Scoring is not what made Jamie Langenbrunner the Devils captain. But he figures it’s what made him the NHL’s First Star of the Month.
More of a grinder, digger, jammer and hitter than a Fancy Dan, Langenbrunner says players don’t win those NHL honors that way. Scoring is required.
“To get these things, yes. Unfortunately, I think it is a fact,” Langenbrunner said.
“But within the team, those guys, I don’t want to say are held in high regard, but I think they are. They do it in an unsung way.”
Remarkably, Langenbrunner is the third Devil to be named NHL Player of the Month or First Star, joining Alain Chevrier, November, 1987, and Martin Brodeur, November, 1997.
Langenbrunner also was named NHL’s First Star of the Week, ending Feb. 1, beating out Sidney Crosby. He was 6-1-7 in three games, scoring twice in each, including every game-winner. Brodeur was the last Devils winner of the weekly award, Dec. 10, 2006, and he, Patrik Elias, Valeri Zelepukin, Claude Lemieux, Chris Terreri, John MacLean, Slava Fetisov, Patrik Sundstrom, Kirk Muller, Sean Burke, Bob Sauve, Aaron Broten and Sam St. Laurent won the prior NHL Player of the Week award.
Langenbrunner entered tonight’s showdown of division leaders, against the Capitals in Newark, having matched his 41-point total and surpassed his 13-goal output (14) of last season.
Langenbrunner went 9-8-17 in 14 games in January, leading the Devils to an 11-3 record in the month.
“I was excited. Anybody would be,” Langenbrunner said. “It’s not too often you get recognized as an individual.
“I was surprised at the monthly thing. The weekly honor, I figured I was in the running.”
Langenbrunner has a shot at his career-bests of 23 goals and 60 points. He hasn’t had a plus season since the lockout, but entered tonight plus-19 on the season, his best mark being plus-17 in 2002-03.
“I couldn’t name who won the award the last three months, but once you get it, you have to be honored about being recognized for having a good month,” Langenbrunner said.
He snapped a 10-game goal drought on Jan. 2, having scored five in the team’s first 35 games.
It was last week that brought him the monthly award. He became the third Devil to post three straight multigoal games, joining Elias and Alex Mogilny, and joining Elias as the only Devils to record three straight game-winners.
He is the first Devil to score OT winners in consecutive games. He wasn’t far behind the modern NHL record of five straight multigoal games, shared by Mario Lemieux and Mogilny (as a Sabre).
“I’m more excited about eight wins in a row, and how the team has climbed into the position it’s in,” Langenbrunner said.