Devils 2010-2011 Schedule Preview – Toronto Maple Leafs

Throughout the offseason, The Devils’ Den will preview the Devils 2010-2011 schedule, giving you an in-depth preview of the 29 other teams the Devils will face next season. We’ve already completed several previews, all of which can be found under the “Season Preview” tab. In today’s preview, we stay in the Eastern Conference, taking a look at this season’s matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Pierre-Luc Letorneau-Leblond and Jay Rosehill fight during a game on February 2. Photo Credit: Abelimages/Getty Images North America

Maple Leafs vs. Devils – Historical Data

In 114 all-time regular season meetings against Toronto, the Devils are 38-51-20-5. New Jersey averages 3.05 goals against the Maple Leafs, but they allow Toronto to score 3.33 goals per meeting. Last season, the teams met four times, with the Devils going 2-1-1 against the Maple Leafs.

The Devils won the first meeting of the season, 5-4, in overtime. Carl Gunnarson scored the game’s first goal, his first in the NHL, at 6:11 of the first period. But the lead wouldn’t last long, as the line of Zach Parise, Travis Zajac and Dainius Zubrus would take control. Parise tied the game at one apiece with a goal at 7:10 of the period. Parise would net another goal in the period, putting the Devils ahead 2-1 at 13:40 of the first period.

Zubrus gave the Devils a 3-1 lead at 9:22 of the second period. Colton Orr cut the lead back to one, netting a goal at 14:41 of the period. But Patrick Davis would restore the two goal lead, scoring his first NHL goal at 17:19 of the period. Toronto roared back in the third, with Alexei Ponikarovsky and Matt Stajan scoring goals to tie the game at 4-4 and send it to overtime. Zajac netted the overtime winner at 4:14 of the extra period, giving the Devils the 5-4 win.

The Maple Leafs would exact revenge on February 2, winning the first game of a home-and-home series, 3-0, in Toronto. Nikolai Kulemin scored the game’s first goal, putting Toronto ahead, 1-0, at 4:40 of the first period. Toronto extended the lead in the second period, putting the game out of reach. Phil Kessel put the Maple Leafs ahead 2-0 at 2:23 of the period, and Francois Beauchemin scored a powerplay goal to give Toronto a 3-1 lead. Newly-acquired goalie Jean-Sebastian Giguere stopped 30 shots for the win.

The Devils took the second game of the home-and-home series, 4-3, in Ilya Kovalchuk’s debut. Zubrus gave the Devils an early 1-0 lead at 13:20 of the first period. But the lead wouldn’t last, as Toronto would roar ahead in the second period. Tomas Kaberle tied the game at one with a powerplay goal at 3:39 of the period. Lee Stempniak put the Maple Leafs ahead, 2-1, with a powerplay tally at 10:23 of the period. Rickard Wallin finished off the scoring, extending the lead to 3-1 at 19:41.

The Devils would answer back in the third period. Dean McAmmond brought the Devils to 3-2 with a goal at 16:56 of the period. The Devils would wait until the final minute for the real dramatics. Zajac scored a 6-on-4 powerplay goal to tie the game at 19:16 of the period. Then, with 19 seconds left, Jay Pandolfo scored the game-winning goal, giving the Devils a 5-4 win.

Continue after the jump for the rest of the preview!

Deadline Winner and Losers

Today’s trade deadline came and went, and several teams made moves. There weren’t many earth-shattering, league-altering trades, but we rarely see those on the deadline. Instead, several teams made small moves to sure up roster spots or dump salary. Remember, several big names moved before the deadline, with Jean-Sebastian Giguere, Dion Phaneuf and Ilya Kovalchuk all moving.

There were some winners and losers at the deadline, and I’ll highlight them here:

Winners:

1. Washington Capitals

The Capitals didn’t make many big names moves today, but they picked up some solid talent on the deadline. Their biggest acquisition, Joe Corvo, brings an offensive presence to the Caps blue line. The veteran doesn’t have impressive stats (four goals, eight assists, -6), but he routinely puts up above 20 points per season. The Capitals already have talented defenseman Mike Green, and Corvo could compliment him well on another defensive pairing.

The Caps also picked up gritty forwards Scott Walker (Carolina) and Eric Belanger (Minnesota Wild). Belanger brings some offensive prowess, and Walker brings toughness to the lineup. The team also re-acquired Milan Jurcina from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Washington didn’t do anything drastic, but the team added some nice pieces for the playoff run.

2. Phoenix Coyotes

For an NHL-run team, the Coyotes made a lot of noise at the deadline. Phoenix sits fifth in the Western Conference standings, but they’re only one point back from falling into a three-way tie for third place. With a young team desperate for some life, the Coyotes were the most aggressive team during the deadline. The team acquired Wojtek Wolski from Colorado, who posted 17 goals and 47 points for the Avalanche this season. He should add scoring punch to a team that only scored 169 goals this season.

Looking for help on the blue line, Phoenix acquired Derek Morris and Mathieu Schneider in separate deals. Phoenix, who ranks 29th in the league with the powerplay, can use both players to help move that ranking up. Schneider was a bit of a curious pick, as he hasn’t played much for Vancouver this season.

The team also added forwards Petteri Nokelainen and Lee Stempniak for depth.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins

The team didn’t do much, but they filled some holes with two acquisitions. They first acquired defenseman Jordan Leopold from the Florida Panthers for a second-round pick. The defenseman can log big minutes and brings an expiring contract.

The team’s better trade came late yesterday, when they traded for Alex Ponikarovsky. The left-winger can finish around the net, but he’s also there to set teammates up for the score. He can easily slide into the top two lines for the Penguins and produce. Like Leopold, his contract expires after the season.

4. New Jersey Devils

While today’s acquisition of Martin Skoula didn’t address their glaring issue on the blue-line, the trade for Kovalchuk puts them on this list. While Kovalchuk didn’t immediate click with the team, he seems to be settling in to the second-line with Patrik Elias and Dainius Zubrus. The left-winger scored his second goal last night, but he also looked comfortable with the team and his linemates. Look for this deal to pay off as the Devils push towards the playoffs continues.

I only saw one clear-cut loser today, and here they are. Drumroll, please:

1. Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers, who lost goalie Ray Emery for the year with a hip injury, could have bolstered their depth in net. Remember, Michael Leighton wasn’t a starter to begin the season, and Brian Boucher is a below-average goalie. A quality backup like Vesa Toskala came cheap, and the Flyers could have immediately made an impact for Philadelphia. Instead, they stand still, and now have to hope Leighton can carry them into the playoffs.

There are my winners and losers from today’s trade deadline. It’ll be interesting to see what teams moves will pay off for the remainder of the season.

Second Period Struggles Add To Devils Problems

While watching the broadcast last night (which, unfortunately, was the Flyers broadcast on Comcast Sportsnet), I saw an interesting stat flash across the screen. In their past five games, the Devils have been outscored 11-1 in the second period. Once again, 11-1 in the second period. And while the team is currently stuck in this funk, I’d like to look at this stat and how it’s contributed to the team’s recent slide.

Game 1: Devils vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 2/2/10

The Devils really didn’t have anything going for them in this game. Many of you may remember that this was the premiere for the recently traded Dion Phaneuf and Jean-Sebastian Giguere. The Devils were only down, 1-0, in the second period. But two goals in the second period really sunk the team. After the score hit 3-0, it felt as if the game was over. And it was. The Devils were blanked, 3-0.

Game 2: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Devils, 2/5/10

The Devils had a chance to avenge their loss during with a rematch only three days later. The Devils added Ilya Kovalchuk and Anssi Salmela, and hopes were high for a huge scoring night. But after being tied, 1-1, after the first period, the Devils collapsed in the second period. The team allowed three straight goals, including two powerplay tallies. While the Devils won the game, they still got behind the eight ball and almost cost themselves a victory. But they pulled it out, and the Devils won, 4-3.

Game 3: Devils vs. New York Rangers, 2/6/10

After a huge comeback win, the Devils looked to carry some momentum into the Garden against their bitter rivals. But the Devils couldn’t light the lamp against Henrik Lundqvist, and the Rangers scored three goals in 3:39 in the second period to sink the Devils. Once again, the team fell behind the eight ball, but this time they couldn’t climb out of the hole. The Devils lost, 3-1.

Game 4: Devils vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 2/8/10

The Devils went to Philadelphia attempting to break out of their slump. The team took a two-goal lead, the second coming from newly-acquired Anssi Salmela. But, after the goal, Salmela took a nasty hit from Jeff Carter, and the Devils seemed to lose their intensity after watching him be taken off on a stretcher. The team played sloppy hockey, and the Flyers came back to tie the game. The Flyers scored on a powerplay in the third, and the Devils lost, 3-2.

Game 5: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Devils, 2/10/10

The Devils looked to win the second game of a home-and-home series against the Flyers. With blizzard conditions outside, the arena only had 5,000 fans in attendance. But Travis Zajac and Dean McAmmond scored early to put the Devils ahead, 2-0. The Devils, however, fell apart again in the second period. Jeff Carter, who was a Devils killer this week, tied the game in the second period (photo above). The Devils would go on to lose the game in overtime, 3-2.

The second period, as you can see above, hasn’t helped the Devils much. Since this team is only averaging about two goals a game, and blowing leads or falling behind won’t help their chances. I don’t know if it’s a lack of intensity or loss of focus, but the Devils need to correct this issue. This is one of many issues right now, but the Devils haven’t done much to correct it in the past five games. The coaching staff needs to focus on this issue now so the Devils can put together solid performances in their final two games before the break. The Devils have outscored their opponents in the first and third periods, so fixing the second period may help the Devils hold on to leads.

The team takes the ice tomorrow against Nashville, and it’ll be interesting to see how they perform in the second period.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images