Peyton Manning retiring from football means his acting career has just begun

Peyton Manning is announcing his retirement tomorrow. His career highlights:

5-time NFL MVP
2 Super Bowl titles in 4 trips
Super Bowl XLI MVP
14-time Pro Bowl selection
7-time first-team All-Pro

One of the greatest football players of all time, no doubt. First ballot hall-of-famer.  I think we were all expecting/hoping he would retire after looking so old this year.  He couldn't throw a pass more than 10 yards and it looked like his body could literally fall apart at any moment.  That's not the point though.  The point is that as the door closes on his football career, another one opens on his acting career.

This is good news for all of us.  Chicken-parm-you taste-so-good. 

P.S.  I wonder if anyone at his retirement press conference will ask him about the whole dragging his balls across a girl's face in college thing...

I'm a little nervous about Cory Schneider's injury

Cory Schneider (lower body; out Sunday vs. Pittsburgh) will be evaluated today in New Jersey. The team will update his status on Sunday.

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) March 5, 2016

I'm nervous about this being a serious injury for Schneider. It did not look good when it happened.  

I'm assuming it's his groin, obviously the Devils are only saying it's a lower body injury.  We'll know more later today.  If it is anywhere close to being serious, I say sit him down for the rest of the season.  Not worth it this year.  Goalies need healthy groins.  We aren't playing enough consistent hockey to get in the playoffs, plain and simple.  And, I don't think we need to put anymore pressure on Schneider.  His back probably already has been hurting from carrying the team all year.

He's put da team on his back like Greg Jennings in Madden...

We don't need need to risk anything though.  Give Kinkaid the extra time to prove himself. He looks hungry, and he's looked really sharp in his last couple outings, including when he came in to replace Schneider against Dallas.  If he shows some flashes, he may be a trade chip for this summer, similar to what Cam Talbot was for the Rangers last year when he filled in for Lundqvist for an extended period of time.  Just trying to see the glass half full here, guys.

5 points out of a wildcard spot, the Devils play the team they are chasing today, Pittsburgh.  But, there are now two more teams in front of them in the standings vying for the same spot, Philly and Carolina. New Jersey is hanging on for dear life.  Their playoff hopes are like a loose tooth that you let dangle there when you're a kid even though you know you can easily pull it out.  Just hanging on when you really should just yank it out.  The severity of the Schneider injury will most likely determine whether of not they rip that dangling tooth out for good.  

I can't decide if the Devils are dead or alive

Last week, the Devils beat Rangers in pretty convincing fashion.  Then, they got blown out in Columbus and at home against Tampa.This week, they score 1 goal and lose to Carolina at home, then go on the road and come from behind to beat Nashville in OT.  Are the Devils dead or alive?  They are only 5 points out of the wildcard with 17 games left, so yes, they are technically very much alive.  I just don't know if they have the scoring punch to get it done night in and night out.  We traded our top scorer and are still mightily struggling to score 5 on 5.

The guys we needed to step up last night certainly did though.  Henrique and Palmieri proved that they are the go-to guys.  If the Devils want to make the playoffs, each of them will need to stay hot.  Zajac got on the board last night.  So did Devante Smith-Pelly in his first game as a Devil, with a goal and an assist.  I see him very much in a similar role to Wayne Simmonds with Philly.  And I'm not saying that because they are both black, silly. He's a guy who puts himself in front of the net, disrupts the other team's goalie, and cleans up the garbage.

Still, as I've been saying all year, the Devils need consistent secondary scoring if they want to make any sort of run.  In my opinion, the 4th line is an absolute waste, and I really don't expect any production from any of those guys with the way things are going.  I include Kennedy in there too, who was benched last night. Blandisi and Boucher will be key.  They've been a bit recklessly lately, but that is to be expected from young players.  

We know the Devils haven't been able to get it done 5 on 5.  But, you can't help but praise them for taking advantage of the opportunities they get on the power play.  Three more power play goals last night, which doesn't include when they pulled Kinkaid and tied up the game with an extra skater with just a minute left in the 3rd.  They've proved that they can hang in those situations.  But, will it be enough?

Snapping the 3 game losing streak was huge last night.  It was a jolt that they desperately needed to stay in the playoff race.  They were a little shaky defensively, leaving the Predators wide open for three of their goals.  Both were on the powerplay as well. Hopefully they can regroup and hopefully Severson gets back in the lineup.  Jon Merrill did not look good last night. I'm very interested to see which team shows up tonight against Dallas.  

I still know that even if we do sneak in to the playoffs, we probably will get bounced in the first round.  But, I still want to see this team fight down the stretch.  Some people think the Devils should tank to get a better draft pick.  Not me.  This is a rebuilding process, but if they fight hard the rest of this year, it will definitely be something to build on next year.  

Henrik Lundqvist is mad!

You mad bro? pic.twitter.com/SzGIETehB5

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 4, 2016

Typical behavior from the Queen.

Kovalchuk return to NHL rumors heating up

I blogged about Kovalchuk last week when it came out that he had been benched and stripped of his captaincy by his KHL team during their playoff series.  He'll be under contract until at least April 30th, and it's looking more and more like he may try and return to the NHL next season. It would be complicated though. He would need approval from all 30 NHL teams since he officially did retire and he would need to clear waivers.  There is a loophole to this for the Devils though.  The collective bargaining agreement says that a player can move from the "Voluntarily Retired List" to the "Reserve List at any time after one year from the date of registration...by filing any currently valid contract, option, or try-out."  If the Devils wanted to make use of this rule, they could sign him without needing the approval from the rest of the league.

Ray Shero was asked about the possibility of Kovalchuk returning earlier in the week.  He deflected the question saying he "hasn't heard anything" and said it would be up to the league if he did try and return.  He certainly didn't say no.  The issue of his contract would be up to the league, but the Devils do hold his rights.  Another question would be, does Kovalchuk have to play under his old contract?  That could be a dealbreaker at a $6.67 million cap hit every year.  The price just may be too high if that is the case.

The more I think about it, the more I could see Shero going for it if Kovalchuk.  Who is Kovalchuk to Ray Shero?  A game-changer, is what he is. Think about it. The Devils were a much different franchise back in 2013 when he left.  Lou was the GM who orchestrated his contract.  There are now different owners, different management, different coaches, and a lot of different players.  The only people who really still feel the sting of Kovalchuk leaving are the fans.  And what do they think?  There was a vote on NJ.com asking whether or not fans would want him back.  60% were saying yes, and 40% were saying no last time I checked.

I'm obviously not a fan of the guy for the way he abruptly left the Devils in 2013.  He's a douche.  Could I get past what happened if he actually did snake his way back in? It's like getting getting back together with an ex-girlfriend who cheated on you, left you for some Russian dude and now wants you back. She's super hot, so you can't help but consider it.  I don't know why, but this is really messing with my head even though it's all speculation right now.  For a team that desperately needs scoring, he might be able to jumpstart the Devils' rebuild.  You would hope.  But, he will be 33 at the beginning of next season.  He's had a down year in the KHL.  Is he over the hill and past his prime?

This will be a very interesting situation to keep an eye on in the coming months.  There is one thing for sure with Ilya Kovalchuk;  wherever he goes, drama seems to follow.  He really is the crazy ex-girlfriend of the Devils.

Northeastern Hockey is on fire

I saw this tweet from ESPN's John Buccigross aka Bucci Mane tonight:

Best record since Dec 19
N'Eastern 14-1-2
Denver 12-1-3
Yale 13-2-2
Michigan 11-2-2
Quinnipiac 10-1-5 pic.twitter.com/V5nouDb4lB

— John Buccigross (@Buccigross) March 3, 2016

14-1-2 since December 19th, best in college hockey during that time.  I'm pretty sure Northeastern could beat the Devils right now.  I don't follow the Huskies as closely anymore now that I don't live in Boston, but it's great to see them back in the mix, now just outside the top 25.  Good article about them getting back on track before going on this run.

Some one my best memories from college were going to Northeastern hockey games.  Before you turned 21 and could go out to bars, that was the thing to do.  Matthews Arena. Cheap booze in water bottles. The Doghouse. The chants. The rivalries with BC and BU. Incredible atmosphere. I remember watching Cory Schneider play for BC when he was a senior and I was a freshman.  Pretty crazy.  Hopefully they will make some noise in the Hockey East playoffs.

If you ever want to really experience a college hockey game, go watch a Hockey East game at Matthews Arena.  So much history.  Built in 1910, it's the oldest indoor ice hockey arena still being used for hockey.  It's also the oldest multi-purpose athletic building still in use in the world.  It was even the original home of the Bruins.  Do yourself a favor, go to Boston for a weekend and catch a game there.  You won't regret it. Man do I miss college.

If Northeastern could only win the freaking Beanpot for once...

Devils Trade Deadline Recap

Recap of Devils moves yesterday:

Traded D Eric Gelinas to Colorado for a 2017 third-round draft pick. 

Recalled F Stefan Matteau from Albany (AHL) and traded him to Montreal for F Devante Smith-Pelly. 

Acquired a 2016 fourth-round draft pick and a 2017 second-round draft pick from Boston for RW Lee Stempniak. 

Claimed D David Warsofsky off waivers from Pittsburgh.

All things considered, I think the Devils made smart moves.  They didn't try to do too much.  Ray Shero has a good idea of who this team is at this point in the season.  Are they still in the playoff race?  Yes.  Is this team going to win the cup this year?  No.  And that's what it comes down to.  On the surface, the lowest scoring team in the league trading their leading scorer doesn't make sense.  But, for these New Jersey Devils, it does.  It's about next year, and the years to come, not this year. Shero has built a Stanley Cup-winning team before, and it's doesn't happen overnight

I was hoping that they could get a 2nd round pick for Stempniak, which they did.  Shero also snagged a 4th rounder.  It's a deal that actually works out well for both teams involved, I think he is going to fit in very well playing in Boston, most likely with Marchand and Bergeron.  For the Devils, they sold high and got assets for the future.  With Stempniak gone and Cammalleri seemingly out for the year at this point, guys like Blandisi and Boucher are going to be asked to step up and fill the scoring void.  Next man up.

I wasn't surprised that Gelinas was dealt, though I suspected it wouldn't happen until the draft.  He hasn't seemed to fit into the Devils plans and couldn't stay in the lineup. A starting spot on D was his to lose, and he lost it to Seth Helgeson. Gelinas simply hasn't developed the way the Devils expected the past two years.  A think a fresh start in Colorado will be good for him.  Getting a 3rd round pick in return was a solid move by Shero.

I did not expect the Matteau trade, but I'm glad we did it.  He has been an absolute bust in my opinion and has not played anywhere near the level of a first round pick.  He's barely been able to crack the lineup.  I don't care what he's done in the AHL because he's proved nothing in the NHL.  Plus, I still hate his father.

The guy we got back for him from Montreal, Devante Smith-Pelly should fit well in John Hynes' system.  The Devils don't really have a power forward like him.  While he's not a top-6 forward, he brings some toughness that we sorely need.

I don't know much about David Warsofsky, who they claimed off waivers, other than he has played for Hynes before. Just another Pittsburgh cast-off now playing for the Devils.

The only thing that really surprised me was that Schlemko wasn't dealt.  I'm sure there were offers, but you can't sell if the price isn't right.

So, this is the team for the rest of the 2016 season.  Can the Devils sneak in the playoffs?  If they do, it will be on the back of Cory Schneider.  Maybe shaking things up a bit will help?  The trade deadline has passed, so that isn't a distraction anymore.  Young guys will have to step up and produce with Stempniak leaving.  Regardless, I think the Devils future looks bright and Ray Shero and John Hynes have this team headed in the right direction.