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Patrik Elias Unimpressed With Booing In 2-0 Loss

By Catherine Silverman

Dec 17, 2014; Newark, NJ, USA; Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson (41) makes a save on New Jersey Devils left wing Patrik Elias (26) during the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2014; Newark, NJ, USA; Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson (41) makes a save on New Jersey Devils left wing Patrik Elias (26) during the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports /
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Patrik Elias came off injured reserve to a hostile crowd at Prudential Center

The New Jersey Devils and recently returning Patrik Elias were, for once, the stronger team offensively.

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Scoring two or fewer goals in seven of their nine games played so far this December, the Devils have now dropped five straight on home ice — and thirteen of their last sixteen — to plummet towards the bottom of the standings. The only teams struggling more are the usual suspects (the Buffalo Sabres, the Carolina Hurricanes, the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Edmonton Oilers) and teams like the Arizona Coyotes, who dropped a whopping nine straight on their own home ice recently. The Devils have been letting down the fans, and it’s becoming apparent; when the team fell in a 2-0 shutout to the Ottawa Senators Wednesday night, Elias and crew were met with audible boos throughout the arena.

Elias made it clear that the team didn’t appreciate the boos, reminding fans that goaltender Craig Anderson did a spectacular job of shutting down what had been some of New Jersey’s best offense so far this season. He insisted that the team will accept boos when they’re deserved — and Wednesday night was not one of those nights.

Of course, Elias himself is fresh back on the ice after sitting out with a groin injury, but the rest of the team is running out of excuses for their winless winter — and no one more so than head coach Pete DeBoer.

If there was ever a coach on the hot seat… This is it.

Backup netminder Keith Kinkaid has made four appearances this season, and three of those were the consequence of starter Cory Schneider getting yanked. The team’s offense is floating around at the bottom of the league, and the once-reliable defense is bow nothing special. The New Jersey Devils are far from a playoff team — at this point, they look like front-runners for Connor McDavid.

Patrik Elias has made it pretty clear, though — this team has joined the list of rosters around the league that are nowhere close to where they expected to be, and it’s not going over well.

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