(courtesy of Pawel Dwulit/Associated Press)
Having spent time in Toronto, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, and Carolina the Poni Express was routed to New Jersey Friday night as the Hurricanes dealt Alexei Ponikarovsky to the Devils for fourth-round draft pick and an AHLer. The 31-year-old Kiev native has become something of a journeyman going to his fourth team since 2010.
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A 15 goal season to date is not something to scoff at in today’s NHL. However, if you score 15 goals and fail to abide by Peter Laviolette’s system, that apparently warrants subsequent benching and a waiving of your 2 million dollar contract. Now Nikolai Zherdev waits for yet another possible destination in his long road to redemption in the NHL.
From the beginning of the season, it should have been clear to the Flyers ‘higher-ups’ thought that Zherdev was a player who put his needs before the team’s. In his days with Columbus and New York, Nikolai was never talked about as a “team player.” In his first few games, Flyers fans were treated to many dazzling tricks the Ukrainian-born, Zherdev, had to offer. He used his impressive stick-handling to elude defenders and create offensive opportunities. But there is always a price to pay no matter how much talent one player possesses. Zherdev’s defensive game, inconsistent play, and, ultimately, his lack of effort, did not sit well with Flyers coach, Peter Laviolette.
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(courtesy of Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)
It wasn’t so long ago that Ilya Kovalchuk and the New Jersey Devils were the laughingstock of the NHL. Losing to everyone possible while having their $100 million free agent signing showing minimal signs of his potential. Who can forget the botched shootout attempt that pretty much summed up the Devils season at that point? Although it shouldn’t happen the brunt of the criticism for the team’s lack luster play was aimed towards #17.
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(courtesy of Getty Images)
The A-Train has been forced to temporarily hit the breaks as word comes from the NHL hierarchy that New Jersey’s Anton Volchenkov has been given a 3 game suspension. The defenseman is suspended for his elbow on Carolina Hurricanes Zach Boychuk midway through the second period of last nights 3-2 Devils win. He will now be on head coach Jacques Lemaire’s naughty list even more so after receiving two (and only) other penalties in the game.
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With not much to hang their hats on this season, the New Jersey Devils need to look to the future to get back to their winning ways. Coming into the season, the team was looking like a Stanley Cup contender with veteran goalie, Martin Brodeur, between the pipes, a newly signed scoring winger in Ilya Kovalchuk, and an already established “face of the franchise” in Zach Parise.
However, in the first 4 months of the season, the team has not met any of the expectations that were placed on them. Parise went down early with an injury, Brodeur was not playing like his normal “1990′s”-self, and Kovalchuk, a six time 40 goal scorer has a measly 12 goals and 25 points.
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(courtesy of Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)
There is much to be said about the current state of the New Jersey Devils as it appears the franchise is headed for their first season without a playoff berth in 13 years. With the firing of rookie coach John Maclean just days ago, the lack of defense in front of veteran Martin Brodeur and the team’s new poster boy for it’s misery, Ilya Kovalchuk, the Devils have become the laughingstock of the NHL.
Fans and critics alike have pointed fingers to the contract that was given to Kovy over the summer which will make him a Devil for the rest of his career. The whole “with great power comes great responsibility” spiel has been bestowed on the sniper as his big money contract warrants him to carry the team on offense. While the team spirals out of control it seems most have put the blame on Kovalchuk while ignoring other ridiculous contracts the team has to honor(Brian Rolston anyone?)
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(Photos by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)
With the struggling New Jersey Devils trailing the Oilers by 2 goals late in the first period, Alexander Vasyunov scored his first NHL goal. Vasyunov slipped in behind the defender to get open in front of the Devan Dubnyk and banged home a Travis Zajac pass. The goal helped the Devils rally to win their first home game of the year. Patrik Elias also assisted on the goal.
Vasyunov, 22 years of age, is 8 games into his young NHL career and now has points 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) and points in back to back games. He played 24 shifts on Friday night for a total of 18:16 of ice time, both career highs. On Wednesday night against the Buffalo Sabres he assisted on David Clarkson’s goal, also the first goal for the Devils that night.
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(courtesy of AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
In case you haven’t heard, last night’s 5-4 shootout loss by the New Jersey Devils against a third-string goalie lead Buffalo Sabres was ended on an extremely unfortunate play or lack thereof by Ilya Kovalchuk. With the Devils down 2-1, Kovy needed to score to extend the skills competition in order to salvage the 2nd point his team had let slip away 3 times.
As he neared Jhonas Enroth(who was playing in just his 4th NHL game) the puck opted not to join Kovalchuk’s stick amidst his stick handling giving the Sabres the win and further dampening the Devil’s train wreck of a season. The bad bounce capped a horrible night for Kovalchuk who failed to get on the score sheet or generate much offense blowing a golden chance in the final frame of the third when on a partial breakaway sending the puck into the safety netting rather than the goal.
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(Courtesy of Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images)
For the second time this season Alexander Vasyunov was called up from Albany to New Jersey’s roster. The first time came at the expense of countryman Ilya Kovalchuk but tonight he had the chance to play at the right wing with Kovalchuk and Patrik Elias. A strong effort was rewarded as he intercepted an Anaheim pass in the neutral zone during the third period and lead the rush into the offensive zone.
Vasyunov passed the puck back to Patrik Elias who ripped the puck past Jonas Hiller, giving Vasyunov his first career NHL point. Although finishing the game with just under 13 minutes played, all of which came on special teams, 2 shots and a plus1. He was also rewarded with the trust of Devils Coach John MacLean. With a minute and a half left the coach felt he had been playing good enough to get a big defensive shift.
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Ovechkin gets the best of Brodeur with a penalty shot for his 2nd of the game. (ESPN)
Well Dobriy vecher, it’s been a long time, we have been waiting for you. The most frequent winner of From Russia With Glove’s Comrade of the Night award, it only took Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin three days into the 2010 season to make his first appearance. After a somewhat quiet opening game, by his standards, as he picked up an assist on 8 shots against Atlanta, the Great Eight found himself in the “G” column once more.
Deadlocked at 2-2 at home against the New Jersey Devils, Ovechkin swooped in down the left wing, stick handling around defenders towards the middle of the ice. He then released a dart of a wrist shot with two Devils in front of him, and somehow beat Martin Brodeur anyway. From positions where no other player in the league would even think about shooting a puck, Ovechkin can find the back of the net from essentially any place on the ice.
