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Lemaire waiting for a spark

Lemaire waiting for a spark Won't shift Devils' defense for more offense By MARK J. CZERWINSKI Staff Writer DENVER - Considering they won just four games in December, has the time come for the Devils to undergo a radical personality change? Desperate as coach Jacques Lemaire may be, he's not ready to shift his team's emphasis from defense to offense in an effort to get back on the right track. And, when you look at the numbers, that's probably a good thing. "We feel we're doing a good job defensively," Lemaire said Tuesday from Vail, Colo., where his team spent two days preparing for tonight's matchup with the Colorado Avalanche at McNichols Arena (9 o'clock, SportsChannel). "At least there's one part of the game we're satisfied with." Take Sunday's 5-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. That game sums up everything that has gone wrong for this team during its descent into the depths of the Atlantic Division. "Let's say we try to go for a little more offense," said Lemaire, whose team is 0-9- 3 on the road since Nov. 12. "You know, having the defensemen carry the puck and pinch and all that. If we did that, I feel we would give up more chances to the opponent. "Look at Sunday's game. Chicago had , four great chances to score. Nine chances [on 15 shots]. We're talking about offense? We had 19 chances [on 29 shots]. The chances are there. We just don't score." Winger Jocelyn Lemieux, who missed two games with a bruised right shoulder, returns to the lineup for as showdown with his big brother, Claude. But Jocelyn's a role player who can't - and shouldn't be expected to - jump-start the offense. On this team, that burden belongs to winger Stephane Richer. Yes, he's had a bad wrist, but even when healthy he hasn't been producing. Richer's playing well defensively, particularly while ki killing penalties, but scoring six goals in 29 games is unacceptable for someone with his skill and reputation. The same can be said for winger Brian Rolston (one goal in 21 games) and winger Steve Thomas (three goals in his last 20 games). These are the players who were supposed to create excitement around the opposing net, but they've seemed lost for the better part of the season. "We're getting the chances" Lemaire said. "Now we've got to put it in." Rookie center Petr Sykora, who scored 11 of the Devils' 33 goals in December, was named NHL Rookie of the Month. "The kids are playing very good," Lemaire said. "But we can't ask the kids to carry this team." The Devils could get a little more good news today when the NHL announces the results of fan voting for the Eastern Conference All-Star team. Goaltender Martin Brodeur went into the final week of voting approximately 30,000 votes ahead of Florida's John Vanbiesbrouck, and defenseman Scott Stevens was slightly ahead of Rangers' star Brian Leetch in the battle for the starting spot alongside Boston's Ray Bourque. Winger Randy McKay, who was cut on the chin and suffered a concussion after taking Mike Peluso's skate in his face Sunday night, is doubtful for tonight's game.
Article from 03 Jan 1996The Record(Hackensack, NJ)
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