Devils finish preseason with home split

October 4, 2008   ·   Hasan   ·   Jump to comments

So while four teams were playing games that counted overseas, everyone else is still fine-tuning their roster for the North American start to the regular season. 

Friday night’s Devils game was an unpleasant reminder of the way most games against the Islanders went last season, as the Devils outshot them by a huge margin yet failed to convert a million chances including a 5-on-3 that was over a minute and a half long early in the third period.  Whereas the Isles took advantage of a couple of Kevin Weekes gaffes in the first period (looks like Marty’s playing 75 again this year…sigh) and went on to win the game in overtime with a goal by the immortal Chris Lee. 

Johnny Oduya and Zach Parise got the Devils goals in a spirited game that should spice things up for this Friday’s opener.  There were two fights in the first period, one where David Clarkson clocked the hell out of Brendan Witt and the other when the Isles’ Mitchell Fritz just pinned Sheldon Brookbank against the boards and beat on him, that shouldn’t have even counted as a fight.  Plus later on in the second period, Mike Comrie continued to act like the punk he is by cheapshotting Brian Gionta and then getting into a fight with someone that’s had one fighting major his entire six-year career.  He pulled the same crap with Mike Mottau last year too during the regular season, so he already wasn’t one of my favorite players in the world.   

I wasn’t at tonight’s matchup with the Flyers but from what I hear there were actually goals scored.  Brian Rolston got his first goal of the preseason on the power play.  Also scoring on the power play were ahem, Clarkson and (gasp!) Bobby Holik!  Too bad Holik used up his monthly quota of goals in the last preseason game.  Also scoring in the Devils’ 4-3 win was John Madden on a shorthanded marker.  Flyer captain Mike Richards compiled a Gordie Howe hat trick with a goal, assist and fight (with Clarkson). 

Unfortunately for the Devils and the Flyers they’ll begin their season no better than in a tie for third after both the Rangers and Penguins won their openers overseas earlier today. 

Rosters should be finalized in the next day or two.  More and more it sounds like camp story Anssi Samela will win a job on the Devils’ roster, and perhaps will even be one of the top six defensemen.  The fate of centerman Petr Vrana is less certain, but he’d have to go through waivers to be sent down and odds are the Devils would lose him if that were the case.  God knows they need to keep as many offensive players as they can.