth straight against the Devils, despite Martin Brodeur starting in net who has a 8-1-1 with a 0.79 GAA and four shutouts in his last 10 starts versus Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is also 1-4-1 in their last six road games against the Devils.
The Penguins will need an offensive surge from center Jordan Staal, which shouldn’t be a problem considering his success against New Jersey. He’s currently on a three-game goal-scoring streak, giving him 15 so far on the season, projecting him for 36 total this season. In his last two games against the Devils, Staal has three goals and an assist.
Projected Penguins Lineup:
Kunitz – Malkin – Neal
Cooke – Staal – Kennedy
Sullivan – Vitale – Dupuis
Williams – Adams – Asham
Orpik – Niskanen
Despres – Michalek
Lovejoy – Picard
Fleury
Johnson
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Game Preview – Game 36: Buffalo Sabres vs Your New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils (19-15-1, 39 points) vs Buffalo Sabres (17-15-3, 37 points)
7:00 PM EST
TV: MSG+
Radio: WFAN 660 AM
Matchup:
Tonight’s game will be the second between the Sabres and the Devils this season. The two squads last met on November 16 in Buffalo, which saw the Devils take a 5-3 win.
Larsson Returns From Sweden:
The big story for the New Jersey Devils coming into tonight’s game is the return of Adam Larsson. Larsson had been granted permission from the team to return home to Skelleftea, Sweden in order to attend funeral services for his grandmother.
Despite the dismal circumstances of his travel, and the stressful 12-hour trip, the time away from the team seems to be used to refresh the rookie, who averages 21:55 of ice time per game so far this season.
Coach Peter DeBoer told The (Bergen) Record that Larsson looks good, “I think he appreciated the trip home and we’re glad to have him back.”
Key to Winning:
*Do not put puck in own net.
Last Game Against Buffalo:
NJD (W) @ BUF (L)
Final Score: 5-3
The last time these two teams met, rookie goaltending-sensation Jhonas Enroth got the start for the Buffalo Sabres in place of the injured Ryan Miller. Going into the game, Enroth was a perfect 6-0-0 on the season and had gone nearly a full year since losing in regulation. However, the New Jersey Devils had Ilya Kovalchuk returning to the lineup after missing five games due to leg injury.
The Devils got goals from five different players in the game, including the returning Kovalchuk. Also scoring goals were Zach Parise, Mark Fayne, Patrik Elias and David Clarkson. These five goals were enough to chase Enroth from the game, halfway through the third period.
Martin Brodeur stopped 29 shots for the Devils, including a couple game savers which earned him the third star of the game.
Projected Devils Lineup:
Parise (C) – Henrique – Kovalchuk (A)
Sykora – Elias (A) – Zubrus
Tedenby – Zajac – Clarkson
Boulton – Sestito – Janssen
Salvador – Larsson
Volchenkov – Foster
Taormina – Fayne
Brodeur
Hedberg
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The Latest on the Buffalo Sabres:
Heading into tonight’s game, the Sabres look to win back-t0-back games for the first time since a five game winning streak from November 4-12. In their last game, the Sabres put up four goals against the struggling Washington Capitals, in the first period alone. Ryan Miller made 20 saves in his sixth straight start to give the Sabres the win.
In the game against Washington, the Sabres powerplay put up a pair of goals, including rookie Brayden McNabb’s first career goal. The Sabres powerplay now has seven goals in the last five games, which will be a good match for the league’s best penalty-kill in New Jersey.
When it comes to statistically-hot Sabres players, captain Jason Pominville currently has three points in his last two games and 11 in his last eight. Meanwhile, the Sabres’ leading goal scorer, Thomas Vanek, has a five game point scoring streak in which he has collected eight points in that timeframe.
Projected Sabres Lineup:
Vanek (A) – Hecht – Pominville (C)
Boyes – Roy (A) – Stafford (A)
McCormick – Gaustad (A) – Kaleta
Adam – Ellis – Kassian
Ehrhoff – McNabb
Regehr – Sekera
Leopold – Weber
Miller
Enroth
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Player of the Week Winner: Dec 12 – Dec 18
The team surged during this time creating many opportunities for a long list of players to choose from. But after all was said and done how could we choose any one other than Patrik Elias. He had 4 goals this week, including the one against Montreal to take over as the Devils all-time goal scorer, passing John Maclean with 348 career goals. Elias was the Devil’s sole representative last year in the All-Star game and he comes to mind again this year. Elias is currently leading the New Jersey Devils with 30 points, (13g, 17a). Congratulations to Patrik Elias for his record and for being voted Player of the Week.
A preview of the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championships
Every year around this time, young hockey players aspiring to turn pro someday are given the opportunity to showcase their abilities knowing that scouts are watching and to represent their country. The 2012 IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation)’s annual World Junior Championships get under way from Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta. Team USA, which won the Gold medal back in January 2010, defeating Canada in overtime, and won Bronze last year in Buffalo, opens against Denmark tonight at 8 PM (games are televised on the NHL Network in the U.S.).
You might be wondering “why should I care about these prospects right now?” Well, the New Jersey Devils had two prospects that were invited to Team USA’s tryout camp for this year’s W.J.C. roster. The first was forward Reid Boucher, who was the Devils’ 4th round pick in this past summer’s NHL Entry Draft. Boucher is 5’9″ and most known for his incredibly accurate shot, as well as his stick-handling ability. The 18-year old did not make Team USA’s roster this year, but he certainly has the skill to warrant another tryout next year.
The other Devils prospect to get a crack at Team USA’s roster was defenseman Jonathan Merrill, the Devils’ 1st draft pick in 2010. Merrill made the team last year and led Team USA to a Bronze medal. The 6’3″ defenseman registered five points in six games during the tournament and was named Team USA’s third star of the tournament. Unfortunately, Merrill was suspended for violating team rules and has missed the entire college hockey season with the Michigan Wolverines to date. He is scheduled to return to his team following the tournament, but hopefully the opportunity to play in the World Juniors will continue his development towards making the Devils roster someday.
The Devils also have one prospect who made Team Canada’s World Juniors roster: goaltender Scott Wedgewood, the Devils’ third round draft pick in 2010. While his numbers with the Ontario Hockey League’s Plymouth Whalers wouldn’t amaze you, he was the Whalers’ MVP of the playoffs last spring, as they upset the heavily favored Kitchener Rangers in the first round of the OHL playoffs. Wedgewood is one of four goaltenders that made Canada’s roster for 2012.
So the Devils do have two players involved with this year’s tournament. In the past, Zach Parise helped Team USA win Gold in 2004, in 2010, Mattias Tedenby and Jacob Josefson got the chance to play together for Team Sweden and Adam Larsson represented Team Sweden in 2010 and 2011. In fact, Larsson posted two goals and six assists during the past two tournaments, making him Sweden’s highest scoring defenseman ever during the World Juniors. Now in 2012, it is Jonathan Merrill and Scott Wedgewood that have the chance to shine in a significant tournament. Team Canada opens Finland at 3:30 PM Eastern today and Team USA gets under way at 8 PM.
*You can view Team USA’s complete schedule here, and Team Canada’s schedule here.
Game Preview – Game 35: Your New Jersey Devils @ Carolina Hurricanes
New Jersey Devils (19-14-1, 39 points) vs Carolina Hurricanes (11-19-6, 28 points)
7:00 PM EST
TV: MSG+
Radio: WFAN 660 AM
Matchup:
Tonight will be the third of four matchups between the Devils and the Hurricanes this season. The Devils won both games played at Prudential Center this season on October 10 and November 8, both of which were decided in the third period.
Devils Vs Washington Recap:
Everything looked to be going the New Jersey Devils way in their last game against the Capitals on Friday, that is until the third period.
After a scoreless first period, the Devils had what I believe is one of their best second periods all season. Great constant pressure in the offensive zone eventually led the Devils to scoring three unanswered goals from Ilya Kovalchuk, Alexander Urbom, and Adam Henrique. The offensive play combined with Martin Brodeur’s goaltending, the odds seemed to be in the Devils favor… until the third period.
The three-nothing lead has always been considered the worst lead in hockey. This proved to be true once again as the Capitals scored three unanswered goals of their own forcing the game to overtime.
Once overtime had come in gone, it was time for a penalty shot shootout which saw Ilya Kovalchuk and Patrik Elias score on their attempts, and saw Martin Brodeur, not only stop Nicklas Backstrom, but ROB Alex Ovechkin for the win.
The win gave the Devils their 38th and 39th points of the season, which has them tied with the Ottawa Senators for seventh in the Eastern Conference.
Last Game Against Carolina:
CAR (L) @ NJD (W)
Final Score: 3-2
In their last game against the Hurricanes, the New Jersey Devils were without star forward Ilya Kovalchuk. They relied on offense of the line of Sykora-Elias-Zubrus which combined for two goals and three assists in the contest.
Adam Henrique had the eventual game winner as he successfully completed a wrap around which slid the puck under the pad of Hurricanes’ goaltender Arturs Irbe, I mean Cam Ward.
Henrique’s game winner was his second in as many games. “The kid’s got a knack for big goals,” coach Peter DeBoer said of Henrique who is now second in overall rookie scoring with 9 goals, 17 assists.
Projected Devils Lineup:
Parise (C) – Henrique – Kovalchuk (A)
Sykora – Elias (A) – Zubrus
Tedenby – Zajac – Clarkson
Sestito – Carter – Janssen
Salvador – Fayne
Volchenkov – Foster
Taormina – Urbom
Hedberg
Brodeur
*Note: Adam Larsson is not injured and is on his way back from Sweden after attending funeral services for his grandmother.
——————–
The Latest on the Carolina Hurricanes:
The season so far hasn’t been very kind to the Carolina Hurricanes, who currently find themselves last in the Eastern Conference Standings.
A coaching change has already been made this season for the Hurricanes as they have brought former Devil Kirk Muller on to be the head coach, and Muller has brought former Devils player and coach, John MacLean, to serve as one of the assistant coaches.
The Hurricanes are coming off of a win in their last game on Friday night as they defeated the Senators 2-1 in overtime, thanks to a goal from Tuomo Ruutu. It was the first time this season that the Hurricanes won a game that needed extra time to be decided. They currently have six overtime losses.
Cam Ward stopped 22 of 23 shots and is expected to make the start tonight at the RBC Center against the Devils.
Projected Hurricanes Lineup:
Tlusty – Staal (C) – Dwyer
Ponikarovsky – Jokinen – Ruutu
Bowman – Sutter (A) – LaRose
Nodl – Brent – Stewart
Gleason (A) – McBain
Spacek – Harrison
Joslin – Allen
Ward
Peters
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Game Preview – Game 34: Washington Capitals @ Your New Jersey Devils!
Washington Capitals (17-14-1, 35 points) vs New Jersey Devils (18-14-1, 37 points)
7:00 PM EST
TV: MSG+
Radio: WFAN 660 AM
Matchup:
Tonight will be the third of four matchups between the Devils and the Capitals. Most recently, they split a home-and-home on November 11 and 12, which saw the Capitals collect the win in New Jersey, and the Devils return the favor in Washington.
Devils Picking Up Play:
Despite being only four games over .500, the New Jersey Devils’ play recently has been picking up. Before their 4-1 loss Tuesday against division rivals, the New York Rangers, the Devils were on a season-high four game winning streak.
Looking at the standings, the Devils currently sit fourth in the Atlantic Division, but are still within striking distance of the teams above them. Currently the Devils are five points behind the Penguins, seven behind the Rangers, and nine behind the Flyers. Not only are they within striking distance of division teams, but the Devils currently sit eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. A win tonight, could put them up as high as sixth. Also, their opponents tonight , the Washington Capitals, are only two points behind the Devils for eighth. A win tonight is key for both teams.
Tonight’s game at Prudential Center will be an important one for the Devils as they look to get back on the winning side of the standings. Despite having only won half of the games on their home ice, the Devils still have the best penalty kill in the league. And while their powerplay is good enough for 27th out of 30, the Devils might catch a break due to the Capitals having collected the least amount of points, in the East, while on the road.
Last Game Against Washington:
NJD @ WSH
Final Score: 3-2 SO
The Devils found themselves down 2-0 to end the first period, but goals from Petr Sykora and Ryan Carter tied the game up shortly before the end of the second period.
After a scoreless third period and overtime, the game went into a shootout. Zach Parise scored in the first round for the Devils, but the next skater for the Capitals was Alexander Ovechkin who got one past Johan Hedberg. The shootout remained tied until the fourth round when David Clarkson, of all people, scored the game winner.
Projected Devils Lineup:
Parise (C) – Henrique – Kovalchuk (A)
Sykora – Elias (A) – Zubrus
Tedenby - Zajac – Clarkson
Sestito – Carter – Janssen
Salvador – Foster
Volchenkov – Urbom
Taormina – Fayne
Brodeur
Hedberg
*Note: Adam Larsson has been granted permission to return to Sweden to attend his grandmother’s funeral. He is expected to miss tonight’s game as well as Monday’s game against Carolina.*
——————–
The Latest on the Washington Capitals:
It’s hard to imagine that the Capitals have gone 10-14-1 since they started the season at 7-0-0. A lot has changed since than including a coaching change. After firing Bruce Boudreau, the Capitals now have Dale Hunter behind the bench calling the shots.
In their last game, on Tuesday, the Capitals defeated the Nashville Predators by a score of 4-1. After this win, the Capitals have won four out of their last six proving that the Capitals team looks to have their feet back under them. The bright side of this victory was that the Capitals big-three, Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Semin all had a goal in the game. Surprisingly, this was the first time this had happened since October 2010.
Injury wise, the Capitals are still missing Mike Green, who is still recovering from a groin injury suffered six weeks ago. Besides him, no impact players are missing from their lineup.
Also, it is being reported that the Capitals will be wearing their third jersey tonight at Prudential Center. These are the jerseys that the Capitals wore during the Winter Classic last season.
Projected Capitals Lineup:
Ovechkin (C) – Laich – Brouwer
Johansson – Backstrom (A) – Semin
Chimera – Halpern – Ward
Hendricks – Perrault – Knuble (A)
Alzner – Carlson
Schultz – Wideman
Hamrlik – Orlov
Neuvirth
Vokoun
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Three Questions with Ken Daneyko
Hockey players always get asked the same questions during interviews: When did you start playing hockey? Who was your favorite player growing up? What’s your favorite moment of your career so far?
Retired hockey players always get asked different questions over and over: What do you think of the team now? Which player resembles you the most in playing style? Which Cup winning team was your favorite?
I recently had the opportunity to interview three-time Stanley Cup Champion, and Mr. Devil himself, Ken Daneyko.
Instead of asking him the typical questions, I decided that fans would like to know more about Ken Daneyko as a person, and not a hockey player.
Here is the interview with Ken Daneyko about celebrities, pizza, and music.
Game Preview – Game 33: New York Rangers @ Your New Jersey Devils!
New York Rangers (18-8-4, 40 points) vs New Jersey Devils (18-13-1, 37 points)
7:00 PM EST
TV: MSG+
Radio: WFAN 660 AM
Matchup:
Surprisingly, this will be the first of six meetings between the Atlantic Division rivals this season. This comes just eight games before the halfway point of the season for the Devils. Last season, the Rangers took the season series 4-2.
Patrik Elias to Miss Tonight’s Game:
Just three days after breaking the franchise’s career goals record, Patrik Elias is expected to miss the Devils’ first game against the Rangers tonight. Elias, who missed practice yesterday due to feeling ill, says he’s still not feeling well enough to play a full 60 minute game.
Without their leading scorer, this season and all-time, the Devils will move Travis Zajac up to the second line between Petr Sykora and Dainius Zubrus. Zajac has only averaged just above 15 minutes of ice time per game, since returning from a torn achilles, but will have to play just a little bit more tonight.
With Elias’ absence, Adam Henrique has been bumped up to the first powerplay unit with Parise, Clarkson, Kovalchuk and Foster.
This also means that Ryan Carter will center the third line, and Tim Sestito, who has been scratched the past two games, will center the fourth line.
Against the Rangers:
The Devils are 78-70-27-1 all-time versus the Rangers, and are 50-31-7-0 when playing in New Jersey.
Patrik Elias is the leading scorer for the Devils against the Rangers with 61 points (18 goals, 43 assists) in 69 games played.
With Elias’ absence tonight, the active Devil with the most points against the Rangers is Ilya Kovalchuk with 36 points (19 goals, 17 assists) in 38 games played.
David Clarkson leads active Devils in average penalty minutes per game against the Rangers. Currently he has 53 PIM in only 23 games against the Blue Shirts.
Starting goaltender, Martin Brodeur, is 43-26-20 in his career against the Rangers with a 2.13 GAA.
Projected Devils Lineup:
Parise (C) – Henrique – Kovalchuk (A)
Sykora – Zajac – Zubrus
Tedenby - Carter – Clarkson
Boulton – Sestito – Janssen
Salvador – Larsson
Volchenkov – Foster
Taormina – Fayne
Brodeur
Hedberg
——————–
The Latest on the New York Rangers:
In the Rangers latest game, on Saturday, Brad Richards scored a goal with less than a second left in regulation to give the Rangers a 3-2 win over the Phoenix Coyotes. In the game, Marian Gaborik scored the other two Rangers goals to give him a team lead of 17 on the season (which is 6th in the NHL). Those two goals also marked career goals 299 and 300 for Gaborik.
However the injury plague keeps striking the Rangers. In what might make good TV for HBO’s 24/7, the Rangers are now playing without three of their top six defensemen. Steve Eminger suffered a shoulder injury during the game on Saturday, and he will now join Mike Sauer (concussion) and Mark Staal (concussion) on the injured list. If it couldn’t get any worse, Jeff Woywitka may not be able to play in tonight’s game against the Devils due to a sore foot.
Rookies Stu bickel and Tim Erixon have been recalled from the Connecticut Whale to fill in.
Projected Rangers Lineup:
Anisimov – Stepan – Gaborik
Dubinsky – Richards (A) – Callahan (C)
Hagelin – Boyle – Mitchell
Rupp – Fedotenko – Prust
McDonagh – Girardi (A)
Del Zotto – Stralman
Erixon – Bickel
Lundqvist
Biron
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