That Empty Feeling

It still haunts me. The loss to the Devils is still fresh. That won't change for a while. I know I'm not alone here. Many Ranger fans are still hurting from falling to our bitter Hudson rival in a grueling Conference Final. By now, I thought it would pass. Instead, it still lingers. The pain and disappointment following Adam Henrique's cruel conclusion to a well fought series in one of the game's best rivalries.

Ironically, I just wrote a piece on Henrique's continued postseason success after helping his team stave off elimination for something called the Stanley Cup. That's what our team would've been playing for had they advanced. Here we are not fully recovered from those last two games. You know. The ones the Blueshirts failed to show for the first period before making a gutsy rally to draw even only to break our hearts. Even with that now annoying '94 Cup, that's what it's like to root for this team.

Heartache is something we deal with. Where is the person who had that "Now I Can Die In Peace" sign now? If they're still alive God willing, they're probably wondering when our team will win another Cup. Before you ponder that, they still have to get there first. Everything broke right. The Pens and Bruins went belly up. The Canucks got run over. The three biggest threats were gone. Peace of cake, right? Not for this franchise. Sure. They barely got by the Sens and Caps in the first two rounds. Maybe that should've warned us. I'll bet if you took a pulse among Garden Faithful, at least 70-75 percent probably believed the Rangers would prevail over the Devils.

Before the series, many cited that they hadn't faced a real goalie. True by all accounts. Jose Theodore? Scott Clemmensen? Ilya Bryzgalov? Who are we kidding? Scary aspect is Theodore was good in the opening round. Henrik Lundqvist was supposed to be different. After all, this was a special year for the former 'King.' I'll never refer to our 30-year old Swede as that again until the Cup returns to Broadway. Without the Hart and Vezina candidate, our team never makes it out of the first round. Lundqvist got the monkey off his back by winning big games in the playoffs to finally help the Rangers reach their first Conference Final since Messier, Gretzky, Leetch, Graves and Richter got there in 1997. So long ago that playoff beards were a new thing for me.

In the first three games of the series including two identical 3-0 shutouts, Lundqvist was the difference. He made clutch stops and had the city that never sleeps thinking championship. It hadn't been this exciting in years. Forget the Yankees. Toss out the Giants. It's the Garden tenants that really gets fans amped up. There was that improbably Knick run to the NBA Finals in '99. Since, Dolan's MSG has been a dump. The Knicks still are. Thankfully, our Blueshirts have been allowed to be built "The Right Way." A team mantra about how the '11-12 club played. Sacrificing for each other by finishing checks and blocking shots, which apparently still isn't acceptable for some "idiots," as John Tortorella referenced.

I'm not going to lie. Game Five against Washington is one of the greatest games I've ever been to. The best we got to see as far as the playoffs, edging out Michal Rozsival. Sadly, that miraculous comeback already feels like it was a year ago. That's how much I miss Rangers hockey. I tweeted it a few times over the past 24 hours. Others feel similarly. I keep expecting to go to MSG for a big game. The only hockey one in town. However, it'll be played in Newark, leaving that bitter taste. It's like one of those awful beers you try where one taste and you need chips or anything to get rid of it.

Losing to the enemy hurts. Now, we know how the other side felt 18 years ago. The thing that gets me is that team has won three Cups since. Yet, it still burned them up inside. It didn't help that the anniversaries came out on for Games 6 and 7. I'm sure every Devil was sick of it. Particularly "Marrrr---rrrttttttyyy," who got the last laugh after his folly allowed Marian Gaborik to tie Game Five. They weren't supposed to lose because of Stephen Gionta and Ryan Carter. Those names may as well be John Druce.

I still BELIEVED. Many of us did. The Rangers were the better team, giving Blueseaters hope that they could win again in Game Six like their former captain once delivered in yesteryear. Especially when the script was playing out the same with the team rallying from a dreadful start to tie it. Only it was 2-2 at the end of two. That goal never came with instead Henrique providing the one you didn't see coming. An ending that left me sitting there for a few minutes as the Devils celebrated, thinking how close they were.

It's funny. But I always felt if Game Five went to sudden death, we would've won. In Game Six, I had the opposite feeling. They had to get it done in regulation. It never happened. So, a great season ended too soon. Hard to believe it was only two weeks ago. Yet I feel so empty inside. All I can think about is next year. I want to skip summer and go right to late September where hopefully there's no work stoppage. God forbid. Why not us? The Devils did it once. The Rangers are good enough to bounce back and make '12-13 a special year.

I just wish I had a game to go to.

Still Fight Left: Devils spoil party

The Devils are a proud group. They're not going to go down easily. Many had written them off headed into last night's Game Four which was supposed to be a Kings party at Staples Center.

It was all set up for them. As it turned out, D Day also happened to be the 45th Year Anniversary since hockey was born in Los Angeles or California you might say. There was no way they were going to lose on home ice with a chance to sweep for the franchise's first Stanley Cup. Someone forgot to tell the Devils, who were only too eager to spoil those plans in Hollywood. There will be a Game Five at The Rock Saturday with the Cup coverage finally returning to NBC. No wonder ratings had gone in the tank following the first two games. Someone should tell the network that.

For forty minutes, nobody scored. From what I heard, the Kings had plenty of chances but couldn't bury one past future Hall Of Famer Marty Brodeur. A prideful 40-year old netminder who's been out to silence doubters during his team's special run. Who believed the sixth seed would emerge from the East? Not even our own Jersey resident thought it was possible. And I'll bet most Kool Aid drinkers as well. After showing tremendous heart against Florida in a much tougher first round, they crushed the Flyers and then outworked the Rangers to avenge Brodeur's most bitter defeat. One the New Jersey side of the Hudson rivalry will never have to hear about again. They did it because the three-time Cup winner, four-time Vezina recipient and all-time winningest goalie still had something left. It was Henrik Lundqvist who buckled the final three games.

Brodeur has done it all. From delivering in the clutch to make the Devils one of the NHL's best teams to winning Olympic Gold for Canada, he knows how to win. Was it any shock that No.30 was on his game when they needed him most? We know better. Yes, the shot totals were low but Marty faced a few odd-man rushes and shut the Kings down. Even if he'd allow a power play goal to Drew Doughty following a dubious call that allowed LA to tie it after another experienced champion Patrik Elias' goal a minute later, Brodeur was the story- refusing to allow his team to go down without a fight.

In their franchise history, the Devils have never been swept. By getting the last two goals on previously impenetrable Jon Quick for a 3-1 win, that didn't change. Once again, Adam Henrique played the hero when he took a Marek Zidlicky cross ice feed and beat the Conn Smythe front runner high stick side. A money shot from a player who no longer is a rookie. Instead, he is leading the Devil charge. Without Henrique's heroics in the first round and Conference Final, the Devils probably aren't here. Pretty amazing how Jacob Josefson's injury turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Sometimes, you luck out. I was a staunch supporter for Gabriel Landeskog winning the Calder, edging Henrique and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Based on the playoffs, Henrique deserves it. It should be a very close vote.

Right now, awards are the furthest thing from his mind along with teammates. Their eyes are still on the prize. What would be the defining moment for the Devils as a franchise. I've said before that if they somehow won a fourth Cup, it would be much better than any of the other three combined. It's because nobody expected this. Even if I had the Devils as my Eastern darkhorse and felt their size would be too much for the Rangers to overcome which unfortunately played out, it still as impressive. Taking out two of three top seeds and a fifth who beat up the Pens. Now, the No.6 is trying to make history against the No.8 in the lowest seeded Stanley Cup Final in league history since they went to this format.

By now, everyone knows the Kings aren't an eighth seed. They were this close to winning their division which Phoenix pulled out. But they got revenge in the Conference Final. This is a team that took apart the top three seeds. Nobody's ever seen anything like it. Los Angeles is still in the driver's seat when the series returns to Newark. They'll put their perfect 10-0 road record on the line for a chance to skate the Cup in enemy territory. Following Game Four, they know it won't be easy.

The Devils will fight tooth and nail to try to extend the series again. If they can satisfy their home crowd two days from now, the pressure will squarely be on the Kings. Pressure is something they haven't had to deal with. But winning that final game can become a giant weight. Ask the Canucks. Heck. When the Rangers won in '94, a Garden party was expected for Game Five. Instead, the seventh seeded Canucks had other ideas, taking them to the brink in one of the most nerve racking Game Sevens there's ever been. Goal posts help.

The Kings are the stronger team. They're fresher with their best players playing like it. Anze Kopitar has dominated this series, finally letting the hockey world know how good he's always been. Jeff Carter has done damage along with Mike Richards. Dustin Brown and Dustin Penner have wreaked havoc. Doughty has shown why he's one of the premier young blueliners. And then there's Quick, who continues to be a monster in net. The Devils' three goals were one more than their entire series output entering Wednesday's game. Maybe they created some doubt.

The extra day off can only help banged up Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise, who's clearly not himself. Even Travis Zajac has been quiet. If the Devils are going to make it interesting, they'll need production from their top three. You can't expect Henrique to do it all. One way or another, Saturday has become a must watch. Expect a fight.

Pens acquire Vokoun

While the Kings attempt to make history tonight versus the Devils at Staples Center, another offseason move was made the other day. The Pens acquired goalie Tomas Vokoun from the Caps for a seventh round pick. Before Monday was over, they signed the veteran to a multi-year $4 million deal.

Vokoun will become Marc-Andre Fleury's backup, supplanting popular No.2 Brent Johnson. The 35-year old Czech is coming off a disappointing end to his one season in Washington with a groin injury knocking him out for the postseason. With Vokoun and Michael Neuvirth sidelined, unknown rookie Braden Holtby emerged into a surprising hero, backstopping the Caps past the Bruins in a great first round. He nearly duplicated it against the Rangers, who held off Washington for a seven-game second round win.

With Holtby the future in the nation's capital along with Neuvirth, it made sense for the Caps to cut ties with Vokoun, who was turning unrestricted July 1. Though he didn't have a great year, the former All-Star still won 25 games while posting a 2.51 GAA, .917 save percentage along with four shutouts. He'll now move to the Steel City to help bolster the Pens' goalie depth. On paper, it looks solid and should allow Dan Bylsma to rest Fleury sufficiently. It's no secret that the former Cup winner struggled mightily during the club's first round defeat to archrival Philadelphia. He hasn't performed up to par since helping lead the Penguins to their third Cup in '09.

The only issue that could make things dicey is if Fleury struggles and Vokoun outperforms him. With the Pens commiting two years to the reliable vet, that might happen. It should make for an interesting storyline next season barring no work stoppage. It'll be Vokoun's third team in three years.

A team to be proud of

It's hard to know where to start this blog. I don't want to write a full-on eulogy on the one hand, since the Devils still have more hockey to play, still have a theoretical chance to win the Stanley Cup. At this point it's just theoretical though, now that the Devils are behind 3-0 in games after a 4-0 loss in LA last night put them in a hole only one team's ever gotten out of, and the '42 Maple Leafs did it in the days when the NHL playoffs were just two rounds and the league was six teams big. If tomorrow's game or Saturday's game does go the wrong way though, I won't feel much like writing then. Right now I have a somewhat similar feeling that I did towards the end of last year, when the Devils' miracle run to the playoffs came up short. Not angry, just sad that it looks like the fun's finally coming to an end. Watching last night's postgame with Steve Cangelosi, Ken Daneyko and Chico Resch in an empty goal bar at the Prudential Center really drove it home. On the one hand, I was glad they were around, so to speak, to help Devil fans all over commiserate about the loss. On the other hand, it served as a metaphor of a season on the brink of ending.

Before I really get into what I want to say, a quick word or three on last night's game, which was scoreless in the second period before a critical play that decided the game, when LA defenseman Alec Martinez was allowed to whack at the pad of Martin Brodeur repeatedly when he clearly was in control of the puck. Eventually the puck finally squirted behind him for an infuriating goal. Infuriating because of what it meant - falling behind in Game 3 already down two games in the series just made the hole that much deeper, and infuriating because it never should have happened. Especialy when ref Dan O'Hallaran had a quick trigger on his whistle when Johnathan Quick merely touched the puck twice earlier in the game. According to former goalies Chico, Kevin Weekes and Darren Pang (the latter two on the NHL Network) it was clearly the wrong call.

Would it have changed the game last night? Hard to tell, since it's not like we showed a lot of hope of getting a puck behind Quick even before then. Plus it seemed as if the refs knew they screwed up and started calling everything known to man for us immediately after the goal - though our popgun power play couldn't take advantage of several chances (including a five-on-three earlier in the game). Despite the fact the Devils came out with some jump and were the better team over the first thirty-five minutes of the game, it wasn't translating into goals call or no call. A beautiful tic-tac-toe play finished off by Anze Kopitar late in the second and two power play goals given up early in the third ended the game as a contest.

I had long since turned off the TV before then, because analyst Ed Olcyzk and color guy Pierre McGuire royally ticked me off last night, and I wasn't in the mood for it. Having attended the first two games, I'd read on various message boards how biased they were against the Devils, but I figured it was people just exaggerating. It wasn't, the fact that both of them actually thought the Martinez play was a good goal - and also accused Stephen Gionta of setting an illegal pick earlier in the game when he made incidental contact with Jarret Stoll really set me off. I know Doc Emrick used to be a Devils broadcaster, but come on. At least he puts his bias in a drawer other than letting it slip out a little bit on the Adam Henrique series-winning goal against the Rangers. I don't even bother watching the NBC pregame or intermission stuff because the only guy I can stand is Keith Jones.

Listening to Matt Loughlin and Sherry Ross for the latter half of the game, I died a slow death listening to goal after goal on the radio. Judging by the shot total and the united front coach Pete DeBoer and the team put up after the game, it doesn't sound like it was a matter of quitting at all. Rather, a horrendous special teams dooming the team after Quick made the offense collectively look up to the heavens and curse out the sky. Not to mention just the pure fact that right now, the Kings are the far better team. The fact that they're now up 3-0 in their fourth straight series tells you all you need to know. I've seen players get in a zone but right now they're an entire team in a zone.

Yes, we could have easily stolen Game 1 or won Game 2, but we didn't. LA's 15-2 in the playoffs, and have made this series exactly like their other three with top-notch goaltending and defense, coaching, and timely scoring from its top players. The latter is something we haven't gotten in a while, much to the chagrin of DeBoer who lost his cool on a rare occasion during the postgame last night when some reporter prodded him about not getting enough from his star players. Fact is, it's nearly impossible to win a series when your top players aren't producing, to the point where DeBoer was literally giving the fourth line (the only line offensively that has produced over the last couple of weeks) a regular shift. Among all our thirty-goal scorers, the only one that's even getting chances is David Clarkson, but he's far from anyone's first choice when it comes to having faith in someone to bury a well-placed shot.

Aside from the Kings' dominance, right now I think this Devils team is just running on empty. Star winger Ilya Kovalchuk and puck-moving defenseman Marek Zidlicky in particular look like they're playing hurt, with others like Patrik Elias looking lost for weeks and Zach Parise having minimal impact in too many games. As a team they showed signs of running on empty toward the end of the Ranger series truth be told, but fortunately for us after a long season, so was Henrik Lundqvist - who gave up several goals he doesn't normally concede during those last two games. Thank goodness we found a way to get out of Game 6, otherwise we wouldn't have had a very good chance to win Game 7 and the end of this season would feel a hundred times worse.

If this is how it has to end though, well I'll congratulate the Kings and their long-suffering fans, without a Stanley Cup in over four decades of hockey in Southern California. Not to mention a group of terrific players who will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come. I can't help but wonder what Philadelphia fans are thinking right now, seeing exiled centers Mike Richards and Jeff Carter both on the verge of winning the Cup now? Quick would be as deserving a Conn Smythe winner as there ever was, and after trade rumors in late February, American-born captain Dustin Brown is on the verge of getting the last laugh.

I'm not quite ready to give up the ghost yet, after all this is the same group of Devil players that made a miracle run towards the playoffs against all odds last year, winning just about every game for two months and giving us a lot of unexpected fun in a season that had started out as the worst nightmare imaginable. This team only has to win every game for the next week instead of two months to pull off a historic finish. True, it's easier said than done against a talented, hungry team like the Kings. It's hard to ask any more of this team than what they've already given. Right now all I ask is this...find some way, any way back to Newark for Game 5, so that one of two things will happen. Either the Devils can win that game and shift a mountain of pressure onto the Kings for Game 6, or the Devils don't win and at least get to hear the fans' well-earned appreciation for an awesome season, one that surpassed any of my wildest dreams.

Whatever happens from here in, I'm just glad I have a team to be proud of, a team I can like again. Since the lockout, the last few years have been filled with meaningless 100-point seasons with playoff runs that ended far too soon plus the disaster that was the start of the 2010-11 season under John MacLean. It can't be forgotten that it was Jacques Lemaire who brought the pride back in Devils hockey during the second half of the season, and with each success this year I'm that much more thankful he was able to stabilize the team when it looked as if they were headed into a dark abyss. While Lemaire stabilized things last year, DeBoer has brought it to another level this year and shown he can be the guy who will lead the Devils into a post-lockout NHL finally after years of seemingly running in place and false starts.

Yes, I know 2003 wasn't 'that' long away, particuarly from a sports perspective. However, it's a long way away from a life perspective. Not to mention when you look at it in terms of seasons as opposed to years, I've gone through a lot as a sports fan the last number of seasons with multiple teams. I certainly don't expect Brian or even Derek to sympathize, Brian in particular has it far worse with his Buffalo teams although at least both have the Yankees, who are seemingly always going to be an upper-echelon team. With my teams, the Mets' heartbreaking NLCS loss in 2006 followed by historic chokes in 2007 and 2008 before going into an abyss they've only recently started to come out of is just part of my sports fan annoyance the last few years. There's also the Jets' promise of 2009 and 2010 blowing up with a dissapointing season in 2011. And the Devils' struggles merely getting out of the first round the last few years, after being bullied by the Rangers in 2008, choking in historic fashion in 2009 against Carolina, and outright quitting against the Flyers in 2010 as well as the start of the '10-11 season. If there's one thing to be proud of with this team, they won't quit. They've been behind in every series so far this postseason, they were on the bubble to even make the playoffs in early February, and they've handled adversity better than any team I've seen since 2003 (and that team only trailed in the playoffs once).

Maybe this season will end with just a little trophy and one new banner to see next season when I make my first trip to the Prudential Center in late September or early October. Or maybe improbably, it will end with a big trophy and two banners. Whatever happens, the 2011-12 season will be full of good memories. And astonishingly, the draft and UFA are less than a month away so before I know it I'll be concerned about how the team will look in 2012-13. Yes, there's still a dark cloud looming in terms of the ownership situation and what that means with re-signing captain Parise. While his production has been a dissapointment in the playoffs for the most part the last few years, he did chip in some big goals this time around, and more importantly has been the key figure in a transition from a team that just punched the clock and acted like robots without heart to one that's willing to go balls to the wall and have fun.

Here's to hoping that we have at least one more week of fun. This season has been too much fun to want it to ever end.

Thomas to take year off

Over the weekend while Johan Santana was making a bit of history for the Mets, Boston goalie Tim Thomas announced on Facebook that he will take next year off. The two-time Vezina winner and Conn Smythe recipient after leading the Bruins to Lord Stanley last year confirmed the rumors that he won't play in 2012-13.

"At the age of 38, I believe it is time to put my time and energies into those areas and relationships that I have neglected. That is why at this time I feel the most important thing I can do in my life is to reconnect with the three F's," Thomas explained regarding his decision.


"Friends, Family, and Faith. This is what I plan on doing over the course of the next year."

A former Quebec Nordiques '94 ninth round pick has been a great story since the Bruins gave the little known journeyman a chance following the lockout. Thomas had never distinguished himself prior, only playing in four games for the Original Six club in '02-03.
It was during '04-05 when the former University Of Vermont product went overseas to play for Jokerit in the Finnish Elite League where he transformed himself into a quality goalie, posting 34 wins over 54 games, a 1.58 GAA, .946 save percentage along with 15 shutouts. Following a solid showing with AHL affiliate Providence, Boston recalled him. Though he only won 12 of the 38 games he appeared in, Thomas still posted a .917 save percentage.

He would take over the No.1 goalie duties in '06-07 by posting his first 30-win season. Doubling his career total (15). After getting into three games for Team USA at the World Championship, he improved dramatically during '07-08 with 28 wins, 2.44 GAA and .921 save percentage over 57 contests. His play helped the B's return to the postseason before they fell in seven games. The following season, at age 35 Thomas won his first Vezina by putting together a great year that included 36 wins in 57 games, 2.10 GAA, .933 save percentage along with five shutouts. He also was strong in the postseason, posting a 7-4 mark with a 1.85 save percentage and .935 save percentage.

It wasn't all gravy for him with a disappointing '09-10 costing him a chance at starting in the playoffs. After signing an extension, he won only 17 of 43 games with his GAA ballooning to 2.56. Meanwhile, rookie backup Tuukka Rask outperformed him, making many in Beantown believe the Finn would supplant Thomas between the pipes. But Thomas bounced back in '10-11 with a spectacular season that again saw him claim the Vezina handed out to the league's top netminder. In 57 games, he established new career bests in wins (38), GAA (2.00), save percentage (.938) and shutouts (9). The special season was topped off by an MVP performance with Tim leading the Bruins to its first Cup since '72. He went 16-9 including 5-0 when facing elimination. The B's cameback to defeat nemesis Montreal in the first round before avenging a stunning loss to Philadelphia (rallied from 0-3 down) by sweeping them. The Bruins then edged the Lightning by winning the final two games. Then for an encore, Thomas shutdown Vancouver the final two games to help his team climb out of an 0-2 deficit. He finished with a 1.98 GAA, .940 save percentage and posted four shutouts including a 4-0 Game Seven clincher in British Columbia.

This past season, Thomas made more headlines off the ice when he opted to skip a White House visit, drawing criticism. However, that was his choice. He still had a good year winning 35 games with a 2.36 GAA, .920 save percentage and five shutouts. Ultimately after helping the Bruins win the Northeast, he was outplayed by rookie Braden Holtby in a gut wrenching seven-game defeat with Joel Ward beating Thomas in overtime to oust the defending champs. He still did his part but it wasn't enough.

Following a strange season, now comes his announcement that he'll forego next season to spend time with family and friends. Thomas is due to make $5 million in the final year of his contract. Unless there's a work stoppage that costs the entire year, the Bruins are on the hook for the entire salary, hindering their cap. I have no problem with Thomas putting personal interests ahead of his team even if he's come under heat for the timing. To make it during the Stanley Cup Final is a bit like Alex Rodriguez opting out during the World Series. It's still his choice and if he feels he needs to spend more time with his family, then God bless him. We don't always realize the many sacrifices these athletes make. Is it really that different from Andy Pettite retiring and then coming back? Same as Michael Jordan.

Rask is a Group II. So, the Bruins will make sure they get him signed while searching for a backup. At least he let them know early so Peter Chiarelli could prepare. I'll miss Thomas' Hasek-like unorthodox style. Hopefully, he does return for one last run. But probably with a new team.

Gaborik to have surgery

Marian Gaborik needs offseason shoulder surgery to repair a rotator cuff. The news isn't that startling since the Rangers leading finisher struggled throughout the postseason, finishing with five goals and 11 points. After notching three including a dramatic triple overtime Game Three winner versus Washington, he only tallied one while being ineffective against the Devils in the Conference Finals.

Perhaps the injury was part of the reason for Gaborik's failure to clear a puck that led directly to a goal, which swung momentum last round. It would help explain his ineptitude. Without him going, the Ranger top line all but disappeared scoring just one time in the Battle Of Hudson. That a fortuitous bounce for Gabby off of Martin Brodeur during Game Five. Unfortunately, his lack of production came under criticism from John Tortorella, who still felt that his No.1 scorer needed to reach another level for the club to win a Cup when the coach was interviewed by Michael Kay and Don LaGreca on ESPN Radio last week. Why wasn't there any parting shots at Brad Richards?

It is expected that Gaborik will miss up to six months, which would include possibly the first two months of the '12-13 season if there isn't a work stoppage. For GM Glen Sather, that means addressing a need. However, it doesn't mean he should give up the farm for Rick Nash. With young guys like Chris Kreider and Carl Hagelin along with Ryan Callahan, Artem Anisimov, Derek Stepan and Brandon Dubinsky, the Blueshirts have players who can step up in the Slovak's place. I'm not too fond of Larry Brooks' rumor on acquiring Alex Radulov, who maybe too similar to Nik Zherdev. We all know how well that worked out. Radulov is more talented and strong but the price would probably be risky.

I'd much rather Slats fill the void via free agency. It doesn't have to be Zach Parise. I'll take a look at the market the sooner we get to July. As for Gaborik, the organization should take no chances. Don't rush him back. This actually may benefit our team because if he returns to form in December or January, he'll be fresher for the playoffs. It'll be an interesting offseason.

Devils' double-barreled OT problems put them on the brink in LA

There are few times where the saying 'deja vu all over again' applied more than in the first two games of the 2011-12 Stanley Cup Finals. After losing two straight 2-1 OT decisions, the Devils are on the brink of becoming just another prop in the Kings' story of their first-ever Stanley Cup. In what's already been a bizarre NHL playoffs, the Kings' 10-0 road record (tying the number of road wins we had in 1995 and 2000, though with a better record since they don't have any losses yet) and the fact they might just win a Cup without being seriously challenged in any series might be the most unfathomable thing of all. Who would have thought an eighth seed would have a roll through the playoffs as dominant as the '80's Oilers?

Do I think this series is over? From the standpoint that I still believe the Devils have win(s) up their sleeve, no. It wouldn't shock me if the Devils won multiple games in LA. Problem being, I actually give us a better chance of getting two wins in LA than winning the two potential remaining games here. Let's face it, our home-ice advantage of the first three rounds is kaput. After eight games where we went 6-2 and started out mostly every game with a two or three-goal blitz, the Kings have come out exactly the way they wanted in the first period of each game. Get an early goal, take the crowd out of it and throw the team off kilter.

At least last night, the Devils got it going quicker and managed to pressure Johnathan Quick more than in Game 1, but for the second straight game our top offensive players all but dissapeared. Even changing around the lines in the third period and reuniting Zach Parise with Ilya Kovalchuk did little to spark the top nine. Amazingly, it was the golden fourth line that got our only goal last night when Ryan Carter scored off a perfect deflection from a Marek Zidlicky shot 2:59 into the third to tie up Game 2. For the rest of the period, the Devils tried but couldn't turn their snowball of momentum into an avalanche. Even when two straight minor penalties were called late in the third period giving the Devils a power play in the final minute, that only led to more frustration when Kovalchuk got a wide open chance in the slot with just under twenty seconds remaining...and banged it off the crossbar.

Right there, I got a sickening feeling our best chance had passed. Even more so in the OT when Danius Zubrus had an open net and all he had to do was deflect the puck home. He did deflect the puck...and it died inches in front of him, another frustrating near-miss. Unlike our best players though, their best players have been taking advantage of their opportunities. Drew Doughty scored a highlight-reel goal in the first period, deking out three Devils and firing a low (possibly screened) wrister past Martin Brodeur and once again putting us being the eight-ball just minutes into the game. And after Anze Kopitar won Game 1 with a breakaway, former Flyer Jeff Carter would get the winner in Game 2 - beating Andy Greene down low and getting a rebound off his own shot past Brodeur at 13:42 of OT, continuing his playoff torment of the Devils from his Flyer days.

While the Devils have done some good things in the series and you could say the series should be 1-1 based on how play went in the first two games, there were moments where we were lucky not to be down more than one goal. Brodeur's been on his game the first two nights, making some highlight-reel saves in the second period to keep us within one. Maybe Chico Resch wasn't so goofy when he said nobody protects a deficit like Brodeur. Still, it wasn't enough. Plain and simple, we need more than Brodeur to win this series, especially when Quick hasn't given up a clean goal yet. After Anton Volcheknov's magic bullet goal in Game 1 came Carter's perfect deflection last night.

Just look at the goal-scorers for this series though...Carter, Kopitar and Doughty have three of their four goals and a fourth-liner and third-pairing defenseman have ours. Whatever tricks Pete DeBoer has up his sleeve to get the top three lines going, he'd better use it now. Yes, the team looked a lot better territorially in Game 2 but let's face it, Kovy looks again like the guy who was carrying around an elephant late in the first round and early in the second round, with only two even-strength goals in the entire postseason. Clarkson's reverted back to his former self, Elias has been unfathomably bad in the last three rounds and Zach Parise's all but dissapeared with a goalie in net. It could just be that some of the above are spent, injured, whatever. A lot of people are this time of year, though I'm sure it's helped the Kings in the respect they have four and five-game series with plenty of time to rest up in between. We've had two wars and another intense (if short) series with the Flyers.

Whatever you want to attribute our 2-0 series deficit to, let's face it...this series has been exactly the same tone the Kings set in the first three series. Win the first two games away, get the hammer down quick. Maybe we should have requested the NHL start the series in LA? Make no mistake, the Kings have talent and underachieved offensively for most of the season, but since acquiring Carter they've been nothing short of a machine. Maybe this is the year an eight seed completely throws away the book and wins four stress-free rounds on their way to a Cup. I still can't fathom such a thing could happen, with anyone. Even the '95 Devils who went 16-4 had moments where they were tested...behind 1-0 and tied late in Game 2 at Pittsburgh, 2-2 against the Flyers and tied late in Philly in Game 5 chief among them. This Devils team needs to find some way, any way to avoid the Kings again holding to script and getting a 3-0 lead for the fourth straight series on Monday.

Losing A Legend: Nick Lidstrom Retires

After 19 spectacular seasons, Red Wings great Nicklas Lidstrom called it quits earlier today at a press conference in Detroit. One of the all-time best defensemen leaves behind an impressive Hall Of Fame resume that includes four Stanley Cups and seven Norris Trophies along with Olympic gold.

There are few better than the 42-year old Swede who the Red Wings stole in the third round of the '89 NHL Draft (53rd overall). At the time, taking risks on European players were rare. Yet that's how former GM Jim Devellano built the organization- drafting the likes of Lidstrom, Sergei Fedorov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Tomas Holmstrom and Slava Kozlov to turn Detroit into an NHL powerhouse. They joined one of the league's greatest captains in Steve Yzerman to form the premier team in the NHL. It's no coincidence that they haven't missed the playoffs in 21 years (1991-2012). The longest current streak.

When we look back on Nick Lidstrom, No.5 will take his place among the all-time greats for a storied Original Six franchise. No small feat for a guy who tied Doug Harvey last year for the second most Norrises for league's top defenseman. Only Bobby Orr has more (8). It is pretty amazing when you look at how consistent he's been since entering the league. Almost scary. Even in his final year, the Detroit captain finished with 11 goals and 23 assists for 34 points along with a plus-21 rating.

"That didn't sway me one way or another," he said. "A couple weeks after the season is over, you start working out. Once I started doing that, I didn't have the push I need, and I can't cheat myself."

"Retiring today allows me to walk away with pride, rather than have the game walk away from me."

A very commendable statement from a player who understands what greatness is all about. For him to leave the game still on top is as good as it gets. Even if the point total and end result (first round exit) weren't up to his gold standard. If his heart's not in it, then it's the right decision. One that will be difficult for the Wings moving forward. Last year, they lost Brian Rafalski. But for as good as he was, it pales in comparison to losing a legend who played his entire career with one team. There's only one other current player from that Era left who's still trying to write one more chapter.

Sometimes, it really dawns on you when a special player leaves. Lidstrom is a defenseman but deserves the same recognition players at other positions have received. The 264 goals, 878 assists totaling 1,142 points along with a gaudy plus-450 rating  over 1,564 career games tell you just how brilliant Nick was. However, it's not about numbers. Rather about the kind of caliber player he became in helping the Red Wings back to prominence.

It's easy to forget that Detroit had the longest streak without a Cup following the Rangers ending theirs in '94. That's why so many wanted to see them end it in '95 against the Devils. They just weren't ready. New Jersey was more battle tested, which is why it didn't surprise me that they prevailed. Hockey Town would have to wait two more years until their team avenged a crushing loss to Colorado and then swept through the Legion Of Doom for the franchise's first championship since '55. That they are the last repeat champ, also sweeping Washington while paying tribute to Konstantinov ranks as one of the most memorable Cup moments. Them wheeling him around with Lord Stanley will never be forgotten.

Lidstrom and his club weren't done, coming back to beat Carolina in five games for a third Cup over six years in '02. It was the last time they won with Yzerman and Fedorov. Being able to remain competitive when you lose superstars is tough. But thanks to Holland's Euro-invasion that includes Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, new D anchor Nicklas Kronwall and Johan Franzen, the Wings remain on top. Even following the lockout with stiff competition from an improved division, they've maintained the kind of consistency that separates them from the rest.

The Red Wings received their toughest challenge in 2008 when Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the Penguins took them to six games. It didn't come easy with Conn Smythe winner Zetterberg's goal holding up despite a tally from Marian Hossa. Lidstrom, who took over the captaincy from Yzerman had finally led the team to the Cup. If memory serves, I believe he became the first European captain to accomplish the feat. For years, critics echoed that a team couldn't win unless it was led by a North American. As we've seen recently also with Zdeno Chara, that no longer is true.

Amazingly, the Wings appeared in their sixth Final with Lidstrom in an '09 Cup rematch. Though Pittsburgh prevailed, the last memory is of Lidstrom with a wide open shot off a draw. Only a sliding Marc-Andre Fleury denied him from forcing sudden death. A lasting image.

Lidstrom leaves us after 20 sensational years. It won't be the same watching Detroit next Fall. But his legend shall live on. Thank you No.5!

Fan psychology and experiencing a SCF game

All throughout the weekend and early this week, the five-day layoff between the end of the Devils' Eastern Conference Final triumph and puck drop of last night's Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals didn't feel all that long, at least to me. With all the time I spent re-living the Ranger game (watching highlights and postgame I could see at the game), and then soaking in the hype of this series before Game 1 by reading and listening to stuff online as well as watching a lot of the NHL Network coverage, the five days actually flew by. I can't speak for everyone else, certainly not King fans who probably took a week's vacation in Malibu between series...but that was my mindset going into Game 1.

Conversely, after the Devils lost 2-1 in OT last night and me and my friend got lost around Newark for over a half hour, Game 2 can't come soon enough now. Of course, the NHL being what it is, both teams will now get nearly another three days off before Saturday night - giving us more time to sit and stew over a sloppy Game 1. Although the Kings were the better team, really Game 1 was sloppy from both ends, with each team managing single-digit shot totals in the first two periods (the Kings outshooting us 14-9 after forty minutes is ridiculous). Perhaps the fans paid the price for the NHL trying to max out on pre-series hype AND ensure two Saturday games. Considering the Devils' five days off and the Kings' eight before Game 1, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that neither team looked particularly sharp.

If one thing did annoy me about last night, it's the fact that the Kings' fourth line - previously next to useless in the playoffs - chipped in their first goal when Colin Fraser scored off a one-timer in the first period. Despite the Kings controlling play for much of the first two periods, the Devils had their chances - particularly David Clarkson, who missed two wide-open looks at the net. Finally, they broke through on Johnathan Quick off a fluke goal late in the second period, when an Anton Volchenkov shot bounced off a couple of Kings players and into the net for another (as Derek would put it) 'magic bullet' goal. Honestly, there wasn't much in the way of entertainment in this game though.

It wasn't for lack of trying, but at times both teams' forecheck nulified each other. On the rare occasions when it didn't, both teams got glorious chances in the third period but Martin Brodeur snuffed out a Drew Doughty mini-breakaway, then later in the period Mark Fayne missed a layup open net from mere feet away when a puck hopped over his stick. It looked as if Zach Parise did score at one point, but the goal was correctly ruled out due to a 'handball' by Zach, reminiscent of Scott Gomez's clear kick in Game 6 of 2001 that was a crticial momentum-changer in that series. Even in the OT, both teams tried to get going but chances were few and far between. One promising chance from Ilya Kovalchuk, he inexplicably fired wide when he could have easily either gotten it on net, or toned down the velocity on the shot to make it more deflectable, with a Devil stick lurking in front.

Amazingly, a bad line change led to an overtime breakaway against - for the Kings' best player in Anze Kopitar. And Kopitar would not miss this glorious chance, deking out Brodeur with a forehand to give Devil fans a cold towel after five days of anticipation and celebration. Now, after looking at anything and everything before Game 1 in terms of analysis and team interviews I'm not all that interested in listening to all the between-games hype, the telecast I taped or even looking over a boxscore to do a more in-depth recap of this game. I just want to focus on other things and count down the hours till Saturday night.

I do want to talk a little about the in-game experience though. Having been to three SCF games in 2003, I was anxious to see how it would look in Newark. Seeing the two giant Stanley Cup banners hanging by the jumbotron and the logo painted into the ice drove home the point that this is a big deal. Not to mention the fact section 226 in the upper level was turned into another press area to accomodate some of the approximately 1100+ credentialed reporters covering this series. I didn't realize this ever happened, clearly I wasn't that observant in 2003 since ostensibly seats do get taken out of public use all the time to accomodate the media. Furthermore, the NHL intermission crew set up shop down below near section 15, where the Devils Dancers usually are. And unbeknownst to me until after the game when I saw them outside, the NHL Network crew - including Barry Melrose (booed to the high heavens any time the jumbotron showed the NHL Network's insta-analysis during the game) and Kevin Weekes - were doing their own show outside the arena at Championship Plaza. Amazing how much changes from one series to the next in the postseason.

Before Game 2 I do intend to take in some more of the outside stuff, seeing as me and my friend had to arrive just before the intro video started last night due to a prior commitment. Another little change I noticed in the arena, at least compared to the last SCF was the official Stanley Cup program. In 2003, it was just an extension of the normal Devils' program, only marked up higher price-wise. This year however, it's a huge hardcover program chock-full of info and articles on both teams, only the same price as that program was though ($10). I definitely intend to get one of these babies before the series ends at least, whether this series ends well for the Devils or not. Whether you're an optomist or a pessimist, last night gave you more ammo for either category...but the bottom line is this, the Devils need to win on Saturday. Yes, they can certainly win two games in LA, but would they win two more games here? When the Kings would have a 10-0 road record in the playoffs by then and even more confidence in their road invincibility?

Eventually you would think the Kings finally have to stare down some real adversity before they can win a Stanley Cup. No matter how good a team you are, each team usually has one critical moment in every postseason...but maybe it won't play out that way. This could be just one of those years where nothing goes to form, it hasn't so far after all. What does worry me is last night makes three games in a row the Devils didn't play very well in, other than the first five minutes of Game 5 against the Rangers and the first period of Game 6. Maybe this team is just gassed, given the age and all the injuries throughout the lineup. That's another reason Game 2 is so important. We have the confidence of coming from one down to beat the Flyers and Rangers, but coming from two down against a good team like the Kings is hard, especially with potentially three games in California.

Ridding ourselves of media dirt

I begin this post with a thought. One which the hockey community should identify with. Truth be told, our sport is fourth. Sometimes, even behind golf and horse racing. That's why NBC hypes up the triple crown so much.

Ratings are the No.1 reason networks broadcast. As a former employee of ESPN who worked as an NHL researcher when the Total Sports Network gave our game respect, it's understandable why they all but abandoned hockey. They invested ridiculous money into a contract extension that dwarfed anything NBC ever paid. Some media people have false perceptions. Learning the facts would set them straight.

Unfortunately, when we get to this part of the year there are unknowledgable writers covering our sport who don't have the foggiest clue what constitutes winning the Stanley Cup. What you get is uneducated columns like Filip Bondy's repeated attacks on the Rangers for their "boring style." I never realized blocking shots was against league rules. I must've been asleep when Scott Stevens destroyed anyone in his path and blocked a ton of shots to make life easier on Martin Brodeur during the Devils' first three Cups.

Mr. Bondy is what I like to call a cherry picker. A term loosely used on players who only played one-way, forgetting essentials like team defense. Pavel Bure was one of my favorite players but never excelled defensively. He is still probably the most electrifying scorer I've seen, beating out the more well rounded Pavel Datsyuk. The difference is Datsyuk has the more important hardware in Cups. Bure came close on a well rounded Vancouver team in the early part of his career. He was flat out dangerous every shift against us. But I'll bet he'd trade some of those Rocket Richards for a championship. It still is sad the way his career ended. We never got to really say goodbye. In my opinion, Bure should be in the Hockey Hall Of Fame. Hopefully, one day he'll get there despite his injuries and defensive deficiencies.

Getting back to the loathsome case of Mr. Bondy. He's had a cushy job as a columnist with the New York Daily News, covering whatever he chooses or so it appears. Come to think of it, there's an even more annoying character there known as Mike Lupica who won't even give hockey the time of day and blindly defended his co-worker despite assinine questions to John Tortorella regarding how our team plays. This is the norm, where snakes like Bondy and Lupica sit on their asses without really comprehending the sport.

Ask the Devils if team defense has been part of their great run to a fifth Stanley Cup Finals appearance with that series against the Kings commencing tonight in Newark. Have either Bondy or Lupica ever heard of Larry Robinson? Maybe in passing with the former '00 Devil coach taking over for Robbie Ftorek to win Lord Stanley. Something Pete DeBoer's LA counterpart Darryl Sutter is attempting to do. Robinson is one of the greatest defensemen to ever play the game, amassing 208 goals and 750 assists for a total of 958 points for the Canadiens and Kings over an 20-year career. He helped lead those great Montreal teams to six Cups and finished with the all-time best plus/minus rating of +730.

It's no secret that the man referred to as Big Bird has also been an integral part of Devils' past, helping turn Stevens into one of the greatest defenders the sport's seen while making others into quality players. If you looked at the current '11-12 roster, the guys on a blueline that's been labeled no-name have been better than the sum of its parts. Savvy vet Bryce Salvador exemplifies that by leading with a superb postseason offensively and defensively. One could make the argument that he's been their most consistent player with enough points to be up for the Conn Smythe. That's playoff MVP for the two knuckleheads at The News.

The rest of the list includes offensive minded Marek Zidlicky, understated Andy Greene, Mark Fayne, shot blocking extraordinaire Anton Volchenkov and former King Peter Harrold. Hardly what you'd call championship caliber. But under the tutelage of Robinson, here they are just four wins away from what would be the franchise's defining moment. Toss the other three Cups aside. If the Devils are able to pull this off, it would be their greatest achievment. They've already shown playoff mettle in rallying past Florida, handling the Flyers and outlasting the Rangers. Without the all-time great helping out DeBoer, who's done a fine job in his own right, they're not here. And did we mention that Volchenkov blocks shots? I guess Mr. Bondy hasn't been paying attention.

In another stunning revelation at least for the two clowns, here are the blocked shots breakdown for Games 5 and 6 which the Devils won:

DEFENSE COUNTS 

                        Devils     Rangers   

Game 5  16           17
Game 6  15            8

Totals             31           25


Shocking. You mean to tell me the Devils needed to play some rugged D to pull out the Battle Of Hudson. Even in Game One where Brodeur made his off color remark, his team blocked 15 to our 26. Team defense is vital to any playoff success. Just ask the Flyers and Pens. You can't get this far without sacrificing for the good of your teammates. Everyone's laying it on the line. That's why it's hockey where players are tougher than almost every other sport. They're playing with broken bones, parts, etc. That's why Tortorella didn't use the "tired" excuse following his team's exit. It would be unfair to New Jersey.

To win the greatest trophy in all of sports, you have to be able to play in all three ends. That includes the neutral zone, which probably is another foreign concept to Mr. Bondy, who probably didn't care for the Devils' old style that helped them win.

I'm not going to dispute that good offenses aren't exciting. Under DeBoer, these Devs play more aggressively, pressing the attack. It's not all that different from our team in '94. But in order to play this way, you have to be fully committed taking risks. If an opponent is able to execute short passes and work the puck past their pinching D, they're screwed. Los Angeles is a more skilled opponent than they've faced, who also can play in their end. It should be an intriguing match-up. Both teams come at you with size, speed and strength. It could come down to whichever goalie cracks first. Or simply put, which team can dictate in the trenches.

The Devils wore the Rangers down. Still, they were right there the final two games, showing the kind of resilience that defined them. I guess Mr. Bondy doesn't care for that either. Objective. He might want to look it up.

Thank you New York Rangers

I still don't know what to write. It's been a few days since the Rangers were eliminated from the Stanley Cup chase. Of course, it's still agonizingly fresh in my mind. As much as it hurts, I want to congratulate the Devils on a great series. They were the better team. There's nothing wrong with admitting that. Especially given how resilient our club was, forcing them to win the last two games.

I will stand by what I said. Game Five was one of the greatest playoff experiences of my life. Sure. It ended with spiked kool aid poisoning every Blueshirt. But the way the Rangers fought is what made it worthwhile. That's the team we cheered for all season. The same one that caused a scare into Devil hearts when it rallied from a two-goal deficit in Game Six on the 18-Year Anniversary. Seeing Ryan McDonagh beat Ilya Kovalchuk and then spin around like Brian Leetch behind the net to set up Ruslan Fedotenko was enjoyable. Of course, Ryan Callahan came through with another gritty goal off the leg to tie it four and a half minutes later. That's what you expect from your leader.

Maybe it didn't turn out the way we wanted. But seeing our team take it to the Devils for the rest of regulation instilled pride. Brad Richards will have nightmares of Martin Brodeur stacking the pads with the whole top of the net gaping. Unfortunately, our leading scorer had a series to forget with it cruelly ending when he couldn't tuck a loose puck under Henrik Lundqvist. Adam Henrique scored perhaps the easiest goal you could score unless you saw Marian Gaborik's gaffe last year.

Sometimes, that's hockey. You don't always get the bounces. The Devils simple strategy worked. Throw pucks at the net and get traffic. Even if there was that Magic Bullet Theory goal Patrik Elias scored in Game Five. That play was also made by Henrique who shot. Maybe if our team had stopped overpassing, it would be them getting ready to play the "overhyped" Kings for Lord Stanley. A series that starts tomorrow and one I refuse to watch. I just can't do it. My Devil pal Andy asked how I could not and I replied "We just lost to you. I don't want to be reminded of hockey until October."

So, I'll sit this one out. The first Cup I won't see since I can't remember. Now, I know what Hasan meant after that excruciating loss to Carolina. There are times where your heart just sinks. For me, that moment came at 1:03 of sudden death when our guys turned a loose puck into a fire drill. If only Brandon Dubinsky had found a way to beat Brodeur some thirty seconds earlier. But like John Tortorella said to Stan Fischler about what's fair and unfair, "That's hockey."
There's an old Rolling Stone song that kind of applies to the '11-12 New York Rangers. "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Unfortunately, the get what you need part ain't working. I loved how our players handled such a bitter defeat. With class. They recognized the great season they had but also drove home the point that reaching the third round isn't enough. This organization won't be satisfied until the franchise wins its fifth Stanley Cup. A refreshing change from what Dolan sells with the Knicks. And one I've been driving home forever.

A lot of Devil fans rejoiced extra because it exorcised '94 demons. I get it. Some of our fans have given them crap over the years. And the '06 sweep wasn't a fair fight. This was the best way to get revenge. The sad part is most Ranger fans didn't care about 18 years ago or the silly anniversaries. The reason being is that 1994 has become annoying. I've hated it for a while. And now, maybe finally we won't have to hear about it from nonsensical New York columnists who know nothing about hockey. You can't live off a memory. That's what I love about this team. They want to create their own history.

It didn't happen this year. But if we've learned anything from the '95 Devils, it's that if at first you don't succeed, you can always dust yourself off and try again. Or the infamous lyrics of Aaliyah. Another one of my favorites. That Devil team lost in an even worse way possible. I'll save the details except to point out that how the Rangers lost was a little similar.

In the end, the bad starts killed us. You can't get outscored 8-1 in first periods and expect to win. It's hard to come back. Especially against a very good team like the Devils. And well, you saw our offense. Somehow, they scored one less goal despite zilch from the top line and Derek Stepan. Outside of Marian Gaborik's miracle, our top four weren't a factor. The Devils got contributions from everyone. It wasn't only Zach Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk, Travis Zajac, David Clarkson or Henrique. To be blunt, New Jersey doesn't win that series without the fourth line of Steve "Embellisher" Bernier, Stephen Gionta or Ryan Carter. They were fantastic. It was their goal that turned around Game Two and their heroics that doomed us in the final game played at MSG. And Carter got the Devs off to the right start in the clincher.

When it's their supporting cast along with leading Conn Smythe candidate Bryce Salvador, it tells you how hard it is to win. Everyone must contribute. Our fourth line wasn't good enough. Once Brian Boyle got hurt, he wasn't the same. Mike Rupp shouldn't be asked to play every game. That must change moving forward along with Tortorella's reliance on the top four on the back end. These are holes Glen Sather needs to address along with another scorer. Though I'd rather not contemplate that.

At the beginning of the year, many experts thought our team would finish between fourth and eighth. That's where I had them. But I probably was one of the few who took them to the Conference Finals. Go figure. I just never envisioned that it would be against our No.1 rival. That's why it hurts so much. It should. I hope our players remember how close they were. That despite the Devils controlling 12 of 19 periods, the latest Battle Of Hudson was winnable. They must use it as motivation for '12-13. A year that I believe can be special.

For the final time, thank you Rangers for a great season. I still Believe. Let's Go Rangers Let's Go Rangers Let's Go Rangers

Devils-Kings Stanley Cup Final preview

After basking in the glow of one of the Devils' most memorable triumphs ever, beating out the hated Rangers to win the Eastern Conference Finals in overtime of Game 6 at the Prudential Center, I'm finally ready to look ahead to what will be a Cinderella Finals. Make no mistake about it, both teams are better than their #6 and #8 seeds respectively, even if one of them will become the lowest seed ever to win a title. In our case, we had a 102-point season and finished fourth in a brutal Atlantic Division, yet wound up beating our two biggest division rivals to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals (after splitting with each during the regular season). With the Kings, they've been strong defensively in net all year with Johnathan Quick having a Vezina-caliber season, but an underachieving offense had them on the playoff bubble until mid-season coaching replacement Darryl Sutter calmed the waters and late-season acquisition Jeff Carter fortified the offense. I don't remember the exact record, but the Kings are something like 25-9-3 since acquiring the one-time Flyer star close to the deadline, including an insane 12-2 playoff record - with the Kings' only two defeats coming after they'd taken a 3-0 lead against Vancouver and Phoenix.

Through the playoffs, the Kings have an insane goals-against average of 1.57 in fourteen games, while the Devils come in at a reasonable 2.33. Offensively the Kings have scored 41 goals in 14 games, while the Devils have put home 51 in 18, as both offenses have pushed the pace during the postseason. Special teams have been a lot better for LA in the postseason than us, despite having a sub-10% power play (8.1%), the Kings' PK is operating at over 90% efficiency (91.2%) with a handful of shorthanded goals, to boot. Our power play is at a respectable 18.2% but we've killed off just 74.2% of penalties in the postseason, with none of the shorthanded goals that made our regular-season PK such a menace. And while we navigated a tough road to get to the Finals with our share of turbulence, the Kings rolled through President's Trophy winner Vancouver, second-seed St. Louis and third-seed Phoenix with ease.

In goal, once again you have a hungry goalie looking to make his mark among the elite of the league in Quick, and the old warhorse in Martin Brodeur - who put up his best playoff series in seven years turning aside one of the two leading Vezina candidates in Henrik Lundqvist ...and will now have to outduel the other one in this round to win his fourth Stanley Cup. Unlike Lundqvist however, Quick is more of a reflex goalie, giving us a different kind of a challenge in this round. Plus, we were more familiar with Lundqvist having played him six or more times every season for the last several years, as opposed to Quick who we've only seen once this year - way back in the third game of the season where the Devils beat the Kings 3-2 in a shootout. We did play the Kings again in October but backups Johan Hedberg and Johnathan Bernier were both in net for an impressive 3-0 Devils win out in LA. We'll have to succeed where three teams have already failed, finding a way to put goals past the Conn Smythe favorite.

Offensively the Kings have two deadly lines with the best player that nobody pays attention to in pivot Anze Kopitar, hard-nosed captain Dustin Brown and Cup-winning vet Justin Williams (from the Canes in '06) on one line, and former Flyer buddies and leaders Carter and Mike Richards heading up their other big line with Dustin Penner - finally living up to his talent in this postseason. Admittedly, I know very little about the Kings' other two lines other than the fact they have ex-Oiler Jarret Stoll and faceoff specialist Brad Richardson giving LA depth down the middle, and rookie Dwight King's also given them some big goals in the postseason. Ironically, Devils coach Pete DeBoer scratched our own rookie pivot Adam Henrique and told him to watch Richardson play when we were in LA for that early-season matchup. LA may also get another former Flyer - injury-prone Simon Gagne - back for this series, which would help them but I'll believe it when I see it.

While most of the Kings' offense has come from the top six and King, the Devils have exhibited amazing depth in this postseason, getting multiple goals from eleven forwards (and defenseman Bryce Salvador). Yes, top-line forwards Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise and Travis Zajac all have seven goals, tied for the team lead in the postseason. However, role players like Henrique - and his two series-clinching goals - and David Clarkson are right behind them in points. All-time Devils leading scorer Patrik Elias has had a down postseason after a couple of early goals against Florida, but with a five-day break between the Conference Finals and Game 1, hopefully he finds his second wind against LA. And you can't overstate Danius Zubrus's contribution despite the fact he only has three goals in the postseason, he's set up several with his outstanding board work, and two of the three goals came in a pivotal Game 4 win against the Flyers.

Not to mention our revelation of a fourth line with Ryan Carter, Steve Bernier and Steven Gionta. After an entire regular season where our fourth line was hard-pressed to even get one goal, putting those three together has been like winning the lottery. Carter has four goals in the postseason, with three big ones against the Rangers, Gionta has three and Bernier has two. Yet, their nine goals don't tell the whole story as this trio plays in all situations and has been able to take up some valuable minutes. They've been our best fourth line easily since the fabled crash line of the mid '90's (Bobby Holik, Randy McKay and Mike Peluso). Holik and McKay would eventually graduate from fourth-line duty and make bigger contributions in years to come, but the Carter-Gionta-Bernier line has literally come out of nowhere. Gionta was an AHL nobody, other than being Brian's little brother, Bernier was a high-pick washout and Carter was waived by the Panthers earlier this season. Yet, here they are playing a pivotal role on a Stanley Cup Finalist.

Defensively, LA has the most talented player among the top twelve of both teams' defensive cores in Drew Doughty, who has ten points in fourteen postseason games and averages almost twenty-six minutes per game playing in all situations. He and vet Willie Mitchell combine for a formidable top-defensive pairing. In another lifetime, Mitchell was a failed Devils prospect but he's carved out a solid career as a stay-at-home type. Rob Scuderi and Matt Greene also provide the Kings with vet leadership in their defensive core. Young defensemen Alex Martinez and Slava Voynov round out the defensive core, with Voynov stepping in to fill the void of the traded Jack Johnson (dealt as part of the Carter trade). They make it tough just to get good opportunities on Quick, but won't really scare you offensively, other than Doughty. Voynov mans the point on the second power play, a unit that's struggled in the postseason.

While the Kings have Doughty to lead their offensive attack from the blueline, we have...Salvador. Yes, the career 35-year old stay-at-home defenseman is our leading point-getter from the blueline in the playoffs with three goals and eleven points, to go along with a team-leading +10 in 22:36 of icetime per game. Trade-deadline acquisition Marek Zidlicky was supposed to be the guy who led the attack from the blueline, but he struggled against the Rangers after being injured late in the Flyer series. He still has eight points and a team-leading 24:08 of icetime per game but is another guy that will probably benefit from the Devils' break. Young Mark Fayne - only his second full season - and vet Andy Greene form a solid second pairing that have been shutting down teams' top lines at even strength all postseason. Amazingly, our highest-paid defenseman (Anton Volchenkov) plays on the third pairing and has struggled at times in the playoffs, with our second highest-paid (Henrik Tallinder) having been sidelined since the All-Star break with a blood clot in his leg. Former LA castoff Peter Harrold rounds out the top six with prized rookie Adam Larsson also ready to step in should someone get hurt or falter, the way he did in the second round when he scored a huge goal in Game 2 against Philly to turn that series around.

Coachingwise, DeBoer is in his first full season with the Devils and has pushed all the right buttons in leading this team to the Stanley Cup Finals in his first postseason ever, after three non-playoff seasons in Florida. Kings coach Sutter hasn't even been there that long, taking over in midseason and proving once again he's a much better coach than GM (after he succeeded as a coach and failed spectacularly as a GM in Calgary). Interestingly there's a bit of a subplot there as Sutter, in his previous role as Flames GM played a part in the departure of then-Devils coach Brent Sutter three offseasons ago. Even more coincidentally, DeBoer and Sutter - Brent, not brother Darryl - are good friends, but thankfully things worked out better for us over time than they did for the Sutters in Calgary.

Although the GM's play no part in this final series, it is interesting to note that Devils GM Lou Lamoriello went out of his way to help current Kings GM Dean Lombardi out when Lombardi was starting his career in the late '90's with a rebuilding Sharks team, and Lombardi repeatedly goes out of his way to mention Lou's generosity. In another spectacular coincidence, both found themselves in the crosshairs of the Kovalchuk contreversy two summers ago when each made a big push to try to sign the star Russian winger. Eventually it was the Devils who would retain the services of Kovy, at considerable cost but one that has been worth it to this point. Of course the fans in LA have let Kovy hear their displeasure in our two trips there since that wild summer and I'm sure it'll be rabid again for Games 3, 4 and possibly 6 there.

Given the fact the teams haven't played each other since October and there've been many changes since then - the Devils have gotten Zajac back from injury and added Zidlicky, forward Alexei Ponikarovsky and the entire fourth line to their roster this season, while the Kings have added Carter, promoted Voynov and changed coaches - makes it extremely hard to forecast this series. In addition, Quick only played one game against us, while Brodeur played one period, injuring his shoulder diving for a shot in the teams' first game against each other and missing the final two periods of that game and a couple of weeks after that. While you have to give the Kings respect for their talent and the way they've rolled to the Finals, as a Devil fan I can't really pick against us at this point after doubting them throughout the postseason.

I know the Kings can win, I wouldn't be crushed if they did at this point after all the Devils have accomplished in this postseason - more than anyone could have dreamed of before the playoffs started. Despite being the lower seed, the Kings are the betting favorite after the way they've dominated the postseason to this point. That said, at this point I have the confidence that's rare among fans who should know better and I believe the Devils can do almost anything. Why wouldn't I, after winning a tightrope first series against Florida, crushing the Flyers in four straight after a Game 1 loss in Round 2 and then finally staring down the ghost of playoffs past and beating a tough Ranger team to get this far? That, plus our superior depth I believe will have us finish off our most meaningful triumph yet, in the full seven games as Brodeur caps a storybook finish by taking home the Conn Smythe with the Cup this time.

Devils amazingly head to their fifth Stanley Cup Final

For years, Devils fans have had to be reminded about the greatness of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, a series the Devils lost in seven games with the Rangers winning in double OT of a seventh game at MSG on their way to a Stanley Cup. With the Devils and Rangers meeting in the ECF for the first time since then this year, the media drubbed the comparisons home to an insane level, especially when the Devils took a 3-2 series lead with Game 6 being in Jersey, just like '94 - on the exact same day of Game 6 1994. And just like '94, the Devils jumped out to a 2-0 lead in Game 6 last night only to see it dissapear. Game 6 2012 went to sudden-death OT last night and there were fifteen nervous minutes during the intermission in the stands. My legs almost felt too empty to stand up when the Devils came out for the start of sudden-death.

What happened just sixty-three seconds later was indescribable in so many ways.

After an initial point shot by Ilya Kovalchuk, Alexei Ponikarovsky corraled the rebound and put it on net. Seemingly an endless netmouth scramble followed with several Devils and Rangers converging around Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Kovalchuk, Ponikarovsky and Adam Henrique all had attempts on goal as the Ranger top defensive pair of Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonaugh, as well as Brad Richards' line desperately tried to keep it out. During those several seconds (minutes it seemed to me), I was just praying the whistle didn't blow to stop play. Finally, the puck trickled loose in the crease past Richards who was on one knee, and from 120 I had a beautiful view of Henrique poking it home to begin mass celebration in Newark as the Devils won a dramatic 3-2 OT decision and the Prince of Wales trophy - at last burying the ghost of '94 once and for all - and closing out a resilient Ranger team four games to two.

Perhaps it just had to happen this way, this exact way. Staring down the ghost of 1994 in the most haunting way possible, with another blown two-goal lead in Game 6 at home this team had to either come through or relive history, there was just no other way. However, this Devil team has been burying ghost after ghost in these playoffs, starting in the first round when they stared down their recent first-round bugaboo (particularly a ghastly 2009 loss to Carolina late in Game 7) by beating a determined Panther team in double OT of Game 7 after blowing another late Game 7 lead - with interestingly, Calder candidate Henrique getting that series-clinching goal as well. Next, came the Flyers who punted the Devils out of the playoffs easily in 2010 at the Prudential Center. This year, we returned the favor by punting them out in five on their home ice.

Finally, they stared down the Rangers with not only the ghost of 1994 haunting the fans, but there was also 1992, 1997 and 2008 - other playoff series wins that gave the franchise and goalie Martin Brodeur perhaps an undeserved stigma. Even the one time we finally crushed them in the first round of 2006, the thrill was short-lived as the Devils lost in five games of the second round of the playoffs. Just two years later, the Rangers gained revenge for that series with Lundqvist taking a victory lap at the Rock after Game 5, cheered on by the half of the arena decked out in Ranger blue and white. Not only did the Devils respond this year, but the fans also responded, as the stands for these three home games was as filled with red and white as I've ever seen for Devil-Ranger games in Newark or the several I was at in East Rutherford.

Not only had the Rangers had playoff success against us for the most part, but for the last five years since 2008, Lundqvist has had Brodeur's number head-to-head with insane numbers against the Devils in the thirty plus games the teams have played since then. And this year, Lundqvist dominated everyone the way he has the Devils, at thirty years old he was at the height of his power, while Marty at forty looked alternately past his prime in between flashes of the old Marty. This was going to be a challenge, on and off the ice. Anyone bringing up Lundqvist's overall playoff win-lost record is a joke, this guy was at worst the second best goalie in hockey this year and it was close between him and Kings goalie Johnathan Quick, plus he carried the Rangers through the first two rounds and to a lead after three games of this series.

Enough about the past though, last night stood on its own merits as a classic game, even without everything else around it - the rivalry, the history and what was at stake. Certainly what was at stake ramped up the nervousness and intensity that much more though. Since the Devils' last Stanley Cup in 2003, they hadn't even been out of the second round of the playoffs but now they stood on the brink, one game away from their fifth Stanley Cup Finals. Everyone knew what a loss meant, a Game 7 back at MSG on Sunday night, where the Rangers had won their previous two series in Game 7. While I wouldn't have put it past the Devils to lose last night and win Game 7 after everything that's happened in this postseason, this was a game the Devils needed to win and not mess around with the Rangers' Rocky tendencies in a coinflip scenario.

I had an interesting trip into Newark last night, hopping on the train at the South Orange station at 6:15, I figured I'd have enough time to walk to the arena from Broad Street (about twenty minutes), then make it with plenty of time to spare for the pregame skate and to see my arena buddies before the game. However, a downed power line slowed up traffic and being on the Hoboken train didn't help, as the NY-traveling trains were seemingly given priority to pass us on the left track, as well as the trains going back from NY on what proved to be almost an hour delay. After some stops and starts reminiscent of the wait you get on an aircraft before takeoff, finally we arrived into Newark at 7:20. With sunlight still out, I was determined to get my walk in and it just so happened I had a nice younger couple sitting behind me who'd never been to the Prudential Center before, so I showed them the easy walk up Broad Street towards the arena and basically played tour guide on the way up. I probably wouldn't have even bothered to start talking to them if we didn't have so many delays, so I guess something productive came out of the backup at least.

With my friend who usually comes with me during the playoffs and several times during the regular season at a concert, I promised I'd text her updates at the end of every period or when the Devils scored. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, I'll take great precautions to sell any extra tickets to Devils-Ranger games to Devil fans on message boards (usually HF), but once the Devils went up 3-2 I figured the arena would be chock-full of Devil fans anyway and if some Ranger fan wanted to spend a crapload of money to come by himself to either see us win the Eastern Conference, or at worst tie up the series, then c'est la vie. Once again though, the arena was filled with red and white as Devil fans were hungry to see us win this game against this team. And lo and behold, the seat next to me was bought up by a Devil fan...I cleared basically three times sth face value for the seat so I was a little embarassed at first when the guy started asking me if it was one of my season tickets - clearly he was perceptive - finally, I told him it was and he genuinely appreciated me selling the ticket. Nice guy, but clearly another one that didn't go to many games, and kept bringing up the good view of the Devils Dancers from my section...but you get those types during the playoffs.

At least my two current STH buddies were there on my right-hand side, as usual...though unbeknownst to me, one of them had to leave midway through the third because he had to go to work (as a police officer) so unfortunately only Rudy - the one next to me - got to see the incredible finish. As the start neared, I felt the goosebumps a lot more during this game than throughout the rest of the playoffs. Everything that the game meant dawned on me during the rocking pre-game intro. As usual, Arlette sang the anthem with the lower bowl moving a giant flag around the left side of the lower bowl, though she added a different twist with her and her daughter waving the rally towels when it was over. Finally, the puck dropped and the greatest reality TV out there - a big sports contest - was underway.

Things started out hairy early, with a Bryce Salvador high-sticking penalty giving the Rangers an early power play just three minutes in, but the PK'ers were on their game last night and killed that off, as well as two later penalties in the game. Midway through the period, our incredible fourth line came up with another big goal, after Steve Bernier caused a turnover and moved around ill-fated Michael Del Zotto, and finding Steven Gionta on the resulting two-on-one. Lundqvist stopped Gionta on the initial shot, but Ryan Carter was johnny on the spot trailing the play and knocked home the rebound for his fourth goal of the postseason (each seemingly bigger than the last) to get the wall of red rocking at 10:05 of the first period. After a Ruslan Fedotenko tripping penalty just a couple minutes later, the Devils' PP went to work and would capitalize after some beautiful passing, with David Clarkson whipping it to Danius Zubrus along the boards, and Zubrus proceeded to find a wide-open Ilya Kovalchuk, sneaking in through the backdoor at 13:56 to fire home his seventh goal of the postseason and increase the Devils' lead to two.

Despite a high-tempo first period where each team had fourteen shots on net (around what both teams managed in an entire game at MSG earlier in the regular season), the score remained at 2-0 after twenty minutes to the roar of the crowd. As exciting as the 2-0 lead was, I felt things had to calm down for us to maintain the lead but for the second straight game of the series, falling behind proved to be almost a good thing for the Rangers, who gave us problems with their forechecking in Game 5 and last night, once they finally came out of the shell they played the first four games of the series. The team in blue had the better of play in the second period, outshooting us 13-7, and Fedotenko broke the ice for them with a tap-in goal at 9:47 off a beautiful feed from McDonaugh that somehow eluded the sticks of Brodeur and both defensemen in the area. Seemingly after the soft goal Brodeur allowed to him in Game 4, Fedotenko picked up his game in the last two of the series, looking more like the playoff hero of seasons past than the invisible man he was through the postseason this year. Less than four minutes later, deja vu struck, as a Girardi point shot hit Ryan Callahan, who scored a goal off his leg for the second straight game, tying Game 6 at 13:41 of the 2nd period.

From there, the game just had the feeling of next goal wins. And through a tense rest of the second and third periods, it looked increasingly likely the Rangers would get that next goal. After the second intermission though, something nice happened. Walking around the concourse, I heard multiple Devil fans encouraging each other to hang in there. The atmosphere really has gotten more communal this postseason, between Devil fans making sure other Devil fans got in the building in the last two rounds to an increasingly positive atmosphere - even as this postseason has threatened to drive me to the loony bin. When I ran into my former seatmate in 208 around the concourse, I said in exacerbation, 'how many times can they blow a multi-goal lead and get away with it?'. He said simply, 'just get one goal' with a measure of grim determination and confidence.

Things didn't look much better on the ice in the third though, as the Rangers again outshot us 8-5, and got the only power play chance of the period after a meh interference call on Carter. Our best penalty killer though, and the most poised of anyone on the ice last night was Brodeur. For the second time in the postseason, he came up huge when the team absolutely needed it the most (the other time being in Game 7 against Florida after the tide turned in the third period)...the mark of not only a great player, but a true leader as well. Among his thirty-three saves in regulation came a couple of tough chances in the third period, on a rebound shot by Marian Gaborik where he stacked the pads, then poke-checking a breakaway off the stick of Artem Anismov after Marek Zidlicky nearly sent me to the loony bin for good giving up the breakaway with some 'interesting' defending. Even in the OT, the Rangers had the first chance on the first shift but Brodeur poked away a dangerous pass to end a good scoring opportunity.

Then finally, came the wild Henrique winner and mass chaos afterward. I was screaming 'YES, YES, YES!!!' over and over again, and when I was trying to text my friend to give her the final result someone jumped out of nowhere and hugged me, causing me to drop my phone into the next row. It took me the next minute or so to retrieve it from the four empty seats in front of me (usually they've been occupied by opposition fans throughout the last two rounds, so it was even more of a relief to see them empty tonight) while the mayhem was going on. Finally I was able to get it back, and finish the text as well as get pictures of the handshake line and the celebration. Zach Parise handled the presentation perfectly imo, while he didn't touch the Prince of Wales trophy - at one point, after asking Brodeur if he should, Marty said no - he did gather up the rest of the team for a lovely picture with it.

After sticking with Rudy and the rest of section 120 during the postgame celebration I was walking out...then it occured to me that I should wander by 208 (which I hadn't been able to bring myself to go to all season) and see if Zach - my former seatmate who I'd seen in the second intermission - and the few other people I knew in that section were still there. Much to my delight, they were, and I hugged him too, as well as slapping fans with a couple of the other guys I knew and sat with for years before circumstances beyond anyone's control caused me to move this year. I left quickly, wanting to make the last light rail out and see my other train buddies as well. Despite all the emotion at the arena, the only moment where I really came close to 'losing it' was the first time I heard Doc Emrick's call of the Henrique goal after I got home. It sounded so perfect, especially given that in the first season since he reluctantly left us to just do network games, we finally got deep enough in the playoffs again to hear him call multiple Devil games. Even the third and fourth time hearing 'THEY SCORE! HENRIQUE! IT'S OVER!!!' gives me chills. He was professional the whole series, but you could tell his allegiance slipped through just a little bit in his voice on that goal, and as a Devil fan it was a perfect touch.

With almost five days between now and the Stanley Cup Finals at this point I'm not even in the mood to think about the Kings. Yet I have no doubt coach Pete DeBoer will be able to refocus his team on the final task remaining, especially with so much time between games. I haven't had a chance to listen to the postgame stuff yet, but I did hear a little of DeBoer's press conference and once again he hit the right note, mentioning guys like Danius Zubrus who've played in the league fifteen years and only had one crack at the Finals as a young pup in Philly before finally getting back now. While it would be sweet for Marty to have a Cinderella finish to the end of his career, the fact is most of this roster hasn't been a part of anything like this. Among players on the ice only Marty, Carter, Patrik Elias and Anton Volchenkov have even taken part in the Finals before with the first three being the only prior Cup winners (Carter with the Ducks a couple years back).

There will be plenty of time to preview that series, thankfully the focus can be just about hockey and winning now instead of having the deathly fear of losing that I had in the first three rounds - round one because of our recent playoff history in the first round, and the last two rounds up going up against our biggest rivals. As Derek put it yesterday, no matter how well your team did all season and how much heart they show, it still puts a damper on everything when you lose to a rival. I'm sure Derek's feeling that now, even though he has nothing to be ashamed of with his club. They played like Rocky all year, up until the final seconds of the final game. Fortunately for us, the ending of the movie was like the initial Rocky movie when he loses on points and both him and Apollo wind up in a clinch with Apollo shouting 'I don't want no rematch'. That was how we were going to have to beat the Rangers, by outlasting them in a war of attrition and on points, not by knocking them out.

After all of the ups and downs, and the tenseness of this postseason, it still feels surreal to think of the Devils being in the Stanley Cup Finals. Before the season, we were predicted to finish 10th or 11th in the conference, as Steve Cangelosi accurately pointed out last night. At the All-Star break more than halfway through the season, the Devils were still on the playoff bubble before finally getting some seperation from the pack in February. Even when getting to the postseason, the Devils were under the radar as a sixth seed who finished fourth in their own division. If you'd told me the Devils would be at this point after the ghastly events of Game 3 against Florida, I'd have had you committed. Yet, here we are...our fifth and most unlikely trip to the Finals ever, in a series where the lowest seed ever is guaranteed to win a Cup - with the previous low being the '95 Devils, who won as a fifth seed. The last time we were in the Finals, I wasn't even a season ticket holder, I was just getting single game seats any way I could during the last two rounds of the playoffs. 2003 really isn't a long time ago from a sports perspective but it's a long time from a life perspective.

Playoff hockey in June, gotta love it!

Tonight's the night

Here's where I'm supposed to write a letter to the Rangers and pray for a win tonight. I won't do that. If you're True Blue, then you know how great this year's been already. Nobody picked us to come close to winning the toughest division in hockey let alone finishing first in the East.

So, why should Friday, May 25, 2012 be any different? There are plenty of doubters who don't believe this team can win in New Jersey later. That's fine. All year, these Blueshirts have battled back, showing a strong resiliency when called upon. It's why I don't have to say anything. Neither should John Tortorella.

It's quite simple. Win and there's another game to play Sunday at Madison Square Garden. Lose and it's a bitter pill to swallow. I could care less about the stuff being written about how our team is "elite" again. That's doesn't MATTER.

I think I speak for Hasan too when I say this. Whenever you are up against a hated rival, you have to win. No excuses. The Rangers aren't a team that uses alibis. Forget the wear and tear or who's hurt, etc. You don't think the Devils have guys playing through pain? It comes down to will. Are they prepared to go the extra mile and do whatever it takes within the league boundaries to win?

The other night showed me that they can do it. I know I'm far from alone when I say I still BELIEVE. This is about a T-E-A-M coming together to sacrifice their bodies for more glory. It's about 12 forwards, 6 defensemen and 1 goalie who don't want it to end. They know what they have to do. Forget the historic significance of 18 years ago. This is about the present. A team has a chance to write their own script.

Artem Anisimov
Stu Bickel
Martin Biron
Brian Boyle
Ryan Callahan
Mike Del Zotto
Brandon Dubinsky
Ruslan Fedotenko
Marian Gaborik
Dan Girardi
Carl Hagelin
Chris Kreider
Henrik Lundqvist
Ryan McDonagh
Brandon Prust
Brad Richards
Mike Rupp
Marc Staal
Derek Stepan
Anton Stralman


It's up to you New York.