Oh Kovy, You Devil: The Return

Admittedly, the sight is quite odd...

Atlanta Thrashers play-by-play guy and FOSG Dan Kamal interviewed New Jersey Devils' winger Ilya Kovalchuk about what the vibe is like coming to the place where he was the face of a franchise for eight seasons...

The word Kovy used was "weird."

And, yeah, it was weird seeing someone who, literally, grew up in front of you turn into a hired gun for Devils GM Lou Lamoriello. Who is that guy after Jamie Langenbrunner...???

Yup... Number 17 is in road whites...
((the line-up card is your pictured evidence, thanks to me))

Much like Dany Heatley, whether it was in Ottawa or San Jose road sweaters, Kovalchuk got booed every time he touched the puck. And where Heatley is considered something of a quitter by the fan base in Atlanta, Kovalchuk is a Benedict Arnold-type. Kovy was offered the largest contract in the history of the franchise ((10 years and US$100M)) that would have crippled the team financially under its own budget constraints, and Ilya stil said "No."

Although the HQ thinks that it was more Kovalchuk's agent, Jay Grossman, turning the team down more than his player.

So, tonight was the return... sitting on the right-hand bench for a change.
((Philips Arena crow's nest view pictured, again thanks to me))

And it was a game that the Thrashers needed far more than the Devils. If the Devils won, they would be a step up for the #2 Seed in the east, while the Thrash were trying just to close the gap and make the playoffs to be the sacrificial 8-seed to Washington.

The Thrashers showed they are who they are- disappointingly average- and the Devils are who they are- the #2 seed in the East. A microcosm of the season happened in the second period, a Devils turnover gave Maxim Afinogenov a breakaway opportunity. Instead of skating in and shooting, he put on the brakes in the slot in front of Martin Brodeur and tried a centering pass. It was deflected and the opportunity, probably the Thrashers best on the night, was out the door...

"It was a different experience," Kovalchuk admitted afterward, "but it was fun, yeah." He expected to be booed by the crowd, but he also said it happens that way all the time.

Brodeur picks up his 110th career shutout and 600th career win in the 3-0 final.

"It was nice to have won the game," Kovalchuk added. "I think we may have eliminated them tonight, but it's all about winning. It was nice to see friends and ex-teammates, but it was nice to win."

And that's the difference and the bottom line as to why 17 had to leave...
Salary cap and the size of the wallet be damned...

Here's your highlights...
((HT: FS South/NHL))

One Save Martin Brodeur Couldn't Make

[HT/AP]

Days after breaking the NHL record for wins by a goalie, the Devils' Martin Brodeur has been dealt an alimony setback by a New Jersey appeals court.

The court ruled that Brodeur must pay his ex-wife $500,000 a year until 2020.
A lower court originally awarded Brodeur's ex-wife, Melanie DuBois limited alimony.

Brodeur appealed, asking that he only be required to pay alimony until he retires, which he estimated to be in 2012. DuBois asked for alimony payments until 2024, when their youngest is anticipated to graduate from college.

The court ordered Brodeur to pay alimony until 2020, the year the youngest child graduates high school.

I guess retirement in 2012 doesn't look so good now. Brodeur has 10 more good years left at goal for the Devils.

Photo Courtesy: Tom Hanson Canadian Press

Breaking News: Brodeur Wins #552

New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur became the winningest goaltender in National Hockey League history Tuesday evening with a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at the Prudential Center in Newark.

A Dustin Byfuglien goal with just over a minute to go in regulation closed the Devils lead to one, but Brodeur ((pictured, thanks Chris Faytok/Newark Star-Ledger)) made a pad save with three seconds left to preserve the win.

After the final horn, Brodeur proceeded to use a pair of scissors to cut the netting from the goal as a keepsake.

He needed a little help from back-up goalie Kevin Weekes and captain Jamie Langenbrunner to pry the net from the iron.

Brodeur passed childhood idol and Hall of Famer Patrick Roy for the most career victories in league history. He made 30 saves in the win.

The victory came in Brodeur’s 987th game in a 15-year career played entirely with the Devils.
During that tenure, the likable Brodeur has led the Devils to three Stanley Cups and won four Vezina trophies as the league’s top goaltender.

Now he holds the wins record, and others could soon fall. He is within four shutouts of passing Terry Sawchuk (103) for the league record, and at 36 he has a chance to push his win total well beyond 600.

“If this continues being fun, I’ll stick around for a long time,” Brodeur said during an on-ice interview after the game.

Brodeur tied the mark in an emotional setting, his hometown of Montreal on Saturday night with Roy in attendance.

With family in the crowd in Newark, Brodeur took the ice in front of a full house that cheered him from the warmup to the final buzzer, mostly with the echoing chant of “Mart-tee, Mart-tee, Mart-tee.”

Those cheers turned to “Thank you, Marty” as the clock ticked down. Brodeur preserved the win with one last save in the closing seconds.

“Martin Brodeur is the gold standard of goaltending—the model of character, consistency and commitment to the craft,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a prepared statement. “A champion. A winner above all.

“It is difficult to imagine any player who is more universally, and deservedly, respected,” Bettman added. “The National Hockey League is extremely proud of Martin, his historic achievement and his enduring contribution to our game.”

Here's the end of the game...
"Doc" Emrick and Chico Resch on the call...
((HT: TSN/MSG+))