Saturday, April 28, 2012

N.J. Devils ~ Renaissance Men

From the desk of:   THE BRICK CITY DEMONS







The Battle of I-95 is On ~ Bring on the Flyers!


NEW JERSEY DEVILS:  Ain't No Sunshine In Florida!

Panthers Fall in Double Overtime.
Rookie Saves Marty and the Devs.

ROUND ONE
GAME SEVEN FINAL:

New Jersey Devils   3
Florida Panthers      2
2 O.T.



Look what the Devils did to the Panthers..., again! For the second consecutive game, and facing elimination for the second consecutive time, the New Jersey Devils snatched destiny away from a resilient Florida club, and pulled off back to back overtime victories to advance to the Eastern Conference semi-finals where they will face their un-brotherly neighbors to the south; the Philadelphia Flyers.


In Game Six, it was the relatively inexperienced Steve Bernier who got New Jersey's night started right, until Travis Zajac was able to seal the deal in overtime.  Needing another hero in Game Seven, Adam Henrique showed up to get all the Devils' main cast of demons off the hook.


Adam Henrique, the rookie center, stepped up and delivered his undisciplined band of Devils a step closer towards the promised land ice.  Why were the Devils in trouble in the first place?  Because they continued to stab themselves in the foot by accumulating whistles, and there-by kept letting Florida get back up after putting them down early.


In the third period, New Jersey's omens began to reappear.  They let yet another lead get away from them.  Following their series trend, New Jersey reverted to putting themselves in the box.  And Florida made them pay.  With three PP opportunities in the game, Florida cashed in twice during the final period of regulation.  Their first goal came at the 5:02 mark, when Stephen Weiss slapped a puck past Martin Brodeuer.  Then the Panthers scored a second time on Marcel Goc's wrist shot to tie the game at two apiece with less than five minutes left in the regulation.


The lead New Jersey lost came about when Adam Henrique put his team ahead with an early first period goal.  Then Stephan Gionta made it a two goal game half way through the second period.


Florida peppered Martin Brodeur with twelve shots in the first overtime session.  New Jersey took nine shots.  But another twenty minutes had elapsed without a score.  New Jersey and Florida needed a second overtime to decide who would advance to play the Flyers.


Inside the eighty-third minute of Game Seven, the Devils' fore check forced a turnover in Florida's zone.  Devils' rookie Adam Henrique snatched a chipped puck out of the air, placed it on the ice, and wristed the game winning shot passed Jose Theodore.


Overall, Marty Brodeur faced forty-five shots.  At even strength, he was 37/37 on the night, and also stopped one short-handed opportunity.  The Devils wound up surviving Round One in spite of continually putting themselves on the penalty kill.  But heading in the next series against the Flyers, the biggest concern for Devil fans would be which Marty Brodeur will show up; as the first round was marred by too many peeks and valleys in his play.


It's off to Philadelphia now for the series opener on Sunday afternoon.



STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS  ~  EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI FINALS

SUNDAY
GAME ONE
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
vs.
Philadelphia Flyers
From
Broad Street
PHILLY


* Graffiti - Devil's Playground; Bushwick, Brooklyn
Mike.BTB

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