Shanahan’s Return Not the Only Story in Jersey
The last time Brendan Shanahan wore the uniform of the New Jersey Devils was the spring of 1991. The first George Bush was still President, and the Devils were still clad in that god awful red, white and green uniform that evoked the spirit of Christmas all season long -- and not in a good way.↵↵Shanahan has an odd legacy in New Jersey. Normally, a fan base wouldn’t be terribly forgiving of a second overall pick leaving the team for St. Louis as a free agent after only four seasons, scoring 88 goals and generally looking like the future of the franchise. Then again, in one of the greatest heists in NHL history, the Devils somehow convinced an arbitrator that defenseman Scott Stevens was the only proper compensation the franchise should get in exchange for losing Shanahan to free agency.↵
↵↵After 13 seasons with Stevens in the lineup, four trips to the Finals and three Stanley Cups, it’s safe to say the New Jersey fanbase can afford to be forgiving. And certainly, Shanahan’s welcome back to New Jersey at the team’s relatively new arena will be all the warmer after he scored a power play goal Monday night in his first game back in a Devils uniform, a 3-1 win over Nashville.↵
↵
↵Better yet, the win in Nashville serves as something of a milestone this season for the Devils. It wasn't all that long ago that plenty of observers -- myself included -- were wondering out loud what the Devils were going to do with future Hall of Fame goal Martin Brodeur out of the lineup after he tore his left bicpes. ↵
↵↵After a few fits and starts in the early going with Scott Clemmensen taking over as the primary starter, the Devils are now 22-13-1 without Brodeur. Bolstered by the return of injured veterans like Bobby Holik and Brian Rolston -- both of whom returned from exile to rejoin the Devils before this season -- the Devils have seemingly only gotten stronger in Brodeur’s absence. And with Monday night’s win, the team slipped past the Rangers to take first place in the Atlantic Division and third in the Eastern Conference, just four points behind second place Washington.↵
↵↵If Brodeur’s recovery proceeds on schedule, he’ll return with more than enough time left in the season to shake the rust off ahead of the playoffs. Best of all, he’ll be well rested, something few, if any, other goaltenders will be able to say come April and May.↵
↵
This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
See More:
