Down the Frozen River

Tag: New Jersey Devils

  • 2016 NHL Trade Deadline Recap

    By: Nick Lanciani

    The Down the Frozen River team quickly recapped all the details of every trade made on the 2016 NHL Trade Deadline as they could in-between classes and things. Our “Deadline Deals” page will be updated with all of this information later in the day for your archiving needs. This post will be updated throughout the day. What is known is shown.

    Players and teams are bolded for your convenience/easy recognition and all trades that are pending and/or have not been officially confirmed are italicized.

    Last year, 24 trades were made at the deadline. This year, 19 trades were made at the deadline.

    The Arizona Coyotes kicked things off at the trade deadline this year by sending F Matthias Plachta and a conditional 7th round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for F Sergei Plotnikov.

    In the second trade of the day, the Carolina Hurricanes traded G Drew MacIntyre to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for D Dennis Robertson.

    F Mikkel Boedker was traded to the Colorado Avalanche. The Arizona Coyotes acquired F Alex Tanguay, F Conner Bleakley, and D Kyle Wood in return.

    New Jersey Devils defenseman Eric Gelinas was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a 3rd round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

    The Calgary Flames sent D Kris Russell to the Dallas Stars for D Jyrki Jokipakka, D Brett Pollock and a conditional 2nd round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

    The Boston Bruins acquired D John-Michael Liles from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 3rd round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, 5th round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and F Anthony Camara.

    Boston also sent a 2nd round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and a 4th round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft to the New Jersey Devils F Lee Stempniak.

    The Buffalo Sabres traded F Jamie McGinn to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a conditional 3rd round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

    F Brett Sutter was traded from the Minnesota Wild to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for F Scott Sabourin.

    The Arizona Coyotes traded F Dustin Jeffrey, F Dan O’Donoghue and D James Melindy to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for F Matia Marcantuoni.

    The Montreal Canadiens acquired F Stefan Matteau from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for F Devante Smith-Pelly.

    F Marc-André Cliche was traded from the Colorado Avalanche to the New York Islanders for F Taylor Beck.  

    The Ottawa Senators traded F Michael Keränen to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for D Conor Allen.

    In another move, the Ottawa Senators sent F Shane Prince and a 7th round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft to the New York Islanders for a 3rd round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry.

    The Florida Panthers traded F Brandon Pirri to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 6th round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

    The Anaheim Ducks acquired F Corey Tropp from the Chicago Blackhawks and sent F Tim Jackman and a 7th round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft in return.

    In another trade, the Edmonton Oilers acquired F Patrick Maroon from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for D Martin Gernat and a 4th round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

    G Niklas Backstrom was traded from the Minnesota Wild along with a 6th round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft to the Calgary Flames in exchange for F David Jones.

    The last trade of the 2016 NHL Trade Deadline witnessed the Arizona Coyotes trade D Corey Potter to the Nashville Predators for future considerations.

     

     

  • TRADE: Hurricanes trade Versteeg to Kings

    By: Nick Lanciani

    The Carolina Hurricanes made their second trade of the day late on Sunday when they dealt forward Kris Versteeg to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for forward Valentin Zykov and a conditional fifth round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

    Unknown-3Versteeg is a 29-year-old native of Lethbridge, Alberta who has played for the Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs throughout a nine-year NHL career. He is a winner of two Stanley Cups with Chicago in 2010 and 2015.

    This season, Versteeg has played in 63 games with the Hurricanes, scoring 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) and notching 36 penalty minutes. In 535 career NHL games he has 308 points (127 goals, 181 assists), a plus-16 rating and 311 penalty minutes.

    He was a fifth round draft pick (134th overall) of the Boston Bruins in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, but never has appeared in a Bruins jersey. Versteeg has played in 84 Stanley Cup Playoffs games in his career and has 16-26-42 totals, as well as 66 penalty minutes during that time.

    Carolina Hurricanes LogoZykov is a 20-year-old right winger who was in his first professional season with the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League (AHL). He had 7-7-14 totals in 43 games played for the Reign prior to the trade.

    The 6’0″, 209-pound native of St. Petersburg, Russia spent three seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with Baie-Comeau and Gatineau, amassing 84-100-184 totals in 162 career games. Zykov was a second round pick (37th overall) of the Kings in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and was the QMJHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2012-2013 after scoring 75 points (40 goals, 35 assists) as a 17-year-old.

    Internationally, Zykov has represented Russia in several tournaments, including the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship. Zykov will likely be assigned to the Charlotte Checkers.

    No salary was retained in the trade.

    The Hurricanes travel to New Jersey to take on the Devils on Tuesday night, while the Los Angeles Kings and their new addition, Kris Versteeg, face the Montreal Canadiens at home on Thursday night from the Staples Center.

     

  • Down the Frozen River Podcast #26- More 2016 Trade Deadline Previews

    Down the Frozen River Podcast #26- More 2016 Trade Deadline Previews

    The Down the Frozen River crew takes a look at whether teams in the Eastern Conference should sell, sell, sell or buy, buy, buy this year at the 2016 NHL Trade Deadline. The bottom five teams in the conference as of mid-day Thursday are explored in depth, as well as some other potential buyers and sellers. Loui Eriksson’s future is also discussed.

    This week’s episode got a little delayed by all the trades that happened between recording, editing and uploading this podcast, so sorry for being a little late. Stay tuned for next week’s show, but until then, hear what they have to say about the latest news and notes from around the NHL in this week’s #DTFRPodcast.

    Join the conversation, make a suggestion, or ask a question for our next podcast using #AskDownTheFrozenRiver or #DTFRPodcast on Twitter and/or drop us a line on Facebook– your thoughts might make it on our show!

  • February 26 – Day 134 – Tampa Bay victory streak

    The Nashville Predators did the impossible and beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 in the United Center in yesterday’s Game of the Day.

    The Hawks earned the first score of the night after 25:27 of play, courtesy of a Brent Seabrook slap shot.  His 12th tally of the season was assisted by Jiri Sekac and Erik Gustafsson.  The Predators leveled the score only 3:41 later on a Viktor Arvidsson wrister, assisted by Mike Fisher.  The one-all score held into the second intermission.

    The game-winner found the back of the net with 1:51 remaining in regulation, scored by Calle Jarnkrok (his 12th of the season), assisted by Fisher’s second helper of the evening.  Nashville‘s lone insurance goal was an empty netter from Miikka Salomaki, assisted by Ryan Ellis (his 19th helper of the season).

    With Nashville‘s win, the DtFR Game of the Day series now stands at 60-32-12, favoring the home squads by 33 points over the roadies.

    For a Friday night, it’s a fairly light schedule for the NHL.  Only five games are taking place, and the first three drop the puck at 7 p.m. eastern (Tampa Bay at New Jersey, Minnesota at Washington and Boston at Carolina).  Following the completion of those games, Edmonton at Anaheim drop the puck at 10 p.m. eastern, which is trailed 30 minutes later by this evening’s nightcap, Buffalo at San Jose.

    Edmonton at Anaheim is the only divisional rivalry taking place this evening, and none of the games are between teams currently qualifying for the playoffs.

    Since New Jersey has the opportunity to move into the playoffs with a win, let’s focus in on their game against the Lightning.

    Unknown-1New Jersey Devils Logo

     

     

     

     

    Tonight’s game will be Tampa Bay‘s 12th in the Game of the Day series, where they own a 7-3-1 record.  Their most recent was a 4-2 victory in Pittsburgh on February 20.  New Jersey hasn’t played since their 3-2 shootout loss to the Capitals on February 6.  That result set their record at 1-2-1 record in the series.

    The 34-22-4 Tampa Bay Lightning currently occupy second in the Atlantic Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference.  Although it has taken time, the Bolts have both ends of the ice working smoothly, as their defense ranks eighth-best and the offense is ninth.  A more in-depth analysis of their game can be found within last Saturday’s article.

    The Lightning are currently riding a four-game winning streak, with their most recent being a 2-1 against the Coyotes on Tuesday.  With a win tonight in Jersey, Tampa ensures that they maintain second in the Atlantic.  Should the Devils win, the Bolts could fall into third if the Bruins beat the Canes.

    The 30-25-7 New Jersey Devils sit in fifth in the Metropolitan Division and ninth in the Eastern Conference, just outside the playoff picture.  Jersey is led by the fifth-best defense, but it has been paired with the worst offense, the main reason for their current position.

    Led by Adam Larsson’s 119 blocks, the Devils have allowed only 1735 shots to reach 26-19-6 Cory Schneider and co., of which they’ve collectively saved 92.6% for only 143 goals against, 5th fewest in the league.  That success has carried into the penalty kill, where Jersey‘s 82.81% kill rate ranks 10th-best in the league, allowing only 33 power play goals against.  New Jersey has also scored five short-handed goals this season, one more than the league average.

    That defense has been necessary, as the offense ranks worst in the league.  Even with Kyle Palmieri’s team-leading 1499 shots, the Devils have fired the puck only 1499 times, with 9.1% finding the back of the net for 138 goals (led by Palmieri’s 23 tallies).  Even though the overall offense has not played well, New Jersey‘s power play ranks ninth-best in the league, successful on 21.16% of power plays for 40 power play goals (led by Palmieri’s eight).  That being said, the special team has given up seven shorties, three more than the league average.

    Jersey‘s most recent game was a 6-1 loss in Columbus last night.  With a win tonight, Jersey would jump the Penguins for the second wildcard position, but a loss puts them at risk of falling behind Carolina in the race for the playoffs.

    This is the first game between these squads this season.  Last year, New Jersey won the season series 2-0-1, but the Bolts did take the Devils to overtime in their only game played at The Rock.

    Some players to keep an eye on include New Jersey‘s Schneider (2.11 GAA [third-best in the league], four shutouts [tied for fourth-most in the league], .926 save percentage [sixth-best in the league] and 26 wins [tied for sixth-most in the league]) & Tampa Bay‘s Ben Bishop (2.13 GAA [fourth-best in the league], .923 save percentage [tied for eighth-best in the league] and 24 wins [tied for ninth-most in the league]) and Steven Stamkos (26 goals [tied for seventh-most in the league]).

    The same thing that has held New Jersey back all season will be their Achilles heel tonight: they will be unable to score any goals, which will allow Tampa to earn two points.

  • February 6 – Day 114 – Playoff preview?

    Pittsburgh‘s Floridian road trip got a poor spot, as they dropped yesterday’s Game of the Day against Tampa Bay 6-3.

    That being said, it was actually the Penguins that got the first goal of the game.  It was a Patric Hornqvist wrister off assists from Chris Kunitz (his 13th helper of the season) and Derrick Pouliot after 4:53 of play.  The one-goal shutout held exactly 6:57 before Anton Stralman leveled the game with a wrister of his own, assisted by First Star of the Game Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn (his 16th helper of the season).  Tampa took the lead with 1:26 remaining in the period when Killorn earned a tip-in, assisted by Johnson and Nikita Kucherov (his 23rd helper of the season).  The 2-1 score held into the intermission.

    Only 6:04 after resuming play, Second Star Ondrej Palat earned the Bolts their third goal with a wrister, assisted by Third Star Steven Stamkos.  Pittsburgh got back within a goal exactly two minutes later when Sidney Crosby scored his 21st of the season off assists from Kunitz and Hornqvist, but the Lightning regained their advantage 1:11 later when Johnson snapped a goal after assists from Kucherov and Victor Hedman (his 25th helper of the season).  The 4-2 lead held into the final period.

    Only 55 seconds after returning to the ice, the Pens got back within a goal when Matt Cullen fired a snap shot off the assist from Phil Kessel (his 18th of the season), but it would be the last for Pittsburgh.  At the 15:55 mark, Palat scored his second of the night after assists from Stamkos (his 19th helper of the season) and Vladislav Namestnikov, followed 2:01 by Ryan Callahan earning his 10th assist of the season by helping Anton Stralman to the final goal of the game, setting the score at the 6-3 final.

    Ben Bishop earns the win by saving 27 of 30 (90%), while Marc-Andre Fleury takes the loss, saving only 10 of 14 (71.4%).  He was pulled after Johnson’s eventual game winner in the second period and replaced by Jeff Zatkoff, who saved 13 of 14 (92.9%).

    The DtFR Game of the Day series now stands at 51-24-9, favoring the home squad by 38 points, due in part to the home teams winning the last three games.

    As with most Saturdays, this one is a busy one.  The action gets started at 1 p.m. eastern with two games (Washington at New Jersey and the New York Rangers at Philadelphia [NHLN]), with two more starting an hour later (Edmonton at Montréal and the New York Islanders at Detroit).  Three games get started at the usual 7 p.m. eastern starting time (Buffalo at Boston, Toronto at Ottawa and Pittsburgh at Florida), with three more starting 60 minutes later (Minnesota at St. Louis, San Jose at Nashville and Chicago at Dallas [NHLN]).  Finally, the co-nightcaps drop the puck at 10 p.m. eastern (Calgary at Vancouver and Winnipeg at Colorado).

    Eight of today’s games are divisional (Washington at New Jersey, New York at Philadelphia, Buffalo at Boston, Toronto at Ottawa, Minnesota at St. Louis, Chicago at Dallas, Calgary at Vancouver and Winnipeg at Colorado), and four are between teams currently qualifying for the playoffs (Washington at New Jersey, New York at Detroit, San Jose at Nashville and Chicago at Dallas).  Two of today’s games are also rematches of last season’s Western Conference Quarterfinals: Minnesota–St. Louis and Calgary–Vancouver.

    I know the last three games have all been in the Eastern Conference, but the Washington–New Jersey game could be a preview of a first round matchup for this postseason, so we have to keep an eye on that.

    Washington Capitals LogoNew Jersey Devils Logo

     

     

     

     

    Today’s game will be Washington‘s 11th in the DtFR Game of the Day Series, where they own a 7-3-0 record.  Their most recent was just this last Thursday, a 3-2 victory over the Islanders.  New Jersey has not seen time in the series since January 8 when they hosted Boston, but lost 4-1.  That game, their third in the series, set their record at 1-2-0 in such games.

    The 36-9-4 Washington Capitals are currently the best team in the NHL.  They lead the Central Division by 15 points over the New York Rangers, nine points over Florida and two points over Chicago.  In addition to playing the best defense in the league (as measured by goals against), they also have the second-best offense.  A more detailed account of their play may be found in Thursday’s Game of the Day.

    Washington‘s most recent game was that victory over the Isles.  Turning that lone win into a streak with this evening’s game has the potential to expand the Caps‘ lead over the Blackhawks in the Presidents’ Trophy race to four points.

    The 26-20-6 New Jersey Devils currently sit in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division and eighth in the Eastern Conference, good enough to qualify them for the second and final Eastern Conference wildcard position.  They’ve given up the sixth-fewest goals in the league, but the offense has been brutal to watch, scoring the third-fewest tallies.

    Thanks in part to Adam Larsson’s 93 blocks, the Devils have allowed only 1489 shots to reach 23-15-5 Cory Schneider and co., of which they’ve collectively saved 92.5% for 118 goals against (sixth-fewest in the league).  Although the defense as a whole has been strong, the penalty kill has not been much more than average.  It is the 11th-best in the league, killing 81.82% for 30 extra-man goals against.

    The offense has been nothing to write home about.  Even with Kyle Palmieri’s 127 attempts, the Devils have only fired 1268 shots so far this season, of which a solid 9.2% have found the back of the net (led by Palmieri’s 20 tallies).  The offense has been led by the 10th-best power play in the league, successful on 19.39% of attempts for 32 extra-man goals (led by Palmieri’s seven).  There is one major downfall of the power play though, and that’s short-handed goals – the Devils have given up seven so far this season, three more than the league average.

    Jersey lost a 3-2 shootout in Toronto on Thursday, and would probably be very interested in keeping it from becoming a losing skid.  A win this afternoon has the potential to move them into the first wildcard spot, which they would certainly appreciate to get as far away from the Capitals in the playoffs as possible.

    These teams have only met once this season, with Washington winning 5-3 at the Verizon Center.  After today’s game, they will play one more time during the regular season, two weeks from today.  Should the standings hold as they stand before play today, this will be an  Eastern Conference Quarterfinal.

    Some players to watch in today’s game includes New Jersey‘s Schneider (2.03 GAA [third-best in the league], four shutouts [tied for third-most in the league], .929 save percentage [sixth-best in the league] and 23 wins [tied for sixth-most in the league]) & Washington‘s Nicklas Backstrom (+18 [10th-best in the league]), Braden Holtby (31 wins [most in the league], 2.07 GAA [fifth-best in the league] and .928 save percentage [seventh-best in the league]), Evgeny Kuznetsov (+25 [best in the league], 36 assists [third-most in the league] and 51 points [tied for fifth-most in the league]) and Alex Ovechkin (29 goals [second-most in the league] and +21 [sixth-best in the league]).

    Although the Devils do have the advantage of playing at home, I do not think it will be enough to stop the incredible Caps.  Expect Washington to continue their trek to the Stanley Cup Finals.

  • January 8 – Day 90 – Does New Jersey count in the Boston-New York rivalry?

    The Washington Capitals proved that they are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference by besting a solid New York Islanders team 4-1 in Brooklyn in last night’s Game of the Day.

    The Caps came out firing on all cylinders, as they were able to punch the puck into the back of the net twice in the opening period.  The first tally came after 5:45 of play when Third Star of the Game Jason Chimera was able to score off Marcus Johansson’s 16th assist of the season.  Exactly 10 minutes later, Karl Alzner assisted First Star Alex Ovechkin to his 22nd goal of the season, putting his career total at 497 tallies, this one proving to be the game-winner.

    New York finally got on the board after 21:59 of play when Ryan Strome and Mikhail Grabovski assisted Brock Nelson to his 14th goal of the season, but Washington was able to regain the momentum when Nate Schmidt scored on Nicklas Backstrom’s 25th assist of the season.  The 3-1 score held into the final period.

    Only one goal was scored in the final 20 minutes of play, this one credited to Backstrom, his 12th of the season, after Jaroslav Halak had left the ice for the extra attacker, setting the score at the 4-1 final.

    Second Star Braden Holtby continues his incredible season, improving his record to 26-4-2 after saving 34 of 35 (97.1%).  Halak’s first game back from injury didn’t go in his favor, and his record falls to 10-7-3 after saving 34 of 37 (91.9%).

    The DtFR Game of the Day series now stands at 35-18-7, favoring the home squad over the roadies by 23 points.

    The weekend schedule gets started with six games this evening, and the first two drop the puck at 7 p.m. eastern (Boston at New Jersey and Columbus at Carolina).  8:30 p.m. eastern brings with it the start of the Buffalo at Chicago game (NHLN/BELL TV), followed half an hour later by a couple more (Nashville at Colorado and Tampa Bay at Edmonton).  Finally, this evening’s nightcap gets started at 10 p.m. eastern when St. Louis visits Anaheim (SN).

    Two games are divisional rivalries (Columbus at Carolina and Nashville at Colorado), and only Boston at New Jersey exhibits two teams currently qualifying for the playoffs.

    The matchup I’m most intrigued by is the Boston at New Jersey game, as these teams are only separated by a point in their fight for the Eastern Conference wild card spots.

    UnknownNew Jersey Devils Logo

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Boston has been featured in the Game of the Day series seven times before tonight’s game, and host a 2-4-1 record in such games.  Their most recent showing was the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day, when they fell to the Canadiens 5-1.  This will be New Jersey‘s third appearance, and they are 1-1-0 so far.  Their last game in the Game of the Day series was on December 13, a 4-0 loss in Brooklyn to the Islanders.

    The 20-14-4 Boston Bruins are currently fourth-best in the Atlantic Division and eighth in the Eastern Conference, earning them the final playoff position as the second wild card.  They play one of the best offensive games in the league, and are improving their defensive efforts by the game.

    Led by Patrice Bergeron’s 128 shots, the Bruins have put 1182 shots on net, only two behind the league average with two less games played.  9.8% have found the back of the net for 116 goals, fourth most in the league.  The success has continued into the special teams, where Boston has scored on 28.44% of their attempts for 31 tallies (led by Bergeron’s eight goals).

    Boston started the season having difficulty keeping opponents off the scoreboard, but has improved over the course of the season.  The Bruins have allowed only 1098 shots (thanks in part to Adam McQuaid’s 67 blocks) to reach 14-11-3 Tuukka Rask and co., of which they’ve collectively saved 91.2% for only 104 goals against.  The penalty kill has been only average so far this season, killing 82.09% for 24 goals against.  What makes this special team significant is their knack for short-handed goals, as they have six to their credit (three of which belong to Brad Marchand).

    The Bruins are currently riding a two-game losing skid, with their most recent being a 3-2 loss to the Capitals on Tuesday.

    The 20-16-5 New Jersey Devils currently own fourth place in the Metropolitan Division and seventh in the Eastern Conference, earning them the top wild card spot.  They’ve play one of the best defenses in the league to compensate for lower scoring numbers.

    Thanks in part to Adam Larsson’s team-leading 74 blocks, only 1155 shots have made their way to 17-12-5 Cory Schneider and co., of which they’ve collectively saved 92.4% for only 93 goals against, sixth-best in the league.  They’ve been just as successful on the penalty kill, preventing 82.95% of power plays and allowing only 22 goals.  Additionally, the Devils also have four shorties to their credit, two of which belong to Adam Henrique.

    Offensively, the Devils have not been as strong, with only 1018 shots (led by Kyle Palmieri’s 103) and 92 goals (led by Palmieri’s 17) to their credit, sixth-fewest in the league.  The power play has been slightly better, as New Jersey scores on 19.26% of attempts (average in the NHL) for 26 goals (led by Palmieri’s six).

    New Jersey is currently on a two-game losing skid, with their most recent being a 2-1 loss in Montréal on Wednesday.

    Some players to watch in tonight’s game include Boston‘s Rask (four shutouts [tied for third-best in league]) and New Jersey‘s Schneider (2.06 GAA [tied for fourth-best in league], three shutouts [tied for sixth-best in league], .927 save percentage [seventh-best in league] and 17 wins [tied for seventh-best in league]).

    Although New Jersey‘s defense is strong, I think Boston‘s offense can overpower Schneider’s team.  Since the Devils have such a tough time scoring, I expect the B’s to claim the top wild card spot with a victory tonight.

  • December 13 – Day 67 – No Sleep Till Brooklyn!

    In yesterday’s Game of the Day, the Boston Bruins defended home ice by beating the Florida Panthers 3-1.

    First Star of the Game Ryan Spooner accounted for the first tally of the game at the 11:35 mark of the opening period.  He was assisted by Torey Krug, his 14th helper of the season.

    Spooner was also responsible for the eventual game-winning goal, which came on a power play at the 8:00 mark of the second.  Third Star Patrice Bergeron notched his first of two assists on the afternoon, as well as David Krejci.

    Florida began to mount a comeback with a goal at the 13:56 mark of the final period, compliments of ex-Bruin Reilly Smith, assisted by Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Pirri.  As they could not earn another opportunity, the Panthers pulled their goalie in the final minutes, which led to the final Bruin tally via Brad Marchand, assisted by Bergeron.

    Second Star Tuukka Rask (11-7-3) saved 27 of 28 (96.4%) to earn his 11th victory of the season, while Roberto Luongo (10-11-3) saved 22 of 24 (91.7%) in the loss.

    The DtFR Game of the Day series now stands at 22-9-5, favoring the home side by 19 points.

    Per usual, this Sunday’s load is one of the lightest of the week.  A total of three games are being played today, with the action getting started at 5 p.m. eastern when New Jersey visits the New York Islanders.  An hour later, the puck drops in the Scottrade Center when Colorado visits St. Louis.  The evening’s nightcap gets an early start, as Vancouver and Chicago (NHLN/TVAS/SN) get started at 7 p.m. eastern in the United Center.

    Two of today’s games are divisional rivalries (New Jersey at New York and Colorado at St. Louis) and two are between current playoff qualifiers (New Jersey at New York and Vancouver at Chicago).  The one that qualifies for both is today’s Game of the Day:

    New Jersey Devils LogoNew York Islanders Logo

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    This is New Jersey‘s second appearance in the DtFR Game of the Day series.  Their only other appearance was a 2-1 overtime victory over the Blueshirts on Oct. 18.  Due to the hiatus I was forced into, this is New York‘s first appearance in the Game of the Day series.

    15-10-4 Jersey enters today’s game after beating Detroit 3-2 in overtime Friday night.  They are a defensive-minded team, a strategy that is currently earning them the second wild card position in the eastern conference.

    So far this season, 13-7-4 Cory Schneider and the Devils have only allowed 68 goals, a total that is well below the league average of 77.  Although Schneider and co. have played well this season, their strength has been found by only allowing 824 shots to reach him, thanks to Adam Larsson’s team-leading 56 blocks.  Even when a man-down, the Devils have still done well in preventing the opposition from scoring.  Jersey has only allowed 18 goals on 100 attempts this season, giving them a 82% kill rate that exceeds the league average by 1.15%.

    Offensively, things have gone a little slower for the Devils so far this season, as they’ve only notched 72 tallies before today, led by 13-a-piece from Adam Henrique and Kyle Palmieri.  This is only a symptom of their real problem, though, which is shots.  They have only 748 attempts to their credit (led by Mike Cammalleri’s 84), well below the league average of 853.

    The component of their offense that has kept Jersey relevant this season has been their power play.  22 of their 72 goals have come with a man-advantage (led by Palmieri’s five), even if it did take 103 attempts (10 more than the league average).

    17-8-5 New York is currently riding a two-game win streak, with their most recent being a 3-2 victory in Columbus yesterday.  Although the Isles have been strong on both ends of the ice, their strong suit has been their defensive efforts, which is currently earning them the third division spot in the Metropolitan Division.

    So far this season, 15-8-4 Jaroslav Halak and New York has given up only 68 goals.  Especially significant about this effort compared to New Jersey‘s comparable 68 is that Halak and co. have faced 852 shots – 28 more than Schneider and the Devils.  Pair strong goalkeeping with a team-leading 78 blocks from Calvin de Haan, and you find a strong defensive side.  New York‘s penalty kill has also been very strong, as they’ve killed 85.39% of all man-advantages, allowing only 13 goals.

    Offensively, the Isles have scored 79 goals so far this season (led by John Tavares’ 12 tallies).  Just as Jersey‘s low goal total is an indicator of not many shots, the Isles‘ higher goal total is a symptom of more shots on goal – 854, to be exact (led by Frans Nielsen’s 80).

    An intriguing facet of New York‘s game is their power play.  They have found great success so far this season, scoring 16 times (led by three-a-piece from Josh Bailey and Tavares), but on only 76 opportunities.  I must admit, I have not watched much of New York this season, so I do not know if teams are purposefully avoiding the box as much as possible when playing the Isles, or if the Islanders aren’t doing enough to draw penalties.  Regardless, New York needs to find a way to get on the man-advantage more often since it is such a strength of theirs.

    Some players to watch in this afternoon’s game include New Jersey‘s Cammalleri (30 points [tied for eighth in the league] and +12 [tenth in the league]) and Schneider (13 wins [tied for fifth in the league], 2.09 GAA [eighth in the league] and .926 save percentage [10th in the league]), and New York‘s Thomas Greiss (.928 save percentage [seventh in the league]).

    I believe the Isles will defend home ice for the victory this afternoon, mostly because I think New York‘s defense can handle New Jersey‘s offense, but the Devils will not have an answer for the Isles‘ offensive efforts.

  • Numbers Game: Look to the Rafters- New Jersey Devils

    Numbers Game: Look to the Rafters- New Jersey Devils

    By: Nick Lanciani

    I continue to explore what retired numbers around the league may look like in the future. While there’s only a finite set of numbers to utilize on the back of a jersey, many teams choose to retire (or honor) some numbers based on extraordinary circumstances, dedication to the organization, or legendary status.

    Many thoughts went through my head in each and every consideration. Feel free to agree or disagree- I want to know what you, the fans, consider worthy when evaluating a player, their career, and whether or not their number should be retired by a franchise. I am interested in seeing what you have to say, assuming you are actually a fan of the team and/or player that you argue for or against. Drop us a line in the comments or tweet to @DtFrozenRiver using #DTFRNumbersGame.

    For each team, I thought of former and current players that should have their numbers retired now or once they hang up the skates.

    New Jersey Devils LogoNew Jersey Devils

    Current Retired Numbers- 3 Ken Daneyko, 4 Scott Stevens, 27 Scott Niedermayer

    Recommended Numbers to Retire

    30 Martin Brodeur

    (This one was announced that it will be retired this season, after I wrote this, so here’s what I wrote before the announcement).

    One of the greatest goalies of all time (other than Patrick Roy and Terry Sawchuk) will obviously have his number retired by the New Jersey Devils, right?

    26 Patrik Elias

    When Elias retires, there’s no denying the commitment he had to the Devils organization. It would be inconsiderate of them to not retire his number for all he has done.

    19 Travis Zajac

    At this point, his number would only be retired if he can lead them to the early 2000s glory they once had. So basically, he has to win a few Stanley Cups with New Jersey for his number to be raised to the rafters at the end of his career.

    Other Notes

    The Devils just don’t seem to be the type of team that 1) retires jersey numbers and/or 2) ever wants to change up their jerseys (or at least introduce an alternate jersey). I’m not saying their look is bad or that they are a lousy organization, but they not only look irrelevant on the ice, given their transition- they look irrelevant all around. A little something might liven up things or at the very least, remind everyone else they still exist. Your move, Ray Shero.*

    *Obviously I wrote this before the season began, because the Devils have been quietly making noise this season. Good for them.

  • October 18 – Day 12 – Moore afternoon hockey

    Yesterday’s Game of the Day between Columbus and Chicago ended in a 4-1 loss for the Jackets, making their record 0-6-0.

    Chicago waited to score until half the game was over, with Artem Anisimov firing his second of the year after an assist from Artemi Panarin at the 15:35 mark of the second.  A little over a minute later, Teuvo Teravainen scored the game-winner, setting the score at 2-0 going into the third.  Marian Hossa began the third period scoring at the 7:48 mark, followed almost 10 minutes later by Jack Johnson, his first of the season

    No, not that Jack Johnson.

    The final goal of the game was an empty-netter, scored at the 18:33 mark by Patrick Kane.

    Corey Crawford earns a win to set his record at 2-2 by stopping 22 of 23 shots faced (95.7%), while Curtis McElhinney earns his first loss on the season after blocking only 26 of 29 (89.7%).

    The DtFR Game of the Day series now stands at a 6-5 advantage for the home squad.

    Today’s schedule includes five games, spaced throughout the day.  The first puck is dropped at 1 p.m. eastern in Madison Square Garden when the Rangers host New Jersey.  The other afternoon game begins at 3 p.m. eastern with St. Louis visiting Winnipeg.  The evening games begin at 8 p.m. eastern when Minnesota visits Anaheim, followed an hour later by Edmonton at Vancouver.  The final game of the night begins at 10 p.m. eastern when Colorado visits Los Angeles.

    60% of the games today involve division rivals, of which today’s Game of the Day is one, but that is not my main incentive for choosing this fixture – more special is the return of John Moore to Manhattan.

    New Jersey Devils LogoNew York Rangers Logo

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Bonus points and a shout-out on the next podcast for anyone who can figure out why this is included.  Send us a tweet or post your answers in the comments.  Consider it my challenge to you.  Thanks to YouTube user JUSTASITTINANDAROCK for supplying the piece.

    The defender played 125 games of his 233 game career with the Blueshirts (53.6%), the most of any of the four teams he’s played for.  He showed up at the Garden after being traded to the Rangers from Columbus at the 2012-’13 trade deadline, scoring a goal in his first game.  After arriving, he notched five assists and that goal before the end of the season, earning a +9 Corsi rating.

    During his entire tenure in the Big Apple, he claimed 21 assists and six goals (all even-strength, and two of which were game-winners) and earned a +23 Corsi rating during the regular season.

    His last appearance for the Blueshirts in the Stanley Cup playoffs occurred during the 2013-’14 season as he was traded to Arizona before the deadline in the 2014-’15 season.  In those playoffs, he earned a +2 Corsi rating (seventh on team) with two assists (tied for 17th on team).

    So far, Moore nor the 0-3-0 Devils have had quite the start they would have hoped for, as he has a -2 Corsi rating in two games played, due in part to an arm injury sustained in the second game of the season.

    Count on the Rangers spoiling Moore’s return with a victory at the Garden.

  • Down the Frozen River Podcast #12- Surprise Surprise, Connor Only Messed Up Once

    Down the Frozen River Podcast #12- Surprise Surprise, Connor Only Messed Up Once

    The Down the Frozen River crew talks about many things as week one (and a half) of the 2015-2016 regular season has gone by. Standings, winners and losers, and a couple of new segments debut in this episode of the Down the Frozen River Podcast. Connor only messed up one name and Colby will be back next time.

    Surprisingly mentioned this week- Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo. Surprisingly not mentioned this week- Zach Boychuk, Pete Blackburn, DJ Bean.

    Join the conversation, make a suggestion, or ask a question for our next podcast using #AskDownTheFrozenRiver or #DTFRPodcast on Twitter- your thoughts might make it on our show! Please interact with us.

    https://soundcloud.com/down-the-frozen-river/dtfr-podcast-12-surprise-surprise-connor-only-messed-up-once