A new coach and a new mix up front sharpen a perennial Eastern power

By Pete McEntegart

Oleg Tverdovsky.  Lou Capozzola SI Fast Fact Goalie Martin Brodeur has played 70 or more games in five straight seasons, two fewer than the record held by Glenn Hall. SI Insider Rankings Offense: 16 Expect a healthy Nieuwendyk to have big season Defense: 2 Excellent mobility, grit; Tverdovsky will flourish here Goaltending: 3 Addition of Schwab allows Brodeur needed rest Special Teams: 10 PP will be tough with smallish snipers Elias, Gionta, Brylin Management: 1 When G.M. Lamoriello makes mistakes, he corrects them

One of new coach Pat Burns's pet drills looks like, well, a drill for pets. During a training camp workout the Devils learned the price Burns exacts for mistakes such as failing to exit the ice quickly enough on a line change. Burns made the team flop onto the ice and roll over several times until he blew the whistle, leaving one to wonder when he might teach his team to sit up or fetch. "It's not punishment," Burns says. "It's an awareness thing. You have to be accountable for what you do."

Then again, a drill that emphasizes turning over is fitting for New Jersey, which has significantly changed the cast that won the Stanley Cup in 2000 and reached Game 7 of the finals a year later. Coach Larry Robinson was fired 51 games into last season and replaced by Kevin Constantine, who was canned after the Devils were eliminated by the Hurricanes in Round 1. Only left wing Patrik Elias remains from the erstwhile A-Line, as right wing Petr Sykora was dealt to Anaheim in July, four months after center Jason Arnott was shipped to Dallas. Also, standout center Bobby Holik signed a five-year, $45 million free-agent deal with the Rangers.

"We needed new blood," Elias says. "We had an awesome team for two years, but last year it didn't work."

The Devils have undeniable strengths. The defense is an excellent mix of speedy puck movers (Scott Niedermayer, Brian Rafalski and newcomer Oleg Tverdovsky) and bangers (Scott Stevens, Ken Daneyko and Colin White). Goalie Martin Brodeur is still as sharp as ever. There is added team speed, exemplified by new winger Jeff Friesen. Burns also excels as a turnaround specialist, winning three Jack Adams Awards, each in his first year with a new team.

The big question is whether the Devils can score enough to get back to the finals. The 6'1", 195-pound Elias has led New Jersey in scoring for the past three seasons, but last year he slumped to 29 goals and 61 points as the club tied for 20th in goals scored. The Devils are also hoping for a better performance from center Scott Gomez, whose points have dropped in the two seasons since he won the Calder Trophy in 1999-2000 (from 70 to 63 to 48), and a breakthrough year from 5'7" winger Brian Gionta, 23. If the offense doesn't come through, the players can expect more turnover next off-season.

Issue date: October 14, 2002