With Key Veterans Gone, Devils Struggle To Keep Pace

During their era of dominance from 1995-2003, the New Jersey Devils distinguished themselves by playing better defense than their competitors. Stalwarts Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer ruled the blue line, while perennial Vezina Trophy candidate Martin Brodeur was the ever-steady last line of defense.Despite being maligned for playing clutch-and-grab hockey, the Devils’ defense thrived due to its excellent positioning and steady puck-moving ability. While they did utilize the neutral zone trap to startling effectiveness, the Devils also held the distinction of scoring more goals in a single season (295 in 2000-01) than any team had since 1995-96.Their style was deliberate and deadly, and they were much more exciting to watch than their legions of critics were ever willing to admit.In the post-lockout climate, however, things have gotten ugly quickly for Lou Lamoriello’s team.Stevens retired, Niedermayer left for Anaheim, and a nagging knee injury has kept Brodeur out of the Devils’ lineup for two weeks and counting. New Jersey’s lineup is a shell of its formerly dynastic self, and what’s most telling is not who’s missing, but the impact their absence has had on those who remain. The NHL has levied a serious crackdown on obstruction, and the remaining Devils have not responded well.Brian Rafalski was Stevens’s defense partner for most of the past five years, and he benefited greatly from the physical presence Stevens provided. But that was only part of the story. Rafalski also depended on Stevens to handle the puck smoothly and move it deftly across the zone and up to the fastcharging forwards. Stevens’s puck-handling abilities were vastly underrated; in fact, he was one of the NHL’s most effective offensive defensemen and power play quarterbacks throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s.Now, Rafalski’s defensive responsibilities have increased dramatically, and he is wilting under the pressure. Unable to move all but the league’s smallest forwards from the area in front of the Devils’ crease, Rafalski’s primary value lies in his offensive abilities. Unfortunately, his shot is no longer a feared weapon – he has scored just one goal in the Devil’s first 15 games – so he is not much of an asset on the power play.While it’s unfair to say that Rafalski’s effectiveness was tied solely to Stevens’s presence, it is undeniable that his value has dropped precipitously in the former team captain’s absence.Niedermayer’s former partner, Paul Martin, is also struggling mightily in his sophomore season. Martin was properly lauded for his play alongside the Norris Trophy winner during his rookie campaign, but the impact Niedermayer had on the youngster’s play cannot be overstated. Martin tallied 24 points and finished with a +12 rating in 2003-04, but his game has taken a considerable step backward this year. Except for two contests against the Penguins in which he compiled a +5 rating, Martin has not yet distinguished himself as a legitimate successor to Niedermayer.Making matters worse for the Devils, the veterans brought in to shore up the lineup have struggled to keep up with the NHL’s anti-obstruction crackdown. Vladimir Malakhov has started the season with an absolutely awful -8 rating, and he is on pace to spend more than 100 minutes in the penalty box for the first time in his career. Regrettably for the Devils, those penalties do not reflect a newly discovered mean streak, but rather an inability to neutralize opposing forwards without the illegal use of his stick.Also disappointing have been Richard Matvichuk and Dan McGillis, two blueliners who were well-suited to the “old” NHL, but lack the skating ability to keep up with speedsters like the Islanders’ Jason Blake and the Rangers’ Dominic Moore. As a result, they’ve found themselves racing behind the play, hooking and holding in a vain attempt to keep up.In goal, the injury to Brodeur has meant an unexpected increase in playing time for backup Scott Clemmensen. The third-year netminder has not played badly – in fact, his numbers are almost identical to those Brodeur compiled before the injury – but it is clear that the Devils will need much better goaltending if they are to overcome their tremendously downgraded defense.Then, of course, there’s the team’s offense. Clearly missing Patrik Elias, who’s still recovering from a bout of hepatitis A, the Devils have come to rely on the diminutive Brian Gionta to be the offensive catalyst. One of the hardestworking players in the league, Gionta has battled to score a team-leading 14 points in 15 games. To say that he’s the Devils’ finest skater would be a gross understatement, and that says as much about his more talented but severely underachieving teammates as it does about the feisty Gionta. He’s extremely tough,but the undersized winger should nonetheless be expected to wear down if his teammates do not provide substantially more support.Of primary concern is first-line center Scott Gomez, who often takes a while to develop chemistry with his linemates. After Alexander Mogilny left in the summer of 2001, Gomez struggled to regain his Calder Trophy-winning form until 2003-04, when he finally clicked with Elias and Gionta to form the NHL’s best line. With Elias out for at least another month, Gomez has played with a litany of different linemates, but hasn’t yet found his groove.Through 15 games,he’s scored just eight points while compiling a miserable -8 rating. At this point, it’s looking like his best hope would be a speedy recovery for Elias.With a month of the season in the books, Jamie Langenbrunner, Jay Pandolfo, and Martin are the only Devils not sporting a negative rating. For a team that made a name for itself by playing tenacious defense, this is the clearest sign of all that the once-dominant Devils have been left behind, both by Niedermayer and by the “new” NHL.Mr. Greenstein is the editor in chief of InsideHockey.com.

With Key Veterans Gone, Devils Struggle To Keep Pace

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