No Pressure for Devils Star
Patrik Elias makes anticipated return
by: Steve Cangialosi
"Thanks for putting pressure on me."
That was Patrik Elias' response when I reminded him this morning that the last time he returned to the lineup from a lengthy absence he collected five points in his first two games. The Devils have patiently awaited the return of the franchise's all-time scoring leader and will have him back for tonight's game versus the Islanders at Prudential Center (7 p.m., MSG Plus).
New Jersey is an impressive 9-4-0 having scored just 30 goals in its first 13 games. Elias probably would have returned to the lineup as a left wing had it not been for the upper body injury that will keep center Rob Niedermayer sidelined for at least the next two games. Then again, Jacques Lemaire is rarely inclined to keep lines intact for an entire game these days, so Elias can find himself just about anywhere on the ice by the third period.
This is a big start for goaltender Yann Danis against his former team. His 31-save performance in Boston last week was so impressive that Lemaire is not only inclined play him eight days later (Martin Brodeur will start in Ottawa Saturday), but Danis gets the nod for a home game in which Brodeur is fully healthy – something that never transpired for a Devils' backup goaltender in each of the two previous seasons.
LINE CHANGES:
Look for Nicklas Bergfors to start out on a line tonight with Elias at center and Jamie Langenbrunner at right wing. Bergfors comes off the best night of his young career with a two-goal performance versus the Capitals Wednesday. And while John Tavares leads all NHL rookies with five goals, Bergfors has scored four times, having played two fewer games, and his three power play goals are tops among rookies.
Lemaire showed faith in the 22-year-old Swede by using him on a line with Zach Parise and Travis Zajac Wednesday, and Bergfors rewarded him with a goal that put New Jersey ahead to stay.
NOTES:
Islanders' right wing Kyle Okposo hails from St. Paul, Minnesota. Parise is a Minneapolis native. They're good friends and might very well be teammates on the U.S. Olympic Team in February.
Islanders head coach Scott Gordon on Okposo's chances to make the squad: "He has a lot of potential, and would do a good job with it."
Humorous moment in Devils' locker room this morning when Elias removed all of Andrew Peters' equipment from the stall Patrik rightfully reclaims now that he's back in the lineup. Peters was still on the ice when most of the move took place. He took it good-naturedly.
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