N.J. Devils: Bracing For The Bolts - Round One

From the desk of:  THE BRICK CITY STYX

2017 ~ 2018

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

ROUND ONE

Game One

New Jersey Devils

vs.

Tampa Bay Lightning

FROM

Florida Ice Cooler

New Jersey Devils: The Real Season Begins Now; Can These Young Demons Fend Off The Mighty Bolts?

They say once in the tournament throw everything out the window regarding the regular season.  But do the Bolts really want to play the Devils?  Past performance says no.  New Jersey swept all three games from Tampa this season with every game being decided by one goal.

• Oct. 7      NJD 5; TBL 4 shootout
• Feb. 17    NJD 4; TBL 3
• Mar. 24    NJD 2; TBL 1

In their first meeting of the season, Cory Schneider opposed Tampa goalie Peter Budaj.  Since then New Jersey's Keith Kinkaid and Tampa's Andrei Vasilveskiy each started the next two games of the series.  The first round should be no different, as Devils coach John Hynes elects to stick with the Keith Kinkaid despite former starter Cory Schneider returning from injury back on March 1.

With a superb 44-17-3 record, Vasilveskiy tied for the league lead in goalie wins this season.  He posted a 2.62 GAA, and a .920 save percentage through 65 regular season appearances.  Tampa managed to limit scoring attempts against him at a manageable 31.8 shots on goal per game.

As noted, coach Hynes has been riding Keith Kinkaid like a mule, and the goalie responded with a March run rivaling any in the league.  He wound up edging out Cory Schneider by one game to lead the team with 41 starts.  He posted a 26-10-3 record with a 2.77 GAA, and .913 save percentage.  However, he is flashing an elevated .937 save percentage through his last fifteen games dating back to Mar. 2.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

1st Place Metropolitan Division

1st Place Eastern Conference

54-23-5 (113-points)

Nikita Kucherov takes Tampa's triple crown with 39 goals, 61 assists, and 100 points.  Steven Stamkos was right behind him with 27 goals, 59 assists, and 86 points.  The Bolts have six players with at least 20 goals, and five players over 60 points.  Yanni Gourde led the NHL with a 34 plus/minus.

NHL RANK:

• Goals For - #1
• Goals Against - #13
• Power Play - #3
• Penalty Kill  #27

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

5th Place Metropolitan Division

8th Place Eastern Conference

44-29-9 (97 points)

Taylor Hall is New Jersey's triple crown leader with 39 goals, 54 assists, and 93 points.  However, Newark's second leading scorer is rookie center Nico Hischier, who has 20 goals and 32 assists for a distant 52 points.  Kyle Palmieri is second on the team with 24 goals in just 62 games.

NHL RANK:

• Goals For - #15
• Goals Against - #17
• Power Play - #10
• Penalty Kill - #8

N.Y. Rangers: Off-Broadway Rocked While It Lasted

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

NEW YORK RANGERS: That Was Still The Most Fun We've Had In The Last 20 Years.

I watched all the games, but was too busy to load many thoughts aboard the Trolley...  Just as well, because I was short on words.  I mean, outside of obvious and nitpick issues, this was a difficult series to reconcile.

The Kings played very well, and lost Game Four.  The Rangers played very well (for the most part) and lost three games in overtime.  What a tough way to go down.

I refuse to put anything on Henrik Lundqvist because the Rangers did little to clear traffic in front of the net. They continued to let L.A.Kings loiter, and it cost them dearly.  At the other end, Jonathan Quick was insanely good when it mattered.  The Rangers created more than their fair share of high quality chances, but Quick rose to the occasion each time.  In hindsight, it still hard to say if a productive power play and/or Rick Nash could have changed much.

You might say we're still getting adjusted to Alain Vigneault and what his style has meant/means to the Rangers.  After a rough start, we eventually enjoyed a fine season, and locally the Rangers were clearly the rage of Spring.  Off-Broadway was rockin'.

Now what?

Two conference championship series and one Stanley Cup appearance in the last three years ensures only Glen Sather decides when he leaves office.  That said, several personnel decisions must be made.

A troublesome summer lies ahead.



Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers: Game Three - Clear Up That Traffic

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

Kings Lead Stanley Cup Series 2-0

I - LAK 3; NYR 2*

II - LAK 5; NYR 4**

*overtime

** double overtime

TONIGHT

Los Angeles Kings

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

FROM

Madison Square Garden

33rd Street at 8th Avenue

NYC

NEW YORK RANGERS: No Harm Until We Lose At Home,

Right?

I agree there is certainly something uplifting about a raucous home crowd.  However, there is way too much concern over the Madison Square Garden crowd, and what role they'll play in Game Three.

Why doesn't everyone just leave that to us - the fans.  We decide who gets crap, and who and what makes us happy, and when.  That goes for anyone who thinks (or thought) the crowd is an issue, to include Mike Keenan.

Just stop.

How about protecting a lead?  How about closing out a game?  How about avoiding overtime?

My silence or screaming from section 411 isn't going clear traffic in front of Henrik Lundqvist.  Marian Gaborik scored Game Two's tying goal because he was allowed to loiter around the net unhindered.  The game winning deflection (in double overtime) came because Dustin Brown was loitering in front of the net unhindered.  That stuff is problematic, not the crowd.

We're playin' with these guys.  The Rangers just keep shooting themselves in the foot.  To their credit, they've had numerous chances in both games, but Jonathan Quick rose to the occasion.

Speaking of which, without scoring from Rick Nash, it is unlikely the Rangers can maintain a 3 or 4 goal per game clip.  The man has 76 SOG in 22 playoff games, with only 10 points (3 goals) to show.  Playing the Kings requires all hands on deck.  Last game, might have been his best.  But, no goals, and that's been the difference.

Win tonight, and we have ourselves a series.  Just do it.



Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers: Gotta Deal With The Bounces Boys

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

Kings Lead Stanley Cup Series 1-0

I - LAK 3; NYR 2*

*overtime

GAME TWO

New York Rangers

vs.

Los Angeles Kings

FROM

LaLa Land

NEW YORK RANGERS: Los Angeles Kings Enforce Murphy's Law Against Visitors.

The 64:36 mark of Game One produced one of those unfortunate moments players dread - when bad luck descends upon them.  Despite all the physical and mental preparations they put into their craft, there are no preventative measures athletes can take to ward off bad luck.

Just as the puck hopscotched Girardi's stick, two Blueshirts were turning up ice along the near and far boards.  That left three fore-checking Kings in the Rangers zone against Girardi.

Why dwell?  If the Rangers come away empty in Los Angeles, then we can revisit Game One, and I do mean all of it. There were too many inconsistencies from one period to the next that warrant more attention than Dan Girardi's 4th period misplay of an uncooperative puck.

Certainly no one can blame Dan Girardi for the Rangers getting woefully out-shot in the 3rd period by a 20-3 margin.  And Derek Stepan's turnover was no less costly.

Otherwise, there were no surprises in Game One.  The Kings did to the Rangers what they've been doing throughout the playoffs - coming back from being down.  When they need game tying goals, they get them.   When they need game winning goals, they get them.  When they've needed victories, they've gotten them.   No lead, game or series, has been safe.  Game One was no different.

Nevertheless, Jonathan Quick demonstrated he will allow goals.  But two Rangers goals in regulation time is insufficient against the Kings.

They simply need to score more.  It's unlikely Henrik Lundqvist will be pitching any shutouts against the Kings.  Therefore, the players on this team paid to score goals, must score goals.  That means Rick Nash.   He was not brought in at such a high cost to be inconsequential.  Defending him for doing all the little things is falling on deaf ears.

The power play must also reemerge.  The Rangers are operating with a much lower margin for error, and therefore must maximize any and every opportunity they receive.

Despite being careless with the puck, the Rangers still demonstrated they can compete with the Kings.  As Brad Richards said, they need to clean that up.  So let's just drop the puck on Game Two, and see where that gets us.




Mike.BTB

Let's Go Rangers! Stanley Cup Finals - Game One Tonight

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS

2013-204

STANLEY CUP FINALS

NEW YORK RANGERS

vs.

LOS ANGELES KINGS

NEW YORK RANGERS: Stop Pinching Yourself Or You'll Go Blind.

Okay, maybe not, but Game One is finally upon us.  It's really happening.

Broadway versus Hollywood.

East Coast versus West Coast.  

New York City versus the City of Angels.

Whatever you call it, may the better hockey club win.

Can the Rangers compete with the L.A.Kings?   You're damn right we can.

Of course, this will be a showdown between two of the NHL's elite goal tenders - Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Quick.  Coming off their respective conference series, Henrik appears to have the hotter hand, as Quick demonstrated against the Blackhawks that he will surrender goals.

But, it will take all King Henrik's horses, and all King Henrik's men in order to pull of victory in Lord Stanley's tournament.  For now, all the Rangers need to do is win a game in Los Angeles and bring the series home to 8th Avenue.

Can the Rangers win with Rick Nash still not scoring?  They have so far, but how long can they get away with it?  Besides the power play, and what on earth happened to Cam Talbot, I have no other real issues.  In fact, I feel the Rangers are getting better the more they play together.

After several fruitful drafts, the L.A. Kings are just a very smartly put together hockey team.  A few seasons ago, they made a financial commitment to their young group of core players, which opened up a window for success that has so far yielded it's second Cup appearance, and should remain open for another two seasons to come.

The L.A. Kings have orchestrated absolutely stupid comebacks throughout these playoffs, as did the Rangers against Pittsburgh.  Both teams are going to roll four lines, and both teams are deep defensively. While the Kings are perhaps bigger, the Rangers have the edge in speed.  If the Kings forecheck is able to zero in on players, the Rangers will pay.  If the Kings look to take the body, and miss because of New York's puck movement and speed, the Kings will pay.

That said, I expect this series to go seven games.

Let's drop the puck, and...

Let's Go Rangers!

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers: After Thirty-Five Years, It's Time To Ooh La La Again

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

2013-2014

EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

Rangers Defeat Montreal 4-2

I - NYR 7; MON 2

II - NYR 3; MON 1

III - MON 3; NYR 2

IV - NYR 3; MON 2

V - MON 7; NYR 4

VI - NYR 1; MON 0

WE WANT THE CUP!

WE WANT THE CUP!

WE WANT THE CUP!

NEW YORK RANGERS: ...And Lord Stanley Said, Let There Be Hockey In June!

PAYBACK!

Payback - for Ken Dryden and the 1979 Montreal Canadiens, for Patrick Roy and the 1986 Montreal Canadiens, and for any other game we ever lost to the Montreal Canadiens.

I don't expect my fellow Blueshirt brothers and sisters to understand unless they've been there, but the team that lost to the Habs in the '79 Cup finals always remained a little more dear to me than the 1994 Stanley Cup champions.

Don't get me wrong.   I attended the '94 playoffs, and felt what every other Ranger fan felt when our boys lifted the Cup for the first time since 1940.  I went to the parade, saved my ticket stubs and made a scrapbook with all the local news clippings.

I was clearly older by then, and there's the rub.  The revisionist history (even back then) is hard to ignore. For all intent and purpose, the 1994 Rangers raised the (Eastern) Edmonton Oilers 6th Stanley Cup championship trophy, only this time at MSG.

Mark Messier was clearly the Messiah, and Adam Graves became a great Ranger his own way.  Then outside of homegrown heroes like Brian Leetch and Mike Richter, most of those Rangers were mercenaries - but very good mercenaries.  We all knew GM Neil Smith created a win now situation by trading away the club's youth, but we fans were okay with that.  Mike Keenan was perhaps the biggest reason why.  But Coach left shortly thereafter, and Neil Smith went on to make several more questionable moves.  After Wayne Gretzky's swan song, the lights off-Broadway went out for a while.

I guess, when you're younger, you're much more impressionable.  I was 10, 11, and 12-years old when the Blueshirts of Ron Greschner, Phil Esposito, John Davidson, the Maloney Brothers, Ron Duguay, Don Murdoch, and all those guys sparked my passion for Tex's Rangers and hockey in general.  Phil Esposito?   Yeah, I was too young at the time to grasp the trading of Brad Park to the Bruins.

I was more part of the Ooh La La generation:

As a late teen, the Smurfs of 1986 were just that, a 4th place, but likable band of smallish blue shirted skaters named Tomas Sandstrom, Mike Ridley, and Mark Pavelich, whom overachieved in advancing to the conference finals against Montreal.  The Beezer was at the height of his popularity, but many years after the fact, fans were still deliberating over the trade to acquire Barry Beck.

It's been 20 years since Mark Messier skated to center ice in MSG to accept Lord Stanley's Cup from Commissioner Bettman, and 35 years since my childhood heroes beat the New York Islanders, and advanced into the 1979 Cup finals.

This era, these Tortorella-Vigneault Rangers, stand to change everything.  My son was 3 1/2 years old in 1994.  His welcoming into the Blueshirt Brotherhood came later in the careers of the Four Horsemen of the Impossible (Richter, Messier, Leetch, Graves).  So this is his first Cup series.

I started taking him to Rangers games regularly after the lockout, in Henrik Lundqvist's rookie season.  Since then, we've experienced many highs and lows together, but obviously none quite like this.

He hates Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils like I learned to hate ALL the Islanders in my youth.  In fact, he chides me for not having the same disdain towards the Devils as him.  But because the Islanders have fallen on hard times over the last two decades(!), that rivalry does not resonate with him as it does with me.

What we do have in common is the Glen Sather era.  (Sigh)  To my son's credit, he did not like John Tortorella.  I did.  He liked the hiring of Alain Vigneault.  At the time, I didn't.  So chalk one up for the kid.

Back in 1994, my wife of five years was quite indifferent to our (then) 54 year plight, and my personal 15-year odyssey getting back to the Cup finals.  After spending the previous 20 years of my life furiously rooting for the Rangers, I was confronted by a strong headed mommy wanting to take our little pookie to Disney World, right in the middle of the Stanley Cup finals no less.  The significance of 1940 meant nothing to her.   Needless to say, I watched the Rangers lose games Five and Six in a Florida hotel room with two people too pooped to stay up and watch with me.

The wife has come a long way since then.  She started out understanding the basics - icing, off-sides, the power play, and stuff like that.  But ever since the lockout, she expects to attend games and becomes quite the vocal one.   She even has her own ticket connection now, and attended the Pittsburgh series without me.

Go figure.

Today, she is at the point where good play is recognized, strategy is questioned, and poor play gets trashed. But where is she exactly?  She enjoyed a good cry this morning while reading Dominic Moore's background story in the Sunday paper.  I think it safe to say blue blood finally courses through her veins.

In 1994, I suffered through the Rangers and Devils Game Seven double overtime thriller as both my son and wife slept.  Twenty years later, the wife and I celebrated the end of Game Six against Montreal together.  (If she only knew how I felt in 1979).  I then waited till 2:00am for my son to arrive home from work so we could have another mini celebration.

...to be continued.




Mike.BTB

N.J. Devils ~ Marty Brodeur Has Newark California Dreamin'

From the desk of:   THE BRICK CITY DEMONS

GAME FIVE FINAL

L.A. KINGS    1

N.J. DEVILS   2

NEW JERSEY DEVILS:  Headed Back to the City of Angels With Pitchforks Held High!


The fore-check, Zach Parise, and a power play goal all in one package.  It didn't take two and a half periods this time.  It took a little more than half of the first period to get on the board this time.  The Devils had scored the all important first goal of the night.  It was Zach Parise's first point of the Finals.  And it was also New Jersey's first power play goal of the series after fifteen fruitless chances...., Finally.

But through the first period, L.A. continued to out shoot the Devils.  Their shooting spilled over into the second period, and a little over three minutes in, the Kings' Justin Williams scored to tie the game at one.

The shots on goal favored the Kings twelve to six by the midway point of the period.  But that mattered not to Bryce Salvador.  He wristed one from up top, with David Clarkson in Jonathan Quick's way.  That puck found net at the 9:05 mark to put the Devils back ahead again.

Mark Fayne probably had his named mentioned for the first time since playing the Rangers when he assisted on Salvador's goal, which by the way, were two more points for New Jersey's defensemen.  But soon after scoring, Fayne then committed an ill-timed delay of game penalty.  During the PK, Martin Brodeur was needed to stop a puck off Doughty's stick right at New Jersey's doorstep.  Then a Kings' goal was dis-allowed due to a high stick.  And luckily for Mark Fayne, a crisis narrowly avoided.

The Devils continued to carry play through the rest of the second period.  At one point, Ryan Carter found himself with a nice opportunity and put a shot off Quick's mask.  But just as New Jersey was exerting control, Bryce Salvador got called for a high stick, putting L.A. on the power play with less than two minutes to go.  Martin Brodeur was excellent in holding off the Kings until the horn signaled the end of the second period.


The Kings out shot the Devils in the third period again.  And for the game, they out-shot New Jersey by a 26-19 margin.  Martin Brodeur made twenty-five saves on twenty-six shots, just as I said he would have to after Game Four:

"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?"

Well, make that twenty-five saves down, and fifty more to go.  Martin Brodeur has gotten the Devils half way to another Cup.  The Kings might be a game closer to glory, but in the grand scheme of things, what is winning two consecutive games really about?  We're not talking about four or three wins anymore.  It just two now.  And all you really have to worry about is the next one.  For now, that's all that matters..., again.

The third Battle in Newark is done.  This time Brick City prevailed.  The Kings have been repelled.  And the Devils are once again dancing around the fire with pitchforks held high.

Another battle in the City of Angels awaits.


SLAP SHOT:  I have but one question.  Can it be that Adam Larsson has no place in this series?  Coach DeBoer has made him a healthy scratch for all five games during the finals.  I realize he is a rookie.  But I think he can help the Devils.  Then again, it is hard to argue with New Jersey's defensive play so far, not to mantion, the continued defensive scoring should be complimented for producing points.



Mike.BTB

N.J. Devils ~ All The Kings Men Have Devils Pinned

From the desk of:   THE BRICK CITY DEMONS

2011-2012

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Kings Lead Series 3-0

I  -  LAK 2; NJD 1*

II  -  LAK 2; NJD 1*

III  -  LAK 4; NJD 0

* overtime

GAME FOUR ~ WEDNESDAY

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

vs.

Los Angeles Kings

From

Some West Coast Arena

SoCal

NEW JERSEY DEVILS:  After Game Three Victory,

L.A. Kings Poised To Lift Lord Stanley's Cup.

Devils' Flame Reduced to a A Mere Flicker.

Into The City Of Angels

Can't Afford a Second let Down in The Rock

Kings Slay Devils In Overtime

East Coast; West Coast; both coasts have been hell for the Devils.  They only managed one goal in each of the first two games in Newark.  In Game Three out in L.A., they had none.  The Kings?  They scored four.  For the series, the Kings now have eight goals, to the Devils two.  New Jersey can point directly at Jonathan Quick for most of their woes, because they actually have had quality chances.  But in a word, Kings' goalie, Jonathan Quick, has had New Jersey - bedeviled.

Whether the Devils managed too few shots like in Game One, or, almost doubled their shots on goal in Game Two, or fell somewhere in between like in Game Three, has not interested Jonathan Quick the slightest bit.  Neither has stopping the Devils in overtime for that matter, twice.


At the other end, after L.A.'s first goal and no whistle, for Martin Brodeur, there was only aggravation. Then after L.A.'s fourth and last goal, there was dejection.  The look on Coach Peter DeBoer's face was that of consternation.  And for the New Jersey Devils, they now face elimination.  History by the way, is not on Brick City's side.


Looking back, the Kings' long layoff between the Western Conference Finals, and Game One versus the Devils, didn't seem to bother L.A. much.  There was no rust.  As a matter of fact, travelling from the west coast to the east, didn't seem to bother them much either.  Nor did travelling back cross-country again for Game Three.  Afterall, New Jersey was making the flight for the first time.  Regardless, it seems as if nothing bothers the Kings right now.


Here's a weird stat - As the Devils' scoring has now taken a steep down turn from one to zero, their power play opportunities have gone up with each passing game.  New Jersey was 0-2 in Game One; 0-4 in Game Two; and 0-6 in Game Three.  That's 0-12 in the series.  Anyone will tell you, they needed to do better.  L.A. scored the first two power play goals of the series in Game Three.  Otherwise, the Kings have won the first two games at even-strength.  And it's not like the Devils have spent an inordinate amount of time on the penalty kill.  They've only committed five penalties all series.


The point is, the Devils have simply been getting out-played by Los Angeles, and it's happening five-on-five.  New Jersey's fore check hasn't been as effective as it was in the previous two rounds, and  their crisp passing isn't so crisp anymore.  While you can argue the teams played fairly evenly in the first two games, and the Devils might have been shorted a break or two, the Kings still thoroughly out-everything'd the Devils in Game Three.  And that's bad news considering the Devils are a long way from home.  If they should slip, if only slightly again in Game Four, that means there will be no Hockey this Saturday in Newark, or L.A., or anywhere.  It means the Kings' players will be taking the Cup on an unusual tour of places of the winning players choosing.


If Ilya Kovalchuck is playing hurt, no one on the Devils is saying.  But he remains without a goal in this series.  As does the Devils' Captain, Zach Parise, Dainius Zubrus, and Travis Zajac- meaning, the Devils first line.  First line, or even the new Fourth Line of Carter, Bernier, and Gionta aside, the fact is, regular season thirty-goal scorers, Patrick Elias and David Clarkson, still remain silent in the night.  The Devils' best player at the moment is rookie center, Adam Henrique.

I don't know how the Devils can pull this off.  History says they can't.  While we are at it, let's give full credit to Los Angeles for overwhelming the Devils thus far.  We all know the Devils can't win three times in Game Four alone.  They can only play, and win, one at a time.  And we all know who needs to finally show up in order for them to turn this around too.  But again, credit the Kings for making those same players disappear.




Mike.BTB

N.J. Devils ~ Kings Slay Devils in OT

From the desk of:   THE BRICK CITY DEMONS

2011 - 2012

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

STANLEY CUP FINALS

GAME ONE

Los Angeles Kings

vs.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

From

THE ROCK

Brick City, Newark

FINAL:

Kings 2

Devils 1
OVERTIME

NEW JERSEY DEVILS:  Bedeviled in Game One.

In the opening game of the Stanley Cup Finals, New Jersey was reminded what it's like to get scored on early, and having to play from behind.  The Kings came barrelling in on the forecheck and got deep in the Devils' zone, where Jordan Nolan gained possession of the puck behind net.  He found and passed to centerman Colin Fraser positioned at the edge of the right circle, who one-timed a shot passed Brodeur for a 1-0 Los Angeles lead, midway through the first.


The Kings owned the first period battle of the face-offs by a 12-5 count.  But overall, shots on goal were limited in the first period to five apiece.  Only problem was, Broduer let one get by too early.  With 2:15 left, Bryce Salvador had the Devils' best chance on net.  But no goal.  So, off went the Devils into the first intermission trailing by a 1-0 score.


L.A. committed one penalty which they successfully killed off.


The Kings came into the second period like they entered the first; aggressively.  They were the ones taking taking shots over the first half of the second, and were throwing the body more often, again, like in the first period.  The Devils showed they were getting their legs back over the latter half of the first period however.  But the trend didn't seem to be continuing in the second.


With 7:18 left in the second, Marty challenged a shot from point, and won, to kept it a 1-0 game.


New Jersey put L.A. on the power play after committing their first penalty, and even managed a short-handed opportunity by Zach Parise.  They successfully killed off penalty.  At 4:28, they finally managed their first shot on goal of the second period.  Dainius Zubrus had a great look but got stoned by Jonathan Quick on the shot.  Then...


Score at 1:12 - Patrick Elias tied the game off a big rebound/deflection left by Jonathan Quick following Anton Volchenkov's shot from the top of the left circle.


Over the first five minutes of the third period, this time New Jersey was carrying the play.  Zach Parise had a goal waived off after he forced a puck in net with his hand.  But the point is, the Devils were forcing the issue now.  Ryan Carter had another good look against Jonathan Quick, but was stopped with thirteen minutes to go.  But neither team managed much else during regulation.


Into overtime they went.  At 8:47, the Kings scored and the crowd in The Rock crumbled once Anze Kopitar scored.  He juked, and deeked, as he came in on Brodeur virtually unmolested, and scored the Game One winner.


Kings lead the series, one game, to none.




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