Light Gate A Black Eye For League

I know it's cheesy. But I can't think of anything else at the moment for what just happened in Newark. How else do you explain a two hour delay for a bank of lights that went out on a second-year arena? Wow. Lou Lamoriello has just termed it a circuit breaker. And PSE & G is there and won't get it fixed tonight. Haha. Maybe they should find a new sponsor.

Light Gate is what we're calling it because I'm too dumbfounded by the lack of communication, screwing over so many fans. It's not all the Devils' fault here as it was the genius at work with his little minions that couldn't decide at an appropriate time that it wasn't going to be resumed. What about the fans? Oh wait. They don't count. If you didn't figure that out by now following the lockout, then you've been living in a cave probably with Batman.

It's just a very bad situation where nobody wins. The teams both wanted to continue playing and Andy Greene via WFAN Devils postgame was quoted as saying, they figured 10-15 minutes at the most. Lou indicates that the plan was to get the players back out for a 10-minute warm up before starting up again. Sensible. We agree that you always side cautiously with safety coming first. Something a smart man like Lamoriello knows. It's a shame that it incovenienced so many with the fans not knowing until essentially two hours later.

Concluding on what is a very difficult press conference for Lou, he doesn't have the slightest idea if they'll resume with Tampa in front with 9:12 remaining in the second. What exactly does this say about the NHL? How clueless can they be? Is it fair for the Lightning to get screwed out of three goals and play it totally over? Who knows anymore. This is yet another example of poor leadership and it starts at the top. When will it finally change?

Devils GameDay: TB vs. NJ, 7:00 PM, FSN (HD), WFAN

The Devils host the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at The Rock. Be on the lookout for what Tortorella does with Lecavalier and St. Louis, in case he puts one of them for Richards. Also, the Devils MUST avoid penalties tonight, or it will be a long day for Marty and the boys. Right now, the Devils will look to get a rowdy crowd buoyed by students in Halloween costumes and hopefully out-sell the Nets, who have their home opener against Chicago tonight at the Brendan Byrne Arena, which is now painted with red trim. It made me chuckle while working the Jet game on Sunday.

Back on topic, a reminder that if you are a student and you wear a Halloween costume, you will be allowed into Prudential Center for $10. Hope to see some great costumes tonight, as the winner of the costume contest wins Hannah Montanna tix, which sell for about a zillion dollars.

Anyway, we all know the key will be Lecavalier and St. Louis getting on the board and the Devils, *chuckles*, Deee-fehhhhnse trying to stop them, with the aid of ''6'7, 230 lbs. defender Olli Malmivaara, as the Devils look to dress 7 defensemen tonight, don't be shocked if Mike Rupp sits it out.

On a final note, TSN has this game in Canada.

PREDICTION: Devils finally break the slump, but barely, in the shootout 2-1.

Yep...Still More

1, 2 and 3 are from the pre-game skate. You all should know what number four is.

Yep...More Photos

1. Our Newest Prize
2. Pre-Game Skate
3. The Scoreboard all lit-up, front and center.
4. The great ones

Mmm...Sellout Crowd

Felt this deserved it's own post:

Mural Part 2

1 & 2. Finishing up the mural.
3. A Devils Celebration
4. The last we saw Patrik Elias happy.

More Photos - THE Mural

All of these are pictures from the mural.

1. The Crowd outside
2. Great Painting on the way up to the lower level. For our friend Greg Wyshynski's benefit, the adjacent painting of the opening nights in KCity and Denver aren't including.
3. The Stanley Cup and the Vezina Trophy
4. The Rink Pre-Pre-Game Skate
5. The Scoreboard

More Rock Photos - Outside

1. A painting in the back of the arena of skates and a puck
2. Devils Logo in the Devils Den.
3. A photo next to the team store.
4 & 5. Painting on the exterior just past the Devils Den.

Photos From Opening Night - Outside the Building

Here are some of the odds and ends of the building, in order they are:

1. The Verizon Tower
2. The Practice Rink from Outside
3. A painting in back of the arena of the NJD Logo
4. A painting in back of the arena of a skater.
5. A painting in back of the arena of Brodeur from the back.

Hey everybody...

Very tired, very annoyed, much more tomorrow, including a full recap of my 10 hours of Rock madness, meeting Jeff Vanderbeek, photos of the Stanley Cup, ripping a grown man to shreds in front of his daughter (verbally of course) and general fun and heartbreak from opening night at The Prudential Center, the first of hopefully many, many more (and happier) to come.

Devils GameDay: The "It's a Celebration, Bitches!" Edition: OTT vs. NJ, 7PM, FSN NY/WFAN

As Joe Bechtel from 2MA said on NJDevs this morning: "It's not even about the game tonight. This is a celebration".

Let's Go Devils!!!!

Hell Has a New Home!

For once, an unrealistic prediction: Devils 6, Senators 2

Elias and Parise 2 each, plus Madden and Rod Pelley.

Plans For Tomorrow

I'm headed down to The Rock at some point between 1 and 2 tomorrow, regardless of weather. I'll report later. No GameDay unless someone else writes it.

See you all at The Rock!

Devils Release Some Tickets For Saturday

Check out Ticketmaster.com right now for some $100 seats to Saturday's game.

Enjoy It Folks!

I tried to show off some of the less obvious stuff, you've all seen pics of the rink and seating, here's some more interesting stuff.

Enjoy The Rock Bitches

A little taste...more coming later, I promise.

Devils up 1-0 on a Parise goal after one period.

Weekes in, Rags lose, Rock Photos Are Coming

Just got home from Prudential Center. I am impressed, to say the very, very least.

I'll post photos as soon as my buddy gets 'em to me.

Kevin Weekes will start against the Isles for NJD tonight. Sheldon Brookbank was placed on wavers.

The Bruins defested the Rangers 1-0 in a shootout. Poor Lundqvist.

Photos coming soon!

Halen or Jovi

November 3rd, Van Halen will be at the Continental Airlines Arena.

On that very night, Bon Jovi will be at the Prudential Center.

I will be watching the Devils play the Rangers at the Garden.

The Rock Files - Part 1

From KK

Over the Summer, diehard Devils fan, Battle of NY blogger, and Kukla’s Korner “broadcast contributor” Steve Lepore will chronicle his trips to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ during it’s ongoing construction, on target for a grande opening on October 25th (for a Bon Jovi Concert) and a Devils opening October 27th (against the Senators).
______________________

By Steve Lepore

Sure, it can be a daunting place to visit. Once in a while, you’ll be propositioned by a man selling cheap roses for Valentine’s Day (even though it’s the middle of July) and the supposed “Newark Boys & Girls Clubs” selling M & M’s. But there’s something that’s a little lost in all the perception and the supposed “evil” that comes out of New Jersey’s second most dangerous city (#1 is Camden, which is basically a suburb of Philly, but no one complains about Flyers games being in a bad neighborhood).

Newark has some stunningly beautiful scenery. The architechture of the buildings, many constructed in the 1960s and 70s, fits the “Brick City” moniker Newark has embraced. The arena will be no different, and add to a beautiful Newark skyline that includes the Prudential building and the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, deemed it’s name by John Paul II in a late 90’s visit that was attended by President Clinton. The perception of Newark as a city of renissance is long gone, but the business and the architechture they started back then are still here.

That’s why, as I headed down toward the Prudential Center on the corner of Broad and Market (Broad Street Bullies? Cam Janssen will have something to say about the moniker) I realized: boy, this place could be something. This is coming from someone who worked for New Jersey’s largets city’s other professional sports franchise: The Newark Bears. Okay, they’re sort of a “minor league” team. But they’re independent of the majors, so who’s to say if their pros or not. What I’m trying to say is that Newark could become a sports town, united by Jeff Vanderbeek’s vision of a sports and entertainment destination for everyone. Remember, the Devils are coming here to be the anchor tenant, but there’s also Seton Hall hoops - in a location much closer to the West Orange main campus than the Meadowlands is - and a Major Indoor Soccer League franchise, while Vanderbeek claims “the usual suspects” (AFL, NLL, etc.) are also in talks to bring clubs here. Hopefully, the Devils are building something.

So after a short visit, and some pictures (I didn’t get as close as these guys, but I tried) I headed home. As I drove back to my suburban home, I saw a huge billboard on the way. It was in big, bold, black letters on a white background and said:

“Stop the Newark Killings! From the Newark Teachers Union.”

It reminded me that there’s a long way to go. In both promoting the sport in the city, and in the teacher’s union’s long fight with the city itself.

But it’ll be a journey that Devils fans will no doubt enjoy.