Devils win in Salvador’s return

December 30, 2008   ·   Hasan   ·   Jump to comments

It wasn’t quite as newsworthy as Chad Pennington’s return to the Meadowlands this weekend, but Bryce Salvador did return to St. Louis for the first time since being traded after seven seasons with the Blues, in his first game back from missing a couple weeks with an inner-ear infection.

As returns go, this classified as a success.  Salvador played over 20 minutes with an assist and a +1, and the Devils beat a pesky Blues team 4-3 in a back and forth game.

Silly me, I thought tonight’s game started at 8:30 instead of 8 and of course missed the first Zach Parise goal of the night, barely a minute after the puck was dropped.  Unfortunately I tuned in just in time to see Brad Boyes tie the game off a rebound a couple minutes after, which sent the Devils reeling for a while.  David Backes also scored soon after, giving the Blues a 2-1 lead but the team settled down after that. 

No Doc Emrick on VERSUS means I tuned on the radio for a night while doing some errands and listened to Matt and Sherry on the radio.  Fortunately the TV was on such tape delay (about ten seconds) I could hear about Brian Rolston‘s backhand goal off a rebound in front and then turn on VERSUS in time to see it in real time.  Rolston’s fifth goal of the season came at 2:37 of the second and tied the game, where it would say through another choppy period.  Though the Devils played better defensively they allowed an embrassing two on the goaltender chance – on a power play no less – and only a poised save by Scott Clemmensen on B.J. Crombeen kept the game tied.

Of course with tonight being Salvador’s return to St. Louis, it also represented Cam Janssen‘s first game against the Devils.  He played nearly nine minutes (seemingly about as much time as he got all of last season) and was a -1 but made his presence felt by trying to start a melee at the end of the first period and then taking a run at Bobby Holik in the second.  I do like Cam and the emotion he brings, but he also goes over the line at times and tonight sounded like one of them.  Still can’t help but like the guy cause he does have a good personality off the ice.  At least he is back home and having fun playing.    

While the Devils didn’t take the bait from their former teammate, they did find themselves in a figurative battle with the Blues throughout the third period.  Finally with just under six minutes remaining Parise broke the tie with his second goal of the night and 21st of the season.  It was another typical effort goal as he crashed the net looking for a rebound and after scoring the goal wound up on his backside.  After taking the lead the Devils quickly got some insurance for it when Jay Pandolfo scored his fourth goal of the season at 16:33. 

Just when it seemed like the game was over, the Devils blew multiple chances at an empty net goal and St. Louis fought back one more time.  Alex Steen scored with 30 seconds remaining, giving the Devils some anxious moments before they finally held on for a hard-fought 4-3 win, upping the Devils’ record to 21-11-3.  Clemmensen made 28 saves improving his record to 13-5-1, giving him the most wins in the NHL since November 15.  New Jersey next takes on the Sean Avery-less Stars in Dallas tomorrow at 8:30, just before the ball drops on the New Year. 

Notes: While Salvador returned from his ‘upper-body injury’, Colin White missed tonight’s game with…you guessed it, an ‘upper-body injury’.  Quite possibly this one is just the flu but who knows with the Devils.

BoNY Three Stars:

1. Zach Parise (2 goals, +1)
2. Brad Boyes (goal, +2)
3. Jamie Langenbrunner (2 assists)