PHILADELPHIA- The biggest mystery in Devildom is why the $16.5-million top line has been so mediocre this season. The reasons are myriad. They all matter.
The Magic Show, EGG Line or whatever it’s called looked better broken up Sunday. That temptation to scramble the EGGs is sure to linger in the mind of coach Claude Julien as the Devils visit the Flyers tonight, having lost two straight.
Scott Gomez, who potted 33 last season, has 10 goals this year and none in 10. Brian Gionta, who returned in Sunday’s 4-1 loss to Boston after missing eight games, has only 24 goals this season, only half of last year’s record 48 and none in seven. And Patrik Elias, the captain and highest-paid Devil, also has been stuck on 20 goals for his last seven, leading the team with 60 points. They’ve scored 54 goals this year with 16 games left, and Gionta and Gomez had 81 by themselves last season.
Elias is the most obvious struggler, going to a now-forelorn backhand move each time he cuts to the net. He seems staggered by the combined weight of his captaincy and his $42 million, seven-year deal. The “C” appears to separate him slightly from his teammates, although taking the job Scott Stevens held was sure to be no picnic.
One other suggestion is that his stamina might be affected by his hepatitis, a disease that can linger and erupt. Last season’s comeback was heroic, and his desire shouldn’t be forgotten or questioned.
There have been suggestions that Elias tries to emulate Jaromir Jagr, to his own detriment. It’s honorable to try to improve yourself, but there comes a point where you’re as good as you’re going to be, and a driving forward trying to fancy-up his game can forget what he does best. Elias is a charging power, a hard shooter, and a touch-pass creator. He’s lost his confidence and lost his way.
Gionta is another whose big contract, $4 million, coincided with this year’s slowdown.
Gone are the tight, short, little passes that were their trademark, the quick give-and-go’s. Instead, they look for long bombs that achieve little.