Three weeks in: This has been the most fun I've ever had watching a regular season

The Canessa Commentary
By KEVIN CANESSA Jr.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —

Zach who?

Three weeks into the NHL season, I can say this without hesitation. I've never enjoyed a regular season as much as this one.

And to think, there have been some remarkable Devils' regular seasons, including 1993-94, when the team went 7-0 to start the year.

One-fourth of the way through the regular season, this team is 8-1-3 with 19 points, and leads the Eastern Conference by 3 points over Pittsburgh, 7 points over South East's Tampa and 2 over the Northeast's Boston Bruins.

They are just 3 points behind Chicago, the league's most remarkable team, in the race for the President's Trophy (which we really don't want to win).

And all the while — what makes this so important and special — is that before the season began, most hockey pundits said the Devils would be lucky to finish in 9th place in the East — and were likely around a 13th- or 14th-place team.

They'll never be able to recover from the loss of Zach Parise, they said.

Martin Brodeur is close to 41 — and he's old and tired.

Their backup goalie Johan Hedberg is close to 40 — and he'd never be able to replicate what he did last year.

And yet, again, as was the case when the likes of Scott Gomes, Brian Rafalski, Brian Gionta, Bobby Holik, Scott Niedermayer and a host of others left, this team, this organization, has simply gone about its business — by winning.

After beating the Penguins twice this weekend, the Devils went to 19 points. The most they could have is 24.

And winning as a team, but not as individuals.

Because for this organization, from Lou Lamoriello to Peter DeBoer on down, it matters not one bit what the name is on the back of the sweater — it simply matters what the crest on the front is.

And year after year after year, except for one gloomy season that nearly got turned around, that's what this team has done.

They've done it, meanwhile, as every so-called stupid expert — from Linda Cohn, to Barry Melrose, to Mike Milbury to Pierre McGuire to Keith Jones to Eddie Olczyk — said they couldn't ... and wouldn't.

And they have.

The best coach the Devils
have ever had, perhaps?

They've done it with numerous coaches.

They've done it with several captains.

They've done it in two arenas in two towns.

And as they've done it, their middle fingers are proverbially flashed at the experts. They've flashed at the morons who have left (we're thinking mostly of your, Parise, right now). They've flashed at coaches who quit and simply couldn't handle it here (that's you, Brent Sutter).

And they've raised their sticks in victory, this year, in front of the best crowds the organization has ever seen in a regular season.

There are so many reasons why this is the most enjoyable regular season. But there's no question to me that it's mostly because NO ONE — absolutely no one, including many fans — believed in this team.

Yet did Lou panic? Nope.

Did he run out and make a huge-name free-agent signing? Not even close.

And yet, here we are, a quarter of the season gone, sitting in first place in the East and within striking distance of the best record overall.

No other team but Chicago can say that.

Thanks, again, Barry. 

Not the Islanders. Not the Flyers. And most importantly, not the Rangers.

And as usual, this team has shown why, in the Metropolitan Area, there isn't a better organization.

Not the Yankees. Mets. Knicks. Nets. Rangers. Islanders. Jets. Giants.

And to the doubters — from ESPN to NBC to NHL.com — thank you. You've shown us all once again that the more doubt there is, the better this team becomes.

And with some luck along the way, they can ride that all the way back to the Finals —and avenge what happened last June.

And oh boy will that ever be sweet, right Barry Melrose? Right Linda Cohn.

Ah, you get the picture.