Oct 29, 2009

NHL's Devils Lose Martin And Pandolfo For 4 To 6 Weeks

New Jersey's Defenseman and Left Wing Both Injured Against Penguins

The New Jersey Devils lost both defenseman Paul Martin and left wing Jay Pandolfo to injuries suffered this past weekend when the Devils played the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Devils announced on Monday that Martin has a broken left arm which will not require surgery, and Pandolfo has what seems to be a dislocated shoulder. Both players are expected to be out of action for the between four and six weeks.

The loss of both Martin and Pandolfo will have a definite negative impact on the team's ability to remain a competitive force in the Atlantic division of the NHL. The Devils are currently in the middle of the pack in the division standings, but the first place Penguins are playing great hockey so far this season. Martin, who has two assists in nine games, is the team's leader in ice time averaging 24 minutes per game. He plays on the all of the Devils' special teams in addition to playing defense. Pandolfo has a goal and an assist in nine games and is the team's top defensive forward and a key penalty killer. They are two key players that the team can ill afford to lose if they will be able to have any betting odds chance of remaining close to the first place Penguins in the division standings. The team will now have to rely on defenseman Cory Murphy from Lowell of the AHL to fill in during their absence and it is a pretty good bet that he will not be nearly as effective as Martin or Pandolfo. The Devils will need to find additional talent to help the team's productivity during their absence.

By Bryan Jackson
Staff Writer
Betsportsweb.com
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