VOORHEES, NJ – You have to go back to the 1996-97 National Hockey League season to find the last time Martin Brodeur played fewer than 70 games during the regular season. Unfortunately for Brodeur, that streak came to an end when he suffered an injury to the distal bicep in his left elbow during the New Jersey Devils match with the Atlanta Thrashers on November 1.
The injury, for which Brodeur will miss close to 3-4 months of play, has not slowed down the Devils. After losing five of the first six games without
Kevin Weekes, who was the Devils #2 keeper last season, took over in the first three games of Brodeur’s absence before sitting in place of Scott Clemmensen.
Clemmensen, taken by the Devils in the eighth round of the 1997 entry draft, spent six seasons in the
Since making his season debut against the Edmonton Oilers on November 9, Clemmensen has put up an 8-3-0 record with a goals against average (GAA) of 2.43. His previous high for games played in the NHL was 13 in 2005-06.
Meanwhile Weekes has a 2-4-0 record and 3.06 GAA. New Jersey’s overall record of 16-9-2 (through December 13) still has them in the thick of the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division races as the team awaits the return of the future Hall of Fame goalie, hopefully as early as February.
On the offensive side, Zach Parise is on a pace to set career highs across the board. After scoring 32 goals and adding 33 assists last season in 81 games, Parise already has 16 goals and 17 assists in 27 games to lead the
Patrik Elias is having a solid season as well with 13 goals and 16 assists while Brian Gionta leads the team with 18 assists.
If the offense can keep up their solid play, and the tag-team of Clemmensen and Weekes continue theirs, the Devils will benefit late in the season with a healthy and well rested Brodeur to make a run at a fourth Stanley Cup title.
Contact the author at tom.hoffman@prohockeynews.com
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