2012 Stanley Cup - Marek Zidlicky Has Filled Gap for Devils Defense - NYTimes.com NEWARK - Marek Zidlicky, the defenseman who seemed to make the Devils complete, says he is finally planning to move into his own place after living for two weeks with Patrik Elias, a fellow Czech, and then in a hotel for almost three months. Zidlicky has settled in, and in every way. He likes almost everything about playing for the Devils, including working with Martin Brodeur, who handles the puck much more than other goaltenders with whom Zidlicky has played. And, oh, yes, the Devils are in the Stanley Cup finals. "I've never been a finalist," Zidlicky said earlier this week. Every kid is dreaming about it. Zidlicky, 35, an eight-year veteran, cost the Devils quite a bit when they got him in February from the Minnesota Wild: three players, including Kurtis Foster, the defenseman with a big slap shot, and two draft picks. The consensus was that getting Zidlicky was a good deal. He has scored only three goals in 41 regular-season and playoff games combined, but he and Bryce Salvador have become a consistent and reliable pairing. Zidlicky has also bolstered the power play. "He brings a little more swagger back there," said Ken Daneyko, the former Devils defenseman and current television commentator. It was an element the Devils were missing. He's not afraid to take chances. It's a different era, and defensemen play a different game, with more puck pressure. He's taken some pressure off the other guys not to do too much. It is hard to tell now by looking at him - a smile often parts his playoff goatee - but Zidlicky was miserable in Minnesota. He did not feel as if he fit into Coach Mike Yeo's system, and, probably worse, he used the news media to let everyone know he was not thrilled with Yeo. Among other grievances, he told The Minneapolis Star Tribune in an interview: "It wasn't me. It wasn't my style. I tried to explain it to him couple times, but he wants something different. I don't think I can change something when you are like 34 years old. He was a healthy scratch for four straight games, then waived his no-trade clause. At the time the Devils acquired him, he had no goals, 14 assists and a minus-6 differential with the Wild. His playing time diminished, from more than 24 minutes per game in the 2009-10 season to under 21 minutes. General Manager Lou Lamoriello said this week he felt very strongly about adding Zidlicky. He was creative and, as Daneyko said, not worried about making mistakes. He was a right-hand shot for the power play, and he was good at stifling opponents" top lines. Even before signing with Minnesota in 2009, Lamoriello said, "he was somebody we had coveted for the same reasons." Coach Peter DeBoer said: "That's a big shopping list to throw at Lou going into the trade deadline: get me one of these guys that can do basically everything. He fit the bill across the board. Lou paid a heavy price to go and get him. For me, he's been worth every cent. The addition of Zidlicky eliminated another problem: how to replace Henrik Tallinder, the versatile 33-year-old who went down in late January with a blood clot in his leg. Tallinder missed the rest of the regular season and, though he has resumed skating with the team, has yet to appear in the playoffs. "I know it's been a long time, but I feel pretty good out there," Tallinder said. He said of Zidlicky: "He does it all. He's a good skater, and on the power play, he's a perfect fit. He brings so much offense that I think it calms the team down. I think he was going to be brought in, anyway. Mark Fayne, the 25-year-old defenseman in his second season with the Devils, said Friday that Zidlicky has made plays and passes none of the other defensemen even try. Salvador, 36, has even picked up some of Zidlicky's moves. Zidlicky helps his teammates and, Fayne said, is a funny guy who keeps the mood light. Fayne has discovered by watching Zidlicky that he was good at more than running a power play, or knowing when to pinch to keep a puck in an opponent's zone. "I was more amazed when he got here with how good he was defensively," Fayne said. He plays strong defense, creates turnovers. Zidlicky has one more year on a three-year contract that pays him $4 million a season, but he says he enjoys playing in New Jersey. He likes how much he is being used - he is averaging 24 minutes of ice time in the playoffs - and he likes DeBoer's aggressive approach. "They try to find an open guy," he said. Travis Zajac, the top-line center, said Zidlicky adds a dimension the Devils have not had since the days of defensemen Brian Rafalski and, yes, even Scott Niedermayer. These are legends from the franchise's Stanley Cup era. Now Zidlicky gives them another chance. Elias said: "I think at the deadline, Lou did a great job bringing in Marek Zidlicky. We were missing a piece like that on our back line, having a guy that can make that final play, bring a little bit of skills for the power play on the back there. I think that helped.