CROSS THAT BRIDGE – WITH RANGERS GOMEZ LEAVES DEVILS BEHIND
MARK EVERSON, New York Post – October 26, 2007
When Scott Gomez sought Manhattan housing, he says he didn't bite right away.
"First place I saw, the guy says, 'Look at this view.' It was across the river at New Jersey. I said, hey, I just moved from there," Gomez said.
The new Ranger expected a good look at where he came from, NHL-wise, in his first game against the Devils last night at the Garden. He just didn't know what to expect from that good look.
"It's a little different because both teams need the points. All the other stuff is kind of secondary," Gomez said.
"Once we get on the ice, who knows what's going to happen?"
Brent Sutter, the new coach of the Devils, made a point of reminding his players not to take it easy on Gomez, who in July jumped to the Rangers for a $51.5 million, seven-year deal.
"They're friends. We'll find out ... who took [my departure] badly," Gomez said. "If they get a chance to hit me ... With my hitting skills, if I get someone lined up, I'll give them a little love tap, but it will look like a big hit from my point of view.
"When you play your old teammates, you're allowed to give them a little extra jab."
The Devils handed Gomez's No. 23 to rookie David Clarkson, who was a candidate to deliver some of Sutter's message.
"I'm not going to say that I'm going to hit him, but if the guy had the puck ...," Clarkson said.
Arron Asham, the Devils' best signing of the summer at $700,000, said he wasn't going headhunting.
"Not for me. I can't go out there focusing on taking cheap shots," Asham said. "He's the type of player who can change a game. You have to play it smart."
Still, Tom Renney had Jason Strudwick in the Rangers lineup, at least partly in case any Devils became belligerent. Gomez noticed the irony of the Devils' relative loosening of their offensive shackles, while the Rangers had scored the fewest goals in the NHL, none in their previous two games.
"They got rid of the right guy, I guess," Gomez said. "I look at the box scores and go, wow."
Asked which Devil expressed the most disappointment at his departure, Gomez said, "Probably not one of them. That's the business part of it."
Renney was interested in how Gomez would fare last night.
"Great players just take the challenge on. The thing with Scott is that he hasn't done this before," Renney said. "He has to look for success in other quarters than the hat trick... identify small successes."
Those were all either team had enjoyed thus far.
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