N.Y. Islanders: Flatbush manhandles Tampa in Game One

From the desk of:  FIVE FOR FLATBUSH

Islanders lead series 1-0

I - NYI 5; TBL 3

II - SATURDAY

New York Islanders: Let the bodies hit the ice; repeat three more times...

When speaking of the Stanley Cup playoffs, I'll side with the team coming off a three day layoff over the team coming off a six day layoff every time.  That does not always ring true 100% of the time, but the odds are heavily in my favor.

Therefore, Game One's result came as no surprise to me.

Despite Tampa Bay jumping out to an early lead, I fully expected the Lightning to suck in Wednesday's series opener against the Islanders.  Sure enough, the Bolts, specifically Ben Bishop, did exactly that.

Tampa Bay, however, will not go down quietly.  In fact, the Lightning effectively removed six days worth of rust by the 3rd period.

The real series starts now.

That said, there is still much to extract from Game One.

Don't let the official game stats fool you.  The box score says Tampa actually out-hit the Isles by a 33-29 margin.  In truth, however, they were only bumping into people instead of actually throwing their weight around.  Despite the absence of Steven Stamkos, Tampa still wants to play in open ice.  They do not want the series devolving into an overly physical contest in the corners - which plays right into the Islanders hands.

Listen up Rangers fans!

When the Islanders come ready to hit, they punish.  They turn jerseys into sideboard art.  And on Wednesday, they hit everything in sight.  So the longer this series goes, crashing bodies like the Isles did in Game One will eventually take its toll on Tampa.

When the Rangers played Tampa in last year's Conference Finals, 

Alain Vigneault called off the dogs in Game Seven and got eliminated.  Now look at them.!

Jack Capuano took a puck to the face and stayed behind the bench ... just saying.

When a healthy Steve Bernier and Matt Martin, Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas play the way they did in Game One, then throw in five hits from new kid on the ice Alan Quine, the Islanders become a scary team to deal with.

The Lightning will find no respite.  Flatbush simply has more PSI than Tampa can handle - (pounds per square Islander).

Behind the Mask

If you haven't caught on by now, or are not familiar with this Trolley, I am a Rangers fan (damn Smurfs!), which gave me an up close view of Ben Bishop during last year's conference finals.

He's a big dude.  His mere presence occupies an inordinately huge amount of net space.  He must be made to move laterally, because, to put it very simply, he sucks at it.  Bishop is a good quality goalie if allowed to remain stationary.  But make him start moving to his left or right, and he's doomed.

Thomas Greiss gets to use his get out of jail free card for allowing two goals in the 3rd period of Game One.

Just regroup, you're doing fine!

N.J. Devils ~ Flame Out

From the desk of:   The Brick City Demons

NEW JERSEY DEVILS:  The Kings Put Martin Brodeur Under Siege.

The Devils' Best Chance at Returning to the Finals Lies With Resigning Zach Parise.

The first ten minutes of Game Six looked like it was going to be another classic grinder.  But apparently, no one forwarded the memo to Steve Bernier, who went for the pulverization method instead.  What a shame too.  The Devils had something going there.

But a five minute major and a game misconduct, effectively took two Devils off the ice, as Petr Sakora sat the penalty, while Bernier was off to the showers; done for the night.  It ended the Devils' trip to the City of Angels, and brought New Jersey's season to a most ruinous close.  Three Kings' goals in the ensuing five minute power play exorcised the Devils' remaining hopes for a fourth Stanley Cup championship.  It would not be.  The power of the Kings compelled them.

The final score was 6-1, and to Martin Brodeur, I'm sure he was just as embarrassed as the meltdown actually looked.

The Devils were no fluke.  I'll say that right now.  I can't help but think how they stormed back last season, and just missed the playoffs.  And I think that team, and this year's team, was more representative of the Devils than the team which played under John MacLean.

So where do the Devils go from here?  Zach Parise is no doubt priority number one.  The soon to be free agent apparently wants to stay with the Devils.  But truth be told, the organization's finances are in shambles.  If they do manage to resign him, look out Atlantic Division, as he's heading into his prime.



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 ~ 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 ~ Renaissance Men

From the desk of:   THE BRICK CITY DEMONS

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

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

Panthers Fall in Double Overtime.

Rookie Saves Marty and the Devs.

ROUND ONE

GAME SEVEN FINAL:

New Jersey Devils   3

Florida Panthers      2

2 O.T.

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS  ~  EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI FINALS

SUNDAY

GAME ONE

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

vs.

Philadelphia Flyers

From

Broad Street

PHILLY

* Graffiti - Devil's Playground; Bushwick, Brooklyn

Mike.BTB

N.J. Devils ~ Relighting the Fire

From the desk of:   THE BRICK CITY DEMONS

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS ~ QUARTER FINALS

GAME FOUR FINAL

Florida Panthers      0

New Jersey Devils  4

From

THE ROCK
Brick City, New Jersey

Series Tied 2-2
I  -  NJD 3; FLA 2
II  -  FLA 4; NJD 2
III  -  FLA 4; NJD 3
IV  -  NJD 4; FLA 0

Saturday Night:

GAME FIVE
Devils @ Panthers

NEW JERSEY DEVILS:  Marty Catches Fire After Getting Doused in Game Three.



Previously on THE BRICK CITY DEMONS:
N.J. Devils - Sticking Themselves With Own Pitchforks
N.J. Devils - Game One; Stanley Cup Playoffs

Did Martin Brodeur regroup and rebound to shut out the Florida Panthers 4-0 as a follow-up to getting pulled during a 3-3 tie in Game Three, like a certain future Hall of Fame goaltender can?  Or, did Coach Peter DeBoer instigate Thursday night's effort out of Marty by showing him the bench early in the second period of Game Three, after surrendering a three goal lead?  Well, Brodeur is the one who actually plays, not Coach DeBoer.  So, I'd lean towards the Hall of Famer on that one.  But there's no doubt Coach got Marty thinking.  And that's his job.  What's more, I like Pete Deboer.  I think he's a good coach.

Coach said he did it to create a spark for the team.  Pulling Marty may not have been successful in that endeavour as the Devils lost Game Three by a 4-3 score.  But the move paid off brilliantly in Game Four.  Martin Brodeur faced twenty-six shots and stopped them all and added yet another record to his resume.


The game remained scoreless for the first twenty-six minutes of play, until Zach Parise scored on a power play at the 6:08 mark.  For Parise, the goal was his second of the series.  And through two periods, Marty stopped seventeen shot to make the 1-0 lead stand.


The Devils opened up the gates and unleashed the hounds in the third period.  They quickly pounced for a goal at 2:02, when Steve Bernier scored his first of the series.  A minute and a half later, Travis Zajac struck for his second goal of the playoffs, putting Florida in a suddenly late 3-0 hole.  The knockout blow then came at 8:32, when Ilya Kovalchuck scored his second of the playoffs on a power play, for a 4-0 New Jersey lead, and eventual final.


Marty Brodeur took care of the rest by stopping nine third period shots by the Panthers.  That now makes 101 playoff wins for the career long Devils' goalie.  And in posting a 4-0 shutout, he surpasses Patrick Roy for the most playoff shutouts in NHL history with shutout number twenty-four.


Tied up at two games apiece, this series now has a pair of legs.  Both teams will head back to Florida for Game Five Saturday evening before returning back to The Rock next Tuesday, where the Devils can wrap things up if they take care of business down in Sunrise first.






Mike.BTB