NHL

Elias leading Devils into game against Hurricanes

Lesser sorts might stew, taken for granted. The Devils’ all-time point-getter — the same guy who was stripped of his captaincy and passed over when it became vacant again — was evicted from left wing to accommodate two younger superstars.

Instead of sulking over what could easily be viewed as snubs, Patrik Elias responded like the Devils’ MVP, last season and so far this year.

“He cares about the logo,” Martin Brodeur said. “That’s the reason he’s still here after other guys have left and even some have come back.”

Sometime after New Year’s, Elias stands to join only Ken Daneyko and Brodeur with 1,000 games as Devils.

By then, he could be the team’s all-time leading goal-scorer, adding that final crown to those he already holds in assists, points and power-play goals, and all those playoff records.

When the Devils face the Hurricanes in Newark tonight, he’ll be playing his 974th game, entering with 341 goals, 486 assists and 827 points. He needs six goals to tie John MacLean’s team record.

But it’s not just the career records of an aging accumulator. At 35, he leads the Devils with six goals and 11 points in 12 games despite being shifted to replace the injured Travis Zajac and make room for Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk on left wing.

“Don’t call it an emergency. I like it. I like that spot,” Elias said. “I’m having fun with Petr Sykora and Dainius Zubrus playing against the other team’s best line.”

They get top performance from Elias, even at center. The goal-starved Devils stand 6-5-1 in large part because Elias has scored six of the team’s 27 — each important. His first tied a game 1-1, his second gave them a 1-0 lead, the third was another 1-1 score-squarer, the fourth gave them 2-0 control, the fifth was a 2-2 knotter in the second and the last opened the scoring in Saturday’s 4-3 overtime victory over the Jets.

Elias, not Parise, nor the injured Kovalchuk, has been the team’s offensive leader.

“He plays the game the right way. He’s a skilled player who doesn’t mind getting his nose dirty,” said Sykora, his linemate from the glory days, reunited this year.

“He has hockey sense, and I don’t think you can learn it. You have to be born with it.”

Elias admits he was wounded when then-coach Brent Sutter took away his captaincy.

“I was put on the spot a little too much with that. Even with Pat [Burns] I had a hard time at the beginning,” Elias said. “New coaches come in and they all have their own minds. Still have.”

No matter their initial sentiments, they all end up appreciating Elias. Pete DeBoer can thank his lucky stars Elias is filling that center spot so well.

* The Devils’ annual Food Drive is tonight, when unopened cans and boxes of non-perishables will be collected for the needy. … Kovalchuk said his leg strain is improving, but he is not expected to play tonight.

* The Devils put Mark Fraser and Rod Pelley on waivers, after their season-opening waivers expired unused. … Forward Eric Boulton did not practice and was to undergo an MRI on his right hand, injured Oct. 21 in a fight.