Thawing Out

The New Jersey Devils were a dysfunctional mess last season, particularly in the front office.  That's not news.  What is news is that the Devils missed the playoffs, thanks largely to a miserable start to the season in which the head coach was fired before Christmas, and an old coach was coaxed out of retirement to finish the season.  Much of the offense (or lack thereof) was missing when Zach Parise went down with an injury.  He will be motivated, as he is not only coming back from injury, but also a new contract, as it is up after this season.  The Ilya Kovalchuk saga of last year clouded the Devils for much of the year, and he put up his worst goal totals in his career.  Expect him to post closer to 40 goals, as there are fewer distractions this time around.  Adam Larsson will likely make the jump from draft stage to Devils opening night roster, as the Devils are woefully thin on the blue line.  Then again, he could spend one more year in Sweden.  Either way, he bears watching, as he could step into a second pairing, at best.

Prediction: 12th in East

Movie: Lisa and the Devil

Movies such as the Mario Bava directed Lisa and the Devil bring fright to people.  The Devils in recent years, bring fright to their fans with their play, particularly when it counts the most.