Gotta Feel For Marty...

He gave us a chance to win tonight. Goals were CLEARLY, CLEARLY, CLEARLY not his fault, in fact the first one should've been a goaltender interference penalty.

But it's the rest of this team's fault. Their absolute unwillingness to take the body, or try to permeate the interior of the Ottawa defense, and just hope that the puck would go off Emery and make it into the net. We were awful tonight from goal crease out. Marty deserved a better effort from his team tonight, and that's why we lost. A half-ass effort could've beaten the Sens tonight, but the forwards and defense couldn't even come up with that.

Detroit-San Jose tonight at 10, enjoy that.

20 Reasons Why Marty Rules

Wonderful stuff from #30 tonight so far. 20 of 20.

Devils can win a game in one period if the game is tied. They just need to win this period and take control of the series.

Devils-Ottawa Game 3 Tonight

I'm back folks. Thanks to CRASHER for his help, and he will be gladly welcomed for a second opinion on the Devils any time he makes it to the computer screen until the Devs are ousted from the postseason.

That said, some keys to tonight's game:

1. Discouraging the Sens, and the crowd, early. A goal in the first 5 minutes would be huge. This crowd has a taste for meat and a true belief that this is their year. An early strike would quiet them quickly.

2. The Madden line. Jay Pandolfo agreed that they have not been playing up to snuff the first two games of this series. They have to stop the Spezza line. We can deal with one mildly dangerous scoring line. What we can't deal with is the CA$H line going through us faster than Chinese food thru the digestive system.

Tonight's game is on VERSUS, in Jersey and Nationally. Here are the VERSUS channel listings:


MSO/System Name
Service Area
Ch #
Blue Ridge/Gouldsboro, PA
Gouldsboro
62
Blue Ridge/Hemlock Farms, PA
Hemlock Farms
66
Blue Ridge/Huntington Hills PA
Huntington Hills
57
Blue Ridge/Milford, PA
Milford
66
Blue Ridge/New Foundland, PA
New Foundland
62
Cablevision/Allamuchy, NJ
Allamuchy
408
Cablevision/Bayonne, NJ
Bayonne
408
Cablevision/Bergen, NJ
Bergen
408
Cablevision/Bridgeport,CT
Bridgeport/Fairfield
408
Cablevision/Brookhaven, NY
Brookhaven
408
Cablevision/Cross River, NY
Cross River/North Salem
408
Cablevision/Dutchess Cnty, NY
Dutchess County
408
Cablevision/East Hampton, NY
East Hampton
408
Cablevision/East Hampton, NY
East Hampton
408
Cablevision/Elizabeth, NJ
Elizabeth
408
Cablevision/Hamilton, NJ
Hamilton
408
Cablevision/Hudson, NJ
Hudson County
408
Cablevision/Long Island, NY
Long Island
408
Cablevision/Lynbrook, NY
Lynbrook
408
Cablevision/Monmouth, NJ
Monmouth
408
Cablevision/Morris, NJ
Morris
408
Cablevision/New York City, NY
New York City
408
Cablevision/Newark, NJ
Newark
408
Cablevision/Norwalk, CT
Norwalk/Westport
408
Cablevision/Oakland, NJ
Oakland
408
Cablevision/Ossining, NY
Ossining/Wappinger Falls
408
Cablevision/Paterson, NJ
Paterson
408
Cablevision/Port Chester, NY
Port Chester
408
Cablevision/Port Jervis, NY
Port Jervis
408
Cablevision/Ramapo, NJ
Ramapo
408
Cablevision/Raritan Valley, NJ
Raritan Valley
408
Cablevision/Riverhead, NY
Riverhead
408
Cablevision/Rockland, NY
Rockland
408
Cablevision/So Westchester, NY
So Westchester
408
Cablevision/VTV Long Island, NY
VTV Long Island
408
Cablevision/Wappinger Falls NY
Wappingers Falls
408
Cablevision/Warwick, NY
Warwick
408
Cablevision/Westchester, NY
Westchester
408
Cablevision/Yorktown, NY
Yorktown
408
Charter/Newtown, CT
Newtown/Fairfield County
41
Comcast/Danbury, CT
Danbury
69
Comcast/Hopewell, NJ
Hopewell
75
Comcast/Jersey City, NJ
Jersey City
35
Comcast/Lambertville, NJ
Lambertville
75
Comcast/Long Beach Isle, NJ
Long Beach Island
43
Comcast/Meadowlands, NJ
Meadowlands (NJ)
70
Comcast/Monmouth-Eatontown, NJ
Monmouth/Eatontown, NJ
54
Comcast/Northwest, NJ
Northwest/Port Murray
40
Comcast/Ocean, NJ
Ocean/Bay Head
69
Comcast/Plainfield, NJ
Plainfield (town)
76
Comcast/Toms River, NJ (R)
Toms River/Dover
43
Comcast/Toms River, NJ (R)
Toms River/Dover
43
Comcast/Union, NJ
Union
71
DIRECTV

608
Patriot/Somerville, NJ
Somerville/Hillsborough
143
RCN/Manhattan, NY
Manhattan (D)
80
RCN/New York, NY
New York
80
SECo/Sparta, NJ
Sparta
35
SECTV/Hunterdon, NJ
Hunterdon
52
SECTV/Phillipsburg, NJ
Phillipsburg
52
SMS/Brighton Arms, NJ
Brighton Arms (D)
214
SMS/Glen Ellen Apts, NJ
Glen Ellen Apartments (D)
288
SMS/Kuser Village, NJ
Kuser Village (D)
213
SMS/OceanTerrace, NJ
Ocean Terrace (D)
17
SMS/Quail Ridge, NJ
Quail Ridge (D)
213
SMS/Trump Tower, NY
Trump Tower (D)
300
TWC/Bergen Cnty, NJ
Bergen County
122
TWC/Manhattan, NY
Manhattan (North)
122
TWC/Mid-Hudson Valley, NY
Mid-Hudson Valley
81
TWC/Mt. Vernon, NY
Mt. Vernon (D)
122
TWC/Newburgh, NY
Newburgh
81
TWC/Orange, NY
Orange Cnty/Sullivan Cnty
81
TWC/Orange, NY
Orange Cnty/Sullivan Cnty
81
TWC/Queens, NY
Queens (D)
122
TWC/Quics, NY
Quics - Consolidated (D)
122
TWC/Saugerties, NY
Saugerties (Town)
81
TWC/Staten Island, NY
Staten Island Cable Division
122
TWC/Upper Manhattan, NY
Upper Manhattan (D)
122
TWC/Warner Comm of Brooklyn,NY
Warner Comm of Brooklyn (D)
122
TWC/Warner Comm of Queens, NY
Warner Comm of Queens
122
US Cable/Paramus, NJ
Paramus/Hillsdale (D)
304
WVTC/Warwick, NY
Warwick
22

Rangers Win in 2 OTs

Sorry for the delay, but the Rags are able to make it a 2-1 series, beating the Sabres on Michal Roszival's big drive from the point.

Game 3 is on Tuesday at 7:00 on VERSUS.

More Liveblogging

5:34 PM Overtime is over, as Avery misses the net. OT Intermission report, take a short break, back in 15 minutes at 5:50 PM!!!!

5:33 PM ROY HIT THE POST!!!!!

5:32 pm Diluted 2-on-1 is broken up, Rangers now have possesion the other way. Nylander had one tipped wide by Jagr. 1 Minute left power play, Straka a backhander, Scramble in front! Nothing from it,loose puck, to the back, Roszival shot it wide!

5:31 PM Shanahan and Drury on the draw, it's cleared, one man outta the box, 5-on-4 Rangers.

5:31 PM What an atmosphere!

5:30 PM Timeout Rangers. :05 of a 5-on-3, then 1:55 Of a 5-on-4, 2:33 left in the Overtime. Renney's talking to his players on the bench.

5:29 PM Chance for the Sabres 2-on-1 Connolly couldn't get it away, Rangers take it back, they don't produce anything but the Sabres clear it OVER THE GLASS!! PENALTY ON BUFFALO!!! BRIEF 5-on-3 Followed by another 5-0n-4

5:28 PM :55 to go power play, Avery missed wide and they clear, puck into the mesh, 3:05 Period, :37 power play.

5:27 Roszival long bomb blocked by Miller. Offside Rags.

5:27 PM Buffalo clears with 90 seconds on the kill.

5:26 PM Here we go with a Ranger Power Play...

Overtime Liveblog

5:25 PM Prucha blocks a shot, here come the Rangers, a save by Miller on Callahan, another try was blocked!

5:24 PM Big chances for the Rangers lately, the tide seems to be turning.

5:22 PM 7:10 to go in Overtime. Very cautious still, the Sabres are being very cute on this one.

5:21 PM Long shot on goal is stopped by Miller, Rangers clear the puck and the PENALTY IS KILLED!

5:21 PM Wonderful work by the Rangers on this kill. Offside on the Sabres, :30 to go on the man-advantage for Buffalo in Overtime.

5:20 PM Cleared by NYR with 1:10 to go.

5:20 PM This is the Sabres 6th consecutive power play uneventful through 40 secs.

5:19 PM 8th Power play for the Sabres, they are 1-7 this afternoon.

5:18 PM Malik is off for I believe a hook.

5:17 PM Nylander and Hossa! Two shots , big stops. Stafford centered one off of Lundy and a PENALTY ON THE RANGERS!

5:16 PM Rachunek blocked a Briere shot. Wrister by Hecht went wide.

5:16 PM Shots are 4-2 Buffalo in OT

5:15 PM Prucha fed it to Rachunek for a shot, then another that Spacek blocked. Oh, it is tense right now.

5:14 PM Drury a big shot the Lundqvist stopped.

5:14 PM Buffalo gets it out.

5:13 PM Isbister a brilliant pass to Jagr and he missed it. Rangers with possesion as Tyutin shoots wide.

5:12 PM Offside Rangers

5:12 PM Cullen shot one wide.

5:11 PM Tyutin a big shot that got the glass.

5:10 PM Icing on Buffalo

5:09 PM A feed in front went through Nylander and a few seconds later, the Rangers go offside

5:08 PM Offside BUF, they get a change.

5:08 PM Stoppage in play as the puck was frozen.

5:07 PM Afinogenov's backhander wouldn't go. Icing on the Rangers.

5:06 PM Callahan fed one to Cullen that he couldn't handle, Callahan and Prucha combined for a chance in front that Miller stopped and covered.

5:05 PM Briere a shot that Lundqvist blocked down and covered. Nobody wants to risk too much right now. Somewhere, an NBC exec sweats.

5:03 PM That crazy deflection hit the post!

5:03 PM Timeout Sabres

5:02 PM Betts took one that took a crazy deflection on goal that Miller kicked away. Kotalik took a huge hit and iced the puck.

5:01 PM Kotalik the first shot, shrugged away by Lundy.

4:59 PM Briere came right out in front untouched, but the net dislodged.

4:59 PM Here we go...OT at the Garden has begun!

4:58 PM Pierre McGuire says that Brendan Shanahan told him that the ice was as bad as it's been here all year.

4:56 PM I really hate that Comcast Spiderman commercial. Is that comedian Zach Galifinakis as the Spidey dude?

4:55 PM Commercial during OT here, 1-1 is our score of course. Jagr for NYR, Briere with a possible tip from HG Chris Drury for BUF. NBC looks to be sticking with this game for the duration. I remember FOX going with a Philly-Florida game through 3 OTs, but I can't imagine NBC staying with this game past 6PM for local news.

Possible locations? VERSUS? USA? MSNBC? CNBC? If anyone knows of a precedent for this, leave a comment or E-Mail at SMLepore@comcast.net and we will try and get it to the readers as soon as possible.

More coming up very, very shortly.

Overtime at the Garden

Hey, let's liveblog OT of Game 3.

Jagr got a lucky one to make it 1-0 in the 2nd at :33.

Later in the 3rd, Briere got a howitzer going that went off of somebody in front, maybe Drury, maybe a Ranger, but regardless it's 1-1.

Ottawa at Devils, Game 2!

Well good to see it took only one game under both teams belt for their play to go from nappy to snappy, eh? The Devils came out FLYING in this game taking the play to the Sens and dominating the tempo of play with two quick goals on the power play, Brian Gionta ripping a wide open (but stoppable) right wing blast through the armpit of Ray Emery, and Sergei Brylin with a dramatic 0.2 second shot that was flicked over a stunned Ray Emery, but the end of period buzzer as well (for anyone who needs to know the definition of CONFIDENCE ....it's simply seeing that play happen and going... IT'S A GOAL and beating the rush to the bathroom!).

However as good and as strong as the Devils stormed out of the gate in the first period, you just knew a counter-assault was coming from the Sens.. they're too good not too come back. And 4:23 into the second period Daniel Alfredsson finds a hole in Brodeur from the left wing boards and rips one through Marty to cut the lead in half... and the assault was ON as Ottawa outshot the Devils 26-8 in the second and third period... and it took the 26th shot from Danny Heatley in the high slot, with Alfredsson in front to get the game's tying goal with a mere 26 seconds left in the regulation. (nothing like a little bit of playoff drama is there??)

But this isn't your Devils of old type team that would sit back and wait for a mistake that was never going to happen....this team's strength flows through it's top 6 forwards and their ability to control the play and make big plays in big spots (though to be fair Ottawa did have it's share of control in the 4th period as well, thanks to some overtime penalties (and does anyone else HATE overtime power plays? It cheapens the drama of playoff OT... LET THEM PLAY) by Gionta and Matvichuk ... and Ottawa did fire 14 potential game-ending shots at the goal that Brodeur steered away) and this team's strength came through in the second overtime with Jamie Langenbrunner just WILLING his way into a breakaway and then with brute RAGE getting the puck on the deke and over the pad of Ray Emery who had NO chance in the world on as pretty a goal as you will see for a playoff OT winner !!!

--Patrik Elias returned to the line up tonight, playing shorter and semi-effective shifts and assisting on the Devils first goal, but did seem to have to hurry off the time on longer shifts and did get knocked around a little bit (yeah he doesn't look 100% still :p) and David Clarkson sat out for the returning Elias
--Devils goalie Martin Brodeur after the bad first period in game one, burned his pads and glove for some new equipment... and it paid off as he dominated for most of the game aside from the fluke Heatley score with just 26 seconds left in the regulation (a goal that was eerily similar to a fatal second period goal by Eric Staal in Carolina in last year's Second Round Game 2)
--Jamie Langenbrunner's OT winner is his fourth career OT Winner
-- During a first period TV Timeout Ray Emery TOOK OFF from the ice and hustled into the locker room.... possibly from a leg cramp or a left knee injury and was seen often favoring this knee and stretching it out awkwardly during stoppages.
-- a strong contingent of Ottawa fans made the trip to New Jersey (we will be doing a similar trek to Ottawa for game 6) and their presence really ignited the crowd into an attack frenzy that was VERY audible on TV and it looked like the Devils came out WORLDS of fired up from it!
--oddly enough right before Sergei Brylin's goal with micro-seconds left in the first period, I was rather upset that the refs let almost a second tick off the clock with a late whistle on a Jamie Langenbrunner blast... but hey guess these things work out eh?? :-)

Rangers at Sabres Game Two Thoughts

As many of you know, I'm giving full extensive NHL playoff coverage over at my site Hitting Back.

If you need any articles, info or postgame analysis, I'll be supplying it for the rest of the playoffs in the NHL Playoff section.

So what do the Rangers need to do to respond to a disappointing Game One 5-2 loss against an explosive Buffalo team?

1.Remain disciplined. They took some very unnecessary penalties in Game 1 which killed their momentum.

2.Smart decisions with the puck. The Sabres love to aggressively attack and force turnovers. The Rangers reset too much and paid the price. Move the puck quickly and get it out.

3.A better forecheck. This pretty much goes without saying. The Rangers just didn't get the puck in the corners enough and work the Buffalo D. They can be attacked.

4.No silly turnovers. Buffalo is the best countering team in the game because of their dangerous speed and skill. The Rangers must stay away from glaring mistakes.

5.Don't back up. Too many instances, this happened and hurt them. You can't do it against this team.

6.Lundqvist must shine. Enough said!

7.Jagr and Avery play their game. While No.68 created chances, he didn't get many shots (2). Avery also was a nonfactor and was minus-three with two minors. He needs a much better game.

8.Get the lead. Take that crowd out of it.

9.No mental lapses.

10.Smart changes.

Tonight

Rags-Sabres game 2 at 7 on MSG, Ducks-Nucks g2 at 10 on VERSUS.

I will try to do some thoughts on the Ducks game myself later.

Devils vs Sens Game 1: 4/26/2007

Hello there!! I'm sure you either already know me and what I've done in the past (10 years of Devils recaps, mostly through emails and a Devils Mailing list, but also archived somewhat on www.crasherline.net) or you have no idea who the fuck I am and could really care less about some boring introduction from me and who I am... so I'll spare the bullshit and just get to what you wanted to read here!

But I will bore you (well not too much I hope) with what I think the keys to this series are.... for the Devils:
--Martin Brodeur MUST be Martin Brodeur and not the poster boy for average goaltending he was in the first round (again there's no need for him to EVER play 78 games like he did this year in the regular season)
--the scorers need to keep scoring (re: Gomez, Gionta, Parise and Langenbrunner)
--I don't think this Devils team is built to shut ANYONE down anymore (and the 7 playoff games this year show this), but John Madden/Jay Pandolfo/Sergei Brylin MUST be better then they were last series (and should be because Ottawa is better but not FASTER then Tampa is)

And now what Ottawa needs:
--Stay the course, they SMOKED a really good and high tempo Penguins team making them look like minor leaguers in the process (well aside of Fleury and Crosby)
--Don't fear the Madden match-up... like I just stated, the Devils shut down line ain't what it used to be and if you can use that match-up to keep the Devils offensive guns off the ice... go for it!
--Depth and Grinding... Ottawa can go four lines and six D... I don't know if the Devils can
-- Joe Corvo... watch this man UNLOAD from the point if the Devils give him time on the power play.. his shot is scary good....
-- Ray Emery, average is good enough with the team he has in front of him and I think he's better for the most then he gets credit for (he was bad tonight though)

Tonight's game was a baffling, hard to explain contest, much like most of the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals (well what you could endure of Gary Thorne and Bill Clement's ear bleeding play by plays of the games).... anytime one team took control of the game and it looked like it was time to go home... Case in point 4-0 Ottawa when Martin Brodeur was missing saves like me on the roller hockey rink 4 hours into a 95 degree game session in July)... Ottawa took a quick lead 90 seconds into the contest (and the stats show like 80% of the team's who score first win this year) and then just steamrolled the Devils most of the period keeping them bottled up and just looking worse then the Atlanta Thrashers did last round...but then just as Dean McAmmond scored a brutal shorthanded goal that had every fan in the building (and if you expect me to comment on the attendance go find a tall building to jump off, because any fan who endures that out of date inaccessible shithole deserves a medal and 50% discount on our entrance into a civilized arena!), but a minute after ruling the game over... Travis Zajac gives you a flicker of life to hold onto into the second period and the Devils Storm the Castle and make a game out of it, cutting the lead to 4-3 with good effort and equally as BAD goaltending from Ray Emery (it was like he said "Hey Marty any suck you can do I can do better!") and two long goals by Brian Gionta and Andy Green making it a hockey game again.

But the big comeback was not to be as the 3rd period arrived and only 43 seconds into the period Wade Redden iced the game with another seemingly stoppable wrister (at least from my seats in Section 216)... and that made the hill too big to climb over and only some more Zach Parise magic with 30 seconds to go (does any team score more with the empty net then the Devils do?) made it just mildly interesting... and not bad for the league's most boring team ... yeah you know... the one on top of all the offensive stats (2 guys with 7 goals and Gomez near the top in assists, points and contract demands!) and the only team left playing with a worse team GAA is the San Jose Sharks, but that will change once Nabokov's Shutout is added into the stats.... so yeah it is boring... we get 3-5 goals a game from the same freaking guys!!! Makes you wonder what a difference even half a Patrik Elias would have done in this game on the top line instead of the unimpressive Erik Rasmussen and the overwhelmed by the playoffs David Clarkson.... but that's why they play seven games right ???

Welcome Scott!

We have a guest coming in for the next couple of days. He's a favorite of mine and Derek's, and a very rare Devils fan without a panic button taped to his forhead whenever this team loses a PERIOD!

Most of you know him from NJDevs and Crasherline.net, ladies and gentleman, welcome Scott, AKA CRASHER!

He'll be posting very soon and covering the 1st 2 games of NJ-OTT for us. Enjoy his ramblings! And believe me, there will be ramblings.

Some More FAN Interviews

Hmm...No Rags stuff today after their loss to the Sabres 5-2.

New Jersey Devils and VERSUS/NBC lead Play-by-Play man Mike "Doc" Emrick on Mike and the Dog's morning show:

http://wfan.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=672204

Buffalo Sabres Owner Thomas Golisano:

http://wfan.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=672205

Less than Hour To Go

Before they drop the puck in Buffalo! I am pretty relaxed about this series. Facing my best friend's team kind of sucks. But that's life. In order to move on, you have to beat the best. This will be a very difficult series for the Rangers.

Thinking about what Buffalo can bring on offense is daunting. Every line has unbelievable skill, speed and finishing ability. The Rangers will have to play a near flawless game to win. Meaning no silly turnovers, remaining disciplined and a solid forecheck. And oh yeah. Great goaltending which they have been getting.

I will be having extensive coverage over at my site on each series. Let's drop the puck already!


Hitting Back

WFAN Interviews

TSN/NBC's Pierre McGuire on Mike and the Mad Dog:

http://wfan.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=668957

NJ RW Jamie Langenbrunner with Evan and Joe:

http://www.wfan.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=668444

NYR C Michael Nylander with Evan and Joe:

http://www.wfan.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=668443

Steve and Derek's Round 2 Picks

Eastern Conference

#5 Buffalo vs. #1 NY Rangers
Steve: Sabres in 6
Derek: Sabres in 6 (NOTE: This is the 2nd Round in a row that Derek has picked against NYR!)

#4 Ottawa vs. #2 New Jersey
Steve: Devils in 7
Derek: Senators in 6

Western Conference

#6 San Jose vs. #1 Detroit
Steve: Sharks in 6
Derek: Red Wings in 7

#3 Vancouver vs. #3 Anaheim
STEVE AND DEREK: Ducks in 5

Rangers and Sabres Game 1, VanCity and The O.C. at 10, all on VERSUS, even in the local markets. Enjoy your hockey, and enjoy Round 2!

Rangers Round 1 TV Sched

Here is the local TV Schedule for the Rangers-Buffalo series:

Game 1 - April 25 - 7:00 - VERSUS
Game 2 - April 27 - 7:00 - MSG
Game 3 - April 29 - 2:00 - NBC 4
Game 4 - May 1 - 7:00 - VERSUS
Game 5 - May 4 - 7:00 - MSG
Game 6 - May 6 - 2:00 - NBC 4
Game 7 - May 8 - 7:00 - MSG

The Devils have yet to announce a TV schedule, but here is how their series will likely go:
Game 1 - April 26 - 7:00 - FSNY
Game 2 - April 28 - 8:00 - VERSUS
Game 3 - April 30 - 7:00 - FSNY
Game 4 - May 2 - 7:00 - FSNY
Game 5 - May 5 - 8:00 - VERSUS
Game 6 - May 7 - 7:00 - FSNY
Game 7 - May 9 - 7:00 - FSNY

Avery on TRL

Well, it says Sean Avery is supposed to appear on MTV's TRL. No sign yet.

MEDIA BUZZ (all times ET)
New York Rangers forward SEAN AVERY: Today at 3:30 p.m. on MTV's "TRL"

He certainly was a big part of the Rangers' sweep of Atlanta and will once again need to be a factor against Buffalo if his team is to pull the upset in the Conference Semis.

Some other stuff:

HE SAID IT
“I can’t believe you’re that good" -- Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur to Lightning forward Vincent Lecavalier during the post-series handshake.

Nice compliment from one champion to the other. I'm sure the feeling was mutual.


Here's an article from the Tampa Tribune on Brodeur's turnaround:

Brodeur Back On Form For Devs


"We knew it was going to come sooner or later," Lightning coach John Tortorella said of Brodeur's Hall of Fame form. "And the last two games, I thought he was the difference."

What's Ahead for the Isles?

Well, I've finally recovered from the Isles' tumultuous season, with Hill's suspension the icing on the cake. Looking ahead to the summer, it will be interesting to see what the team's roster shapes up to look like by September. Of course, the Isles will make a pitch for Smyth, but I feel he will go back to Canada, probably Calgary. Blake is going to want more years than the Isles are willing to give and I expect him to walk as well.

I strongly feel that Yashin should be bought out. He has got to be the worst captain in the history of the NHL. He does not produce, and does not lead the team either. No one on that team would shed a tear if he was gone.

Trent Hunter and Aaron Asham are also two guys I'm wondering about. To me, Hunter had about six weeks of very good play, just after the new year. Yes, Hunter leaves it all on the ice, but where is the value added? Asham has a wicked shot and can play tough, but he rarely shoots and is fairly invisible.

DP looks like he may actually earn his contract as long as his noggin holds out. Dunham proved his worthlessness. I'd actually consider Dubie as the back up for next year. Randy Robitaille? I keep reading quotes by Nolan regarding how valuable he has been. I have seen very little to get excited about and would jettison him in a heartbeat.

Hilbert and Park played important roles and have a lot of heart - I'd keep them around.
Satan? I'd trade his lazy butt to someone in return for a kid with promise or even a high draft pick.

Kozlov? Enigma. As lazy as he seems to be much of the time, the numbers were very good. Keeper.

Simon - I'd like to replace him with a younger, faster character guy with toughness, but I'm not sure who that would be.

Defense - I thought Witt was incredible this season. A leader on and off the ice. In fact, if Smyth does not stay, I would make him a captain.

So this leads us the UFA season - and I have just three words to say: Defense, Defense, Defense.
I would get rid of the dead wood and build from DP out. I'd stockpile at least 2 top tier D men and pair them with Witt, Bergeron, Gervais, and Martinek. I would keep Campoli as a 7th defenseman if Hill is not retained, that would only play when Martinek suffers his annual injury. I would kick Freddy Meyer out the door. I'd only keep Poti id we could not get 2 top UFAs. The D would then look like:

UFA
UFA
Witt
Bergeron
Gervais
Martinek
Hill/Campoli

I thought Hill was awesome this year. Many will say that was completely due to roids, but I'm not convinced. I think he was looking for an edge at his age, but still think he can get it done, especially as part of the third pairing, getting less minutes.

Who to get on D? I'd go for Rafalski and Hannan. Raf to rush the puck and Hannan to stay back. A. Markov is probably too expensive. Sarich would be an excellent signing. Souray is too weak defensively. Redden would also be an excellent choice.

As for the offense, if we build a solid D, it will take care of itself. I would make sure to get Bergenheim back here and would also give spots to Nielsen and Tambellini as well. Their time has come.

It has been an exciting season, but in the end, a first round boot does not get it done. Yes, they played top seeded Buff, but you know what, Buff did not impress me as much as I expected. I think they can be beat, and I think the Rangers may be just the team to do it. The Rags can play tough, which the Sabres do not like - and can put a lot of pressure on the opponent's D when they feel like it. and so far this playoff season, the Rags seem to have the right mindset.

I predict Rags in 6.

-Rob

Sens-Devils Preview

Once again as with Rangers-Sabres, I constructed this one during the second period and intermission of Calgary and Detroit which are tied 1-1 with 9:07 left in Game Six.

I'll post the whole thing here though. For more hard hitting info on puck or other sports, it's Hitting Back!

Forwards-The Devils rely on their top two lines for most of the scoring. The line of Zach Parise (6 goals), Travis Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner has been their most consistent all season. Though they didn’t connect in the last two wins, they’re always dangerous due to their aggressive forecheck. If they’re not scoring, then it will be up to the EGG line of Patrik Elias, Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta (5 goals). Criticized throughout their first round against the Bolts, the trio got better as it went on and has a huge hand in turning the series in their favor. They’ll need to be even bigger against Ottawa. As usual, the checking line of Jay Pandolfo, John Madden and Sergei Brylin will draw the assignment of stopping the Sens’ dynamic top line of Daniel Alfredsson (3-3-6), Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley. They’ll play a large role in how the series goes.

Aside from that dynamic trio which was excellent against Pittsburgh in their five-game First Round win, the Sens also get balanced scoring from their supporting cast up front which includes underrated pivots Mike Fisher and Antoine Vermette. Chris Kelly and Mike Comrie also had good series against the Pens combining for seven points (5-2-7). Grinders such as Peter Schaefer and Dean McAmmond can’t be overlooked. Neither can the brute of pest extraordinaire Chris Neil, who does a bit of everything. Unless Devil brass has a change of heart and dresses enforcer Cam Janssen, they’ll have no answer for Neil’s antics.

Slight Edge: Sens

Defense- The Devils are led by Brian Rafalski offensively. He’ll get the bulk of the work. With Colin White still questionable, figure Richard Matvichuk to continue to get big minutes. He was vital in swinging the Tampa series. How will his back hold up? You know the Sens will test it. Paul Martin and Brad Lukowich were steady against the Bolts. They’ll need to be even better in this one. Rookie Andy Greene came one in the last couple and can chip in offensively. But the goal for him is to not make any glaring mistakes. Ditto for Johnny Oduya, who can be forced in the corners. This isn’t your prototypical Devils unit but they can be effective.

Ottawa will match the tandem of Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov against either the Parise line or Egg line. They both have size and are physical making it tough on opponents. Each can also skate well and contribute if needed. With them drawing the checking assignment, it lightens the load on Wade Redden and Andrej Meszaros. Both are excellent skating D who can jump into the rush. They are extremely dangerous on the power play as is Joe Corvo, who likes to bomb away from the point. There’s also the most underrated D on the roster in the solid Tom Preissing who can do everything well. It’s worth mentioning that in Round One, Bryan Murray used seven defensemen. He also mixed in Christoph Schubert, who is a decent skater but is nothing special. Will they try the same formula here? Remains to be seen. But this unit can make teams pay.

Edge: Sens

Goalies- Martin Brodeur will be matched against second-year netminder Ray Emery. On paper, it looks like a mismatch. But Emery has played well and given his team confidence. The good news for the Devils is that Brodeur finally returned to form in the last seven periods only permitting two goals (both PP). In order for the Devils to advance, the three-time Cup winner will have to be just as brilliant in this series. He did it to the Sens four years ago. We’ll see how it goes here. Emery will have to also be equally as good for his team. The challenge will be shutting down the Devils top two lines. They’re particularly dangerous around the net. So they should pose more of a threat than the Pens shooters did.

Edge: Devils

Coaches- Lou Lamoriello is coach in name only. He defers to assistants John MacLean and Jacques Laperriere to change personel. Murray has been around forever and never been great. He’s used the underdog role all Spring. Expect more of the same now.

Edge: Even

Prediction: The Devils do have home ice. So after careful consideration, we think it will be a little closer than earlier today. However, I just see that Ottawa blueline making a difference in this one. They have a huge edge there. Look also for the grinding style of the Ottawa forwards to wear on their opponents who just got through a tough series in which Tampa pounded them. The Sens are a little better geared for this one. It’s revenge served cold.

Ottawa in six because this team is extremely focused and way overdue on delivering a big playoff run for Canada. They’re the best team we’ve seen so far in this tournament.

Reviewing Our Picks so Far

Derek is currently 2-4, while I went 5-1 in round 1. Right now, it looks as if Derek will go 3-5 or 2-6, and I will go 5-3 or 6-2.

Eastern Conference
#8 NY Islanders vs. #1 Buffalo
Steve: Sabres in 6
Derek: Sabres in 5
Outcome: Sabres in 5

#7 Tampa Bay vs. #2 New Jersey
Steve: Devils in 5
Derek: Lightning in 6
Outcome: Devils in 6

#6 NY Rangers vs. #3 Atlanta
Steve: Rangers in 7
Derek: Thrashers in 6
The Outcome: Rangers in 4

#5 Pittsburgh vs. #4 Ottawa
Steve: Penguins in 6
Derek: Penguins in 7
Outcome: Senators in 5

Western Conference
#8 Calgary vs. #1 Detroit
Steve: Flames in 7
Derek: Flames in 6
Outcome:?????

#7 Minnesota vs. #2 Anaheim
Steve: Ducks in 4
Derek: Ducks in 6
Outcome: Ducks in 5

#6 Dallas vs. #3 Vancouver
Steve: Canucks in 5
Derek: Canucks in 6
Outcome: ????

#5 San Jose vs. #4 Nashville
Steve: Sharks in 6
Derek: Sharks in 7
Outcome: Sharks in 5

Rangers vs Sabres Preview

Yes, that's right. I wrote it in the second period.

So I may as well link it for you to read:

Rangers vs Sabres

The Top 10 Goals

Here is my Top 10, starting with the best, going to 10 by the next week. I'll do it once a day. Enjoy:

1. Jordan Staal, Pittsburgh, December 13, 2006 vs. Philadelphia