AUTHOR: The Maven TITLE: Locals within striking distance DATE: 11/13/2006 06:06:00 PM ----- BODY:
MET AREA MUSINGS: The best thing about the NHL race – Met Area teams-wise – is that the Devils, Rangers and Islanders all are within striking distance of one another. And there will be a lot of STRIKING – maybe even bashing – on Tuesday night when Claude Julien delivers his Devs to Madison Square Garden. Don't expect the collision to decide the season but some deductions will be obtainable by game's end. To wit: Should the Blueshirts win, it will mean that: Should the Devils deliver, it will mean that: Heading into the match some conclusions are evident, starting with the resurgence of Henny Lundqvist as the dominating goalie he was last year. Even in the 3-1 loss at Washington on Saturday night, the sophomore goalie starred. The Jaromir Jagr-Michael Nylander-Marty Straka trio have lost none of their dipsy-doodling luster. Jagr's shooting improves with every game. Brendan Shanahan is outdoing his advance notices; which were terrific to begin with. There has been no build-up-to-a-letdown with Shanny. On the New Jersey side, the primary question centers on whether Patrik Elias' production (one goal, one assist) in Saturday's 4-2 win over Florida at the Meadowlands is a portent of more good things to come. The Tuesday game will offer a definitive answer. Until their four-goal outburst against the Panthers, Julien's troupe was winning through a veritable goal drought. It was clear that could not continue if the club hoped to stay near the Division heights. Zach Parise and linemate Travis Zajac have injected pzazzz into the attack and long-forgotten Jimmy Dowd has re-emerged as a dependable face-off artist, penalty-killer and architect of timely goals. But it's one thing to beat teams like Chicago and Florida. The Rangers are a whole other story and that's why this latest New York-New Jersey chapter looms as a remarkably fascinating one.
ROAD TO THE ISLES: "Resiliency" could be the New York Islanders middle name as well as for its captain Alexei Yashin. Rebounding from a dreadful home loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ted Nolan's aggregation bussed to Philly and flogged the Flyers last Thursday. Yashin lit a pair of red lights and genuinely appears to be a more committed – even inspired – player under Nolan's baton. By the same token, a 7-6-2 record is not guaranteeing a trip to the Finals but it at least had kept the Isles within striking distance of the pack as they continue on a five-game road trip Wednesday in Dallas. And this year, more than any other, PARITY deserves capital letters. Even an off-day practice fight between Rick DiPietro and Aaron Asham had no negative effects on the club; not that anyone truly believed that it would. Nolan's job will be a lot easier should he be able to convince Viktor Kozlov that an NHL game has three periods which total 60 minutes. The only-occasionally rapid Russian had better move from second to third gear very soon or he'll wind up being what he was in Florida and New Jersey – Mr. Unfulfilled Potential.
POSTSCRIPT ON DARIUS: As a long time fan of Darius Kasparaitis I have been both puzzled and dismayed by the defenseman's fall from grace in Tom Renney's second year as head coach. Whether it's personal, physical or whatever, it appears that Kaspar needs a change of scenery, pronto.
POSTSCRIPT II: The Hockey Hall of Fame's refusal – once again – to induct the deserving Glenn Anderson is simply a disgrace to the biased Selection Committee and the Hall itself.
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