The likely return of Martin Brodeur is always important, an injury scare to their all-time points leader another good angle, but it’s the Devils’ trademark annual failing that is their nemesis again.
They don’t score enough goals.
“[Brodeur] can’t score goals for us or run the point on the power play,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “Those are the things we have to fix,”
The Devils before last night had scored the second-fewest goals in the NHL, behind only the Islanders, as they play host to the shocking Maple Leafs tonight in Newark.
Four goals is a one-time thing for this team, five a realm still uncharted.
It’s just nine games, but 20 goals, including shootout credit, is a pace for 182, barely better than last season’s team-record low 174.
The Devils and the Blues have scored three power play goals this season. The Senators, Flyers and Penguins each have four times that many.
To that end, the Devils have a new plan — an old one starring Petr Sykora as Phil Esposito, setting up shop in the slot.
“We have to change it up,” Sykora said. “When the puck goes to Ilya Kovalchuk, he has options because [opponents] overplay his one-timer so much. I just have to be there when one of those rebounds come through.”
It remains famous, 40 years later. “Jesus Saves! And Espo gets the rebound.”
“Because everybody wants to give me one-timers? I don’t think I’ve had more than one one-timer in any of the last few games,” Kovalchuk said. “It’s good if teams think that’s one of our options. We’ve got others, like with Sykora in the middle.”
One additional factor is the Devils have enjoyed the fewest power plays in the league, yet another frequent feature of this franchise.
“As a team we have to do a better job at generating power-play opportunities and that means moving your feet, holding on to the puck, attacking holes. That’s where you draw those penalties,” DeBoer said.
Failure to score was the undoing of John MacLean’s team last season. It’s threatening to repeat.
Patrik Elias gave the franchise a scare when he fell in the corner and Anton Volchenkov’s skate sliced his left sock. Elias was helped off the ice as the brass sweated adding Elias to an injured center corps that includes Travis Zajac and Jacob Josefson. Elias quickly returned to practice after determining he wasn’t cut open.
Brodeur said he told goalie coach Chris Terreri he’s ready to play after missing six games with a right shoulder injury. … The Devils have won once in last five (1-3-1), and went 1-3 on road trip. They are 2-1-1 at home.