N.J. Devils: Adam Henrique Traded For Anaheim Blue Liner Sami Vatanen

From the desk of:  THE BRICK CITY STYX

Play of centermen Hischier and Gibbons 

allows Ray Shero to shore-up defense.

New Jersey Devils: Ray Shero Acquires Defenseman Sami Vatanen From Anaheim Ducks In Exchange For Crowd Favorite Adam Henrique.

Savvy transaction by general manager Ray Shero - center Adam Henrique and winger Joseph Blandisi are heading to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Sami Vatanen.

I'm sure Devils fans were just as surprised upon hearing about the trade as Henrique was reported to be.  Adam, a team alternate captain who turns 28-years old in February, played six full seasons in a Devils uniform after being selected by Newark in the third round of the 2008 entry draft.  He posted a career high 30 goals and 50 points just two seasons ago. 

His departure leaves team captain Andy Greene, and Travis Zajac, as the last two remaining members of the Devils 2011-12 playoff team.  Newark has not qualified for the playoffs since.

Despite losing Kyle Palmieri (foot) for six weeks, the emergence of last year's number one overall selection, Nico Hischier, and the return to the ice of center Travis Zajac, arguably rendered Adam Henrique somewhat expendable.  Newark has been getting good efforts up the middle.  Hischier has five goals and 18 points through 24 games thus far, while Brian Gibbons has netted a team leading 11 goals (15 points).  Overall, the Devils are currently ninth in the league in scoring, while Henrique has only accounted for four goals (and ten assists) in 24 games.

Joseph Blandini has split time between Newark and Binghamton over the last two seasons.  As part of the deal, the Devils will also send their 2018 third round pick to Anaheim.  If the Ducks are able to re-sign Henrique, the Devils will receive Anaheim's 2019 third round pick.

In return, the Devils receive 26-year old Sami Vatanen, considered a top-four defenseman.  New Jersey is currently 17th in goals against.  Vatanen is someone Ray Shero believes can add an offensive element from the blue line.  Anaheim's fourth round selection of the 2009 entry draft, Sami Vatanen posted a career high 12 goals in 2014-15, and a career high 29 assists and 38 points the following season.  He owns a career +22 with 126 points over 280 games played.

The move comes on the heels of Newark's Nov. 12 setback, with defenseman Mirco Mueller suffering a broken clavicle.  He underwent surgery, and is not expected back until February.  Ray Shero acquired Mueller during the off-season from San Jose in exchange for the Devils 2017 second and fourth round picks.

The Devils have spent much of the first-quarter regular season in first place, but have slipped of late.  After jumping out to an 8-2-0 record in October, they stumbled to a 6-4-4 mark in November, highlighted by four straight loses against Calgary, St. Louis, and a pair against Edmonton.

New Jersey and the New York Islanders are presently tied for second place in the Metropolitan Division with 32 points, one point behind the leading Columbus Blue Jackets.

N.J. Devils: Look Who's Number One

From the desk of:  THE BRICK CITY STYX

Newark Youth Gone Wild

NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Naysayers Be Damned..!

If you didn't know, the rebuilding New Jersey Devils are off to their best start in franchise history.

With Wednesday evening's 2-0 whitewashing of the Canucks in Vancouver, the Devils remain unbeaten through five games on the road, and improved to 9-2-0 overall.

For the moment, they lead the Metropolitan Division by a point over the Pittsburgh Penguins, while their 18 points are second in the Eastern Conference behind the Tampa Bay Lightning.

This all somewhat unexpected, but not that far fetched.

The Devils went 28-40-14 last season, which earned them the number one overall pick in the 2017 entry draft.  The real question is how far away were they away from converting some of last year's 14 overtime losses, which ranked third most in the league?

Between Oct. 17 through the 27th, three of the Devils four games exceeded regulation time.  They emerged victorious in a shoot-out victory over Tampa Bay, then defeated Ottawa two nights later in overtime.  After falling 3-0 to the San Jose Sharks, the Devils took the rematch over the Senators, winning 5-4 in their second shoot-out of the season.

The Devils are presently fifth in the league in scoring.  Their +11 goal differential is likewise second only to Tampa in the conference, and fourth best in the league.

Perhaps, that's the part no one saw coming.

For the moment, all eyes are on 19-year old Jesper Bratt.  The 162nd overall selection in the 2016 draft, the Devils rookie winger has ten points (4 goals, 6 assists) in his first 11 games.

As the number one overall pick of the 2010 draft, Edmonton Oilers fans might have felt shortchanged by winger Taylor Hall, who perhaps did leave something to be desired.  Now in his second season with New Jersey, though, he presently leads the Devils with 15 points.

Circling back to New Jersey's number one overall pick ... centerman Nico Hischier has a pair of goals and five assists in 11 games.  Center Adam Henrique, meanwhile, could possibly be heading towards his first career 60 point season.  And, no, I have no explanation for Brian Gibbons' team leading five goals.

However, I do know defense is really leading the New Jersey Devils' way.  Their 31 goals against are presently second fewest in the conference.

Drafted by Ray Shero in the second round of the 2012 entry draft, and now entering his fourth season, 23-year old Damon Severson is listed at 6'2", 205 lbs.  Shero then selected Steven Santini in the second round of the 2013 draft.  He is 22-years old, similarly listed at 6"2", and 205lbs., and now working full-time after appearing in 38 games last season.

In June of this year, Shero traded the Devils second and fourth round picks to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Mirco Mueller and a fifth round pick.  He is 22-years old, and listed at a somewhat larger 6'3", 210lbs.  In August, Shero then signed 22-year old Will Butcher to an entry level deal.  Somewhat smallish by comparison, he more closely resembles Andy Greene, listed at 5'10", and 199lbs.  Yet, he is second on the Devils with 11 assists so far this season, with seven coming on the power play.

Otherwise, Newark's blueliners come replete with stabilizing veterans.  Senior Devil Andy Greene is now in his 12th season with the club.  Signed as a free agent, the locally familiar John Moore was one of Ray Shero's first transactions after taking over for Lou Lamoriello as general manager.  Moore, listed at 6'3" 200lbs., posted a career high 10 goals, and 22 points last season.  Ben Lovejoy, now in year two of a three-year free agent deal, also brought size (6'1", 205lbs.) and Stanley Cup experience to the fold.

Surely, then, early season victories against Colorado, Toronto, the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay, Ottawa, and Vancouver, must count for something.

Have some courtesy ... give John Hynes and the Devils their due.

Montreal Canadiens Conclude Week Long Siege of Metropolitan Area

From the desks of:  

ALL MOTHER LEEDS CHILDREN,   FIVE FOR FLATBUSH,

and  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

N.H.L.
Eastern Conference Standings:

#1 MON  18-4-2 (38)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

#2 NYR  16-5-2 (34)

#8 NYI  11-8-4 (26)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

#10 NJD  11-9-2 (24)

Les Habitants posent le siege a la region metropolitaine; distancent NY/NJ dans la ruine.

The Habs Lay Siege to the Metropolitan Area; Leave NY/NJ Behind in Ruins

While most Americans were busy preparing for, then partaking in our nation's annual Thanksgiving Holiday, les Habitants de Montreal sprung hockey's version of Tet (Offensive) into action against the NY/NJ metropolitan area member clubs.

Their week long siege of Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Newark, concluded Friday evening with one last 3-2 shootout victory over the Devils at the Rock.

In truth, Barclays Center, Madison Square Garden, and the Prudential Center all crumbled under Montreal's Godzilla-like rampage through downtown Tokyo.  The combined forces of the Rangers, Islanders, and Devils are thus far 0-5 versus the Canadiens in November, and were outscored by a heavily tilted 24-9 margin.

Heading into Saturday's Devils/Canadiens game, an area team has yet to defeat the (now) Eastern Conference leading Montreal Canadiens.

Oct. 15 - MON 3; NYR 0
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Nov. 5 - MON 4; NYI 1
Nov. 20 - MON 5; NYI 3
Nov. 22 - MON 4; NYI 2
Nov. 25 - MON 5; NYR 1
Nov. 27 - MON 3; NJD 2 (so)
Nov. 28 - NYD @ MON

As of Friday night's final scores, the Montreal Canadiens lead the conference with 86 goals scored.   The Rangers are a distant 5th with 70; the Islanders 64 goals rank 6th, and the Devils 53 goals are 11th in the Eastern standings.

Defensively, the Rangers 47 goals allowed are still best in the NHL.  Montreal's 53 GA rank 4th; the Devils 55 GA are 6th, and the Islanders 57 GA are 7th in the Eastern Conference.


New Jersey Devils: Cory Schneider Keeping Newark Within a Pitchfork's Distance of Top Eight.

Saturday

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

vs.

MONTREAL CANADIENS

FROM

The Great White North

With little question, Cory Schneider is the lead story in the Devils .500 start this season. Were it not for Schneider's play, where would New Jersey be other than much lower in the Eastern Conference standings?

For the moment, there are four NHL goalies with at least 17 starts: Cory Schneider, Henrik Lundqvist, Ben Bishop, and Braden Holtby.

Newark is playing representative defense, as Schneider has faced the second fewest shots, is second with a .927 Sv% among the four aforementioned goalies, while his and Henrik Lundqvist's 2.05 GAA average rank tied for 3rd.

The Devils obviously lack in the scoring department, which doesn't forecast to be changing much as the season progresses.  New Jersey is averaging the least shots on goal per game in the league.

Adam Henrique, now the seasoned vet, leads the team with 10 goals.  Winger Mike Cammalleri leads with 22 points.

• Patrick Elias made his first appearance of the season against the Florida Panthers Friday, and after a change in scoring, he was credited with the 612th ever assist career, giving the Devils all-time points leader 1,018 for his career.

The Devils were the only team of the three locals able of taking the Canadiens beyond regulation time.  While that's no consolation, New Jersey did expose some chinks in Montreal's amour and gained a point.  Losing in shootout was just plain unfortunate, and should be taken as a failed opportunity to at least tie idle (#9) Tampa with 25-points.

And so begins life under a new regime.  Head coach John Hayse is an AHL promotion, while Ray Shero, whom constructed a Cup winner in Pittsburgh, assumed GM and Vice Presidential duties from the departed Lou Lamoriello.

It's still too early in their respective tenures for them to impact this team.  Instead, certain players should bet they're being evaluated very closely - maybe Adam Larrson among them. Otherwise, Patrik Elias will be moving on after the season.  The face of the Devils will begin changing in earnest either at the trade deadline, or next off-season for sure.

There's certainly several teams behind them in the standings that should not be underestimated.   Florida and Columbus might interfere with even the best laid plans of clinching the 8th seed.  But, Tampa, NYI. etc., will factor plenty as well.

The Devils, in other words, have no margin for error.  In a sense, not much has changed, then.  They have no star player to speak of, and must rely on a highly disciplined system in order to get by.

The Canadiens and Devils will finalize their home-and-home engagement north of the border on Saturday.


New York Islanders: Flatbush Itching for a Fight?

Saturday

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

vs.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

FROM

Sunny Hot Florida

Just as the New York Rangers and Devils learned, Montreal is fast turning into the Eastern Conference team of all measure.

The Islanders are already 0-3 against them this month alone.  They fell 4-1 in Montreal on Nov. 4, then dropped a home and home against the Habs just prior to hosting, and defeating the Flyers 3-1 on Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve.

But, to hear Casey Cizikas put it, you'd think the Islanders arrived upon the Rubicon.

As the 3rd period against the Flyers devolved into typical mayhem, fists flew as one could expect.   But, Cizikas (as per Thurday's Newsday/Laura Albanese) thought -

"that's exactly what we needed.  A good, hard game like that ... They're fun.  When they get testy like that, when they get physical like that.."

Despite losing in a shootout at Sunrise, Florida, against the Panthers Friday night, the Islanders brought that same fighting spirit with them, and employed their hands once things got chippy for a second straight game.

When the Islanders play aggressively, and utilize their size and physicality effectively, the Islanders play their best hockey - Friday's outcome withstanding.

They're starting to feel good about themselves ... Clutterbuck, Martin, and Cizikas that is - which spells trouble for any team.

Under those circumstances, Jarolsav Halak could, and really should play well enough for them.  He's only made 12 starts so far (and therefore was not included in my previously sampled goalie comparison).  He's pitched two shutouts, with a .921 Sv%, while a 2.03 GAA puts him right there with Schneider and Lundqvist.

The newly transplanted Brooklynites seemingly tightened up their defense this year, particularly on the penalty kill.  They are presently 11th best, which as Isles fans know is a marked improvement over previous seasons, when they routinely averaged among the league's bottom tier PKs.

Ponderous, however, has been their inability to consistently score on the power play this season - which has traditionally been their strength in previous seasons.  To date, the Islanders are 24th on the power play.

The Islanders play Tampa and Colorado before they welcome the New York Rangers to Brooklyn, in what will undoubtedly start the next chapter of their long running rivalry.

Now it's Borough against Borough - or maybe it will build up to that over time, as Long Islanders are the one's largely attending games during this early going.  Expect hoards of Rangers fans in the building as well.

This intra-city situation has a way to go before getting ironed out.


New York Rangers: Some Things Just Never Change...

Saturday

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

FROM

33rd Street and 8th Avenue

Fellow Rangers fans, I want you (us) to consider what (NYI) Casey Cizikas said for a second.

(tick).

Now I want you to consider the hit Boston's Matt Belesky put on Derek Stepan Friday afternoon.

Matt Belesky is a marginal NHL player at best, whom enjoyed one decent season last year with the Ducks - perhaps the product of being on a good team, aye?  Although he does not usually go about the ice accumulating an obscene amount of brutish penalty minutes, his hit on Stepan was nevertheless a gross disregard of common sense.  Avoiding that play is constantly being drilled into player's minds.   It's outright dangerous.

Derek Stepan is now out indefinitely with several broken ribs.   Seems like a fair trade-off, right?

Exactly!

We know teams have freely taken their liberties against the Rangers for several years now, because they're generally secure in the fact there will be no reprisals.

Enter Dylan McIlrath, whom followed the play and proceeded to throw Matt (marginal player) Belesky a beating.

Thank you Dylan McIlrath!  That's the kind of element that makes other teams think twice about taking runs at your mates, or goalies for that matter.

But therein lies the physical player Alain Vigneault has no use for.  McIlrath has only played in five games, and has accumulated 17 penalty minutes, most of which came Friday.  Are there deficiencies in his game?  Sure.  But, I'd argue he needs playing time.  In return I would ask if his physical presence on the ice is becoming more critical by the day?  And to that I say unhesitatingly, absolutely, resoundingly, yes.

In fact, I find this whole start disturbing.  Pretty crazy to say considering the Rangers are third in all the NHL with 34 points.  But is it really, after the way they played Montreal on Nov. 25th?  I don't think so.  What was supposed to be a battle for Eastern Conference supremacy, instead turned into the Rangers poorest performance of the season.  One bad line change very early on got Montreal started, while the Rangers night just continued deteriorating.

In two games against the Canadiens to date, the Rangers are 0-2, and have been outscored by a commanding 8-1 margin.

Next item...  Time to start keeping tabs on Henrik's playing time.  He's been brilliant thus far, as usual.  The soon to be 34-year old, is arguably enjoying one of his best seasons, and is easily carrying the team.

Prior to Friday's disappointing loss against in Boston, Henrik was leading the league with 542 saves made, a .939 Sv%, and a 1.94 GAA.

Henrik Lundqvist is now tied for the league lead with 19 starts entering Saturday's action.  He also leads the league with 611 shots against.  He's the only goalie in the league above the 600 mark.   There's many reasons for that, which I'll get into another time.  Ottawa's Craig Anderson is second with 588 SA.

We're basically talking about an untenable situation over the long haul of the season, and we're only one-quarter of the way through.

Defensively, the Rangers have given up the third most shots on goal.  It is what it is - Rangers defensemen do not have enough physical presence, and as a result, fail to clear traffic effectively.   They rely on positioning, stick work, and anything but moving bodies around.

Offensively, this also means the Rangers aren't spending nearly enough time in their own zone.  It's usually one shot and done, then back the other way.  They've only taken the 20th most shots on goal.

Rangers vs. Devils: Battle of the Hudson - I

From the desks of:  

RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS  ~ ALL MOTHER LEEDS CHILDREN,
and (FIVE FOR FLATBUSH)

Battle of the Hudson - I

TODAY

New Jersey Devils

vs.

New York Rangers

FROM

8th Avenue Ice House

NYC

NJD: Life After Lou Lamoriello Leaves New Jersey Devils Without a Pitchfork.

That's probably premature to say...., but I doubt it.

These are no longer the goblins Lou Lamoriello nurtured to maturity and unleashed upon the NHL. That team fired up five Eastern Conference titles, and three Stanley Cup championships. 

These New Jersey Devils enter Madison Square Garden this afternoon in search of goals, points, their first win of the season, a new identity, and...  

You get the picture.

After nearly three decades as head demon in charge, Lou Lamoriello retired from the New Jersey Devils, but worse, joined up with the (original six) Toronto Maple Leafs.  That development will spell trouble for the rest of the NHL in short time.

For now, the finishing touches on his brilliant career will come when the Devils raise Patrik Elias' jersey to the rafters, and unveil the statue planned in honor of Martin Brodeur's status as one of the NHL's greatest goal tenders of all-time.

Today, the Devils have a new triumvirate with which they're attempting to move forward.

• General Manager - Ray Shero.
• Head Coach - John Hynes.
• Team Captain - Andy Greene.

Sure, some familiar names remain - depending how old you are, that is.  Adam Henrique, Adam Larsson, Travis Zajac, and a few others lend a familiar feel to things, while Cory Schneider is now well beyond being Martin Brodeur's heir apparent.

But, after four games played, the Devils have yet to record a win, and have posted all of one point.   They've been outscored 12-6 in regulation, and most recently lost a shoot-out in San Jose.

Today they get the Rangers...

In hindsight, when the Devils defeated the Rangers in the 2011-2012 Eastern Conference finals, the teams were ironically headed in contrary directions.  The Rangers transitioned away from John Tortorella, and sustained their competitive play under Alain Vigneault.

The Devils, meanwhile, lost in the Stanley Cup finals to the Los Angeles Kings.  The flames that once stoked New Jersey hockey simply flickered out with sudden haste, while years under Lou Lamoriello are now mere ashes on the mantelpiece of Devils history.

Lou arguably waited too long in breaking up the Devils after 2012.  Many would suggest he should have initiated a rebuilding right then.  After all, the Devils have failed to reach the post-season in each of the last three seasons.  Two seasons ago they dropped to 6th in the Metropolitan Division, then slipped further last season to 7th place.  Last year was also New Jersey's second losing season in their last five.

It's hard to pile criticism on Lou Lamoriello now - not after what he accomplished in the under-funded, if not handi-capped, shadows of New York City.

Much of their downfall also revolved around money, of course, and their inability to retain premium talents such as Zach Parise and Brian Gionta, just to name two.  And who knows what the hell Ilya Kovalchuk was thinking (or Lou for that matter, for giving him that absurd contract, although it almost paid off in 2012).

All that is just water under the Tappan Zee Bridge now.

As a Rangers fan, I confidently say Lou Lamoriello was the greatest hockey executive this town has known in my lifetime.  

That says much considering Bill Torrey's brilliant 20-year career with the New York Islanders.  I'm damn near reticent to even suggest such a thing.  In short time, Torrey piled Stanley Cups high on Long Island like an obelisk rising over ancient Egypt - his dynasty was powerful and enduring.  It took an unworldly Wayne Gretzky and the overly talented Edmonton Oilers to deny Long Island's Drive for Five.

Alas, Lou Lamoriello's tenure was longer.  During his 27-year career, the Devils made the playoffs 21 times, and played for Lord Stanley's Cup five times.  His first Finals appearance came in 1995, and within the span of nine years New Jersey appeared in four.  His last appearance in the Finals came 19 long years after his first, when the Devils bowed to the L.A. Kings in six games.  All of which, regardless of outcome, lay testament to his longevity, hockey integrity, adaptability, financial creativity, and above all, his executive mastery.

Between 1987 through 2012, the Devils failed to qualify for post-season play a mere three times.   Then starting in 1997 through 2010, they ran off 13 straight playoff appearances, with the only interruption coming in 2004-2005 during the NHL's imposed lockout.

For all of his years, it was either his way or the highway.  And one usually played for Lou at his price as well.  In the age of player entitlement and financial windfalls, that was perhaps Lamoriello's most amazing feat of all.

His propensity for firing and hiring head coaches was also legendary, but there's little debating his greatest appointment was Jacques LeMaire.

He did all this on the grandest stage of all - the New York metropolitan area.  Just like Bill Torrey did with the Isles, Lou Lamoriello took charge of an outlying organization playing deep in the heart of New York Rangers country and transformed the Devils into an NHL power, and turned them into a historical franchise in their own right.  On that note, both teams out-achieved their big city brothers whom supposedly own the high ground.

I met Lou Lamoriello during the pre-game skate at a Rangers/Devils games at Madison Square Garden a few years ago.  I'm happy, and feel fortunate that I did.  He signed my game ticket that I proudly display on my wall.

Okay...

There ya go.

It's time to drop the puck.

Let's go Rangers.

N.J. Devils: First Half Had Few Credible Highlights

From the desk of: ALL MOTHER LEEDS CHILDREN

So far, the firing of Peter DeBoer has failed to fan the flames.

1st Half ~ 7th Metropolitan Division

17-22-6 (42 points)

NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Lou Lamoriello Has Been Slow To Address An Aging Roster; Team Headed Towards 3rd Season Out Of Playoffs.

The Devils are in their third season since posting 102 points in 2011-12, and reaching the Stanley Cup finals against the Kings.

Last season, they fell to a 35-29-18 record for 88 points.  This season, gaining 80 points is questionable.

That's what happens when Martin Brodeur's Devils' career comes to an end; when Ilya Kovalchuk walks away from the NHL and still leaves behind a nearly $7 million dollar salary cap hit in 2014-15; when the organization fails to retain guys like Zach Parise, David Clarkson, and if you want to go back a little further, Brian Gionta, etc.

Instead, Scott Gomez is back.

Just saying...

Newark's 1st half highlights have so far been few, however, credible.  The Devils own victories over the Capitals, Penguins, a pair over the Lightning, and they defeated the Kings in Los Angeles last Wednesday by a 5-3 final.

Monday night, they turned in another impressive victory over the San Jose Sharks to end the first half of their season.  The team's leading goal scorer, Mike Cammalleri, broke a 2-2 tie in the second period with his 15th goal of the season.

But, despite their recent outbursts against L.A. and San Jose, it's no secret the Devils have trouble putting pucks on net, much less scoring goals.

Leading the Devils, Jaromir Jagr entered Monday night's game against the Sharks with 99 SOG this season.  Next was Michael Ryder with 83, followed by defenseman Marek Zidlicki with 76 shots on goal.  By comparison, the Islanders have 4 players with 100+ shots on goal, and another two players with 90+ SOG.

It's no wonder then, they rank 27th in the league in goals.  Their top three scorers; Jagr, Adam Henrique, and Mike Cammalleri; have only scored a combined 34 goals.  Henrique (10) and Cammalleri are the only Devils in double-digits.  By comparison, the Isles have 5 skaters in double digit goals, and the Rangers have three.  The Rangers Rick Nash has 28 goals, the Islanders John Tavares has 21, and as noted, Cammalleri leads the Devils with 15 goals.

Jagr leads the Devils with 25 points, and 16 assists.  He's played in 43 of 47 games this season, and averages 18:23 minutes a night.  On January 3rd against the Flyers, Jaromir Jagr became the oldest player in NHL history to register a hat trick.  He will turn 43-years old next month, and one has to ask how much longer can the Devils lean on him in the manner they do?

If Lou Lamoriello can negotiate a satisfactory deal, he should move Jagr to a willing contender, and begin adding more youth around Adam Henrique, and his young defensemen like Adam Larsson and Eric Gelinas.

The Devils are now 5-5-1 since Lou Lamoriello fired Peter DeBoer; a marginal improvement over their 12-17-7 record prior to his dismissal.

Lou Lamoriello is indeed famous for firing coaches.  I'm sure last season's 18 OT losses, failing to make the playoffs the past two seasons, and this year's poor start inspired Lou to make a move.  Peter DeBoer, however, deserved better.  Many aging players and matters of retention are Lou's problem, and Lou's only.

In just over 3 seasons, DeBoer posted a 119-88-42 record, had them playing ferocious hockey through various stretches of his tenure, and led them to the finals.

Highlight:

With a goal and two assists on January 6th against the Sabres, Patrik Elias scored the 1,000th point, and registered the 600th assist of his NHL career.


Mike

N.Y. Rangers: Devils Dance To First Victory

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS

 

A King Under Siege

NEW YORK RANGERS: Peter DeBoer's Four Lines Too Much For Depleted Rangers.

New Jersey's collective blue-liners were sporting a horrible +/- rating right up until the Rangers came along, and single handedly turned around many a Devils' defensemen season.  The riches of a 4-0 victory were spread throughout the team though, as no Devil registered better than a plus-two.

Early in the opening period, the Rangers got out-hustled by a Devils forecheck, who cashed in on the game's first goal.  The Rangers meanwhile had one shot on goal in the first ten minutes of play. Then Adam Henrique slapped a screaming puck from the left circle past through Lundqvist for a 2-0 lead. Two more New Jersey goals later, and Devils goalie Cory Schneider took care of the rest.

It is hard to explain how, or why Brian Boyle was the best Rangers player on the ice, yet didn't lay a single hit on anyone.  He led the Blueshirts with four SOG, and won 9 of 13 face-offs.  But some-where in Coach Peter DeBoer's full usage of four lines which challenges the Rangers depth is your answer.  Four different forwards scored for New Jersey.

It is worth noting that Boyle, Derek Dorsett, J.T. Miller, Benoit Pouliot and Derek Stepan were all +/- zero.  Thrust into hasty action, Miller had three shots on goal and threw his body around a little bit.  Taylor Pyatt's night wasn't as good.  He was a minus-one, with only one shot on goal in more minutes and shifts than Miller.

How do we say - Henrik Lundqvist was not good.  The Devils owned a 4-0 second period lead with a total of sixteen shots on goal.  Henrik only faced nineteen all night.  Henrik is now 2-4-0 this season, and far away from his career percentages.  His current 3.45 goals against average is light years away from his career 2.27 mark, while his current .890 save percentage is well below his .920 career mark.

The New Jersey Devils are winless no more, while the Rangers road trip to ruins continues full steam ahead.  Victories over Los Angeles and Washington still appear to be nothing more than isolated moments of clarity.



Mike.BTB

N.J. Devils: Newark Wrestles First Place From Penguins

From the desk of:   THE BRICK CITY DEMONS


NEW JERSEY DEVILS - Look Who's Number One!


At just 0:44 of the opening period, David Clarkson got whistled for tripping.  Thirty nine seconds later, the Penguins' Brandon Sutter scored on the power play giving Pittsburgh an early lead.  Martin Brodeur then proceeded to stop the next twenty four pucks Pittsburgh shot on net.


While Marty Brodeur kept the Penguins scoreless the rest of the way, the Devils got goals from unlikely heroes.  In just his seventh NHL game, Stefan Matteau; the son of THAT Stefan Matteau-Matteau-Matteau; scored his first ever goal in the second period for the team that fell victim to his father's goal almost twenty years ago.  If you do the math, Stefan Matteau the Younger wasn't even born yet.


Midway through the third period, Adam Henrique gave the Devils their first lead of the night with a power play goal.  Then a little under three minutes later, 2013 acquisition and seldom used Bobby Butler scored his first goal as a New Jersey Devil, to seal Newark's 3-1 win over the Penguins.
 


Bobby Butler had two points on the night.  Ilya Kovalchuk and Andy Greene each had two assists. Pittsburgh won the face-off battle by a 32-28 margin.  But Newark won the shots on goal battle by a 28-25 difference.


Pittsburgh was content committing penalties.  The Devils had ten power play opportunities, and converted twice.  There's your difference in the game.  Marty Brodeur took care of the rest.


With this victory, the Devils wrestled away first place of the Atlantic Division from the Penguins.  The Devils now have seven wins and seventeen points on the season versus sixteen points for the Pens.  The conclusion of this home-and-home set with the Penguins moves to Pittsburgh Sunday evening.  The game will mark the exact one-quarter point of the Devils season.



Mike.BTB

N.J. Devils Take First Battle of the Hudson

From the desks of:   RAISE GRESCHH WITH THE GREATS  &  BRICK CITY DEMONS

Battle of the Hudson

 

Final:

Rangers  1

DEVILS 3

 

 

Look what the Devils did to the New York Rangers...again.  Martin Brodeur, Patrick Elias, and David Clarkson were most responsible for denying the Rangers a measure of revenge against the team which eliminated them from last season's Eastern Conference finals.

 

 

After allowing three third period goals against Pittsburgh, and getting the next game off, Martin Brodeur returned fresh to stop twenty four of twenty five shots and earn the 660th victory of his career.  Other than a Chris Kreider shot and score from point blank range, the NHL's all-time wins leader made a series of remarkable saves reminiscent of last years playoff effort that had the Rangers so frustrated.

 

 

Devils fans no doubt must be happy with the return of Adam Henrique.  He quite literally picked up where he left off against the Rangers - celebrating a goal.  In just his fourth game back, he opened up the scoring Tuesday night with a first period goal; his second of the season.  Patrick Elias picked up the primary assist.  It was the first of three assist the Devils all-time winger would accumulate Tuesday night which tied a career game high.  That raises his team leading total to eight for the season.

 

 

The second assist on Henrique's goal went to David Clarkson.  Just yesterday I made mention of Clarkson's quick start.  Coming into the game, he led the Devils with five goals and nine points.  After dispatching the Rangers, David Clarkson skated off the ice with seven goals and twelve points in just nine games.  The Devils need Clarkson to replicate his breakout 30-goal season he had last year.  For the moment, the Devils couldn't ask for more.
 

 

For the game, Devils forwards made a first period mess in front of Henrik Lundqvist that the Rangers goalie had a hard time cleaning up.  The Devils were 1 for 4 on the power play.  The Rangers were held scoreless in five opportunities.
 

 

The Devils win their fifth game, and gained their thirteenth point of the season.  Pittsburgh defeated the Islanders, and therefore the Devils could not gain ground on the Atlantic Division leader.


Meanwhile, the Blueshirts malady continues.  At The Rock in Newark, "Rangers Suck!" was the anthem of the night.  For starters, Dan Girardi was scratched from Tuesday's game.  He is suspected to have suffered an injury against Tampa.  Then to literally add insult to injury, the Rangers had four first period power play opportunities and came up empty each time.  Marian Gaborik led the Rangers with five shots on goal.




Mike.BTB



New Jersey Devils: Newark Needs Kovalchuk Of Old

From the desk of:   THE BRICK CITY DEMONS


NEW JERSEY DEVILS - With Zach Parise Gone To Be Wild, Who Will Fan The Fires Of Newark Now?

Patrick Elias' Swan Song?

How is New Jersey going to get back to the finals?  That's a devil of a question.  I've been forecasting the Devils' demise for a couple of years now.   Yet they earned 102 points last season, defeated the Eastern Conference regular season champs, and competed for a Stanley Cup.  But was Adam Henrique's goal in Game 6 of last season's Eastern Conference final the Devils last hurrah?  Because after celebrating that goal, they had nothing left.


Martin Brodeur, the NHL's soon to be forty-one year old, all-time, multi category leader for goalies, is, well..., forty-years old.  Was last season his final hurrah?  In fifty nine starts, Brodeur was 31-21 last season.  His .908 Save% ranked below his career average.  His 2.41 GAA was certainly not his highest.  Brodeur's work load is clearly on the way down.  But in a compressed forty eight game schedule, how many games should he start?  Marty's history says he will have another solid season.  Even though Johan Hedberg is ancient in his own right at thirty nine years old, he proved he is no slouch between the pipes.  Between these two geezers, the Devils should have flexibility in net and enough potassium and zinc to get through a season.  They will both benefit from having a good defense in front of them.


What of the Devils other Renaissance Man?  Last year Patrick Elias matched his highest point total (78) since he tallied 81 points during the 2003-2004 season.  His twenty six goals were his second most over the last seven years.  Patrick Elias will now turn thirty seven years old in April.  He will also be a free agent after the season.  Will the 2013 season be his swan song?  The answer should be yes.  But then, look at Marty.


Patrick Elias rewrote the Devils offensive records:

* Holds record for most points in a single season - 96
* Devils all-time playoffs leader in goals, assists, points;  45-80-125
* Devils all-time regular season leader in goals - 361
* Devils all-time regular season leader in assists - 440
* Devils all-time regular season leader in points - 894


He and Martin Brodeur will surely be the next Devils greats to have their numbers retired, and their jerseys lifted to the rafters........ if they ever retire!  But if last season was the hypothetical question, then the answer should surely be - Why should they?  Unfortunately for Devils fans, Patrick Elias' goal count will not change the new condition of the Devils.


Without Zack Parise, the Devils scoring ability has been severely depleted.  All sticks quite literally now point to their ridiculo-million dollar forward, Ilya Kovalchuk, who, through his own devise, recently made fans question his commitment to the New Jersey Devils.  He is here now.  But will he score goals....lots of them?  Last season his total finally started creeping back near his earlier career numbers.  For seven seasons between 2002-2003 and 2009-1010, Ilya Kovalchuk averaged forty four goals a year.  Over that span, he eclipsed forty goals a season six times, and fifty goals twice.  Last year's thirty seven goals was a step in the right direction.  But the Devils need the Kovalchuk of just three years ago to partly compensate for the departure of Zach Parise and Petr Sykora.  Kovalchuk is still only twenty-nine years of age.  That is a good thing.  But they need the former younger Atlanta sniper of old.


I think Adam Henrique is a marvelous player.  But the Devils must first wait till he fully recovers from off-season thumb surgery.  Then maybe the Devils can hope to get more than sixteen goals from him.  Travis Zajac, recently signed to a big money deal, missed most of last season.  The Devils need for him to contribute a respectable number of goals.  If he can get back to his twenty to twenty five goal form, that would sure go a long way towards getting his team from Point-A to the playoffs.


I hold a small notion that as David Clarkson goes, so go the Devils.  Last season was a career year for him, as he scored thirty goals, which was thirteen more than his previous regular season high of seventeen.  Somewhere between ten and thirty goals, lies Clarkson's upcoming season assuming he stays healthy.  Can he duplicate a thirty goal season?  I think the Devils will be happy with twenty, and ecstatic with twenty five.  But they need at least fifteen goals from their twenty eight year old center.  They can not afford to have Clarkson disappear the way he did at times throughout the playoffs.  He needs to be a nightly force.., when he is not in the box, that is.


After that, the Devils utilize the neutral zone like a nursery for potential goals.  Once again, they will rely more on a system than they will on one individual not named Kovalchuk.  Thing is, the Devils, Lou Lamoriello, and Coach DeBoer all know how to make it work.


Congratulations to Bryce Salvador for being named new Captain of the Devils.

2013

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

REGULAR SEASON OPENER

 

New Jersey Devils

vs.

Long Island/Brooklyn Islanders

FROM

Uniondale, Long Island

 

 

Mike.BTB

N.J. Devils: Jeff Vanderbeek and Travis Zajac Moving Devils Forward

From the desk of:   THE BRICK CITY DEMONS


NEW JERSEY DEVILS - Carving A New Path Without Zach Parise.


Money changes everything.


New Jersey Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek went from having the NHL threaten to separate him from the team, to recently buying out his partners, and solidifying his place as sole owner.  In the process, he refinanced the team's debt, and ultimately removed the Devils from under a constant cloud of organizational uncertainty.


With Jeff Vanderbeek's new found operational certainty, I guess comes operational flexibility as well.  And with a new CBA in place, I guess operational predictability plays a part too.  The result?  Wednesday, Lou Lamoriello announced the Devils signed their seventh year center, Travis Zajac, to an eight year contract extension worth $46 million dollars.  Last year, Zajac's season was derailed by an Achilles injury.  He only managed to play in fifteen regular season games before participating in the Devils inspired playoff run to the Cup Finals.  Zajac would have become a free agent at the conclusion of this season.


In the 2010's at least, it seems as if the Devils have turned over a new leaf.  This is twice now the Devils have bucked the trend and doled out major dollars for a player.  Money couldn't solve all the Devils problem though.  Sandwiched between signing Zajac and Ilya Kovalchuk's pact, was the  departure of free agent Zach Parise to the Minnesota Wild.  The Devils offer was representative.  But apparently, Zach Parise wanted to be home.  And speaking of home, Ilya Kovalchuk finally returned from Russia and reported to Devils camp.


So what do the reigning Eastern Conference champions do now?  They continue the relentless search for interchangeable players, like the Devils always have.  This is not the first time money came between a player and the Devils.  Instead, this is a way of life in New Jersey.  They will absorb the impact of Parise's defection, who was a Devils 2003 first round pick, and somehow find themselves right in the mix again this Spring.  It is now the turn of more recent first round selections like Jacob Josefson, Mattias Tedenby, and Adam Larsson, and an outstanding hockey player picked in the third round named Adam Henrique to carve a new path.  But without a suitable replacement for Zach Parise, the Devils certainly have their work cut out for them indeed.  However, if we've learned anything about the New Jersey Devils in the Lou Lamoriello era, it is to never count them out until they're out.



Mike.BTB

N.J. Devils ~ David Clarkson Must Help Spark a Comeback

Fromm the desk of:   THE BRICK CITY DEMONS

THE BATTLE OF NEWARK

GAME FIVE

NEW JERSEY DEVILS:  Call To Arms!

Defending Newark from Kings and Elimination

All the Kings Men Have Devils Pinned

Into The City of Angels

Devils Can't Afford Second Let Down in Newark

Kings Slay Devils in Overtime

David Clarkson Needs To Play a Disciplined Game Five, and Help His Team With a Goal.

Just one goal tonight, can help immeasurably.


Maybe it's just me.  I don't know.  David Clarkson was never a prolific scorer in his five years with the Devils.  But when you score thirty goals during the recent regular season, there is a reasonable expectation for more goals in the playoffs.


If the Devils are going to embark on a historic comeback, David Clarkson needs to stay out of the penalty box and chip in a little more with scoring.  It's that simple.  During the playoffs, he leads the Devils in penalty minutes .  And you can't score when you're in the box.


In 2009-2010, Clarkson only played half a season.  But he was on pace to serve well over 160 penalty minutes for the third straight season.  In those first three seasons, he scored 9, 17, and 11 goals, and those 11 goals in 2009-2010, could have translated into twenty with a full, healthy season.  This past regular season, David Clarkson brought his penalty minutes down to 138, and his goals scored skyrocketed to thirty.


Twenty-two penalty minutes in twenty-two playoff games played, may not seem too disturbing.  But in the playoffs, and currently against the Kings, it is still too much.  What I'm saying is, there's a direct correlation between David Clarkson being on the ice, and the Devils scoring, and ultimately winning.


He has three goals, but a solid nine assists in these playoffs.  That means he's involved and participating.  If he can just stay on the ice longer, he might score, and better the Devils' chances of  winning two games to tie the series.


Guys like Zach Parise are designed to be defended and neutralized.  It's simple.  Pick out a team's best scorer, and stop him.  The Kings have effectively done that.  The scoreboard after each game has reflected that as well.  The C-B-G Line, and Parise's Line, have have been effectively shut down.  But in the Kings' effort to stop Parise's line, they've allowed Adam Henrique, and Ilya Kovalchuck, who many believe is playing injured and with pure heart now, to play on.  For the Devils, all there is, is tonight.  Patrick Elias may or may not play big this evening.   He's been spotty.  That's why David Clarkson can give New Jersey's scoring an extra push.


Even though they are down 3-1 as a direct result of only scoring two goals in the first three games this series, the Devils have still played competitively against the Kings, but have just suffered some bad breaks, and perhaps made one or two mistakes more that Los Angeles has.  What Martin Brodeur and the Devils have been doing so far is keeping them in games.  If Adam Henrique continues to be New Jersey's best player this series, then perhaps David Clarkson can emerge as an X-factor again.  If David Clarkson can stay on the ice and finish his shifts, get shots on goal, and score just one goal, the Devils can win Game Five, and position themselves to tie the series in Game Six.


The Kings have made several Devils disappear.  If just one of them can reappear, then the Devils have a real and credible shot at a comeback, because the differences between how these teams have played is that slim.



* Devils Playground Graffiti - Bushwick, Brooklyn
Mike.BTB

N.J. Devils ~ Defending Newark From Kings and Elimination

From the desk of:   THE BRICK CITY DEMONS

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

Stanley Cup Finals

Kings Lead Series 3-1

I  -  LAK 2; NJD 1*

II  -  LAK 2; NJD 1*

III  -  LAK 4; NJD 0

IV -  NJD 3; LAK 1

* overtime

GAME FIVE

Los Angeles Kings

vs.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

From

THE ROCK

Brick City, Newark

NEW JERSEY DEVILS:  Game Four's Counter-Offensive In Los Angeles Brings the Battle for Lord Stanley's Cup

Back to Newark.

How much more can the renaissance men offer?  Are they crafty enough to win three more games?  Can Martin Brodeur hold back another seventy-five shots?  That's what it will take.  It's certainly another way of looking at things, isn't it?  Martin Brodeur, along with Petr Sykora and Patrick Elias, are the last horsemen of the old Stanley Cup winning Devils.

Martin Brodeur looks up to the task.  But that doesn't rule out Jonathan Quick being better.  And Quick just needs to be better in one game.  Not three.

Coach DeBoer knows this, and reactivated Petr Sykora.  And who can blame him?  The Devils needed more scoring.  Say this for Coach DeBoer, he's been pro-active throughout these playoffs.  Did his move to reinstate Sykora help?  Sykora was plus-one, with one shot on goal.  So the jury is still out.

But I do not think it is a coincidence that Patrick Elias scored his fifth goal of the playoffs, and the Devils won.  I also do not think it was a coincidence, that Dave Clarkson registered a point, and the Devils won.  Likewise, with Ilya Kovalchuck's eighth goal of the playoffs.  If Kovalchuck is indeed hurt, he is still trying.

The Carter-Bernier-Gionta line has been quiet.  The Devils rode their backs for a few games.  So it's not like you can just stop expecting them to come through now.  And the Devils are also still waiting for Zach Parise to erupt.  Beyond a shadow of a doubt however, Adam Henrique continues to be the Devils' best player through this series.  He scored his fourth goal of the playoffs, and the Devils' second goal of Game Four, in the third period.  Without Henrique, where would the Devils be?  Certainly not in the Finals.

Adam Henrique's goal was the Devil's response to Los Angeles tying the game on Drew Doughty's power play goal at 8:56 in the third which negated Patrick Elias' score exactly one minute earlier.   Adam's goal turned out to be yet another game winner for Henrique during these playoffs.

The Devils are still spitting into the wind when it comes to the power play.  They are now 0 for 15 this series, while L.A. seemingly has their power play working now, as they have scored three times in the last two games on the man advantage.  That does not bode well for the Devils at all.  Not if they plan to win three games it doesn't.  The Devils can't realistically expect Martin Brodeur out-play that stat.

The Devils have proven this much during the series, they can defend Los Angeles for prolonged periods of play.  And finally in Game Four, they proved to themselves, they can score goals again.  They had to wait till the third period for the goals to come.  But throughout these NHL playoffs, three goals has proven to be good enough to win.

While the Devils keep waiting for a couple of their top scorers, to score..., more, in the mean time, the defensemen have been contributing their share of points.  Volchenkov, if you remember, scored in Game One.  Marek Zidlicky added an assist in Game Two, and most recently in Game Four, Bryce Salvador picked up two assists, and Andy Greene one.

If you're going put yourself behind 3-1 in the series, I guess heading back to Newark is the next best place to be.  And so, the Devils will try and hold home ice Saturday night.  They showed a lot of fight in Game Four.  There is still some fire burning in the Devils.  Saturday night, they dance again in Brick City.

Mike.BTB

N.J. Devils ~ MARTY'S REVENGE

From the desk of:   THE BRICK CITY DEMONS

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE ~ STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Eastern Conference Finals

GAME SIX

New York Rangers  2

New Jersey Devils    3

DEVILS WIN SERIES 4-2

I  -  NYR 3; NJD 0

II  -  NJD 3; NYR 2

III  -  NYR 3; NJD 0

IV  -  NJD 4; NYR 1

V  -  NJD 5; NYR 3

VI  -  NJD 3; NYR 2*

*overtime

2011-2012

EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

NEW JERSEY DEVILS:  Lou Lamoriello's Club is Headed to Their Fifth Stanley Cup Finals.


At age forty, Marty Brodeur finally gets his revenge against the New York Rangers.  Eighteen years after being sent home upon the Rangers scoring a double-overtime goal in Game Seven of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, Marty exorcises his personal demon.  Maybe now he'll retire in peace, but not before he has a little more fun against the L.A. Kings.  Marty stressed over and over, he was having fun this season.  So, I'm sure he's having a ball right about now.  And why not?  The renaissance man had a great series.s


For the NHL's All-Time Career Shut-Outs leader, and for the NHL's All-Time Wins leader, Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals was career playoff win number one-hundred and ten.  And save for raising the Stanley Cup three times, this was probably his most satisfying win of all.  Lou Lamoriello's 1990 draft pick is taking the Devils to their fifth Stanley Cup appearance in the franchise's history.


In Game Six, Martin Brodeur faced thirty-five shots, and turned back thirty-three Rangers' pucks on goal, sending his chief nemesis back through the Holland Tunnel, a dejected team.  He even recorded another assist this series.  And by the way, his ability to handle the puck, and make accurate stretch passes back to mid-ice, in large part, ruined the Rangers' season long formidable forechecking.


And for Lou Lamoriello?  Vindication.  He has rebuilt this team into a Stanley Cup contender, again.  Only one of the greatest team executives the metropolitan area has ever known, Lou Lamoriello persisted through chiding he was cap challenged, which reached a pitched level when he signed Ilya Kovalchuck to what many thought would be a franchise breaking contract.  While the organization's financial footing is a whole other matter, Ilya Kovalchuck and Lou Lamoriello finally made this union work.


And the "What If's" over last season's poor start will persist.  Lou Lamoriello's hiring of John MacLean to be head coach nearly doused the fires in Newark.  Jacques LeMaire returned, and spear-headed a furious recovery and charge towards the playoffs.  But they fell just short and missed the tournament for the first time in nearly two decades.


Lou then hired little known Peter DeBoer, whom most widely agree got shafted by the Florida Panthers.  The new coach then led these Devils to a 102-point season inside a brutal Atlantic Division in which four teams amassed over 100 points.  Additionally, they finished the regular season by winning six in a row.  In this playoff encounter, I think Peter DeBoer played Coach Torts brilliantly.  But that is not to say either coach out-coached the other.  But Peter clearly won the battles along the peripheral fronts.


Lou also drafted a centerman whom I think is a tremendous hockey player; Adam Henrique.  Heading into Game Two, I posted here, how at the game, I told my son to keep an eye on Henrique in the offensive zone.  He's going to kill us; the Rangers that is.  I thought that about Dave Clarkson as well.  But it was Henrique who ultimately ended the Rangers' season.  Adam Larsson was another defensive draft pick Lou made which, along with the acquisition of Marek Zidlicki, vastly contributed to the Devils' defensive success this season.


These teams split the regular season battle of the Hudson with three wins apiece.  By the time New Jersey met the Rangers in the Conference Finals, New Jersey clearly emerged as the better team.  While the Rangers' overall scoring came from a most ponderous and broad range of skaters this series, the Devils' forward lines dominated enough of Game Two, Four, Five and Six , to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.


Really, in any given game, the Parise/Zajak/Zubrus line was the best line on the ice.  Then Peter DeBoer's late season creation; the Bernier/Carter/Gionta line; also at many times this series, was the best line on the ice.  Those two lines wracked up points like they were playing pinball.  Zach Parise in particular, put up points like no Ranger could.  Ryan Carter was putting up points like no Ranger could.  Travis Zajac scored his seventh goal of the playoffs in this series.  He, was putting up points like no Rangers' forward could, unless you include the many Ryan Callahan deflection goals.  Ilya Kovalchuck...ditto.


The Rangers needed scoring from their defensemen in order to stay alive.  The Devils' back line scoring matched them.  Bryce Salvador, and of course, Adam Henrique, saw to that.  And before Game Five, I doubt many Ranger fans even heard of Mark Fayne.  After the night he had in Game Five, not many Ranger fans will forget him.


Yea, I'm a Rangers Fan.  Good Luck Devils.  You out-Rangered the Rangers.  You won face-offs, won the battle along the boards, had more guys in front of the net, blocked as many shots, and managed to neutralize our shot-blocking.  You guys skated faster, passed better, took two games at MSG, were more disciplined, and cashed in on your opportunities in a way we couldn't.  The Devils' experience rose to the top, and their ability to finish games was markedly better than that of the young Rangers.


I will continue talking Devils Hockey throughout the next round against the Los Angeles Kings.


Maaar-Teeeee! - has his Revenge.  The near dynastic era of the New Jersey Devils is not over yet.  They are the NHL 's 2011-2012 Eastern Conference Champions for the fifth time in their history.





* Devil's Playground Graffiti-Bushwich, BK
Mike.BTB

N.J. Devils ~ Coach DeBoer Putting Rangers Through Hell

From the desks of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS  &  THE BRICK CITY DEMONS

GAME FOUR FINAL

N.Y. Rangers   1

N.J. Devils       4

NEW JERSEY DEVILS:  DeBoer's Demons

Playing With Pitchforks High!

NEW YORK RANGERS GET BURNT IN DEVILS' PLAYGROUND

Battle of the Coaches Heats Up ~ Coach Tortorella and Coach DeBoer moved their series feud from the press room to the benches.  The two engaged in a heated third period exchange, which rumor has it, turned personal in nature. 
Both coaches declined to comment after the game.

Game Four Preview; GRUDGE MATCH, and links to all my Eastern Conference Finals posts.


The Devils beat Philadelphia, primarily because the Flyers were terribly undisciplined and because the Devils wouldn't allow themselves to succumb to their level.  Coach DeBoer constantly implored his team to look the other way in the face of any Flyers' transgressions.  They all listened, and after Game Four against the New York Rangers Monday night, New Jersey is again, clearly the more composed and competent team on the ice.


The Rangers put the Devils on the Power Play another six times in Game Four, although New Jersey only scored once.  But for the Rangers, you can't establish a tempo, or flow, and in the Blueshirts case - grind, or mount any kind of offense when you're consistently killing penalties.  Now, here's the worst part of that.  If Blueshirts fans think staying out of the penalty box alone will help the Rangers, WE are all sadly mistaken.  For a team who's forte used to be playing at even strength, the Rangers have scored a mere two goals throughout these four games while playing five on five hockey.


Late in the first period, Mike Rupp authored the Rangers' best offensive rush of the evening; Ruslan Fedotenko's goal aside.  Rupp's attempt didn't get past Martin Brodeur, but he did draw a penalty.  And for a change, that wasn't a bad proposition.  Unlike the regular season, the Rangers have actually been somewhat successful on the Power Play these playoffs.  They are four for eleven this series.  And we all know they didn't have a near 40% success rate during the season.  But unlike the Rangers were doing, the Devils only put the Rangers on the power play this one time.


Let's be clear.  Mike Rupp was the Rangers' best forward Monday night, right up until he wiped out Peter Harrold behind the net, took a swipe at Anton Volchenkov, then punched Martin Brodeur in the chest.  When a melee ensued, Steve Bernier came charging in towards Mike Rupp.  But Bernier made a mistake by leaving his feet and lunging at Rupp.  So, Mike Rupp wiped him out in mid-air too.


That's it.  That's the extent of the Rangers speakable effort from Monday.


While New Jersey's Forwards were busy skating circles around the Rangers and accumulating eight points, the Ranger Forwards looked like they were skating in sand.  Zach Parise scored twice and assisted once.  Travis Zajac scored his sixth goal of the playoffs.  Ponikarovsky, Clarkson, and Zubrus all assisted on those goals.  Then you can figure in contributions they got from their defensemen.  Bryce Salvador's scored the opening salvo of the evening, and they got an assist from Adam Henrique.


The Rangers' blueliners?  Michael Del Zotto had perhaps his worst game of the playoffs.  And Ryan McDonagh can't be tangling with Adam Henrique like that.  The Devils will take that trade off every time.  Especially now, since the Rangers' defensemen represent so much of the Blueshirts' offense.  Which brings us right back to Mike Rupp.


Mike Rupp was indeed the Rangers best forward Monday night, even as he walked through the tunnel on his way to the locker room.  So what does that say?  The same thing I said yesterday.  I'm still waiting for a Rangers' forward line to dominate a game, like Parise-Zajac-Zubrus did in Game Four, and not having us pray for another Lundqvist miracle.


But John Tortorella's usage of Mike Rupp represented everything that went wrong for the Flyers last round against the Devils.  As a matter of fact, Coach Torts' usage of a number of players showed that some old grudges never went away.  But Peter DeBoer and the Devils, just aren't going there.  Or that's what they would have you believe.  They've successfully fought their battles so far through the Media, inside the Rangers zone, and now from the corners of the bench.  Coach DeBoer even snuck in a goon too.  However, the Devils consistently posted four goals a night against Philly because the Flyers played exactly the way the Rangers did Monday night, over an entire series.  So with the Rangers mirroring something from that series, the Devils wound up posting four goals against the Rangers as well.


As the series heads back to the Garden Wednesday night, even I, a self-admitted Torts Grunt, believes he needs to come up with a better plan than the one he unleashed Monday night.  There was something a little desperate looking about Game Four's decisions and efforts, considering it was the Rangers who held a 2-1 series lead, and not the other way around.  Nor in Game Four did the Rangers resemble the team who made adjustments after games two and three of the previous two series.  This lot looked more than just a little bit lost.


After the game, Coach Torts said his team needs to possess the puck more.  That means our forcheck isn't working.  Martin Brodeur's ability to make a long stretch pass to the blue line has something to do with that.  The Devils' quickness and accurate passing has been another factor hampering the Blueshirt forcheck.  And without the puck, that means the Rangers aren't spending much time in the Devils' zone.  Game Four ended with both goalies facing twenty-nine shots each.  But the Rangers shots came in late period flurries, and not through anything sustained like the Devils have created for themselves.


Nothing is lost for the Rangers.  Not by a long shot.  For Blue leaning Fans like myself, the series boils down to them imposing their will upon the Devils.  But Peter DeBoer and the Devils have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, the Rangers better do it smartly.  Reducing the game to alternative hockey will not help the Rangers.  In Game Four, the Devils also proved they can be patient enough to negate many of the Rangers blocked shots.  For Monday night, the Devils managed twenty-nine shots against Henrik, while the Rangers and Devils were tied with only six blocked shots each by the midway point of the third period.


The third period was supposed to be the Rangers' period.  That's how the first three games played out.  The Rangers have outscored the Devils 6-1 in the third period this series.  But not this time.  It is Coach Tortorella's turn to make adjustments now.  The series might only be tied, but after Game Four's performance, Coach DeBeor holds a distinct edge.


The Rangers can not continue to rely on their defensemen for scoring, nor the wily machinations of their Head Coach.  At some point, and it better be soon, the Forward Lines need to start taking control of these games or else the Devils will be playing for a Stanley Cup.


But these are the Rangers, and they prefer to do things the hard way.  They've been in worse positions than this.   After all, we are only headed into Game Five tied at two apiece.  The Rangers have dug down deep before.  They'll know how to dig in again.  But can they?  Or has their system reached it Law of Diminished Returns?


In any case, Coach Torts is right - it starts with possessing the puck.

The Battle of the Hudson Continues...

2011-2012

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE - STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

SERIES TIED 2-2

I  -  NYR 3; NJD 0

II  -  NJD 3; NYR 2

III  -  NYR 3; NJD 0

IV  -  NJD 4; NYR 1

GAME FIVE ~ WEDNESDAY

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

From

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

33rd Street at 7th Avenue

NYC

*Devil's Playground ~ Bushwick Urban Art, BK
Mike.BTB