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Report: Skoula to join Devils tonight; Martin's return unknown

March 04, 2010 , ι POST STAFF REPORT

NJ.com reports defenseman Martin Skoula, acquired by the Devils in a deadline trade, will join the team tonight in Calgary and could play against the Flames tomorrow.The report also says defenseman... Read on

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Devils get defenseman Skoula from Maple Leafs

March 03, 2010 , ι By MARK EVERSON

The Devils have traded a fifth-round pick to Toronto for upcoming unrestricted defenseman Martin Skoula, another lefty, who was acquired by the Maple Leafs on Wednesday from the Penguins.
	 
"He's a big body (6-3, 225) who has experience, who knows how to play, knows Jacques Lemaire's system and knows what to expect," Lou Lamoriello said. "He's a character individual, a good person.
	 
"He gives us eight defensemen when Paul Martin comes back, which I feel is necessary."
	 
Skoula, 30, was dealt earlier today with top prospect Luca Caputi by the Penguins for Toronto's Alexei Ponikarovsky. The Maple Leafs then shipped Skoula to New Jersey for a fifth-round pick.
	 
He is expected to join the team today for Friday's visit to Calgary and Brent Sutter.
	 
The deal leaves the Devils with some $1.5 million left in salary-cap space, although there is plenty more room left if the Devils decide to place Martin on retroactive long-term injury replacement exemption.
	 
Skoula, 6-3 and 225, is making $575,000 this season and was a 1998 first-round pick by Colorado, where he won a Cup with the Avalanche by beating the Devils in the 2001 Finals. He also toiled in Anaheim and Dallas before playing for Jacques Lemaire in Minnesota, joining Pittsburgh this season.

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Report: Elias says Jagr could return to NHL

March 02, 2010 , ι POST STAFF REPORT

Patrik Elias says Jaromir Jagr could play in the NHL again, according to NJ.com. The Devils forward and the former Rangers captain were teammates on the Czech Olympic team. "I think he'd love to... Read on

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Rangers' Lundqvist would keep NHL in the Olympics

March 01, 2010 , ι By TIM BONTEMPS

The Olympics ended in disappointment for Henrik Lundqvist, but the Rangers goalie would like to go back."I think it's a great stage. I think it's great for hockey, so I definitely think we should be... Read on

The Olympics ended in disappointment for Henrik Lundqvist, but the Rangers goalie would like to go back.
	 
"I think it's a great stage. I think it's great for hockey, so I definitely think we should be there," Lundqvist said today of the debate whether NHL players will return for the 2014 Games.
	 
"I don't really understand how you can see it as a bad thing. You see how much exposure the game of hockey gets ... it's ridiculous to think that we're better off not to be there."
	 
Lundqvist's Sweden team did not medal after being eliminated in the quarterfinals. Olli Jokinen won bronze for Finland, and Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan took the silver medal after USA's 3-2 overtime loss to Canada.
	 
Marc Staal's brother Eric was a gold-medal-winning Canadian.
	 
"It was kind of a weird game to watch that way," Marc Staal said after Rangers practice. "Obviously I wanted my brother to win, but it was kind of hard to see (Drury) and (Callahan) at the end of the game. The look on their faces ... but, still, I mean, a silver medal is something to take pride in, for sure."

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Islanders' DiPietro out indefinitely with knee swelling

March 01, 2010 , ι By DAN MARTIN

The Olympic break is barely over and the Islanders already got another dose of bad news.Rick DiPietro, the oft-injured goalie, suffered knee swelling on his surgically repaired knee and is out... Read on

The Olympic break is barely over and the Islanders already got another dose of bad news.
	 
Rick DiPietro, the oft-injured goalie, suffered knee swelling on his surgically repaired knee and is out indefinitely.
	 
“Obviously with the seven or eight days off we were trying to kick it back into full gear, I might have irritated it a little bit. Nothing major to report,” said DiPietro, who did not practice this morning.
	 
DiPietro underwent tests and said everything looked good. He missed all but five games last year and then sat out while rehabbing until January.
	 
“We want to make sure we don’t do anything stupid,” DiPietro said. “Everything looks good. You don’t want to turn something minor into something major. That’s something we’ve learned a long the way here.”
	 
The Isles had been trying to move a goalie- since they also have Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron- before Wednesday's trade deadline.
	 
DiPietro signed a 15-year deal worth 67 million in September, 2006 but has been largely beset by injuries since.

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Report: Teammate says Kovalchuk could wind up staying with Devils

February 12, 2010 , ι POST STAFF REPORT

With Ilya Kovalchuk himself saying "I really like it" here, at least one of his new Devils teammates wouldn't be surprised if he signed to stay with the team after this season.Fellow Russian Danius... Read on

With Ilya Kovalchuk himself saying "I really like it" here, at least one of his new Devils teammates wouldn't be surprised if he signed to stay with the team after this season.
	 
Fellow Russian Danius Zubrus told NJ.com “I wouldn’t be shocked if he liked it enough to stay here.”
	 
According to writer Rich Chere, Zubrus also said, "“I won’t say he wanted a change in his life, but he wants to win. Pretty simple. I’ve talked to him about this. He doesn’t say anything bad about Atlanta.
	 
“I know so far he likes it here. I think he views those legends of the Devils being strictly a defensive team and Jacques Lemaire being just a defensive coach as being a bit of a myth.”
	 
Kovalchuk was acquired in a trade from the Thrashers, who decided they could not meet contract demands to keep him from free agency.
	 
The winger, who reportedly turned down a 12-year deal worth $101 million, has not discussed his contract status or requirements at all, either here or in Atlanta.
	 
Asked directly if he would stay with the Devils, Kovalchuk said, “We’ll see. It’s a business. You never know. You should ask Lou Lamoriello and my agent. I’m just a player.”
	 
He has not scored since joining the Devils, but has created numerous chances playing on a line with Zubrus and Patrik Elias. He also plays almost every second of each Devils power play.
	 
“I feel very comfortable,” he said. “It seems like I’ve been here all year long. We have a great bunch of guys, very professional. I really like it.”

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Devils' Parise says he's fine for Friday, Olympics

February 11, 2010 , ι By BRETT CYRGALIS

Zach Parise said he expects to play Friday for the Devils when they face the Predators in Newark, and later next week in the Vancouver Olympics.Parise missed his first game of the season Wednesday, a... Read on

Zach Parise said he expects to play Friday for the Devils when they face the Predators in Newark, and later next week in the Vancouver Olympics.
	 
Parise missed his first game of the season Wednesday, a 3-2 loss to the Flyers.
	 
“I feel better, a lot better,” Parise said today, when the Devils got the day off the ice but he was at The Rock working out. “I’ll be fine for [tonight].”
	 
The 25-year-old winger and to-be cog in the U.S. Olympic offense, said he didn’t know what caused the apparent pain -- assumed to be a neck injury -- but that “it had something to do with Monday [another 3-2 loss in Philadelphia].”
	 
“When I woke up [Wednesday] morning, I thought to myself, ‘There’s no way I can play today,’ ” Parise said. “And then you get treatment all day and I felt at least good enough that I thought I could try in warm-ups.
	 
“I went for warm-ups for about 20 seconds and I realized it just hurt way too bad, so I had to come off.”
	 
Parise said that he was contacted by the U.S. Olympic officials, and he told them he would be ready to go as soon as the team starts the group stage competition against Switzerland on Tuesday.
	 
“I knew it’s not something that will keep me out for a while,” Parise said. “I’ve had it happen before, so by the time [the Olympics] start, I’ll be fine.”

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Rangers' Gaborik 'feels better' after scary cut

February 11, 2010 , ι By HOWARD KUSSOY

Rangers leading scorer Marian Gaborik did not practice Thursday, but spent 20 minutes riding a stationary bike and said the swelling in his lacerated thigh is down. Gaborik said he is unsure if he... Read on

Rangers leading scorer Marian Gaborik did not practice Thursday, but spent 20 minutes riding a stationary bike and said the swelling in his lacerated thigh is down.
	 
Gaborik said he is unsure if he will play in either game this weekend.
	 
“It feels better. Not as much pain,” said Gaborik, who received 21 stitches for the cut. “The cut looks good. The most important thing is that it doesn’t get infected and the good thing is that I didn’t cut any tendons or nerves or muscles.
	 
“We’ll see how it is in the morning. Hopefully, I can skate in the morning and figure out how to feel comfortable in the gear.”
	 
Gaborik missed Wednesday’s loss to Nashville after sustaining a deep laceration in his right thigh during a collision with goaltender Henrik Lundqvist at Tuesday’s practice.
	 
Gaborik is scheduled to play for Slovakia in the Olympics, but the winger is only focused on domestic affairs right now.
	 
“The club is the most important thing for me right now to play for,” Gaborik said. “I want to jump into games as quick as I can. Hopefully, I can jump into games before the Olympics.”
	 
*
	 
Defenseman Corey Potter, who had played in his first game of the season Wednesday night, and goaltender Chad Johnson were assigned to Hartford (AHL) and goaltender Matt Zaba has been recalled from Hartford.

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Rangers waive Brashear

February 11, 2010 , ι By HOWARD KUSSOY

Donald Brashear was brought in to serve as the physical enforcer for the Rangers. Now, less than a year into his two-year deal, Brashear is the one being pushed around. The Rangers put Brashear on 24... Read on

Donald Brashear was brought in to serve as the physical enforcer for the Rangers. Now, less than a year into his two-year deal, Brashear is the one being pushed around.
	 
The Rangers put Brashear on 24-hour waivers Thursday, meaning other NHL teams have until noon Friday to put in a claim for him. If claimed, Brashear, who is making $1.4 million per season, would come off the books for the rest of the season, saving the Rangers about $400,000 against the salary cap, but it is unlikely that the bruiser will be picked up by another team.
	 
The 38-year-old, who has been a healthy scratch in seven straight games and 12 of the past 13, became expendable after the Rangers acquired Brandon Prust, a player with a similar style, from Calgary on Feb. 1.
	 
Brashear practiced with the team and traveled with them for Friday's game in Pittsburgh. If he clears waivers, the Rangers are under no obligation to send him to the minors. An Olympic roster freeze starts Friday at 3 p.m. and runs through midnight on Feb. 28. If Brashear is not sent down, he would not be eligible to be assigned until March 1.
	 
The Rangers have two games remaining before the Olympic break, closing at home on Sunday against the Lightning.

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Devils-Flyers won't be snowed out

February 10, 2010 , ι By MARK EVERSON

As long as they can see, the Devils don't postpone games. A few feet of snow wasn't going to break that precedent.The team that still honors its "334 Club," the number of fans who braved a 15-inch... Read on

As long as they can see, the Devils don't postpone games. A few feet of snow wasn't going to break that precedent.
	 
The team that still honors its "334 Club," the number of fans who braved a 15-inch snowfall Jan. 22, 1987, to watch the Devils beat Calgary 7-5 at the Meadowlands, planned to play through another storm tonight.
	 
The only Devils game that has been suspended was Jan. 8, when the lights went out in the Newark arena. The 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay was completed Jan. 10.
	 
The Devils did not seem surprised that tonight's game was not postponed. Their new superstar, fresh from the milder climes of Atlanta, welcomed the snow.
	 
"It's a little like playing in Russia, so it's good. Nice hockey weather," Ilya Kovalchuk said. "I hope it doesn't stop the fans from coming."
	 
The Flyers, who beat the Devils 3-2 in Philadelphia on Monday, took rooms at the Newark Airport Marriott on Tuesday night, and even had a morning skate in Newark today. The Devils cancelled their morning skate, and relied on the players to find their own ways to the game, as usual.
	 
"Vladimir Zharkov," Kovalchuk said was his driver. "We live in the same hotel and he's pretty good driver. A Porsche Cayenne sports car. I told him to be careful."
	 
Jacques Lemaire, who once rode a SkiDoo to a game at the Montreal Forum, took little notice of the snow.
	 
"Same [travel] time. Nobody works. Only us. The roads are good," Lemaire said. "Maybe there will be less people at the game, but we'll play."
	 
Jay Pandolfo took the short drive from West Orange.
	 
"No problem," Pandolfo said. "It was faster today because no one was on the road. If you don't have four-wheel drive, you might need a ride.
	 
"I figured they'd [play]. There's no time to make up games, really."
	 
Devils defenseman Mark Fraser said he could have taken mass transit from Hoboken, but drove instead.
	 
"It was a pretty slow drive. But everyone seemed to make the conscious decision to stay off the road," Fraser said. "I had no troubles.
	 
"Snowfalls [like this] in Ontario are pretty typical, and it doesn't affect attendance for junior hockey. Here, there's a lot of tough weather for football games, and the fans still make it to the games."
	 
Fraser said postponement "didn't even cross my mind."
	 
The Devils will give a 50 percent discount on tickets for March 15 (Boston), March 23 (Columbus) or March 30 (Boston) to holders of tickets for tonight's game.

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STEVE SOLDWEDEL Reporter/Producer/Developer Steve Soldwedel is a graduate of the Michigan State University School of Journalism. He is a frequent contributor to the Post's hockey and soccer blogs.