Devs go 2-1 on West Coast trip, end with 2-1 loss to San Jose

By Kevin Canessa Jr.

SAN JOSE  —

Earlier in the week, if you'd asked me if I'd settle for a 2-1 West Coast trip from the Devils, I would have signed on in a heartbeat. But then they won in Anaheim. And again in Los Angeles. But they barely lost last night in San Jose -- so it almost seems disappointing. Yet the truth of the matter is, despite the setback last night, the Devils continue to play the best hockey they have all year.

Some great things happened in the past week.

The two 41-year-old wonders continue to play the best on the team. Cory Schneider finally got a well-deserved win. And for two days at least, the team was over .500 for the first time all year.

And this week, they've got three of four games at home, which couldn't come at a better time, frankly. Consider this -- the Devils have played just eight home games all year. Even the Rangers, who spent the entire first month of the season on the road, have played nine at home. And Winnipeg has already played 16 at home.

So a nice mini-home stand with a quick journey to North Carolina is perfect right now.

It's Winnipeg in town Monday, then hugging Thanksgiving is a home-and-home with Carolina. And then the week ends with a home game with the league's worst team, the Buffalo Sabres.

When I look at that schedule, I see 4-0. Yet I'd also settle for 3-1, since the Devils rarely play their best hockey in Carolina.

But they've also got to be extremely careful with Buffalo, too, which has just one win since Ted Nolan took over as coach, and since Darcy Regier and Ron Rolston were fired as GM and coach. Their one win came the very next day after the casualties, at home, against their most bitter rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs. But they haven't won since, so the Devils will have to be very weary of a let-down when Ryan Miller comes to town.

Miller seems to always save his best performances for the Devils, too (think shootout in Buffalo last year when he nearly got into a fight with several Devils players following the game).

Regardless, if the Devils go 3-1 in this stretch, they'll finish 2 over .500 -- and no one, yours truly included, ever expected they'd be anywhere near .500, let alone over it, at any point this season.

The passed the Left Coast test. And now, it only gets somewhat easier.

Will they pass this test now, too? Your thoughts? Comment here or on Facebook.

 

A look the configuration for hockey
at Yankee Stadium.

Will Yankee Stadium game sell out?

 

— Tickets are still available in many sections for the Devils-Rangers and Rangers-Islanders games at Yankee Stadium. I'm wondering if the league may have under-estimated the demand for such a game here. let alone two games? Or, additionally, if they've just shut out too many people with the ridiculous prices for tickets in the few areas of the stadium where fans will actually get to see the puck and game action?

 

It will be a huge embarrassment if one or both of the games in the Bronx aren't sold out. And at this pace, it does seem that will be the case.

 

Have a good week, one and all — and of course, a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving in the United States!