New Jersey Devils' Defense Moves Them to the Top

Eric LaForge by Contributor Written on November 12, 2009
NEWARK, NJ - NOVEMBER 11:  Scott Niedermayer #27 of the Anaheim Ducks defends against Patrik Elias #26 of the New Jersey Devils during their NHL game at the Prudential Center on November 11, 2009 in Newark, New Jersey.  (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

The Devils have been at the top of the standings for the last few years. Unfortunately, this has not translated into postseason success. This year, they will be looking to go farther in the playoffs than they have for the past few years.

Right now, New Jersey is playing very defensively. They are doing a great job of keeping the puck out of the net. That’s a good thing, because they are not scoring a lot of goals.

The Devils are tied with the Sabres for the least amount of goals allowed this season. They have established themselves as having one of the best defenses in the NHL.

You have to give a lot of credit to veteran goaltender Martin Brodeur, who’s having another great season. In fact, he’s just passed Terry Sawchuck for the most shutouts by an NHL goalie, and also won his 500th game this season.

He’s bringing a solid presence between the pipes, like he has for so many years.

However, he’s also being helped out by an outstanding defense. There aren’t a lot of defenders we hear about, and that’s because they play so defensively. They don’t score goals, they just stop them, and that’s all you can ask out of a defense.

It’s great they are playing so well in their own zone because they're not scoring a lot of goals. Even though they are second in the Eastern Conference, they have just over half as many goals as first place Washington.

Like I said before, as long as they continue to play this well, they won’t have any problem with getting a playoff spot. They will definitely be a team to contend with during the postseason.

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written on November 12, 2009 Sports

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