Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

Center Tim Sestito recalled by NJ Devils

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November 7

Newark Star-Ledger

"The Devils recalled center Tim Sestito from Lowell (AHL) Saturday and he will play in the team's meeting with the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place. Patrik Elias, who played his first game of the season for the Devils Friday night, did not make the trip to Ottawa because he is unable to play in back-to-back games so soon. Center Rob Niedermayer remains out on injured reserve with an upper body injury. Sestito had seven goals and three assists in 12 AHL games this season. He was plus-3. The 25-year-old native of Rome, N.Y., was acquired by the Devils on July 9 in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers for a conditional pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft. Sestito has played in one NHL game, last ..."

center Dean McAmmond will join team Monday

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November 7

Newark Star-Ledger

"While they lost defenseman Jay Leach to the Montreal Canadiens Friday on re-entry waivers, the Devils signed center Dean McAmmond to a two-way contract. McAmmond, 36, is not expected to join the team in Ottawa for Saturday's game against the Senators even though the Devils will not bring Patrik Elias on the brief trip and need someone to fill in for the injured center Rob Niedermayer. "We've signed him but he's under the weather. He's got a cold," general manager Lou Lamoriello said of McAmmond. "So he won't travel with us. He'll practice with the team Monday." The Devils originally signed McAmmond to a minor-league contract on Oct. 20 and he's played six games for Lowell (AHL), scoring ..."

A young Leclaire was big fan of Brodeur

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November 7

Ottawa Citizen

"Perhaps Ottawa Sena-tors goaltender Pascal Leclaire was trying to make Martin Brodeur feel too good about himself. Maybe he was thinking the veteran New Jersey netminder would let down his guard when the teams meet at Scotiabank Place tonight. On Friday, after practice, Leclaire couldn't say enough about Brodeur, who is one shutout short of tying Terry Sawchuk's NHL record of 103, a mark that once seemed as secure as Wayne Gretzky's all-time points record. Once Leclaire got started on the topic of his goaltending idol, he was like a faucet, overflowing with praise about what Brodeur means to a legion of young Quebec goaltenders, about his upbeat personality, his athletic style in net and, ..."

Devs top Isles in Elias' return

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November 7

New York Post

"Finally getting their Newark act together, the Devils go back on the road tonight, where they've been perfect. They won their second straight at home, and third in four there last night, nipping the Islanders 2-1 as Patrik Elias made his season debut from surgery. Elias won't be with them tonight in Ottawa when they try to become only the second team in NHL history to win their first eight road games of the season, which would only trail the 2006 Sabres' record of 10. They're starting to gain results at home like they have on the road, but there were no celebrations. "Whoop-de-do," Jamie Langenbrunner said. "You're supposed to win your games at home. This one was not easy, but it's been ..."

Elias tempers hopes for return to ice

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November 6

New York Post

"Urging caution, Patrik Elias says the Devils shouldn't expect a repeat of his season-saving comeback of 2006. The franchise's career points leader may make his season debut tonight when the Islanders visit Newark (7 p.m., MSG+/MSG+2, WFAN, WMJC), returning from two rounds of summertime surgery. The Devils will be without center Rob Niedermayer, who left Wednesday's 3-2 triumph over the Capitals with an upper body injury. Both Elias and Jacques Lemaire said Niedermayer's absence won't affect the decision on Elias tonight, but Lemaire had him practicing at center yesterday. When Elias returned from Hepatitis A, which he contracted during the lockout, on Jan. 3, 2006, the Devils were a game ..."

Devils eke out another home win

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November 5

New York Post

"There was Jacques Lemaire, all but yelling 'Stop the Presses' because the Devils won in Newark. "That is news," Lemaire said after the Devils' 3-2 victory over the Caps last night. The team that stands 7-0 on the road improved to a still unsatisfactory 2-4 at home. But rather than two-thirds empty, Martin Brodeur chose to regard the recent glass as two-thirds full. "Now we've won 2-of-3 at home," Brodeur said. "You have to look at the positives. "We have to start streaking a bit and get over that .500 mark at home that everyone's looking at." The victory was New Jersey's third straight overall, sixth in seven and ninth in 11, pulling them within a point of the Rangers with three games in ..."

Without Ovechkin, Capitals come up short against Devils

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November 5

Washington Post

"With Alex Ovechkin sitting in the press box Wednesday instead of buzzing around the Prudential Center ice, the Washington Capitals needed their other top players to fill the void. Instead, they took "dumb" penalties and were conspicuously absent from the score sheet in a 3-2 loss to Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils. The Capitals, who have dropped three straight (0-1-2), were assessed four penalties -- including two offensive-zone penalties taken by Alexander Semin and another by Brendan Morrison -- and the Devils struck twice on the ensuing power plays to break open a game that was 1-1 at the start of the third period. Semin, in fact, took three offensive zone penalties. "They're ..."

Devils look to 'home' in

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November 4

New York Post

"The Devils are off to an 8-4 start -- too bad their fans have needed a television to enjoy it. That's because just one of the Devils' wins has come at Prudential Center, where they are 1-4, compared to a perfect 7-0 on the road. They host the Capitals tonight (7:00; MSG+, WFAN-660 AM) hoping to send the crowd home happy for a change. The Devils have won five of their past six games on the strength of their defense and goalie Martin Brodeur's return to Hall of Fame form after an uneven start. They average 2.33 goals per game, which ranked 27th in the league going into last night."

Johnny Oduya still unable to practice with NJ Devils

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November 3

Newark Star-Ledger

"Although coach Jacques Lemaire said Monday Johnny Oduya was "close" to returning from a lower body injury, the defenseman did not practice with the team again Tuesday morning. The other six defensemen were on the ice, including Cory Murphy, Bryce Salvador, Colin White, Mark Fraser, Andy Greene and Mike Mottau."

Jamie Langenbrunner practices with NJ Devils

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November 3

Newark Star-Ledger

"After taking Monday off, captain Jamie Langenbrunner practiced with the Devils Tuesday morning. He skated on a line with Zach Parise and Rob Niedermayer."

Devils welcome back out-of-shape Elias

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November 3

New York Post

"After missing the first several weeks of the season recovering from groin surgery Sept. 15, Patrik Elias made a successful return to practice for the Devils yesterday. Elias had no problems with either his groin or his hip, which was operated on in June, after his first practice of the season. But, as it could be expected, he was out of shape and he needed to be replaced in drills late in practice. "I didn't finish the last drill if you saw me," Elias said. "I was a little too tired at the end . . . you can skate as much as you want on your own, conditioning-wise, but when you get out there with the guys it's a little different." Coach Jacques Lemaire wasn't concerned with his lack of ..."

Devils need defensive help

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November 2

New York Post

"The Devils expect left wing Patrik Elias, their all-time record scorer, to practice with the team for the first time this season today. But even with an addition of that magnitude, defense is where they really need help these days. It's not the reason Lou Lamoriello is going into the Hockey Hall of Fame next week, but the Devils might really be in the soup if their general manager hadn't dealt Cam Janssen for Bryce Salvador, the last good trade he's made. Even before Paul Martin and now Johnny Oduya went out of the Devils' defense, Salvador was playing about as well as any on their backline this season. Now, even more, they count on him, and count their lucky stars. Salvador is one of the ..."

Devils ward off Lightning strike

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November 1

New York Post

"The road has become the Devils' playground. They found another way to win away from home yesterday and another hero in shootout scorer David Clarkson as they stretched their team-record perfect road start to seven victories -- equaling the second-longest in NHL history. Now, especially after yesterday's 2-1 shootout victory over the Lightning here, the Devils are starting to believe that they can bring this road recipe back to Newark and do something about that 1-4 home embarrassment. They play host to Washington Wednesday and the Islanders Friday. "We're doing something pretty hard to do. Winning all these games on the road is quite an accomplishment," Martin Brodeur said. "It's ..."

Devils topple Tampa in 7th road win

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November 1

New York Post

"The New Jersey Devils have become road warriors. David Clarkson scored the lone shootout goal in the fourth round of the tiebreaker and the Devils extended their season-opening, road-winning streak to seven games with a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. The run at the start of the season equals the second longest in NHL history, matching Toronto (1940-41), Philadelphia (1985-86) and Detroit (2005-06). Buffalo holds the league record of 10 in a row, set at the beginning of the 2006-07 season. "We've played pretty good the whole time on the road, but I thought we played such a tight game," Devils coach Jacques Lemaire said. "We didn't give much to their top guns. They ..."

Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Antero Niittymaki gets praise from both teams after shootout loss to New Jersey Devils

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November 1

St. Petersburg Times

"Backup G Antero Niittymaki, making his first start in two weeks due to the Lightning's light schedule, said it "felt like forever" since he had been in a game. But Niittymaki showed no signs of rust Saturday against the Devils, with his 37-save effort the main reason the Lightning even made it to overtime in a 2-1 shootout loss. "Nitty stood on his head," C Steven Stamkos said. "He pretty much got us that point by himself." The game may have gotten out of hand in the first period had it not been for Niittymaki, who made a great glove save on a close chance by former Lightning D Cory Murphy and stopped an Ilkka Pikkarainen shot during a 2-on-1. But Niittymaki's most impressive moment came ..."

New-look lines center on Z's

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October 31

New York Post

"Exchanging Zajac for Zubrus on the Devils' Z line looks like pre-Patrik Elias prepping. If center Dainius Zubrus is going to score with Jamie Langenbrunner and Zach Parise, then coach Jacques Lemaire will have two high-octane offensive lines -- long a Devils recipe for success. Zubrus has skated mostly with Langenbrunner and Parise, though Rob Niedermayer and their previous centerman Travis Zajac also have seen duty there. But if Lemaire uses the injured Elias on Zajac's left wing, and David Clarkson or Niclas Bergfors on the right, offensive fireworks could result, and Elias finally would have a right-handed center feeding him. Elias said he likely will join the team for practice next ..."

Oduya does not accompany NJ Devils for game against Tampa Bay Lightning

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October 30

Newark Star-Ledger

"Johnny Oduya, who suffered a lower body injury in Thursday night's 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins, did not accompany the team to Tampa, Fla., where the Devils face the Lightning on Saturday afternoon. Instead, he is back in New Jersey getting examined by team doctors. More information on his condition will likely be available later on Friday. Oduya said he suffered the injury late in the first period, though he played briefly during the second period before leaving the game for good. Afterwards, Oduya downplayed the injury, only saying that he "felt a little something," but it is serious enough to cost him at least one game."

Danis nets wisdom from Brodeur

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October 30

New York Post

"For the Devils, breaking in a new backup can meaning breaking a few old habits. Yann Danis became the 26th goalie in Devils history last night when he made his season debut, beating the Bruins 2-1. Martin Brodeur, who started New Jersey's first 10 games, said he has been working regularly with Danis, whose butterfly style is not the franchise's standard. "He's butterfly," Brodeur said. "We talk a lot, especially early on with [goalie coach] Jacques Caron and people who are looking from the way they believe to play the game. "When you see a new goalie, it's not a question of changing anything, it's about philosophies about moving around and [positioning] a certain way." Brodeur has been ..."

Road paved with another victory for Devils

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October 30

New York Post

"Why do the Devils win so much on the road? "We have to, because we lose so much at home," captain Jamie Langenbrunner said after last night's 2-1 triumph over the Bruins. The Devils find ways to win; they are a perfect 6-0 away from Newark, where they're an imperfect 1-4. Last night's formula relied heavily on Yann Danis in his Devils debut, becoming the 26th goalie in New Jersey's history. Danis allowed only a no-complaint goal by Patrice Bergeron, giving his teammates a chance to win, which they did when Dainius Zubrus scored with 1:26 left to extend the team's best-ever road start. "We just find a way to win on the road, and find a way to lose at home," said coach Jacques Lemaire, ..."

Bruins simply bedeviled

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October 30

Boston Globe

""I shouldn't have went,'' said Bruins winger Shawn Thornton moments after last night's 2-1 loss to the Devils. Thornton was referring to one first-period decision that he made in the NHL's standard frame of play: an instant. Yet it was that decision, plus one more late mistake by the Boston defense, that saddled the Bruins with a setback on a night when they played one of their better 60-minute games this season. And it was Thornton who led the Bruins with five shots in 12:45 of ice time, as the fourth line of him, Steve Begin, and Byron Bitz put together one of its best efforts of the season."

Yann Danis saves the day

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October 30

Boston Herald

"Devils backup goalie Yann Danis gave an effort worthy of Martin Brodeur in last night's 2-1 victory over the Bruins at the Garden. New Jersey coach Jacques Lemaire informed Danis he would make his Devils debut during the team's morning practice. Danis, who played four years at Brown University, made good on the opportunity by stopping 31 shots. "I was waiting for this one for a while and it's definitely good to get the first one out of the way," said Danis, who played in 31 games for the Islanders last season. "The only way to stay sharp is to work hard in practice and try to approach practices the same as games." The Bruins hit Danis with 12 shots in the first period and he left the ice ..."

Misfortune finishes Bruins

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October 30

Boston Herald

"Tim Thomas was facing away from the puck on both goals the Bruins netminder allowed in last night's 2-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils at the Garden. The heartbreaker was delivered at even strength at 18:34 of the third period. The play began on a botched slap shot by Jamie Langenbrunner from low in the right circle. Zach Parise tipped the waffling puck between the pads of Thomas while the goalie was frozen in a butterfly position. Dainius Zubrus crashed the crease from the left side and swatted the puck home for the game-winner. David Clarkson finished off a 2-on-1 Devils break-in at 13:25 of the first period by also swiping home a puck that was behind Thomas. "The second one was a shot by ..."

Devs may be home-icidal

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October 29

New York Post

"The Devils chase records on the road, their own tails at home. They visit the Bruins tonight with a team-record five-victory road start, but the Devils fell to 1-4 in Newark last night with a 4-1 loss to the Northeast-leading Sabres. "We're playing with more confidence on the road. We're afraid to make a play [at home] for whatever reason, chopping the puck," Jamie Langenbrunner said. Their all-lefty defense was anything but all right in its first test without Paul Martin, their most used skater, out 4-to-6 weeks with a broken arm suffered Saturday. Johnny Oduya had an opening six minutes to forget as Martin's direct replacement, glaringly on ice as Buffalo scored twice and enough. New ..."

Sabres notebook: Peters thrilled to be a Devil

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October 29

Buffalo News

"Andrew Peters spent most of the summer waiting for a team to call. The role of enforcer is an occupation with fewer and fewer NHL employers, and for a while it looked as if the 29-year-old might have to look to a different league or profession. The New Jersey Devils finally rang, inviting the longtime Buffalo Sabres forward to training camp on a tryout. They didn't make any promises, just agreed to give the big guy a shot. They ended up giving him a blast that floored him. Peters went from being unwanted to proud owner of a two-year, $1 million contract. "Words can't even describe how happy I was when [Devils President] Lou [Lamoriello] brought me into his office and said, "Here's your ..."

Kennedy gets on the board in Sabres' victory

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October 29

Buffalo News

"Martin Brodeur was named Rookie of the Year when Tim Kennedy was 7 years old. In the 16 years since, the New Jersey Devils' goaltender has amassed more victories than any netminder in history. During those same 16 years, Kennedy had repeatedly dreamed of scoring his first NHL goal. He worked his way from the streets of South Buffalo to the campus of Michigan State and onto the Buffalo Sabres' roster. Kennedy's first goal finally came Wednesday. It came against possibly the best goalie ever to stand in the crease. The Buffalo Sabres' rookie center scored six minutes into the teams' meeting in Prudential Center, helping the Sabres earn a 4-1 victory. It was their third straight win, all ..."

Bruins know 'D' stands for Devils

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October 29

Boston Herald

"Bruins left winger Mark Recchi will play in his 96th career game against the New Jersey Devils when the puck falls tonight at the TD Garden. The Devils have shed plenty of players and coaches during Recchi's 21 years in the NHL. But the stifling neutral zone trap installed by former coach Jacques Lemaire in the early 1990s has remained a New Jersey staple over the years. To reinforce that discipline, Lemaire was brought back in as coach after eight seasons leading the Minnesota Wild. There are two basic reasons why the Bruins will need to play a strong first period: The Devils are a difficult team to come back against; and future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur remains the goalie."

Devils are looking to home in on win

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October 28

New York Post

"The Devils' return from Pittsburgh has not been the happiest of homecomings. In addition to learning that they would be without stalwart defenseman Paul Martin and winger Jay Pandolfo for four to six weeks because of injuries suffered in Saturday night's clash with the Penguins, the Devils had to interrupt a torrid streak of road play, which continued in a 4-1 dismantling of the Stanley Cup champs. The Devils (6-3-0), 5-for-5 away from home, return to Prudential Center tonight trying to keep that mojo alive. They face a tough guest in the first-place Sabres (6-1-1), one of the league's other two unbeaten road teams and the stingiest defensive unit in the conference. Buffalo, which ..."

Injuries to Martin, Pandolfo pain Devils

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October 26

New York Post

"Defenseman Mike Mottau is expected to rejoin the Devils in practice today, and Patrik Elias, the franchise's all-time leading scorer, is anticipated to make his practice debut "more toward the end of the week," GM Lou Lamoriello said. But they're bracing for bad news today about Paul Martin and Jay Pandolfo. But while the Devils were setting a team record Saturday with a perfect 5-0 road start to their season, they lost team ice-time leader Martin to a suspected broken left arm and stalwart left wing Pandolfo to a dislocated right shoulder in Saturday's 4-1 victory in Pittsburgh. The Devils expected to send Martin and Pandolfo for tests and X-rays late last night or this morning. "We ..."

Pens' Rupp stirs bad blood against Devils

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October 25

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Old teammates may have turned into enemies after a second-period hit at Mellon Arena Saturday. Penguins center Mike Rupp hit Devils left wing Jay Pandolfo from behind with 7:09 remaining in the second period. Pandolfo did not return and was wearing a sling on his right arm following the game. Rupp was assessed a two-minute boarding penalty. Pandolfo was not pleased with the hit. "I don't know if there was any need for that hit," Pandolfo said. "It was a little surprising that he would do that." New Jersey coach Jacques Lemaire also voiced his disapproval. "I know (Rupp) could have hit him harder than he did," Lemaire said. "But he still hit him, and he still hit him from behind." Rupp and ..."

Devils goalie Brodeur frustrates Penguins

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October 25

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Don't fall into the trap of presuming the New Jersey Devils showed teams how to beat the Penguins on Saturday night with a 4-1 win at Mellon Arena. After all, few NHL teams are as committed to doing what the Devils did in this game - and it is unlikely any club could do it as well. Plus, the rest of the league can't count on a living legend between the pipes. Devils goalie Martin Brodeur just missed tying Hall of Famer Terry Sawchuk's all-time shutout total of 103. He was 10 minutes and 24 seconds away, but Penguins defenseman Alex Goligoski scored at 9:36 of the third period, capitalizing on a rebound from a shot by winger Pascal Dupuis. "They played really well - patient, good puck ..."

Penguins' 7-game win streak ends in 4-1 loss to Devils

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October 25

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Bill Guerin broke into the NHL with New Jersey, so he knows what a Jacques Lemaire-coached team is all about. That watching the Devils is not often entertaining. And that beating them is not often easy. "They don't try to impress anybody," Guerin said. "They just want to win games. I know how that organization is. I know how Jacques is. You don't get points for winning pretty. You just win." The Devils did that at Mellon Arena last night, defeating the Penguins, 4-1. The loss ended the Penguins' seven-game winning streak and dropped their record to 9-2. The only consolation for them -- and it was not much -- was that they did not allow Devils goalie Martin Brodeur to record his 103rd ..."

Jacques Lemaire: Facing Stanley Cup champions is good for NJ Devils

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October 24

Newark Star-Ledger

"Jacques Lemaire said the Devils are growing and need to face a team like Pittsburgh.Jacques Lemaire said the Devils are growing as a team and Saturday night's meeting with the Pittsburgh Penguins will be good for his club. "We're facing a team that is going extremely well, playing well together," Lemaire said after an optional morning skate at Mellon Arena. "They're playing with a lot of confidence so we'll have to be sharp in every aspect of the game." There has been no Stanley Cup hangover for the Penguins. "I guess it's every individual knows what they have to do to be successful," Lemaire said. "And I think they have great leaders, which helps tremendously. When you do have great ..."

Devils on road to record

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October 24

New York Post

"The team record the Devils chase tonight would truly stamp them as a force, again, because they will have to beat the league's best team to achieve it. No Devils team has opened the season by winning its first five road games, a feat New Jersey will attempt to complete against the Stanley Cup champion Penguins tonight (7:30, MSG Plus2, WFAN 660 AM). But while the difference between the Devils' 4-0 road and 1-3 home records is obvious, another perspective is the difference between going 5-1 in their past six games and opening the season 0-2, perhaps unprepared for the start after playing just five exhibition games. "It's a valid thought," said Martin Brodeur, referring to the Devils' lack ..."

Brodeur Outduels Lundqvist to Win at the Garden

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October 23

New York Times

"Martin Brodeur entered the Devils' game Thursday seeking his 103rd career shutout to tie Terry Sawchuk's N.H.L. record, but he was after a more immediate target: he had not been the winning goalie in regulation at Madison Square Garden since Dec. 17, 2006, an eight-game stretch. Brodeur lost the shutout early in the second period, but he realized his greater ambition as the Devils survived a wild game with a 4-2 victory over the Rangers. That boosted the Devils' road record to 4-0 while sending the Rangers to their second straight loss after a seven-game winning streak. "It was nice to play well and win," said Brodeur, who had 29 saves. "I'd played some good games here but didn't win, so ..."

Brodeur knows hex in the city

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October 22

New York Post

"Never is long enough to call a hex, especially for the winningest goalie in NHL history. Martin Brodeur said he isn't bothered by his recent futility against the Rangers, lowlighted by never beating Henrik Lundqvist in regular-season regulation at the Garden. He must be about the only Devils devotee who isn't perturbed. Brodeur's NHL record 561 regular-season victories includes only one shootout triumph at the Garden against Lundqvist on Feb. 22, 2007. He stands 1-8-2, 4-of-22 points, at the Garden vs. Lundqvist in regular-season play. "Lundqvist has been playing really well every time he plays against me, for whatever reason," Brodeur said. "[Scott Clemmensen] was in there last year and ..."

Elias making tiny progress

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October 21

Bergen Record

"Devils left wing Patrik Elias continues to slowly progress toward rejoining the team, but he said Tuesday that he does not know when he will participate in a full practice or play in his first game of the season. Elias underwent arthroscopic surgery on his groin Sept. 15 to clear out some scar tissue from a previous procedure. He said he skated on his own again Tuesday, something he has been doing for more than two weeks. The next step would be to practice with the team, but he did not know when that would happen. Elias said the team is being careful not to rush his recovery and there is no timetable for when he would play in his first game. "No one is talking to me about a target, which ..."

Devils go Greene

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October 21

New York Post

"A day after the Devils put Cory Murphy on waivers, coach Jacques Lemaire said the defenseman hadn't been thrown off his game by the pressure of competing with Andy Greene. Lemaire said Murphy just flat-out got outplayed. "Murphy started very well, [then] he dropped a bit. And then Greene came in and really played well. He played well, better than Murphy," Lemaire said. "Sometimes the guys don't realize how important it is to play well. Or maybe they do and they just can't. I don't know. But you know the importance there." Surely Murphy knows it all too well now. He cleared waivers yesterday and was assigned to Lowell of the AHL, which also signed wing Dean McAmmond. Murphy can be ..."

Devs waive Murphy

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October 20

New York Post

"After seven games, it looks like the Cory Murphy Experiment has come to an end. The 31-year-old defenseman, whom the Devils signed for the NHL minimum of $500,000 during the summer, was placed on waivers yesterday, after failing to score a point in any of his three games this season -- all Devils losses. He had a minus-2 rating. If Murphy is unclaimed by today's noon deadline, he will be assigned to Lowell, the organization's AHL affiliate. Because he has a two-way contract, Murphy will not have to clear waivers again if the Devils choose to call him up later in the season. Murphy spent several years playing in Europe, mostly in Finland, before breaking into the NHL in 2007 with the ..."

Devils break up top line

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October 19

New York Post

"Funny how Martin Brodeur's 102nd shutout seemed to validate all other strategies, even the breakup of the Z Line. Coach Jacques Lemaire sounded as if the trio that carried the Devils last season is no longer in fashion after Saturday's 2-0 victory over Carolina in Newark. Lemaire replaced center Travis Zajac mainly with late signee Rob Niedermayer on the line between captain Jamie Langenbrunner and top scorer Zach Parise. "I feel much better with the [lines] we have right now -- our team is much more solid," Lemaire said. "It's too bad that we're breaking a line that had so much success last year, but I talked to the guys. They want to go on with this. They feel it's helping the team.""

Even NJ Devils' top line wasn't exempt from Jacques Lemaire's juggling

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October 18

Newark Star-Ledger

"There was no need for Devils coach Jacques Lemaire to explain why he was breaking up the team's top line. But Lemaire thought it would be right to speak with Zach Parise, Travis Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner about his plan to break up the productive trio in his effort to get more offensive from the entire team. "He talked to our line," Langenbrunner said. It was fine with everyone, so Lemaire moved Zajac to the line with rookie wingers Matt Halischuk and Niclas Bergfors while Parise and Langenbrunner started the game with Dainius Zubrus but finished with Rob Niedermayer as their centerman. While it didn't produce a flurry of goals, the Devils did win their first home game of the season ..."

Rookie Matt Halischuk takes stick to the face

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October 18

Newark Star-Ledger

"Rookie winger Matt Halischuk received an official welcome to the NHL in his fifth career game when he took a stick in the face from Hurricanes captain Rod Brind'Amour at 2:00 of the second period. Bleeding and dazed, Halischuk remained on the ice and started crawling toward the Devils bench. He had to be helped off by teammates. No penalty was called. "It rung my bell a bit. I wasn't expecting it," said Halischuk, who returned to the ice soon afterward. "I got it mostly in the teeth. Lucky I had a mouthguard in." He will have X-rays and hopes he can keep all his front teeth. He also has a split and swollen upper lip. Coach Jacques Lemaire praised Halischuk and Niclas Bergfors, who played ..."

Devils end home hex; top Hurricanes 2-0

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October 18

New York Post

"A perfect game proved the only way out of the Devils' home futility, and Martin Brodeur delivered. Brodeur's 102nd shutout pulled him within one of Terry Sawchuk's 39-year-old NHL record, and gave New Jersey its first victory of the season in four tries in Newark. "Shutouts mean wins," said Brodeur, who holds the NHL record with 561 of the latter after last night's 2-0 triumph over Carolina in Newark. "For me, it was not about the shutout. I thought 'I just can't give up any goals.' " Brodeur and Cam Ward dueled scorelessly until Jamie Langenbrunner put New Jersey in front 26 seconds into the third, and Brodeur withstood a late Hurricanes flurry before Zach Parise sealed the triumph with ..."

Martin Brodeur closing in on Terry Sawchuk

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October 18

Toronto Star

"Clinging to a one-goal lead in the closing minutes against the Carolina Hurricanes, Martin Brodeur wasn't thinking about career shutout No.102. He was thinking about last year and the Canes' miraculous comeback in final 80 seconds of Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs."

Evander Kane, Thrashers top Devils

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October 17

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Atlanta rookie Evander Kane scored 1:36 into the third period to snap a tie, and Rich Peverley had two power-play goals against Martin Brodeur in the Thrashers' 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Friday night. Doing damage without any contributions on the score sheet from captain Ilya Kovalchuk, the Thrashers shook off a 1-0 deficit in the second period. Ondrej Pavelec made 28 saves in his fourth straight start in place of injured Kari Lehtonen. At this rate, backup Johan Hedberg might not get a chance to play anytime soon. Peverley tied it with his first power-play goal of the night, and pushed the lead to two 5:55 into the third with another man-advantage tally. Peverley has four ..."

Devs ride victory lane back home

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October 16

New York Post

"When the Devils play tonight's game against the Thrashers, they will be looking for their first home win on the season. New Jersey was embarrassed by the Flyers 5-2 in their home opener and followed that up by squandering two one-goal leads in a 3-2 Rangers' win. But after three straight one-goal victories on the road, the team has gained some momentum. "You have to believe you can come back," coach Jacques Lemaire said. "Maybe we have a little more confidence (from the comeback wins). You take any system and if the guys believe and they're getting scoring chances, then you can come back." Those three victories included a 4-3 overtime win against the Lightning, in which Travis Zajac ..."

Brodeur may get night off

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October 15

New York Post

"Martin Brodeur has yet to need a game off, but with games on consecutive nights starting tomorrow, coach Jacques Lemaire didn't rule out the possibility that new backup Yann Danis could get his first start as a Devil in one of them. "He might," Lemaire said after the team practiced in Newark yesterday, fresh off a three-game road winning streak. The Devils host Atlanta tomorrow and Carolina on Saturday. Lemaire and his staff are trying to figure out when Danis, who spent last year with the Islanders, some time. "We can't look for an easier game because there's none," Lemaire said. "I don't know exactly when he'll step in, but he will soon. I just want to see how good we're playing. If we ..."

Road trip nets promising results, but the NJ Devils are still developing chemistry

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October 14

Newark Star-Ledger

"They are still a work in progress, but the Devils finally began to feel more like a team on their three-game road trip. After sweeping the Lightning, Panthers and Capitals, captain Jamie Langenbrunner suggested that these first weeks of the season -- and perhaps first few months -- will remain a learning experience for a club that has seven new faces and nine if you count Rod Pelley and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond. "I think we're learning as we go along," Langenbrunner said. "I think when you have a new team, and we have eight or nine new guys, it takes some time for guys to feel comfortable. It takes some time to see where guys fit in their roles. We're still feeling that out. "Guys ..."

Patrik Elias moving closer to rejoining NJ Devils

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October 14

Trenton Times

"Patrik Elias, sidelined since undergoing arthroscopic groin surgery Sept. 15, has increased the intensity of his workouts and is moving closer to a return. "He's skating every day and skating more intensively," general manager Lou Lamoriello told me Tuesday. "How close is close? I'm going to rely on the training staff, physicians and Patrik himself." Lamoriello said there have been no setbacks. When the Devils lost their first two games at home this season, Lamoriello said he does not judge on a few games."

Capitals Come Up Short in Shootout With Devils

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October 13

Washington Post

"The Washington Capitals earned a point in the standings, but their performance against the New Jersey Devils did little to quell concerns about their ability to hold onto a late lead or stay out of the penalty box at critical times. The Capitals lost their fourth straight game Monday at Verizon Center, 3-2, in the shootout after blowing a one-goal lead with under seven minutes left to play, then giving the Devils a power play in overtime. "Even though we have a fairly veteran team, it's learning how to win again," Coach Bruce Boudreau said. "When you've got it, instead of thinking, 'Uh-oh, what's going to happen, what's going to go wrong? You're thinking, 'No problem, we're going to win ..."

Devs chalk up another road kill

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October 13

New York Post

"This is the one, the victory that could start turning this rebuilt bunch of Devils into the sort of real team they were last season. They just have to keep it up. "We're learning as we go along," said Jamie Langenbrunner, whose shootout decider gave the Devils a comeback 3-2 victory over the powerful Caps here last night. "When you have a new team, it takes some time to feel confident, some time for guys to get their role. "We're still feeling our way, but we're starting to find our way a lot better." They left Newark 0-2 and return with a sweep of their three-game road trip, this victory the most impressive of the bunch as they defiantly turned around a game that was threatening to ..."

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