New Jersey Devils Could Steal the Stanley Cup
Devils have the ingredients to make a run at Lord Stanley
Jan 16, 2009
Losing Brodeur
The Devils were off to a pretty good start to their season when they were hit with a "punch to the stomach". On November 2nd, Future Hall of Fame goaltender Martin Brodeur suffered a left elbow injury in the game against Atlanta that was expected to keep him out for 3-4 months.
In his 15 year career, Brodeur had never missed this amount of time, but New Jersey didn’t lie down and feel sorry for themselves. The Devils picked up their game and now find themselves in the hunt for the Stanley Cup.
Winning Tradition
The Devils are sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 25-15-3 record, good for 53 points, but they’re in a dogfight with the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers for the top spot in the Atlantic Division.
When Brodeur went down, no one expected New Jersey to be in this position. Under Head Coach Brent Sutter, the Devils have maintained the poise and discipline they displayed while winning three Stanley Cups in nine years.
The makeup is different from the Cup winning teams, but there are still some players on this roster who have a Stanley Cup winning pedigree. Besides Brodeur, Patrik Elias, Jamie Langenbrunner, Bobby Holik, Brian Rolston, John Madden, Colin White, Jay Pandolfo and Mike Rupp help embody the winning tradition.
Positive Numbers
The Devils are fifth in the league in goals against (111); tied for tenth in goals scored (128).
Special teams are not spectacular, but they are reliable. If you examine some of the intangible numbers, New Jersey is at, or near, the top of the league in those categories. For example, the Devils know how to protect a lead. They’re tied with Detroit for the best record when leading after two, (18-0) and when New Jersey gets the first goal, they’re 12-3.
Players have Stepped Up
As mentioned previously, New Jersey’s roster has gone through some changes. Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Stevens and future Hall of Famer Scott Niedermeyer are gone but players like White, Paul Martin and Bryce Salvador have been steady on the backlines.
The forwards, led by Zach Parise and Elias, provide the Devils with the bulk of their goal scoring. Travis Zajac is a developing center and is a plus 16 while Brian Gionta has been a bit of a dissapointment but is capable of scoring some big goals.
Ace up their sleeve
The timetable for Brodeur to return from elbow surgery was mid-March, but the Devils are optimistic that he can get back even earlier. The three time Stanley Cup winner is seven wins shy of Patrick Roy’s all time record of 551 so he’s more than motivated to return.
If Brodeur is healthy, he could take the Devils on his back for a run through the playoffs. In recent seasons, Brodeur seemed to be fatigued come playoff time because he played so many games during the regular season. This time around, that hindrance has been eliminated.
Final Piece to the Puzzle
Getting Brodeur back would be a huge boost but President and General Manager Lou Lamariello did not stop there. The Devils signed future Hall of Fame winger Brendan Shanahan as, what they feel is, a final piece to the puzzle.
Shanahan provides veteran leadership on the ice and off and he’s still a major threat on the power play.
Adding Brodeur and Shanahan is just like making a trade. The Devils will have significantly upgraded their roster, one which gives them a legitimate shot at winning the Stanley Cup.
