Devils hope to take out the Thrash

It's time to put the game against Washington behind them and move on. The Devils are visiting Atlanta Friday night to face one of the worst teams in the league. However, the Devils have struggled against them this season for some reason. The last matchup between these two teams was by far the Devils worst performance of the season where Kari Lehtonen blanked them 4-0 in front of a none to please Prudential Center crowd. Hopefully that was just an off night. The Devils have won 3 straight games at Phillips Arena,

All signs point to Scott Clemmensen getting the nod between the pipes again Friday night. I personally, disagree with the decision and think Kevin Weekes should get the start but the only thing I can think of is that Coach Sutter is hoping to restore Clemmensen's confidence after a shaky game Tuesday night against the Caps. With games Saturday and Monday, I would think Weekes will get the start in at least one and my guess is that it will be Saturday night against the Kings whom he's has already beaten this season.

Up front, I dont expect any changes even though Brendan Shanahan has not been practicing. The team is stating that they are just keeping him fresh, and I agree that it is a great move. No reason tiring him out. He has been around long enough to be able to not practice and still perform at game time. The hot line continues to be the ZZ-Pops line (Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner). They have been on fire as of late especially Jamie Langenbrunner who has 7 goals in his last 4 games. That is not to slight the Elias-Zubrus-Gionta line who has been just as good. It seems like every other night it is a different line doing all the scoring and that is a great sign for a team that has Stanley Cup hopes.

The defense will also remain the same. For a no-name defense, they sure have done a hell of a job. The media has been writing this team off since the offseason because of the lack of experience and "talent" on our blue line. I think it is safe to say they have shut those clowns up at this point. The Devils own the 5th best GAA in the league and have given up only 128 goals (5th best in the NHL). Part of that is the solid play of Scott Clemmensen but he can't do it by himself and he has been getting alot of help.

Players to Watch:

Zach Parise has 7 goals and 4 assists in his last 12 games against Atlanta and look for that to continue. Zach had a ton of excellent scoring chances against Washington and just couldnt get one to go in. Zach is a pitbull on the puck and will continue to get his chances. With hands like his it's only a matter of time.

Travis Zajac is playing his best hockey as a professional. He is consistently getting scoring chances on the PK and is keeping the opposing PP on their toes. He is winning 51.7% of his faceoffs. He has 15 points in his last 11 games and has been a +15. He is quickly developing in to the playmaking center the Devils have lacked since the departure of Scott Gomez. Coming off a sophomore slump Travis has really gotten his act together - 15 G - 28A - 43P - +26

Brian Rolston scored his 5th PPG of the season Tuesday night. The Devils are looking for more from him. He scored against Atlanta earlier this season before leaving the game with the high ankle sprain that put him on the shelf for a while. Power Play goals are great but we need more out of him even strength and I think he will show up on the scoresheet in this one as well.

Prediction: Devils come out on fire looking for some payback for the 4-0 beatdown they took in January. Devils win 5-1. Parise with 2 goals, Zajac with a goal and 2 assists.