It’s All-Star week and the Devils play a scant two games this week. I think we can handle that.

LIVE-CAP SCHEDULE!

Tuesday, January 22nd - Preview, Live-cap

Thursday, January 24th - Preview, Live-cap

And of course all those usual irreverence and awesomeness and shenanigans and hootenanny(s) and all those other words we love so dearly. In hockey writing form.

Awesome.

So, I get e-mails.

Quite a few e-mails, actually.

Some proclaim I can enlarge my (non-existent) male genitalia, others promise low price Xanax from Canada shipped right to my door.

Same old, same old, right?

I get other e-mails too, though. Some of these e-mails, actually, really make me happy. Happy enough I don’t need that Xanax, and that’s always good, because let’s face it, who really buys fake drugs on the internet?

Oh, lots of people do?

My bad.

Anyway, I received one particular e-mail a few weeks ago from a 2MA reader named Barry, who proclaimed his undying love for this very website. He even said he’d take a bullet for the boys and me. Okay, I may have exaggerated a wee bit there, but it’s the thought that counts.

Note to self: find a point.

Ah, yes. Barry is actually quite the interesting fan, as he’s not only from Edinburgh, Scotland, he’s also a hockey player who skates for the Edinburgh Eagles. Cool, huh?

I’ve been corresponding with my buddy Barry for a little while now, and I just wanted to make note of our most recent conversation:

Neat, huh?

I’d like to take a little credit in Barry’s super awesome goal he scored, I mean, clearly the 2MA sticker had a lot to do with it.

Kidding, Barry. Please still read this site.

Alas, we love hearing stories from the 2MA readers! Don’t ever shy away from sending us a note about how awesome we are or, well, if you hate us — that’s cool too. I mean, can’t win ‘em all, right?

Heck, even send us your stories or your own commentaries, you never know, maybe they’ll pop up on 2MA sometime!

7:25 PM ET: Whew! The Devils hold off a late onslaught by the Leafs and win the game 3-2. Not the greatest win, but i’ll take it. Great game for Madden with a pair of goals in his return.  That’s all for me tonight, keep it tuned to 2ma for rants, commentary and more live-cappery in the coming days.  Goodnight!

7:23 PM ET: Extra attacker for the Leafs. Face-off in the Devils end with 30 seconds to go.

7:19 PM ET: The Devils futility on the powerplay continues, but they’ve controlled the play well for the last few minutes which is all they need to do to take home a W here. 2 minutes left.

7:13 PM ET: Zajac gets taken down on a near-breakaway. Anton Strahlman heads to the box on a tripping minor. Devils on the man advantage.

7:12 PM ET: The Devils looks like they’re out of gas. It’s all Leafs with 7 minutes to go in regulation.

7:11 PM ET: Parise gets it over to Zajac in front of the net for a great chance but Raycroft shuts the door. Still 3-2.

7:09 PM ET: The Maple Leafs are really taking it to the Devils at this point, putting a lot of pressure and throwing a lot of rubber at Brodeur, who for the moment seems to have gotten over his hiccup of poor play from earlier in the period.

7:07 PM ET: Some footage of Pandolfo skating before the game is played. Pando looks like he’s still wincing a bit through his strides but let’s hope he’s on the fast track to returning.

7:04 PM ET: Why do the Devils refuse to win a game by more than one goal?

7:02 PM ET: Uh oh, Pavel Kubina gets his own rebound off of a wrap around try and puts it in the net to make it a 3-2 game. Suddenly we’ve got a close game on our hands. Wake up boys!

6:55 PM ET: Leafs answer back quickly. Darcy Tucker takes a centering pass off his foot and it gets by Brodeur. Tucker didn’t even know he had scored. They review it quickly for a kicking motion but no dice. 3-1 Devils.

6:52 PM ET: And we’ve got another goal on the board! Martin throws one on net off a great pass from Langenbrunner who tosses it back to the point in mid-fall. Looks as though it careened off of Madden’s leg before going in and it’s under review… and.. it’s good! 3-0 NJ!!

6:45 PM ET: Looks like that last goal actually goes to Madden on a second look. So go Madd Dog! We’re underway here in the third.

6:31 PM ET: That’s the end of the second period, 2-0 Devils. Johnny Madden has had a great game so far and has really shown why the Devils have missed him so sorely over the last few games. Who knows, maybe we’ll actually even break the 3-goal mark tonight! Excitement!

6:28 PM ET: Another goal! Madden throws one across the ice to Gionta to pounds one home off the 2-on-1 with 13 seconds left. Parise did a great job to set that one up, throwing the puck up the ice and tying up a defender to set up the odd man break.

6:26 PM ET: And I spoke too soon! While I was rattling off that gem off a joke, Zajac bangs home a rebound off a Rachunek shot and we’re on the board! 1-0 New Jersey! Oduya picks up the secondary assist.

6:23 PM ET: The Devils outlast another strong Leaf powerplay, but Toronto is coming on strong here in the second period. You might even say they’ve turned over a new leaf in this period mwahahahaha… No? Sorry, I’m done.

6:22 PM ET: Martin tries his hand at quarterback, flinging a bomb that actually hits the jumbotron at center ice. Stick to your day job, Paul.

6:19 PM ET: Whoa! Brodeur makes a crazy save with what must have been the nail of his big toe. Devils take a hooking penalty though. Rachunek in the box for two, Leaf powerplay.

6:18 PM ET: Marty continues his stellar play, making a set of crucial saves through traffic on a well-organized Leaf powerplay. Me likey. Full strength hockey here in the 2nd.

6:15 PM ET: Rupp barely clips the foot of a Leaf and the Devils will be shorthanded for the first time this evening.

6:12 PM ET: If this keeps up, I think we might have to change the name of the site.

6:09 PM ET: As if there was really any doubt in your mind that this would happen, the Devils come up empty on the powerplay for the 13th straight time. Solid D by the Leafs.

6:03 PM ET: Alex Steen takes one of the more unusual minors I’ve seen this season, attempting to literally throw his stick to a defender who had broken his. Devils PP.

6:02 PM ET: More pressure by the Devils and more frustration in my heart as they still can’t put it across the line.

6:00 PM ET: Should I even bother mentioning that Marty is of course holding down the fort when the Leafs do muster a chance? He’s alright that Brodeur guy.

5:58 PM ET: The Devils just can’t convert on a rebound to save their lives. Raycroft gives up a huge rebound and then gets knocked so far out of position he was practically eating a cheesesteak with Chico, but no one’s there to pick it up. Boo.

5:55 PM ET: And we’re back!

5:38 PM ET: The period ends with Langenbrunner taking a surprisingly hard and accurate slapper from the Devils zone but we still close out 0-0. See you in 17!

5:35 PM ET: You’ve got to wonder how the Devils are feeling right now. They’ve dominated the play here in the first but can’t seem to find the back of the net. I know it’s certainly got my frustration factory working overtime.

5:30 PM ET: Now that I’ve mentioned it, the play has been pretty physical so far, which I guess has always been typical of Leafs-Devs games. Not that I’m complaining though.

5:28 PM ET: The freight train from the Ukraine Vitali Vishnevski plows through Darcy Tucker’s face. He’s a big man.

5:25 PM ET: Brodeur makes a great stop on a close shot from Alex Steen. Good to see he’s still awake back there.

5:22 PM ET: For what it’s worth, the boys look good tonight and have been dominating the play through the first ten minutes of the game. 14 shots already for the Devils.

5:20 PM ET: Zajac just flubs it on a gift wrapped, point blank 2-0 breakaway. The Leafs kill off the penalty. The Devils looked good, but once again it’s not enough.

5:19 PM ET: Man the Maple Leafs have sure got some rough names to spell.

5:17 PM ET: Asham gets taken down by Andy Wozniewski and we’ve got a Devils powerplay coming up! Although considering how it’s gone lately, that may be a bad thing.

5:12 PM ET: Both teams have come out with a lot of energy which is a great sign considering the slothtastic effort the Devs gave in this building just 48 hours ago.

5:11 PM ET: Raycroft bobbles a blast by Zubrus but he gets a handle on it and covers before Elias can slam it home. So far it looks like we’re in for a good one!

5:10 PM ET: A close call there as the Maple Leafs ding one off the iron in the early going.

5:08 PM ET: And we’re underway! None other than Madd dog takes the opening faceoff!

5:06 PM ET: No announcement on the status of Madden as of yet, but one noticeable absence from tonight’s game will be the play-by-play of Doc Emmerick, being replaced by Steve Cangialosi this evening. This could be a big blow to the Devils who have counted on Doc to get excited over the goals they have almost been scoring all year.

4:53 PM ET: Alright folks, our would-be live-capper Josh got called into work last minute, so I will once again be manning the helm here at 2ma. Bear with me while I get things set up over here but stay with us for some super mega-awesome live-cappery coming your way in just a few!

So, the Maple Leafs are in town tonight. Three weeks ago, I would’ve been excited about that. But a three-game winning streak for Leaf Nation - coupled with the Devils non-existent power play - has me a little doom and gloom about tonight’s hootenanny with our most-rivaled Canadian pals.

Hey, Madden is probable to return tonight, might be something worth smiling about if he can make it through the pre-game warm-up. By the way, that’s how it’s gonna go down. Word is that the Devils will dress 21 skaters - one more than the typical 20 - for the warm-up, and if Madden can’t go, the extra skater will step into his roster spot. That extra skater I’m going to guess is Barry Tallackson. (Lame!)

Brent Sutter is back to his line-shuffling madness, criticizing the Elias-Zubrus-Gionta line and eventually breaking up the trio at yesterday’s practice. Gionta, somewhat surprisingly, has been dropped into a checking role, forming a line with John Madden and Sergei Brylin. David Clarkson has stepped up a bit, scoring a spot on a line with Patrik Elias and Dainius Zubrus. The only certainty that Devils fans can harness right now is:

A) Martin Brodeur will start each game from now until he All-Star break.

B) They will begin to free-fall through the Atlantic Division standings if the power play doesn’t learn that it takes more than point-shots to a congested net to be successful.

Sorry. Felt myself starting to lose it there.

As far as the Leafs are concerned, things are looking good in Toronto for the first time since Bill Barilko laced ‘em up. Alright, that’s a complete over-exaggeration, but the Leafs have been playing some solid hockey, and are continuing to ride some Class-A goaltending, which has been few and far between this season. Many have said that the Leaf roster is full of “mediocre” players, but I’ve found myself disagreeing with that statement, and the recent outcomes of their previous games somewhat supports my feeling.

Anyway, I’m sure The Rock will be a mixed bag tonight, as Leaf Nation seems to invade any arena at any given time across the continental U.S. As long as they dedicate a few cheers for the Giants, everything will be cool.

On that note, I leave you with once closing statement… GO BIG BLUE!!!

9:39 PM ET: BREAKING POST-GAME NEWS!!!@! Steve Cangialosi just announced that Sidney Crosby suffered a high-ankle sprain in the Penguins game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and will be out for four weeks. In other news, the NHL simultaneously announced that they will be suspending all operations while their golden child recoups and will pick up once again in late February. See you then!

9:26 PM ET: And that’s it for me tonight, tune in as always in the coming days for some expert commentary, rants and maybe even another live-cap on Sunday! Goodnight!

9:23 PM ET: And that’s that. Panthers win 2-1. Jacques Martin gets his 500th career win as a coach so congrats to him. Devils just didn’t seem like they wanted it. They weren’t terrible, but they didn’t at any point look like they were going to get back in it after they went down.

9:21 PM ET: The devils just flounder in the ensuing play and eventually bring it back in for an offside call. 6.4 seconds left. faceoff outside the Panthers zone.

9:19 PM ET: Brodeur is pulled but the Devils are playing some uninspired hockey right now. Devils get a timeout on a bad dump for an icing by Ruslan Salei with just over 30 seconds remaining.

9:15 PM ET: Good kill by New Jersey as time ticks down here in the 3rd. 4 minutes left.

9:12 PM ET: Devils draw a penalty. Sucktastic. A holding call on Greene drawn by David Booth of the Panthers, who Chico just called ‘a phone booth on wheels.’

9:09 PM ET: Langenbrunner loses control of the puck in what would have been a three-on-one. Boo. 7 minutes left.

9:04 PM ET: Who checks a guy that was just hit in the face with a puck anyways? Bryan Allen (not Greg Campbell) is an asshat.

9:03 PM ET: Well Gio’s back on the ice after taking a Paul Martin shot to the face and then a Panther check while hobbling off the ice. So that’s awesome. Let’s hope for a slingshot in the other direction and two quick Devils goals!

8:58 PM ET: Ok so this is a blueprint for how a game can go from good to terrible in 2 minutes. Gionta takes a hard shot from Martin, looks injured, then is knocked down on his way off the ice by Greg Campbell. Yikes.

8:55 PM ET: Oh man. That turned around in a hurry. David Booth, who Doc and Chico have been salivating over for the entire game, knocks one past Brodeur off the board 100 seconds after Dvorak’s goal.

8:54 PM ET: Ouch. A good attack by the Panthers leads to a wide open rebound goal by Radek Dvorak. 1-1.

8:52 PM ET: We’re underway in the third!

8:39 PM ET: Sorry there folks. A minor computer meltdown. Brodeur was unaffected though as he makes another nutty save to close out the period. We’re still 1-0 going into the last 20 minutes of regulation. Marty is putting on a clinic so far.

8:23 PM ET: Ok, I think the Panthers just feel bad for the Devils now. They throw an extra man out on the ice and draw a too many men minor and we have ANOTHER PP for the Devils. A goal please?

8:21 PM ET: Some excellent pressure by the Devils on the power play, but once again to no avail. Have we even scored one with the man advantage in 2008? Geez. This is getting ridic.

8:18 PM ET: Fourth time’s a charm? Maybe? Hopefully? Please? Panthers take ANOTHER penalty, this time a hooking call on Nathan Horton as he takes a down Clarkson in front.

8:15 PM ET: Halfway through the second and we’re back at full strength. Not a whole lot of action on the PP and the Devs impotency on with the man advantage continues. boo.

8:12 PM ET: Rupp draws another penalty from the Panthers, who look like they’re getting frustrated with the Devils physical play. Bouwmeester takes a hooking call and we’re back on the power play.

8:10 PM ET: Some more good pressure by the Devils but to no avail. Full strength hockey at the Rock with 12 to go in the 2nd.

8:09 PM ET: The Panthers take a Johnny Oduya special delay of game penalty and we’ve got another power play!

8:05 PM ET: Clarkson tangles with Tanner Glass of the Panthers. Glass forces Clarkson up against the boards at first but Clarkie regains his footing and takes control of the fight. Man, Clarkson looks angry as hell as he heads to the box. Edge: Clarkson.

8:03 PM ET: Anderson looks frightened by a Rachunek slap shot that he barely shrugs off and Pelley is knocked down and nearly puts the rebound home anyways. Still 1-0.

8:01 PM ET: And a goal for Travis Zajac!! He takes a flipped pass from Langenbrunner and puts it home for his 5th in the last 8 games! Travis Zajac: So hot right now.

8:00 PM ET: And we’re back. Marty opens up the period with a few solid stops.

7:42 PM ET: Period over, let’s hope for some more action in 17!

7:40 PM ET: Bouwmeester snaps a rocket off the pipe from the point but the Devils get it out of the zone safely.

7:37 PM ET: Action is finally picking up in the last few minutes. Devs and Panthers are trading chances. Vishnevski takes a holding penalty though and the Panthers have a 2 minute advantage. Doc and Chico haven’t even mentioned it however, once again rambling off into the distance.

7:34 PM ET: WHOA! Crazy save by Marty to break the boredom! He breaks across the net to bicycle kick a great chance by the Panthers. Wow.

7:28 PM ET: Ahhh! A bunch of fairly neutral play turns into a near breakaway chance that’s muffed by Parise. Didn’t he hear that we just signed Erik Rasmussen!? He’s eying your spot Zach!

7:25 PM ET: No dice. Penalty over.

7:23 PM ET: Strong control so far but it hasn’t translated to a lot of shots. Chico suggests shooting in order to score on the powerplay. It just may work by golly!

7:21 PM ET: Devils powerplay! Let’s resurrect it boys!

7:17 PM ET: A couple bouncy deflections nearly get by Panthers goalie Craig Anderson and then Zajac rips a strong one into his pads. Wakey wakey guys!

7:15 PM ET: It’s early, but both teams look pretty sluggish in the first five.

7:12 PM ET: Fairly boring few minutes but Brodeur makes a sprawling save on a quick chance by the Panthers.

7:09 PM ET: And we’re underway!

7:07 PM ET: Wow I know the Devils attendance hasn’t exactly been off the charts this year, but do they really need to advertise the fact that the Giants game will be on at all the bars for Sunday’s game? Sheesh.

7:05 PM ET: In a spot of good news, Karel Rachunek is back this evening. I for one thought he was turning in a pretty damn good season before he went down, so I’m excited.

7:01 PM ET: Still no Madden tonight. Sadness.

6:55 PM ET: For this edition of master-cap theater, we’ll be chronicling the fearsome battle between the Florida Panthers, losers of 8 of their last 10, and our own New Jersey Devils, looking to rebound after losing their 23,405th straight contest against a team from the tri-state area. Join us, won’t you?

What better to do on a Friday night then grab a few beers and party hard with the Devils as they close out the season series with Florida? Coming to 2MA for the greatest picture in hockey-blog history!

How about fixing the power play!

Let’s face it, the Devs power play single-handedly sank them against the Islanders for, oh, the ninetieth time this year. It would be just dandy to see New Jersey spend a little time on the pee-pee in practice. Wait…what’s that you say? They do work on it a lot? Yikes. Not Cool.

Although Brent Sutter would prefer to dress six twelve forwards and six defensemen every game, that won’t be the case tonight. With defenseman Karel Rachunek ready to return to the lineup, Sutter has decided to dress seven d-men and give Barry Tallackson’s under-achieving ass a one-way ticket back to Lowell. Rachunek’s return should, and hopefull will, bolster that ever-ailing Devils powerplay.

John Madden, who was expected to return tonight, will unfortunately sit out his second straight contest with that danged cut on his ankle. Mr. Dog had skated in practice earlier today, but was unable to finish the entire workout. If the Devils are going to continue to play the way they did against the Isles without him, they better invest some of their money in Stem Cell Research and get that man patched up PDQ! They can’t afford to play anymore hockey the way they did Wednesday night.

Speaking of which, Black ‘N Red may want to do some scoreboard watching tonight, as the Pittsburgh Penguins will be looking to dethrone the Devils atop the Atlantic Division standings. Both teams are currently tied for the first spot with 55 points apiece, and both will be in action tonight.

Not much left to do but sit back and enjoy the game, the Devils and Panthers always make for an entertaining night on the ice.

One thing I ask of you - remember to do your best “Penguins-Lose Dance.” A little superstition never hurt anyone, eh?

The Devils signed Erik Rasmussen today.

New Jersey, I apologize for having to break such terrible news.

But hey, on the bright side, he was immediately assigned to Lowell.

You know, the Baby Devils couldn’t get much worse anyway, so it may entirely be a moot point.

Massachusetts, I also apologize to you.

I guess that’s what happens when you lose to the Islanders like seven thousand times within the span of, oh, I dunno, half a season.

I still say conspiracy, by the way.

Apparently, it’s impossible for Black ‘n Red to beat the New York Islanders.

This is quite disappointing, and frankly, it really disturbs me.

I call conspiracy.

Or shenanigans.

It’s gotta be something.

You know?

So here we are again.

Tonight we’re staring at another showdown with our cross-river rivals, the New York Islanders, who have inexplicably joined the Rangers in dominating our boys for the first half of the season.  In fact, the Rangers and Islanders have combined to hand the Devils a whopping 44 percent of their losses (that’s 8 of 18 for you non-math whizzes out there) thus far this season, which is nearly as scary as me figuring out the arithmetic for that percentage.

2008 is a new year though and the Devils are looking to assert some of the dominance they’ve had over, oh say, everyone else in the league to Nassau County’s finest. The Devils come into tonight’s game having won 10 of 11 at the Rock and are coming off a gritty come-from-behind win over the Atomic Slugs of Buffalo (thank you Joe) on Saturday evening.

Unfortunately they’ll have to beat up on the Islanders without the steady all-around play of John Madden, who has joined linemate Jay Pandolfo on the injury list for what hopefully will only be a few games. Madden sustained a deep 2.5 inch gash near his ankle after it met the unfriendly end of Henrik Tallinder’s skate during Saturday’s game. Rachunek and Cam Jansen are also still working their way back from injuries, and will not play.

The Devils have once again turned to Barry Tallackson to fill the injury hole, so let’s hope he steps up his play just a touch from his last few less than stellar stints on the big-boy rink.

The most notable change in the Islanders lineup since the Devils last saw the team will be the subtraction of Chris Simon, currently serving his most recent 6345 game suspension for being the biggest (though certainly not the sharpest) tool in the team’s utility belt. Presumably this can only work to their advantage.

There likely won’t be any surprises in net tonight — odds are Brodeur be staring at (and hopefully outplaying) Ricky DiPietro from across the rink as we get underway shortly after 7.

Be sure to tune it to 2ma in the coming days for post-game praise or anger and of course your usual helping of rants, commentary and general awesomeness.

The comeback trail begins tonight!

All that packing and unpacking in the early stages of the season is finally paying off for the New Jersey Devils. Of their next eighteen scheduled games, fifteen of those will be played at home. The Devils are well aware of it, and their opponents should be, too, if they know what’s good for them.

Home ice has been much more than just an advantage this year for the Devils, it’s been downright unfair. After showing signs that it may take them a season or two to get used to The Rock, the Devils have been stockpiling win after win on home ice. Their current home record stands at 13-5-0, including a loud 10-1-0 record in their last eleven home contests.

Before everyone starts to do the happy-dance, let it be known that New Jersey will more than likely have to kick off this stretch without the services of John Madden, who suffered a pretty nasty laceration in the Devils 3-2 come-from-behind shootout victory over Buffalo this past Saturday. It is speculated that Mad Dog will only miss “a couple” of games due to the cut. He is currently awaiting results of an MRI. With Madden out, the Devils will have to find a way to win without their two most relied-upon defensive specialists in Madden and the still-ailing Jay Pandolfo.

Included within this upcoming myriad of home games, the Devils will play one-third of those games (thats five games, for the mathematically inclined) at home against Atlantic Division foes. Giving consideration to the fact that the Atlantic Division standings are as close as Paul Maurice is to losing his job, those games will be huge. This is a perfect opportunity for the Devils to surmount themselves atop the Atlantic Division and relieve some of the stress they feel game in and game out the way the Division sits right now.

The stretch of home games will kick off tomorrow night, and will go a long way in telling how the next month will unfold. The Devils will host the New York Islanders, a team they are winless against this year, mustering only one point in four attempts with their lesser rivals from New York. After their date with the Islanders, the Devils will close out this week by facing off with the Florida Panthers, a team Black ‘n Red has had some success against in both this season, and seasons past.

If the Devils find a way to produce more of the same over the next month or so,  opponents should take notice - when you come to The Rock, it’s not your typical road game. You’ll be playing in Hell.