AUTHOR: The Maven TITLE: Are the Islanders the best of the three locals? DATE: 11/20/2006 08:13:00 PM ----- BODY:
ABOUT JAMES BOND AND JOHN MADDEN At last look, there was no "James Bond" listed on the New Jersey Devils roster but, judging by the manner in which the team has been playing its last spate of games, there might as well be. I’m talking about nail-biting melodrama, game in and game out. For Exhibit A, we merely hark back to last Friday night’s thriller at the Meadowlands involving the Ottawa Senators. Slowly – yet relentlessly – the Devs took over on a pair of Jamie Langenbrunner goals and then Zach Parise added another, enabling them to enter the third frame with a three-goal lead. Trouble is; that’s precisely what happened at the Garden at against the Rangers. And then – poof! – just like that; the Blueshirts had three goals and a 3-2 win. For a while, in the Senators game, it looked like the Yogi-Berra-ism was setting in; "deja-vu all over again." Ottawa scored early in the third and another before the period was half over. Nightmares of the Rangers’ debacle enveloped the arena. But the Devils – and Martin Brodeur, in particular – tightened up over the final minutes, enabling Claude Julien’s sextet to emerge with a victory. And, so, it was on to Toronto for the back-to-backer on Saturday night. Once again, the anxiety was maddening as the home club assaulted Brodeur’s crease throughout the first period but, somehow, New Jersey emerged intact in the 0-0 game. The tightness intensified for 36 minutes before Jamie Langenbrunner – again! – delivered the ice-breaker on a spinaround move as prelude to a devastating slapshot that put the Devs ahead. It was touch-and-go in the third until Patrik Elias cashed in what I call a "Texas League goal," not unlike the one Jaromir Jagr tallied against Brodeur in New York. No matter; the captain converted Brian Gionta’s pass, sailing the puck lazily over the crowd and into the twine. The 2-0 lead should have been just fine, especially after a deft Devils penalty kill but – as with James Bond – it’s never easy for Julien’s lads. Chief nemesis Darcy Tucker sent a laser through Brodeur’s pads with 3:47 left and suddenly Air Canada Center came alive with rallying cries. It was a scary finish for Brodeur, Inc. but Marty repelled the remaining shots and another two points were added with Scott Gomez still indefinitely on the shelf. The five-game road trip continues on Wednesday in Phoenix and anyone who believes that that will be an easy one hasn’t paid attention to my last dozen paragraphs. As Johnny Madden said to Steve Cangelosi at the end of Saturday’s post-game interview, the Devils can’t expect to go on winning like this if they don’t score more than a couple of goals a game. But, then again, these are the Devils and, so far, they appear to have a bit of James Bond in them. The difference is that Bond keeps coming back – and back and back again!
ARE THE ISLANDERS FOR REAL? Up until the night Ted Nolan escorted his Islanders into Dallas last Wednesday, for a match with what then was a high-flying Stars sextet, the feeling around the NHL was that the Isles simply did not comprise a team to be taken seriously. But after Rick DiPietro and friends slapped down Dallas, 3-0, the feeling began to change. An overtime loss to the Lightning, stalled matters but after the Nassaumen destroyed the Panthers on Saturday night, double-takes have been thrown in the Isles direction. And it’s not just the revival of Alexei Yashin, the peripatetic scoring of Jason Blake or a better-than-it-seems defense. The Isles are getting support in some of the least like places. Take Mike Dunham as an example. In pre-season, he was regarded by some experts as an over-the-hill goalie who should never have been signed; not when Brian Boucher was available. Yet, Dunham not only has played well; he’s occasionally been better and more reliable than DiPietro. And with a three game homestand coming up – starting on Wednesday Nolan could see his sextet solidify a hold on the division’s upper echelon with even more improvement in sight. In fact, if Ted ever figures out the Viktor Kozlov equation, the sky will be the limit.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE RANGERS Premature. That’s the best way to describe concern about the Rangers immediate future. As I told Al Trautwig on Sunday night’s MSG pre-game show; A. I predicted the Blueshirts win; B. I said that the team is essentially too well-balanced not to win and; C. It required a bit more time to fully jell. That was evident in the rousing 4-1 win over Tampa Bay on Sunday night. And if you don’t believe me, my sidekick P.J. Lally was standing right next to me at the glass by the Zamboni corner at the Garden. Here’s his view: The top line of Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka and Michael Nylander is in top form. All three scored Sunday night against Tampa Bay. Henrik Lundqvist had an excellent game in goal, allowing one goal that was hardly his fault. The Rangers’ PK unit, led by a speedy Matt Cullen and an excellent draw man in Blair Betts was fantastic, aside from a late third period mistake which cost them a goal. The power play is at its best. The primary unit of Brendan Shanahan, Jagr, Nylander, Straka, and Michal Rozsival is a force to be reckoned with. One player who constantly delivers is Ryan Hollweg. His physical play brings energy to the Rangers’ game. However, the Rangers’ secondary scoring isn’t adequately producing. The line of Betts, Marcel Hossa and Jason Ward and Ryan Hollweg’s line must do more. Renney obviously doesn’t put much faith in them consider the Shanahan and Jagr lines shoulder most of the weight.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Ed in Westchester DATE:11/22/2006 02:13:00 PM wow, such deep insight there anonymous. ----- --------