Flashback to last month. The New Jersey Devils were struggling mightily, alternating spots with losing teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Their coach, Larry Robinson, resigned due to health problems. At the end of the month, one of the Devils’ better scorers, Alexander Mogilny, was placed on waivers and subsequently demoted to the AHL. It was indeed looking bleak for a franchise with 3 Stanley Cups under their belts. Some were thinking it was time for the Devils to pack it in. All of a sudden, the Devils got their difference maker back. His name: Patrik Elias. Elias had missed the first 39 games of the 2005-06 season with an illness.
Before Elias’s arrival, the Devils were 16-18-5, and they were clearly out of the playoff race. Elias returned on January 3rd, the first game of the new year, and tallied an assist in the Devils 3-0 victory over the visiting Florida Panthers. Elias’s presence alone seemed to be the spark the Devils needed.
Since Elias has returned, the Devils are 7-0. That’s right…7-0. They now have a record of 23-18-5, are perhaps the hottest team in the league, and have made their move up the Eastern Conference standings – they now sit in 8th place, a spot that seemed unfathomable a month ago.
In those 7 games, the Devils have won 4 at home (Florida, Montreal, Philadelphia, Vancouver) and 3 on the road (Buffalo, Chicago, St. Louis). Granted, the Panthers, Canadiens, Blackhawks, and Blues do not hold the top spots in their respective conferences. However, just the fact that the Devils are back in the playoff picture has to be a plus for the franchise. NOTE: Elias did not play in the Devils home victory over the Vancouver Canucks.
Elias has ignited the Devils offense since his return, tallying at least one point in each of the 6 games he has played, including 3 assists in the win over the Blues on Wednesday night. He has 11 points (2 G, 9 A) in those 6 games, and playing on the “A” line with Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez has certainly given the offensive lift the Devils needed.
Of course, winning wasn’t THAT far away for the Devils, since they have Martin Brodeur minding their net. Brodeur just passed Tony Esposito in wins, placing him 5th on the all-time list. The new NHL seemed to be getting the better of Brodeur early on; however, he has adjusted to it nicely. In the 7-game winning streak, Brodeur has allowed just 11 goals and has tallied 3 shutouts (Florida, Philadelphia, Vancouver).
However, even though the winning streak the Devils are on is partly because of Brodeur, the real difference maker is Elias. His presence on (and off) the ice has turned the Devils into a team that needs to be feared when the NHL reaches its stretch run. It looks like temporary coach (and GM) Lou Lamoriello got his Christmas present one week late this year in Elias.
Look for the Devils to keep winning as long as Elias and Brodeur are at the top of their games.
