http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkkEX5TwS4M

Playing an Islanders team sitting in last place in the Metro division with 29 points (second worst in the NHL, only above the Sabres with 24 points in the new Atlantic), you would figure last night’s primetime showdown on Long Island would be an easy two points for even a struggling Devils team.  Especially with the Isles missing captain and scorer extrordinare John Tavares, out with a lower body injury.  Of course Devil fans know better.  None of these tri-state area games are ever easy, no matter who’s in the lineup or who’s playing well and who isn’t.  Last night’s game certainly followed that template, a tense (though not particularly entertaining) 2-1 Devil win over the Islanders that got New Jersey a much-needed two points while further burying the Isles, now sitting eleven points out of a playoff spot at the halfway point and well behind every other team in the Metro.

Parity reigns supreme when you look at the division standings, especially at 2-7.  Pittsburgh’s got a comfortable 13-point lead over the second-place Caps (whose own recent hot streak has been spearheaded with a third-string goalie playing the majority of games) but everyone else is jumbled together in a crowded race for the final two automatic berths:

2. Caps 44 points (38 GP), 3. Flyers 40 points (38 GP), 4. Devils 40 points (40 GP), 5. Columbus 38 points (38 GP), 6. Rangers 38 points (39 GP), 7. Hurricanes 37 points (38 GP)

That’s just the most striking signal of NHL parity.  Another one is last night’s scoreboard.  Literally every one of the eight games played including Devils-Isles was either decided by a single goal, or by a shootout.  With that kind of competitiveness in mind, there are no off nights allowed in the NHL.  As such any +2 point win (i.e. in regulation) is particularly valued.  Make no mistake though, the Devils did not play very well last night by any stretch.  Arguably for the second straight night their best player was by far their goaltender – this time Cory Schnieder, who finally got a reprieve of sorts for his bad month and just four wins in seventeen starts on the season.  He had to earn that reprieve though with a 30-save effort, since as usual the Devils’ offense went dry for the most part.

For the longest time it looked as if Adam Henrique‘s first-period goal would have to be enough.  While Evgeni Nabokov made his share of fine saves, the Devils’ offense was a bit compromised from the start given Pete DeBoer‘s bizarre experiment of putting Patrik Elias on a line with Steven Gionta and Steve Bernier.  A cynic would say you need to take a look at the icetime to tell whether Elias was demoted to the fourth line or Gionta/Bernier were promoted to the second.  Elias played 19 minutes and Bernier/Gionta played 15+ so clearly it was the latter.  Granted Gionta’s been playing very well since coming off of IR but I’m sorry, he just doesn’t have the offensive capability to be anywhere near a second line.  Neither really does Bernier though he played a little like he belonged in a top six role last year.  Not that Elias has been all that great himself lately, perhaps still feeling the effects from his back injury earlier in the season he’s struggled despite putting up some secondary points.

Our only offensive spark in the first two periods came from a resurgent Henrique, perhaps the benficiary of some luck from a gift horseshoe over Christmas (yes, really according to Chico Resch).  Ironically it was rookie Reid Boucher – benched Friday night – who made a nice feed over to Henrique for the opening goal at 11:37 of the first period.  Of course DeBoer being his usual self only played Boucher for 7:39 in the contest, and it was slow Ryane Clowe who replaced Boucher in the top six.  Honestly I understand why Clowe’s in the top six but if Boucher isn’t going to get real icetime then what’s the bloody point of having him up here anyway?  Might as well bring back Tim Sestito and play him since clearly he has more coachtrust than the kids.  It’s one thing to bench Boucher when he was lousy (and he clearly was that Friday) but now you bench him when he clearly got the message and showed a bit of spark early last night?  Unreal.

Honestly it’s nonsense like this that make it hard to really get excited about the Devils at this point.  Not to mention the joke of a prevent defense the Devils tried to play in the third period, allowing the Isles to take play to them in the first ten minutes (outshooing them something like 9-1 at one point) until finally the dam broke when Frans Nielsen scored after a turnover from Bryce Salvador – yes the captain finally returned last night…and played 23+ minutes – and a nice feed from a falling Kyle Okposo, ending the shutout and the Devils’ tenuous hold on a lead.  Although Salvador played okay all things considered it does make you wonder what’s the next move on defense.  If it wasn’t for Anton Volchenkov‘s ‘whole body soreness’ last night word was that Eric Gelinas was going to be the seventh D but play…at forward.  You really can’t make this stuff up.  If Volchenkov is healthy for Tuesday’s game against the Penguins does that mean Gelinas joins fellow kids Mattias Tedenby, Jacob Josefson and Reid Boucher in purgatory?  He has made his share of defensive mistakes lately but his offensive prowess and howitzer of a shot is just too valuable to sit.  Unless you’re DeBoer.

It was impossible not to be angry, annoyed and down at this point.  Predictably the Devils did pick it back up after being scored on (funny how sometimes the prevent only prevents you from winning), though they needed a fortunate bounce to get the lead back when Marek Zidlicky fired a shot that glanced off Travis Zajac‘s shoulder and past Nabokov.  Even after it was finally over and the Devils got their two points, it didn’t feel particularly inspiring.  Especially given what’s coming up on the schedule – both conference leaders Pittsburgh and Chicago for the next two games at home.  Probably I would feel a little better about the present if the future wasn’t constantly dumped on day after day around here.  At least Cory finally got another win, so there’s that, along with his startling admission after the game he needed to reset mentally and physically during the holiday after a brutal month and hard-luck start to the season – see above.  I have to admit I kind of know the feeling of needing to reset just watching this team.

I suppose compared to Isle fans we still have it good though…the fact Jack Capuano (who has one lockout playoff berth/exit to his credit) has the second-most wins in franchise history speaks volumes considering the fact Al Arbour retired two decades ago.  And at least our stadium’s nicer.  Too bad I won’t get to visit it Tuesday since the Devils have maintained their asinine tradition of having a New Year’s Eve matinee.  Some of us actually have to work on NYE weekdays…arrgh!  I’ll still probably recap that game at some point (provided it’s worth watching on tape on NYE after I get home) during the holiday since it’s our third straight pivotal division showdown.