Former Devils coach Jacques Lemaire defends decisions made during season

Jacques Lemaire believes the Devils could still be playing hockey this spring.

During almost a month of vacation in Florida since he announced his retirement on April 26, Lemaire has watched the Stanley Cup playoffs and feels the Devils could have been the team coming out of the Eastern Conference.

“We all tried to find the reason why we lost. That’s normal,” Lemaire told The Star-Ledger today. “But criticism shouldn’t be part of trying to find what we could have done differently. To me you have to be objective.”

Lemaire has come under criticism from several Devils players, including captain Jamie Langenbrunner, for the way he handled several team matters during the second half of the season.

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New Jersey Gamebreaker: Ilya Kovalchuk

Mike G. Morreale NHL.com April 11, 2010

Wondering what keeps New Jersey Devils winger Ilya Kovalchuk up at night? How about the fact he's never won a Stanley Cup Playoff game in his seven-plus seasons.

"Our team (Atlanta) lost all four games in our only playoff appearance (in 2006-07), but I remember the great atmosphere in those games," Kovalchuk said. "But I'm still looking for first win in the playoffs."

The fact Kovalchuk had been winless in the postseason was of no concern to Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello when he pulled the trigger on a five-player trade with the Thrashers in February to acquire the perennial 40-goal scorer....

While Kovalchuk adds a similar dynamic offensive presence for the Devils, not to mention a cannon for a shot, he also has an insatiable appetite to succeed at both ends and a powerful presence on the power-play. Kovalchuk has scored at least 12 power-play goals in each of the last six seasons.

"He's been very steady in his work," Devils coach Jacques Lemaire said of Kovalchuk. "He's played hard since he's been here. He makes things happen either for him or guys' he's playing with."...

"He knows how to make other people around him better, as you can see by the assists he gets," Lamoriello said. "He can do things that a lot of people can't do."

Kovalchuk is just the type of game-breaker the Devils will need to advance deep in the Stanley Cup Playoffs....

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Kovalchuk getting acclimated in New Jersey

The trade for star winger Ilya Kovalchuk caught most hockey fans off guard. The offensive minded sniper came to a New Jersey Devils team that is best known for its defense and is ranked 22nd in the NHL in offense. Kovalchuk's high powered offensive game has been welcomed to the Meadowlands, and immediately paid dividends as "Kovy" assisted twice in a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple leaves on Saturday. However since his Devils debut, Kovalchuk has yet to score, an issue coach Jacques Lamaire and fellow teammate Martin Brodeur think will be solved over time.

To read more about Ilya Kovalkchuk's transition to the New Jersey Devils, please follow this link.

Anssi Salmela knew he'd be back with NJ Devils some day

It wasn't too long ago that defensemen Anssi Salmela was wearing black and red, but even when he was traded to Atlanta in March of last year, Salmela had a feeling he would be back to the Garden State. Yesterday Salmela was part of the mega trade that brought Ilya Kovalchuk to New Jersey, a surprise for some, but not for Salmela. Always believing he had a chance to return, Salmela reiterated that, "[The Devils] organization likes to bring a lot of guys back. I played a bit here last time and I think everything went good." Devils coach Jacques Lemaire was also positive about Salmela's return stating, "I think [Anssi is] going to fit well. He's a mobile defenseman, has a decent shot, can move the puck and has that offensive ability that he could bring on at different times, which we need. Obviously."