In Lou We Trust

On the contrary, in Game 4, it seemed like he and Patrik Elias were the only ones who wanted to win the game right from the start. (EDIT: The team wanted to hit, most notably shown by Dainius Zubrus having his stick fail him and then blew up Ryan Callahan at center ice was sweet. Had to mention it. OK, back to the rant.) From moment one, Elias was hustling. Elias was looking for open shots. Elias got 4 on Henrik Lundqvist and powered 2 past him. Both after the Rangers scored, becoming equalizers to keep the Devils in the game. The rest of the team showed up more in the third period, particularly the first half, due to the strength of Mike Mottau's beautiful move to the net. Mottau's shot beat Lundqvist and the Devils were looking good. But somehow, I can't figure out how, the Rangers started applying much more offensive pressure in the later half of the third period. Maybe it has to do with Jaromir Jagr - he was a beast with 10 shots on net and playing like he wanted to win everything ever. Fortunately, he only picked up an assist; but it ultimately doesn't matter. The Rangers were pressing. And a giveaway led to the shot that beat the screened Brodeur for a loss that feels like, well, an axe to the junk.

The Devils could have won this and I really don't know what else I can say other than that they blew it. They made the mistakes that cost them the game. Colin White had a horrific game and instead of reeling him in, Sutter kept giving him shifts - a total of 28. The defense didn't look too good as a whole; Mottau fouled up the two-on-one by failing to block the passing lane, Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya didn't slow down the Rangers all that much, and while Bryce Salvador and Vitaly Vishnevski combined for 11 hits - they were part of the unit that allowed the Rangers to tee up 39 shots on Brodeur.

I'm nearly (?) ranting at this point; but this is ridiculous. Could Jamie Langenbrunner, Travis Zajac, and Brian Gionta play much better. Yes. But even if the Devils go out and sign that big scorer that they so desperately need, would it even help all that much? Look at the Rangers. They broke the bank for Chris Drury and Scott Gomez and ended the season...with only 7 more goals than the Devils. Yeah, they are outscoring the Devils - but that's due to their constant pouncing on New Jersey's errors. It's not a matter of being totally outclassed. I look at this game and think, "If the Devils didn't make those crucial defensive errors, they could have won this one. If the Devils played harder in the first two periods, they could have won this one. If I had a million dollars, I'd be rich," &c. But that's all what I'm left with: what-ifs.

Honestly, I can't say this team is terrible. They are clearly better than 14 teams in this league; and I'd argue they are better than Ottawa (who is the first to be eliminated), Boston (who is just about dead like NJ), and Washington among others. They just aren't...great? Maybe that's the term? And the main proof of this is that they are down 3-1 in a series to a team that plays like the Devils once did and is honestly on the same level as the Devils. I don't know now, I didn't know then, and only time will figure it out. Regardless there is tomorrow. Tomorrow I will be there screaming my head off and be loaded with the nearly-intoxicating feeling of total optimism (and write more pretentious sentences like this one). Could the Devils come back? The odds don't favor them. Bizarrely, the team is calm and understands the importance of this according to Gulitti. I'd love to agree, but they've said the upcoming game is important and they need to better than they did the night before again, again, and again. And yet I don't think we have not seen a full 60 minute effort or even a 45 minute effort that would prove their words. I know, I know, easier said than done and all that, but that's rather telling, don't you think?

At this point, all I ask is that they win Game 5 and give the Rangers one hell of a fight. That sounds reasonable enough, right? Right? In any case: Go Devils.