head coach: Jacques Lemaire

roster: C - Doug Gilmour, Bob Carpenter, Bobby Holik, Denis Pederson, Petr Sykora. LW - Dave Andreychuk, Brian Rolston, Valeri Zelepukin, Krzysztof Oliwa, Jay Pandolfo, Reid Simpson, Patrik Elias. RW - John MacLean, Randy McKay, Steve Thomas. D - Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko, Lyle Odelein, Kevin Dean, Brad Bombardir, Ken Sutton. G - Martin Brodeur, Mike Dunham.

injuries: 10/18 - Dave Andreychuk, bruised left foot -day-to-day. 10/30 - Steve Thomas, slight groin strain - day-to-day.

transactions: 10/22 - Recalled LW Patrik Elias from Albany (AHL). 10/25 - Recalled LW Jay Pandolfo from Albany (AHL). Placed D Sheldon Souray on IR. 10/28 - Removed D Sheldon Souray from IR and assigned him to Albany (AHL). 10/30 - Placed RW Steve Thomas on IR. 11/1 - Recalled D Ken Sutton from Albany (AHL).

standings:

Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division   
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA   
Philadelphia 16   8   5   3    19   48   40
New Jersey   12   8   4   0    16   41   23
Washington   14   7   5   2    16   44   36
NY Islanders 13   6   5   2    14   40   33
NY Rangers   15   3   6   6    12   36   41
Florida      13   3   7   3     9   28   42
Tampa Bay    13   2   9   2     6   23   43

game results:

10/23 Montreal         W 2-1
10/25 San Jose         L 4-3
10/27 at Philadelphia  W 5-0
10/30 Vancouver        W 8-1
11/01 Washington       W 3-1

team news:

by Phil Aromando, New Jersey Correspondent

Meaningless games have meaningful repercussions. Last season, Dave Andreychuk broke his ankle in a game that had no bearing on the final outcome of the season. The injury kept him out of the playoffs and seemed to unbalance and disrupt the momentum the team had entering the playoffs. The playoff season may have had different results if he were in the lineup.

Two weeks ago, in a 5-0 win over Tampa, Dave Andreychuk took the final Tampa shot of the game off his left skate. Harmless enough. But a deep bruise developed and he hasn’t been in the lineup since. It so happens that it’s the foot attached to the ankle he broke last season.

As a result, the Devils recalled Patrik Elias from the Albany River Rats. He was sent down not two weeks earlier but was in the lineup in time for the October 23 game against Montreal. And the Hab game was also Martin Brodeur's best game of the season. He made save after save in the third and kept the Devils in it as Montreal pressed to get the go-ahead goal.

Petr Sykora’s scored both Devils goals. He tied the game on a feed from Doug Gilmour late in the second period, beating Moog low on the glove side.

Although Brodeur’s performance against Montreal proved once again why he is the number one goaltender on the team, Mike Dunham got the start against San Jose two nights later. Dunham’s shutout of Tampa on October 18th had some people asking if Brodeur would be sitting more frequently this season.

Dunham entered the game without a goal against in four periods played this season. That changed quickly. Late in the first the Sharks scored three times in 2:33 to take a lead the Devils could not come back from. They tried.

Randy McKay started the scoring halfway through the first. His seventh goal of the season came on the power play. What’s gotten into Randy McKay? (His nickname has become "The Rocket".) Maybe it has to do with his contract. He was one Devil quoted this past summer as being deeply impressed by the Joe Sakic signing. Not that he’ll ever be a Sakic, but the incentive may be there to increase his value in any way he can. So far, it’s working.

Scott Niedermayer scored on the power play 1:10 into the second to bring the Devils within one but San Jose pressured and Jeff Friesen scored mid-second on a power play to put the Sharks up by two. The Devils continued to work hard and drew a power play with less than three minutes to go in the period. Niedermayer converted a Doug Gilmour pass to bring them back within one. (The assist for Gilmour was his 1,131st career point, moving him into sole possession of 30th place on the NHL’s all-time scoring list.)

Randy McKay followed that up with a goal at 1:16 - but it was disallowed. The play was ruled dead before the puck crossed the goal line.

The Devils only managed four shots on goal in the third despite having a man-advantage for four minutes in the middle of the period. They got another chance to tie when they went on the power play with less than two minutes to go in the game, they even pulled Dunham for a six-on-four advantage, but couldn’t score.

It was a game that the Devils would really have liked to have back. Mike Dunham played well save for two minutes or so in the first period. The power play worked well going 3 for 9. They just couldn’t use the double-minor to their advantage in the third. They played a solid game but San Jose played with a little more determination - after all, the win snapped a four-game losing streak. It was the Sharks first road victory of the season and the Devils first home loss of the season.

One of the more amusing moments of the season came when Krzysztof Oliwa fought Marty McSorley in the second period. Oliwa is trying real hard to gain a presence in the league as a tough guy. So far, most of his fights have been one-sided affairs against, but he’s learning. He has a spark and a willingness to grind it out and mix it up that’s encouraging and bodes well for his career. It just may be a little painful to watch him as he learns where, when, and with who to pick his fights with.

Everything that’s right with the Devils worked on Monday night against the Flyers. They played excellent defense, killed penalties, scored goals: even-strength and power play. The shutout was Martin Brodeur’s 23rd career and 1st against the Flyers.

Patrik Elias started off his impressive week scoring 7:31 into the first on a beautiful backhand shot that he managed to lift over Ron Hextall. (He also scored a goal in the third.) Bobby Carpenter and Doug Gilmour followed with goals immediately after and the Devils were up 3-0 within 69 seconds. Gilmour’s came on the power play.

Philadelphia seemed deflated by the quick goals and didn’t really muster a lot of pressure the rest of the way. Brodeur faced only 20 shots all game But that’s also a credit to the defense. As Eric Lindros said after the game, "They play so tight defensively, they always seem to have a defenseman back, even on dump-ins."

This game was the clearest example of the Devils return to basics. They simply fired the puck on net and created offense by following up. It was a simple but effective approach. It was the sharpest the entire team looked all season.

Patrik Elias scored again in the third and attributed his play to a talk he had with Lemaire during the morning skate the day of the Flyers game. Elias said Lemaire wanted him to be himself and carry the puck into the zone. Not just dump and chase. The talk seemed to loosen Elias up. He was all over the ice and his two goals were a credit to his hard work and good positioning.

John MacLean had three assists on the night. Valeri Zelepukin and Bobby Holik had two each. Although the game lacked the intensity that most Flyers-Devils games contain, Jacques Lemaire said it was a very impressive win; probably the best of the season.

Until the Vancouver game. 3:38 into the first, Denis Pederson scored to cap off a power play that was probably the single best shift of the season. For nearly the entire man-advantage, the Devils kept the puck in the Canucks zone. Crisp creative passing, beating the Canucks to the puck, holding in attempted clearing passes, the power play was a microcosm of the entire game. Denis Pederson scored, falling, from his knees, up high on Kirk McLean. It was a great goal. It set the tone for what was to follow.

Mark Messier was booed every time he touched the puck (like Lindros was last month). But it was a strangely unemotional return for the man who will forever be associated with Devils history as much as Rangers history. There were a number of Rangers fans at the game with signs asking WHY? or something to that effect. It was touching, in an odd sort of way, to see Ranger fans still rooting for old Number Eleven; it was more fun watching Ranger fans root against the ex-Ranger in the Devils building. Although his team was soundly defeated, I’m sure he took satisfaction in breaking up Brodeur’s shutout late in the third on a goalmouth trickler that, although not a wraparound, eerily reminded one of the season ending goals the Rangers love to score on Brodeur.

The Devils led 2-0 after one on a goal by Patrik Elias, but the floodgates opened in the second. The Devils scored three more times on goals by Zelepukin, Elias and Pederson. It was Elias’ first multiple goal scoring game. He’ll have a hat trick soon. Martin Brodeur kept the shutout alive stopping Pavel Bure on a breakaway in the second. Brodeur actually made two stops on the play.

Vancouver played an all-around listless game. Brian Noonan laid a hit on Kevin Dean that again reminded Devils fans of the New York Rangers. Arturs Irbe finished the game for the Canucks.

The Devils scored four more times in the third to complete the rout. They were 2 of 3 on the power play and finished with 45 shots total. Doug Gilmour finished with four points. His first four assist night as a Devil; his second four-point game as a Devil. But the real story was the youngsters Elias, Pederson and Sykora. Each finished with two goals and three points apiece. They played with confidence and seem to be getting more and more comfortable at the NHL level.

Sykora and Elias played important roles in the game against Washington. Patrik Elias’ second-period goal snapped a one-one tie and Petr Sykora’s third-period goal provided the insurance.

The Caps are struggling a bit since getting off to such a fast start. This was the first game the Caps failed to score more than one goal in a game all season. Bobby Carpenter, John MacLean and Brian Rolston did a solid job of shutting down the Caps main scorers much like they did in Philadelphia earlier in the week.

Jacques Lemaire loves Bobby Carpenter. According to Lemaire, Carpenter understands the defensive responsibilities of the Devils system better than anyone else on the team. Carpenter scored his third goal of the season to tie the game at one late in the first period.

Brodeur made 24 saves finishing with a 0.67 GAA for the three games last week. He also had a chance at the empty net once the Capitals pulled Bill Ranford for an extra attacker late in the third. Apparently, Lyle Odelein was in his way and he shot it wide. It was called back on an icing.

Ken Daneyko missed the game for "unspecified personal reasons". Lemaire said he had not been suspended. No one is talking about why he was out of the lineup. It sounds much worse than it probably is. The lack of talk and the focus on the lack of word on why he wasn’t there may blow this out of proportion. Ken Sutton filled in for him and played as Niedermayer’s partner. They both finished +1.

So the Devils have built themselves an impressive three-game winning streak and next face the Los Angeles Kings at home. The power play is ranked 1st overall (26.7%), they're outscoring opponents by a margin of 3-1 and their young guys are rising to the occasion. If they keep this up, Dave Andreychuk and Steve Thomas may be out of the lineup for a while.

USEFUL BANTER

John MacLean is one point away from 700 in his NHL career.

Bill Guerin has rejected a three-year offer that would pay him $1.4 million, $1.7 million and $2 million respectively.

Along with Bill Guerin, two other talented American born ex-Devils not on the first roster of the US Olympic hockey team: Shawn Chambers and Phil Housley. Devils GM Lou Lamoriello is GM of Team USA

RECENT LINES

Sykora-Gilmour-Simpson
Elias-Holik-McKay
Rolston-Carpenter-MacLean
Zelepukin-Pederson-Oliwa

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS

Stevens-Dean
Niedermayer-Sutton
Odelein-Bombardir

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