The guy has been on the sideline for a couple of months, itching to put on the pads and stand between the pipes to help his team.

So, when he gets his first chance to play, any semi-literate hockey fan could never bet against him in his return to the ice?

Could they?

Last night, Devils goalie Martin Brodeur returned to the ice after an lengthy arm injury and really stepped it up – he and the Devils shut out the Colorado Avalanche 4-0 at the Rock in Newark.

As a Rangers fan, who is licking his wounds from another anemic goal-scoring output and loss, while I hate Brodeur when he plays against my Blueshirts, as a hockey fan I must say that I am happy that he’s back.