New Jersey Devils
Someone Let The NHL Schedule Out….
It is now out of the bag……
It will be an interesting season this year with everyone playing each other at least once. I will enjoy the Pittsburgh-Washington battles..and the two Avery Vs. Brodeur matchups. Naturally, the Rangers Vs. Stars meeting will also have extra meeting as the super pest faces his former team. There are so many storylines with the new err back to the future schedule.
Sometime around Thanksgiving or a little after, Martin Brodeur (barring injury) will surely approach and break Patrick Roy’s goaltending victories mark (551). Brodeur has 538 right now…and well 14 wins should be about as automatic as Tiger Woods on Sundays. I was hoping the Devils would have a West Coast trip at that time but no…they will have a trip in early January…right around my wife’s birthday (Jan. 8th).
Finally, all I want to see this year is some more physical hockey. With all the changing addresses, maybe my hope will be fulfilled. Now maybe it won’t but I am hoping for a very interesting season, I look forward to The Winter Classic in Chicago, and of course the start of the season in Europe with Ottawa, Pittsburgh, NY Rangers, and Tampa playing two games each. Enjoy!
Osgood As It Gets!!!!
START SPRAING THE SHAME PAIN BOYS AND LETS DRINK FROM THE LORDS CUP!!!!!
Wow, well the Red Wings are Stanley Cup Champions again.
What a series it was, both teams played their hearts out and it the end we all know who is the best team this season in Hockey.
The Red Wings dominated the Playoffs and Osgood got the MVP.
Although the Penguins tried to force a game 7, the Wings were just to big to stop.
If the Penguins did force a game 7, then it would be really tough to win it in Hockeytown.
The Pens came into the Stanley Cup Finals overconfident and not willing to admit that there was another team better than them and more hungry for Lord Stanleys Cup.
That’s the real reason the Penguins lost the series and their dreams of hoisting the Cup.
All that’s left to do until the offseason comes is the 2008 NHL Draft which will be an exciting one and with Melrose becoming the new lighting head coach and the Wings winning the Cup this will be an interesting Draft year for the NHL.
Flying High In MoTown!!!
The Red Wings took game 2 on Monday night 3-0. The Pens looked aware, but a sleep at trying to score goals.
Detroit had a very busy couple of days hosting the Stanley Cup Finals and the Eastern Confrence Finals between the Celtics and the Pistons. between the fights and the penalties that were in game 2, I have to say what a game it was on Monday.
There were so many fights and so much talkin I was wondering that maybe this was WWF smack down in hockey style.
Now I know their playing for the biggest trophy in hockey, but I guess you can’t blame them when it comes to Lords Stanley’s Cup you just sometimes have to drop the gloves and fight it out, to see who wants it more.
Although the Pens did seem like they might have been starting to make a comeback in the third, I doubted it after one of the players on the Penguins was called for goalie interference.
Malkin and Crosby seemed to be alert on trying to score goals, but the defense of the Red Wings kust were to much to handle.
I really think that the Red Wings will sweep the Penguins if the Pens don’t start shuting them down and start slowing it down a bit.
The Pens need to stop talking trash with the Wings and start performing as if in fact they are Eastern Confrence Champs.
Because honestly if they keep on talking trash with their mouths, they will see their hopes and dreams of becoming the NHL Champs sweeped away by the the MoTown Wings.
GO PENS!!!
Playoff Predictor Day 8: We Hit The Crapper!
Apparently sometimes it just doesn’t go according to the script. Yesterday we went 3-2 but had crushing losses by Washington and then Calgary’s 10 shot clunker in a 3-2 loss. However some good came out of yesterday as Anaheim struck back with a vengeance despite some quirky officiating as they defeated Dallas 4-2. Everyone asked where was Chris Pronger? Well we found Pronger in Dallas as he scored 2 goals and a helper. Even Ryan Getzlaf made a sighting. The Ducks only got 15 shots on net but made them count while J.S. Giguere made 31 stops…a big win indeed.
Then there was the debacle in Colorado. How did Colorado get 14 power play chances last night? I am sorry but that game smelled more rotten than Denmark. Yes, Colorado deserved to win but…5-1?? I am not so sure. The game got out of hand…the refs let it get out of hand…it was chippy and feisty but no way the Avalanche should ever get that many gifts. For a second, I thought it was the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals all over again. Pathetic excuse for officiating…hopefully Game 5 is reffed a little better.
Onward to tonight’s games…..I still think the Rangers have a little too much for the Devils right now but I expect this one to go back and forth. The Devils will keep this very close and I wouldn’t be shocked if they won but for some reason…a funny bounce in OT or late in regulation is going to decide this one. I can see a scenario where Chris Drury delivers again in clutch fashion. To think, he was soundly booed throughout much of the first half of the season. Ah, how times have changed. Rangers 3 Devils 2
Ottawa will not get swept! I just can’t see it happening…they will show some pride as they have done this in year’s past. They will come out tonight with a vigor that hasn’t been seen all series long. Their backs are against the wall and a young Pittsburgh team will probably be too cocky so its a perfect time to catch them at their most overconfident. Expect a huge game from Captain Alfredsson….and a Game 5 in Pittsburgh!!      Sens 4 Pens 2
Lastly, there are the Preds and Wings. The Red Wings have learned their lesson but Nashville will not go down quietly. This will be a back and forth tilt with a lot of rapid changes. In the end though, I see Detroit’s offense pulling this one out very late in the third period…and withstanding a late Nashville push in the final minutes and seconds. The game has all the makings of a classic and it will not disappoint the fans of Nashville…that is a given.  Wings 4 Preds 3
My record is now a so-so 17-10….not so great but not so bad either…hopefully tonight will be another steady sign of improvement. One can only wish. Enjoy the hockey!!!!
Humble Pie For The King…..
This apparently is King Henrik’s court…err ice! Someone forgot to tell the New Jersey Devils. New Jersey not only scored two power play goals, scored 4 times, and generated quite a few scoring chances…they made King Henrik look like a prince yesterday. Oh what a birthday present!!
The nicest thing I can say about my job at Walmart was my assistant manager who was nice enough to let me listen to the Overtime in the Electronics department. They have Sirius and XM radio in there…so it was nice to have a pick. My heart almost sank when the Devils hit two posts in rapid fire succession early in the extra frame. I really thought that was the game right then and there. Then much to my surprise…John Madden does his best trick shot impersonation and BANG!!….there is a series!!
That goal was more than just a goal honestly. With two days off….the Rangers have that time to dwell and dwell and dwell on it. It would be the equivalent of icing the goalie….in the grandest form. I can’t say much about Martin Brodeur because Brodeur got his bell rung and answered the call while Lundqvist did not in this game. The interesting thing is the Devils looked more like the 2006 Devils in this game. Now there were some considerable negatives but this definitely has the look of going seven now.
If the Devils can keep playing like this and cover Jagr better (he had 3 assists)….they really may be able to not only stay competitive in this series but they may also win this. It will not be easy as these two teams are really mirror images of each other. I am interested to see what happens Wednesday in Game 4. That will tell a lot as far as where this series is headed. One thing is for sure….this series is GAME ON!
Playoff Predictor Update……
1-3 yesterday…12-7 overall….
3 Games Today……
Pittsburgh Over Ottawa 4-3
Nashville Over Detroit 3-2
Colorado Over Minnesota 3-2 (OT)
Hopefully today goes better than yesterday….though in theory it wasn’t all that bad….as I did get one hell of a birthday present. The Pittsburgh game is on yahoo live tv and the other two games are on VS….so enjoy the hockey!!!
Eastern Conference Previews….Hot Off The Presses…
Tomorrow it begins at last. After six months of jockeying for position….we are at the doorstep of hockey’s second season….where it all counts now. There are sixteen teams but only one can be Stanley Cup Champion. It is time to do some previews and predictions.
#1 Montreal Canadiens VS. #8 Boston Bruins
Forgive us for no fancy logos and gimmicks here….but this is just nuts and bolts preview and prediction here on Fanboom. The Habs beat the Bruins all eight times this season and some of the games were downright ugly. If that was not a daunting enough task for the Bruins….the first three games are played over a span of four nights. That will take a lot out of a team that is trying to stop a very speedy Habs team. This will be a goaltending battle as Tim Thomas goes up against the rookie Carey Price. I still give the nod to Price as he has been more consistent this season. Thomas can be spectacular but he can be also downright lethargic and cold at times. I see a resolve in Price that will serve him well in the second season. Montreal has more scorers in the lineup with Higgins, Kovalev, and Plekanec. They also led the league in defensive scoring with guys like Mark Streit and Andrei Markov. Boston counters with a solid defensive system and guys like Glen Murray and Chuck Kobasew. They also have some d-men that can score like Dennis Wideman and Zdeno Chara. But will Chara’s lack of foot speed hurt him in this series? That is one key.
The other key is injuries.
Key Injuries: Bos — Patrice Bergeron (concussion) Marc Savard (Back) Saku Koivu (foot)
Predictions: Sure not having Koivu will hurt some for the Habs but this team is on a roll. I can’t see Montreal slowing down…if anything they will play better in honor of him. Thomas will have to steal this series like Cujo did against Dallas in 98. Honestly I do not see that happening.
Habs in 5.
#2: Pittsburgh Penguins VS. #7 Ottawa Senators
This is probably the matchup the Pens wanted. Since last year they were ousted by Ottawa in 5 games as Ottawa went on to the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to Anaheim. People forget Ottawa only lost once in regulation over the first 15 games then everything went South in the new year…and they almost ended up falling out of the postseason entirely before holding on for 7th in the East. They know what is coming from Sidney Crosby and company. Pittsburgh finished with 102 points but took it easy on Sunday when they lost to Philly 2-0. They could have nabbed the #1 seed and some question the motivation but what can you do. Crosby, Malkin, Hossa, and company provide a unique skill set that will give Ottawa fits all series long. Ottawa had a very tough time with Montreal and Pittsburgh can play very similar to that style.
Key Injuries: PIT: No Major Injuries. OTT: Daniel Alfredsson (knee) Mike Fisher (knee) Chris Kelly (leg)
Predictions: This is a hard series to call depending on which Ottawa teams shows up. Ottawa has to play fast and hard…and not worry about Pittsburgh scoring because Pittsburgh is going to get their goals…Ottawa is just going to have to get more. There will be a few crooked numbers in this series but the key for Ottawa will be to get their confidence back. If they don’t, Pittsburgh is going to make very very short work of the Sens and that is kind of what I see happening…though the games will be tight.
Pens in 5.
#3: Washington Capitals VS. #6: Philadelphia Flyers
This is like an old time Patrick Division slobberknocker. They haven’t been in the same division for awhile but management from both teams I am sure remembers those days well. The Capitals come in on fire going 10-1-1 in their last 12 while Philly kind of just held on and won their last two by shutout to get in as the 6 seed. Washington is young and youthful and is riding a hot Cristobal Huet in net while the Flyers have Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, and a more than able Martin Biron (thankfully there is no shootouts in the playoffs). This has the makings of being a surprisingly good matchup. The physical nature of this series will be in ample display. These two teams do not like each other and with Donald Brashear on the ice…expect it to continue.
Key Injuries: PHI — Daniel Briere (lower body), Simon Gagne (Concussion), Derian Hatcher (leg), and Sami Kapanen (flu, neck). Was — No key injuries
Predictions: This series doesn’t start till Friday so a key could be who comes out faster. The Caps will get helped by the home crowd but Philly will need to play like it did Sunday against Pittsburgh. They have to stay disciplined or they will be eaten alive by Ovechkin and Backstrom. Cristobal Huet will be difference in this series and though it will be close and Philly may even steal a couple games along the way. The Caps should move on to the second round despite a potential big series from Vaclav Prospal.
Caps in 6.
#4: New Jersey Devils VS. #5 New York Rangers
Throw the records out the window and let the bodies hit the floor!! Yes the Devils only won once in the season series but the last one may mean more to the Devils than anyone else could know. The Devils know they can beat the Rangers but they are also now aware that they need to improve on their second period play. For some reason that has buried them and their inability to hold leads of late. Brodeur Vs. Lundqvist figures to be a stonewall marquis matchup that will live up to all the accolades and hype. The Rangers have stopped Elias and Parise for the most part all season and the Devils have stopped Jagr for most of the season series…he did get one goal in Sunday’s game. This is going to come down to who really wants it more…they are evenly matched with the Devils having a bit of a 5 on 5 advantage and special teams is the Rangers forte.
Key Injuries: None to really speak of.
Predictions: I have been going back and forth on this since Sunday. The series is going to be very close and I expect some OT and double OT games thrown in for good measure. This will be physical, there will be blood no question. Can the Devils break out on the Power Play? They did in 2006 and I still think Lundqvist remembers that well. Jagr’s line has to score some and Gomez and Drury have to be especially big (maybe on a line with Dawes) to win this. The Devils line of Rupp-Clarkson-Zubrus needs to be a huge presence early. The games and the series will go back and forth like a yo-yo but in the end I do think Martin Brodeur has just enough in the tank to steal the show in a game 7 that will feel like it was on ESPN Classic.
Devils in 7.
Later on we will do some quick western conference predictions….thanks to the wife for her expertise on the western conference teams. But for now, enjoy the day off. Tomorrow will come fast enough!
Lock, Stock, And Barrel?
With last night’s action in the books….there are some things to be decided but all it really comes down to now is crowning a Southeast Division champ and some seeding issues in the East and West. The intrigue that could have been vanished last night into a cloud of dust when Dallas and Carolina both lost unexpectedly. More on that a bit later.  Last night was the first night that I saw firsthand what fatigue can do to a team. It was evident in so many games…it was enough to make my head spin.
For the Rangers, it was simply a case of firing too many shots and being in the attack zone too long. They fired 51 shots on Wade Dublewicz in all and yet could only muster one point (a 4-3 shootout loss). Brendan Shanahan looked absolutely gassed when he tried to beat Dublewicz in the shootout and really didn’t get that great of a shot off. Can you blame him though? He did have 12 shots on net. It just goes to show you that the tired feeling can hit at any time…sometimes even the most inopportune time as the Rangers could have climbed into a tie for the 4th seed with New Jersey.
New Jersey came into Philly after winning 6 straight this season against Philly and quite possibly turned in one of their worst performances of the season (losing 3-0). Any time you see Martin Brodeur getting pulled is bad but when your team shows no life it has to be of great concern to the coach.  Giving up two goals 4 on 4 was what scared me most. That was an awful, pathetic display of defense and should never happen…especially this late in the season. When Sutter pulled Brodeur, the message was served. The Devils did have 8 shots in the last 8:00 and had several quality scoring chances probably their first good chances of the night against Martin Biron. Biron probably had the easiest night he had in months in getting the shutout. Damn wouldn’t it be nice to see Mr. Brodeur get one of those every so often? The question becomes now when the Devils play the Rangers tomorrow afternoon at The Rock….who has more in the tank left? A very interesting question indeed.
Then there was Dallas with a golden opportunity to get closer to Anaheim and the 4 seed. So what did they do at home? They lost to Phoenix of course…4-2. Though Dallas only gave up 20 shots….how in god’s green Earth do you let Daniel Carcillo (trained professional fighter) net a hat trick against you? I watched this game in sheer amazement as Carcillo was all over the ice, getting quality chance after chance and annoying the living daylights out of Stars’ defensemen. I know Zubov is out and there are a few injuries and such, but man Dallas is limping into the playoffs and it makes you wonder if they really want to play Anaheim. The Ducks are a physical team that could pummel them and Turco into submission.  Last night’s game proved more that the Stars are a tired team than anything else.
Finally, there was Carolina…the Southeast was right within their grasp….and then the whistle blew. It was like the expectations just caught up with them. Well really the entire season caught up with them all in one game. Fatigue really showed up late in the third period. When you fire 46 shots on net like that, I guess it can be expected. But the key, was the defense and goaltending that looked ordinary most of the season came back to bite them big time. Cam Ward was not at his best last night and Florida took advantage of it….netting 2 quick goals in the first then after Eric Staal made it 3-2…Radek Dvorak of all people scored a shorthanded goal with just over 11 seconds left in the second off a pretty passing play and it was 4-2 and pretty much end of Carolina season. The Canes tried to mount a late attack but the last couple minutes they looked more like an AHL team floundering away with a one goal deficit feeling like five…as they lost the game 4-3 and maybe the season.
Finally there is fatigue by celebration. Thy name is the Nashville Predators. After a kind of lucky goal, Nashville promptly gave up three goals in the first falling to defeat 3-1. It was weird…almost like they were hungover because the last two periods..the Preds were firing from all cylinders and really Patrick Lalime was stoning them immaculate. Because when I saw Nashville score the early goal….I thought it would be a long night for Chicago because that was a bad one. But Lalime and Chicago proved me wrong…they did enough in the first to win the game. So now Nashville will play Detroit in the first round.
Now it is time for in, out, and bubble. (As far as new teams in,out, and bubble).
IN:
Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers
Out:Â
No one yet.
Bubble:Â
Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals
The Capitals truly control their destiny but anything can happen. Will the fatigue of the season get to them or the fatigue from the pressure of the moment? We will see tonight as more teams jockey for seeding and one tries to cement the last playoff spot up for grabs…the Southeast Division title (the 3 seed). Enjoy the hockey everyone!
April Fools Day…..A Day Of Hockey
It is the one day of the year where it is more than okay to be a little zany. The strangest thing is this has to be one of the most insane postseason races in history and one of the biggest days of the season is today of all days. This includes what will probably be the game of the year in the Southeast Division. Also a couple more teams have the chance to clinch division titles and playoff berths. This has the makings of being a great hockey night.
However, just to show a little sense of humor…it is time to sidetrack a little into the world of hockey pranks. Everyone has a favorite prank to pull on someone today. I wonder who has pulled one off today and how did it go. I know with some of the hockey players…the traditional pie in the face gag was so overused that we wound up going to a different standby. The place that we practice at down in Palm Desert has a helium tank in it…so yesterday we pulled an early prank on one of the guys. He thought he was blowing air into balloons when really he was blowing helium. Needless to say it not only changes your voice but the balloons did some pretty funny things when we popped them. I swear one smacked him in the head. He didn’t look all that pleased but it was hilarious to see the look on his face.
Another classic was the rubber cement hockey puck. Take rubber cement on an inline floor and put it around the rolling hockey puck. We literally had dozens of people trying to pull the puck off the floor and a couple even fell down. I was laughing so hard I almost spit out my soda when one of the guys tried firing a slap shot and the stick smacked his helmet so hard that the helmet came flying off. One girl nearly fell head over heels when she tried to pull too hard. After ten minutes, we just had to tell people in good conscience that this was an April Fools’ Day prank. I can only imagine how many more would have tried to get the puck off the ground…after all who wants to slip on it?
Finally there is the cold roller…or that’s what I call it….Fill a small kitchen garbage can 3/4 of the way with water and a little ice and lean it on any door….then wait for the hilarity to ensue. We left the door at the office of the guy that runs the place….waited for him to finish his lunch then placed the small kitchen can leaning on the door. When he opened it…I swear he jumped 20 feet…that water was really cold. Considering it was nearly 80 degrees out…that is one nasty chill but damn it sure is funny!!!
Well on the funniest day of the year, there is nothing better than some big hockey games. Tonight’s Capitals-Hurricanes clash more than transcends the funny stuff. This is an absolute must win for both teams. The Caps have to win out to hope and make the playoffs either as a division winner or an 8 seed…they may even get 6th or 7th who knows. The Canes have to win tonight to keep their division lead…at the worst lose in OT or a shootout. It will be Cristobal Huet Vs. Cam Ward in the nets and both have been rather good of late. Huet won the last meeting but both goalies were amazing in that game and I expect more of the same in this one. A low scoring, high intensity duel that can be seen if you have Fox Sports South, Comcast DC Sportsnet or simply Center Ice….though I wonder if VS. somehow finds a way to get this game on the airwaves.
Here is why. Last week’s game was a 3-2 Washington win in Carolina via the shootout….Huet was particularly outstanding in the extra frame and shootout stopping an onslaught that came at him. Cam Ward was no slouch in this game and the physicality was intense. When was the last time you saw a goalie check someone into the boards…it happened in the last meeting. No doubt this is the game of the night and probably week.
In other action….the Devils play the Islanders at Nassau Colosseum . A win clinches a playoff birth for the Devils but so does a regulation loss by the Capitals. Martin Brodeur will be looking for his 42nd win but only his 2nd against the Isles this season as the Devils for whatever reason have a hard time beating this team no matter who is in net for the Islanders. Whether it be bad luck or worse, the Isles and the Rangers for that matter have the Devils’ number this year and that is unusual for a team who feasts on the Atlantic year in and year out. Four games in six nights will be a nasty stretch for New Jersey to end the season but if any team can pull it off…it is New Jersey. For more on the Devils side of things…check out 2 Man Advantage later on in the day.
There was a tie for the third most important matchup of the day…between Montreal-Ottawa and Vancouver-Colorado. Both are very essential to playoff seedings in the West. Montreal can tie for the lead in the East and Ottawa can virtually clinch a playoff berth. Montreal has controlled most of the Northeast all season and sprinted out to a 7-1 lead in their last meeting before Ottawa made a game of it late scoring 4 times before falling short 7-5. Ottawa’s goalies don’t seem to do well against Montreal and really the Habs’ depth and team speed are a killer for any team…when they are playing on their game. Ottawa counters with the most dangerous first line in hockey…Alfredsson, Spezza, and Heatley. So expect either a low scoring barnburner or a shootout…no one really knows till these two drop the puck…what is going to happen.
Lastly, there is Vancouver Vs. Colorado. Vancouver has to win this game for Nashville is playing St. Louis and SHOULD get 2 points tonight. Luongo has been good for the most part lately but has thrown a few clunkers into the mix. He has to be on his game from the outset tonight as Colorado is very dangerous at the Pepsi Center. Hell the first ten minutes of this game will pretty much tell the tale on this one. If Vancouver can hold firm early….they should be able to take this game late. If they don’t, Colorado will be able to score and force the Canucks to play catch up…something they do not like to do at all. Comfort zone is essential and whoever comes out of theirs first will lose. An oh by the way….if Minnesota wins tonight and Colorado and Calgary lose…Minnesots wins the Northwest crown and the 3 seed.
So aside from all the funny stuff….hockey is still serious business. As the playoffs get closer and closer…more teams will find their bubble bursting or their seeding plummet. Good fight….good hockey…and good night!
A Win Win Situation…Sort Of
What a great day of hockey yesterday…from college to the AHL to the NHL…there was a little something to see for everyone. The best part was it started with the stuff from college ice….as the tournament began yesterday. Everyone’s consensus seems to be #1 overall Michigan but I think there may just be a few surprises. Time to get into yesterday’s action a bit.
Notre Dame came into a tournament reeling a little bit but New Hampshire despite being a #1 seed in the West had to feel a little uneasy and they certainly had reason to. The Wildcats were in it…only down 4-3 in the third period against the Fighting Irish when the Irish unloaded for three goals putting the game out of reach and winning 7-3. Jordan Pearce, who I thought was outstanding stopped 32 shots in what was a high paced up and down type game. Despite the score I thought this was the game of the day just as far as offense is concerned. Joey Pollastrone was incredible for New Hampshire scoring twice had 5 scoring chances and finished with 6 shots overall. He was all over the place and really had a chance to nab another goal or two if it hadn’t been for the great goaltending of Pearce. The Irish next face Michigan State at 7pm PT, who downed Colorado College 3-1 behind 41 saves from Jeff Lerg who anyone knows can almost win a national title by himself. He did it last year for the Spartans so look out this regional final will be a damn good one.
Not surprisingly, Michigan rolled yesterday to a 5-1 win over Niagara. Clarkson also defeated St. Clould 2-1 in what could be considered a mild upset. What is on tap for today? Well North Dakota begins its run in less than an hour against an upstart Princeton team. Expect the Fighting Sioux to come out firing on all cylinders…they saw what happened to New Hampshire and anything can happen in this tournament. Miami (Ohio) tries to silence the critics as they face Air Force in a first round tussle. In 2nd round action, Michigan faces Clarkson, Notre Dame faces Michigan State, and Minnesota faces Boston College. It is going to be a fun day for college hockey and if you do not get ESPNU for whatever reason you can follow the action on CSTV (CBS College Sports).
Then it was onward to some good old AHL hockey. Portland did battle with Lowell last night in a battle of my wife and I’s favorite minor hockey league teams. Both teams have taken their share of lumps this year with both likely not making the playoffs. However, it doesn’t make the two points any less sweet. Lowell would ultimately prevail over Portland 4-1 in a game that saw Lowell really capitalize on opportunities while Portland did not. Petr Vrana had another great effort for the baby Devils with 2 goals and an assist. It makes you wonder if he will get a spot on the big club next year. I think he may just be ready. Ryan Murphy chipped in with 2 assists and David Caruso made 26 saves in a solid effort. Sure teams like Providence and Chicago are the class of the league but it is fun to see the kids play no matter what their records are and the effort from this game showed that it still matters…even when a playoff spot is far out of reach.
Next up the big boys….in a Battle Of California showdown…the San Jose Sharks defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 last night in front of a sold out, raucous crowd at the Honda Center in Anaheim. It was nice to get to listen to the game at work…thank you bluetooth technology…thank you so much. JS Giguere missed his 4th straight game with back spasms as Brian Boucher only gave up 1 goal as he made 23 saves. The game turned on a weird Doug Weight penalty midway into the second period as he fell to the ice he hooked down a Sharks player. It was a cruel way for a game to turn but it did…as Jeremy Roenick swatted home a rebound that bounced off Jonas Hiller’s chest for the game winner. Just like that the team that was in third place all year…clinched the division. Congrats to the Sharks on clinching the 2 seed in the West. As for the Ducks it looks like the 4 seed is their fate now…question is who will they play next.
This game was very physical….hits were fierce and from all over the ice…and yet it was a clean game for the most part. That is the way old time hockey is meant to be played. This picture captures the essence of this playoff-like battle perfectly. Thank you Getty Images once again and the AP.
Battle of California tough!!!
Last but not least a happy moment in my sanity for the night. The New Jersey Devils beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 in a wild game via shootout. Yes the Devils blew leads of 3-1 and 4-3 pushing my sanity nearly to the breaking point. Thankfully this time they did not break it like previous efforts this week. See the Rangers as Exhibit A and B for the judge. Gionta, Elias, and Langenbrunner all scored in the shootout on Marty Biron (who may be the league worst at shootouts). One of these days we are going to come up with a stat for that one. That being said, the game did kind of mask another amazing effort from Johnny “Orr” Oduya who seems to do this lately when the Devils and Flyers play. He had 2 goals in the first period and was all over the ice on the night. If only he could do this more often, damn that would sure reduce this fan’s stress level considerably.
All that is left now for the Devils is a 4 games in 6 day stretch against the Islanders, Bruins, Flyers, and Rangers and then the playoffs will begin and the energy level will be all cylinders on high. It is funny what a difference a day makes…so I leave you with a drink of cider.
Enjoy the night of hockey everyone!!
An Undeniable Deja Vu….
I remember the 2005-2006 hockey season well. The Devils looked on the playoff bubble then dramatically reeled off 11 straight regular season victories to win the Atlantic Division on the last day. To make every Devils fan happier from here to the outer reaches of the world….the Devils exorcised some demons in sweeping the Rangers before bowing out in the second round of the playoffs to Carolina that year (they went on to win the Stanley Cup). It was a time that made any Devils fan proud and ranked in the top 10 of the 25 greatest Devil moments of all time on the Devils website. Fast forward to this season.
At the 72 game mark…the Devils stood at 90 points. Despite everything that went wrong from the 9 game road trip to start the season…the devastating losses and all the ups and downs…the Devils were first in the Eastern Conference. Just five games later…the Devils (0-4-1 in that span) are now fighting for their playoff lives despite being a 5 seed in the East. Two of these games were particularly disheartening. Last night’s 3-2 loss to the Rangers may have been worse than the 7-1 drubbing by the Pens on the 22nd for one simple reason. This is the second time in the last two meetings that the Devils blew a 1 goal lead to the Rangers in the third period.
The old demons came back to haunt them again. Bad penalty killing, untimely lack of discipline, and well Nigel Dawes led the Devs to their demise on this night. Really I felt badly for Martin Brodeur last night, more than any this season, because really your defense can not have breakdowns like this and expect to win. That and if you add in the goals from Elias and Parise…you had to feel good as a Devils fan heading into the third. Then anger management killed the momentum. Colin White took his second penalty of the game right as the third period started. What was worse, was that it was a needless penalty. A slash of all things put the Rangers on their second Colin White Power Play. Just 67 seconds into the penalty…Christian Backman converted a pretty feed from Scott Gomez and the game was tied just like that. My heart sank as I knew what would come later.
Anyone who doesn’t get a tad pessimistic at that point isn’t a true hockey fan. Goals like that are killers especially when teams know your Penalty Kill is average at best. Dawes would later add the game winner with under 4:00 left when he slid into Brodeur after being hooked by Sheldon Brookbank..although it kind of appeared that Dawes went down a little easy. Brodeur made the save went down to cover the puck but there came a sliding Dawes and the puck ended up in the net before everyone else somehow. The goal would stand up to video review which seems to be a mantra against the Devils in the last week or so. The Devils have been on the wrong side of Toronto three times now. Sometimes it really makes you wonder as there was no delayed penalty signal by the refs. I would have to say it was a goal but this has to be yet another heartbreaking way to lose.
The New Jersey Devils have no time to be down on themselves as they have a chance to get closer to a playoff berth tonight, at home, against the Philadelphia Flyers. They have only lost once to them this season and really have looked great against them the past two season. The Flyers see the Devils on the schedule and they just panic severely. Can Brodeur rebound from what was essentially 2 Power Play Goals and a fluke? If anyone can, it is Brodeur. He is the one person that can end this winless streak before it gets too late. And late is coming sooner than anyone could possibly think for the Devils right now.
Thank you Bruce Getty (AP)
So what will happen tonight? Something tells me the Devils will come out a lot more angry and feisty than previous efforts. They have to…..it is essentially playoff time right NOW…otherwise there are no playoff hopes at all. The time is now New Jersey’s to show if they are playoff worthy or are they just a decent team on verge of an epic collapse worthy of the 2007 New York Mets. Only time will tell and that time begins tonight.
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