CANADIENS REBOUND IN OT
Power-play goal seals 4-3 win
Newark is not one of the top destination cities in the National Hockey League.
The Newark Penn Station just after midnight following dinner Sunday night in Manhattan was a depressing place, with homeless people sleeping on benches and hanging around outside. It was sad. The storefronts on Broad St. look like something from a 1970s time warp, with places like “Hair World” and “Princess Nails.”
Newark is also home to the Prudential Center — located two blocks from Penn Station — and the New Jersey Devils, the only pro sports team in town after the National Basketball Association’s Nets moved to Brooklyn five years ago.
Standing outside the Prudential Center is a cool statue of goalie Martin Brodeur, honouring the Montreal native who called New Jersey home for 20 seasons, winning three Stanley Cups with the Devils.
While Newark isn’t one of the beautiful cities in the NHL, former Canadien Michael Cammalleri is among the Devils who love living in New Jersey.
“It’s a great place to play,” Cammalleri said after Monday’s morning skate before facing the Canadiens. “Living here is great.
“The guys that are single, they live in Hoboken, and they’re five minutes from New York City and don’t have to pay the New York City rent or taxes. Guys like me with families, we live in some of the greatest suburbs in the country just 15 minutes from here, and a half-hour from New York City. So we’ve been just delighted with the living situation here, especially with a young family and all the resources available and educational opportunities and athletic opportunities and things like that.”
Jan. 12 marked the fifth anniversary of Cammalleri being traded from Montreal to Calgary in one of the most bizarre deals in Canadiens history. Former GM Pierre Gauthier dealt Cammalleri during the second intermission of a game in Boston, getting Rene Bourque from the Flames. The trade came after Cammalleri was quoted saying the Canadiens had a “losing attitude.”
Cammalleri has moved on since that bizarre night, signing a five-year, US$25-million freeagent deal with the Devils before the 2014-15 season.
“I look back at it as a special time in our lives, and it’s all part of our little journey or footprint on Earth,” Cammalleri said about his days in Montreal, which included a run to the Eastern Conference final in 2010 when he had 13 goals in 19 playoff games.
“We made some great friends … you look back at different periods of your life and different areas you live represent that. My wife and I had our first child when we were living in Montreal and all these things, so it was a special time.”
Things haven’t been so special for Cammalleri on the ice this season with 10-20-30 totals in 53 games before facing the Canadiens. The 34-year-old was pointless in his last two games after being made a healthy scratch for the two games before that.
“Those decisions aren’t up to me,” he said. “I just got to work on my game and play the best I can.”
Cammalleri isn’t the only former Canadien on the Devils. There’s also P.A. Parenteau and Devante Smith-Pelly, who was dealt to New Jersey in exchange for Stefan Matteau at last year’s NHL trade deadline. This season’s deadline is at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
“I try not to think about it,” said Smith-Pelly, who has been traded twice in his career. “The first time I was traded to Montreal (from Anaheim) it was a surprise … it kind of came out of nowhere. And last year, when I woke up in the morning and they picked up another right- winger (Mike Brown), it was kind of the writing on the wall. So I kind of knew that was coming. I try just not to worry about it and be ready for whatever.”
Smith-Pelly had only 3-5-8 totals in 47 games before facing the Canadiens and had been a healthy scratch 12 times. He fought back tears after the Canadiens traded him last year and still keeps in touch with former teammates Nathan Beaulieu, Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher.
“I think you saw last year how emotional I got,” Smith-Pelly said. “That’s just how close our team was and how much we enjoyed spending time together. We still talk very frequently. I don’t really ask what’s going on in the room and stuff like that. We talk about things other than hockey.”
Smith-Pelly also keeps in touch with P.K. Subban, who will play his first game in Montreal as a Nashville Predator Thursday night.
“He’s enjoying it there,” SmithPelly said. “He’s having a good time.”
And Smith-Pelly is now enjoying life in New Jersey.
“Where we live in Hoboken, it’s a great spot,” he said. “Everybody’s really close. It takes me about seven minutes to get to (New York City) on the boat. Even here around the rink, there’s all different parts of Jersey that are really, really nice.”