Is it time (again) to wish Zach Parise were still here? No way, I say

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla  —

My dear friend, Bill Scardefield, a Flyers’ fan ironically, knew it well.

He could bust on me about anything over the summer and during the NHL lockout — but mention of the word/name “Zach Parise” was the only thing off limits. And strangely — I say this because he’s a Flyers fan — he never once mentioned the name all off-season. In fact, when there was a conversation that required the name be used, he would refer to the man as “The ‘Z’ Word.”

And yet, about 10 games into the NHL season, it was OK to drop that. I suddenly didn’t mind hearing the name “Zach Parise” uttered anymore, because the Devils were off to a magnificent start — and they were winning (more than Minnesota was, especially) — on a pretty consistent basis. 

They actually had a nice streak that at one point paralleled Chicago’s.

But boy does that seem like ancient history.

The Devils had just finished beating Pittsburgh in a home-and-home — and were the top team in the Eastern Conference. 

And Zach was a distant memory.

Now, a few weeks later, the Devils cannot score. Martin Brodeur is broken. And Johan Hedberg reminds me of a term I used to hear a lot on my favourite TV show of all time, “ER,” — a completely broken, psychological mess.

If the puck were the size of a beach ball — or volleyball — it seems Hedberg would find a way to allow it past him.

The guys we were counting on putting the puck in the net for our Devils in the post-Parise era — Adam Henrique, Travis Zajac, Ilya Kovalchuk — have completely forgotten how to do that.

It’s gotten so bad that the last few Devils goals I can recall, with any fondness, were scored by Marek Zidlicky and Steve Bernier — not exactly the men we figured would help make us forget about “The Z Word.”

And so here we are, one half of a season over — with 25 points. It’s good enough for a seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. But it’s one point ahead of the eighth-seeded Rangers, two ahead of ninth-seeded Philly and three ahead of the 10th-seeded New York Islanders.

Is it time to panic?

Is it time to lament over whether the loss of The Z Word is now coming back to haunt us?

The answer is absolutely NO.

DeBoer

Some 24 games into last season, the Devils had the exact same number of points — 25. And while this is a shortened season, we must not forget that every single good team — except, perhaps, for the latest version of The Blackhawks — goes through rough patches.

Peter DeBoer was brought here because he works well with kids.

He has not lost this team yet (it seems). And if there is any coach who can turn this ship around, Peter can. And he will.

This is not the time to be calling for his head.

This is not the time to call for radical changes.

Perhaps there is a need for a trade — for someone who can score occasionally, or who can stop a puck. But there is not any room right now to be calling for firings, radical changes or anything close to that.

Because once these guys wake up — and they will — and begin to remember what Devils hockey is all about, this team will be just fine. 

This team can and has won without The Z Word. It will again.

Hedberg has been a 'head case' of late.

And when it all kicks in, we’ll look back to this seven-game stretch and scratch our heads.

Please do not jump ship. 

Something will click — and things will get better.

And once again, Z will be a distant memory.

Only thing is — it’s gonna have to happen fast given this short season.

And we can only hope Lou does the correct things to right this ship. Thing is — he almost always does.