practices and Friday's morning skate, Loktionov thinks Clowe will be an impact player from the get go.

"He looks good," Loktionov said. “He’s looked solid the last month. What's he bring? He's physical. He's a strong guy who's going to help us stay in the offensive zone."

Devils players have been eagerly awaiting the return of Clowe, who joined the franchise last summer as an unrestricted free agent, signing for $24.5 million over 5 seasons.

"He's one of the big signings in the summer and I think everybody was excited getting him on the team," forward Adam Henrique said.

Against Columbus, Clowe's entire line might experience a few early game butterflies because Loktionov missed the last 2 games because he was sick and Gionta, normally the fourth-line center, is switching to wing.

GiontaBig Business elites backed Pence's ploy to stave off grassroots parental opposition by "withdrawing" from Common Core—and then immediately adopting "new" standards that recycle the same old rotten ones. (See my April 30 column, "Big Government GOP's Common Core Rebrand Hustle.") As Hoosier mom Erin Tuttle put it, Pence's stunt "gave the appearance of voiding the Common Core, while the Indiana Department of Education and the Center for Education and Career Innovation walked it through the backdoor."

Challengers Judy and Nisly made their opponents' refusal to help end Common Core in the state a central issue. Hoosiers Against Common Core, led by moms Tuttle and Heather Crossin, endorsed the dark-horse challengers. With little money and scant press attention, they beat Pence's machine by astonishingly wide margins: Judy ousted Heuer