Gomez at Center of Devils’ Rebirth

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The New York Sun

The summer of 2005 was one to forget for the New Jersey Devils. When it was over, the perennial Stanley Cup contenders found themselves in far worse shape than they had been when the Philadelphia Flyers eliminated them in the first round of the 2004 playoffs.


No longer a team that can compete with the NHL’s best, the Devils have had to content themselves with collecting their victories against sub-.500 opponents. Only three of the Devils’ 11 victories this year have come against legitimate playoff contenders; the rest have come against teams at or near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.


Last night was a prime example, as the Boston Bruins came to the Meadowlands riding an abysmal 1-7-1 stretch and facing the threat of complete roster dismantlement. Two players – Shawn McEachern and Colton Orr – were placed on waivers already, and it was patently clear that no Bruins’ job was safe.


Given all that, one would have expected the beleaguered Bruins to keep the pedal firmly to the metal when they got off to a 2-0 second period lead following goals by Patrice Bergeron and Sergei Samsonov. Instead, the Beantown underachievers lapsed into a state of catatonic complacency, and the resilient Devils made them pay.


A goal by Brian Gionta cut the Bruins’ lead in half, and the Devils absolutely dominated throughout the second period, out-shooting the Bruins 17-4. In the third period, the Devils kept the pressure on, and Jay Pandolfo tied the game on an excellent end-of-shift rush alongside John Madden.


The Devils got a big scare midway through the third period, when sniper Alexander Mogilny was taken down on a hard hit from Bruins’ defenseman Nick Boynton. Mogilny missed a few games after suffering a concussion earlier this month, and there was good reason to fear the worst when he left for the locker room.


However, Mogilny returned to the ice shortly thereafter, and he one-timed a face-off win by Madden past a shell-shocked Andrew Raycroft to give the Devils the hard-fought victory with just 30 seconds remaining.


Though this win demonstrated the Devils’ impressive tenacity, it also clearly illustrated why they’ve struggled against better competition. Defensive lynchpins Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer are both out of the picture now, while Martin Brodeur is starting to show the effects of the brutal workload he’s absorbed during a decade of stellar service. Perhaps worst of all, forward Patrik Elias remains sidelined by Hepatitis A, and it remains unknown when he’ll return and if he’ll do so at full strength.


So the Devils must instead rely upon those who remain, and the first quarter of the season has made it plainly clear that their playoff hopes rest primarily on the performance of playmaking center Scott Gomez.


Gomez’s play has improved dramatically in recent weeks, and he has been a particularly critical protagonist during games in which the Devils were victorious. He has scored a point in 11 of the Devils’ 12 wins, but registered points in only three of the team’s losses (while compiling an abysmal -12 rating in those 11 defeats).


Gomez’s importance to the Devils is most obvious with the man advantage. Entering last night’s game, New Jersey was tied with the Buffalo Sabres for the league’s third-best power play success rate (22%). Setting up against the boards on the right side, Gomez essentially quarterbacks the Devils’ power play. From that vantage point, he has a plethora of options at his disposal.


The Alaska native is adept at faking a shot and then delivering a tape-to-tape pass to an unguarded teammate; with seven goals on the season, Gomez is also a bona fide scoring threat. Last night, he created numerous high-quality scoring chances, earning a well-deserved secondary assist on Gionta’s goal and playing well throughout.


In the second half of the 2003-04 season, Gomez centered what was arguably the NHL’s best line (along with Elias and Brian Gionta). Gionta once again lines up beside Gomez, while Viktor Kozlov temporarily takes Elias’s place. Gionta is the Devils’ leading scorer, largely because he plays far bigger than his 5-foot-7-inch, 175 frame would rationally allow. One of the most difficult players in the NHL to separate from the puck, Gionta’s fearless approach to the game is both refreshing and inspirational, and his gritty play provides the perfect foil for Gomez’s deft playmaking.


At the other end of the size spectrum, the 6-foot-5-inch Kozlov is enjoying a long-anticipated resurgence in New Jersey on the left wing of Gomez’s line. With 18 points in 22 games, Kozlov is playing his best hockey since 1999-2000, when he tallied 70 points while playing alongside Pavel Bure with the Florida Panthers.


Kozlov is one of a handful of Devils who could be salary cap casualties when Elias returns, and judging from his solid production thus far, GM Lou Lamoriello might actually be able to get a solid return for the big Russian if and when he is placed on the trading block.


For the Devils, last night’s win could be the start of something good. They’ve won six of eight games dating back to Brodeur’s return from a knee injury, and Mogilny’s presence has made John Madden’s checking line far more productive offensively. If Brodeur can remain healthy, and if Gomez can continue his torrid scoring pace, the Devils just might have what it takes to remain ahead of the Islanders and Penguins and steal a playoff spot. But given how far this team has fallen, it seems highly unreasonable to suggest that they can get past the first round, especially if they find themselves matched up against the formidable Ottawa Senators.



Mr. Greenstein is the editor-in-chief of InsideHockey.com


The New York Sun

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