Saturday, October 11, 2008
The Game Atmosphere
With a new season, there were some clear changes to the atmosphere by the Devils that I need to point out and applaud.
First, there was the opening, which actually had some presentation value to it with smoke coming out for every player coming onto the ice. On the big screen, they even showed videos of the scratches for the night (Sheldon Brookbank, Andy Greene, Petr Vrana) and announced the coaching staff. Then a new opening video played focusing on a faceless Devil doing some drills on the ice. I guess we've seen the last of the generic Devils player walking from Newark Penn Station to get into the arena, turn into a devil, and raise the Rock. I also don't recall Sean Connery's "Welcome to the Rock." I guess they're giving it a rest this season?
Second, there were some small changes to the layout of the arena. There were some more merchandising kiosks on the concourse. Also, the Devils did update the columns on the lower concourse to represent the current roster. So we won't see a big picture of Vitaly Vishnevski outside of the Fire Lounge. It's a nice touch.
Third, there was more content being shown in terms of replays. We saw replays of the Islanders' goal; so we all clearly saw what happened. They showed highlights with sound from both feeds - Steve Cangelosi and Doc Emerick - in the period highlights (I know they started that last season). And they aired the audio and video during the break for Chico Eats. Tonight was zeppoles, and it was superior to
Fourth, and most impressive from opening night was the general atmosphere of the game. For starters, they brought back what many wanted. The return of Rock and Roll Part II for goals. Everyone seemed to love that, and so it stays. But most important to note, it seems that the Devils decided to hire - or get one of their employees or someone - to dance a whole lot, take of his shirts and throw them into the audience like Richard Simmons, and lead entire sections in chants during the game. I don't care that he's a plant. He's charismatic, enthusiastic, and clearly a Devils fan. As evidenced by taking off his jersey and putting it on a seated Islanders fan at one point to much appreciation in Section 1. I prefer and endorse this guy getting everyone making more noise than the PA system during breaks. What's more is that his enthusiasm was infectious and there were many more spontaneous "Let's Go Devils!" chants, culminating in a big one at the end of the game. I approve of this measure and I sincerely hope he's able to do it all season long without getting into trouble. There was also a "host" to do the in-break games; but she was largely forgettable without being terrible. But this dancing guy, I don't know his name, but he is the guy.
I also approve of the mascot giving a Rangers fan trying to mug for the camera a facewash. Seriously, who pays for a ticket to a Devils-Islanders game and shows support for the Rangers? Other than a jackass? I want to know. But getting back to my larger point, it's this sort of fan interaction that makes the games more fun in the stands and benefits all the Devils fans. Visiting fans may not like, but who cares about what they think.
However, there's a right way to do it. A wrong way to do it would be to wear nothing but a lime green bodysuit. I understand that it's a reference from a television show I haven't seen. But if you're going to go that route, wear something underneath and wear a red bodysuit. The Devils never had the lime green in their color scheme. Instead of getting people to go crazy, many thought it was just creepy looking. Especially when you see him in the background of the Devils Dancers (weren't they Powerplayers? I don't know) being blocked off from a security guy on the big screen. I did high-five him though. Then, I went to go wash my hands.
Lastly, the Devils Dancers. I don't think I mentioned them at all last season. They were rather forgettable. But this is a new group. Well. You'll notice them.
This all shows that the Devils are showing more of an effort to make the games entertaining and trying to promote a good atmosphere along with the hockey game itself - the reason why we go to these games - is excellent. I hope they can continue throughout this and coming seasons.
Labels: 2008-09 Season, Devils Game, Prudential Center
# posted by John Fischer @ 1:34 PM 1 comments 
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Season Eve 2008
Today, I have made a big find - I have found out where Teemu Laine is playing. He's with HV 71 in the Elitserien, Sweden's top league.
OK. That's not big nor a find. But it's also where Mattias Tedenby is, so there's that reason to follow HV 71. Along with former Devil, the shooting-averse Jan Hrdina.
But seriously, today is the last day we have to go without some Devils season hockey because Opening Night is tomorrow! 7 PM against the Islanders at the Rock, and hopefully the night will finish with 2 points for the good guys (not the Islanders, you silly goose). Tomorrow we will see Marty with a new mask, Anssi Salmela getting a start (h/t Gulitti. Poor Sheldon Brookbank, I didn't think Anssi would start right away), and some competitive hockey. And the hockey becomes competitive right away. The Devils get to visit Pittsburgh on Saturday night and then off to MSG against Our Hated Rivals on Monday. This season begins against the division the team struggled so much against last season. It's an opportunity not only for the Devils to start the season strong, but for a psychological boost. I'm sure Brent Sutter has told the Devils many times about how they lost to the Islanders, Penguins, and Rangers so many times last season and I'm sure the Devils are especially aware of this - extra-especially for the Rangers. Some wins could get their minds right and gain some confidence over their division rivals.
Of course as this happens, and after I'm done with reviewing previews, Mark Everson (NY Post) and Rich Chere (Star Ledger) have them. Everson is surprisingly positive in his article in the Post; his thesis is that the team did well last season and now with more potential offense up front, it should be expected that they do better. I don't disagree with that line of thought, and his prediction is pretty close to what I feel. Chere takes it a step further by using the powerful medium of video where Chere and Tom Bergeron preview the team. Small nitpick first: John Madden's first game was in 1999 and became a regular in 2000. Still, it's an excellent video. Bergeron does well setting up each section and Chere is absolutely great in this. He's knowledgable, he's thorough without being longwinded, and he's got plenty to say (and bold considering his predicitions for Patrik Elias and Zach Parise). Overall, the preview is positive - he sees New Jersey challenging for the top of the conference.
In any case, the time for talk is over and the time for hockey is upon us. What to do in between? Look at the Lowell preview at Hockey's Future to gain some thoughts from Jared Ramsden about New Jersey's AHL affiliate. If there's any Lowell blogs out there, let me know, I'd like to see what a follower of the team thinks of the team from time to time. You can check out Mike Ashmore's blog about the Trenton Devils; he'll be covering the team and updating this regularly - so you can get your Jeff Frazee fix. Lastly, if you want laugh for 5 minutes straight, check out proof that a minor league affiliate can own their NHL team. Yeah, I know it's preseason, but it's still a loss to your minor league team. A team filled with players not good enough or not ready for the NHL. That gets one of these.
Anyway. Important point: Devils hockey begins tomorrow at the Rock, I'll see YOU in Section 1! Unless you're not there, then I won't see you - but it's OK because we will see Jersey's Team.
Of course as this happens, and after I'm done with reviewing previews, Mark Everson (NY Post) and Rich Chere (Star Ledger) have them. Everson is surprisingly positive in his article in the Post; his thesis is that the team did well last season and now with more potential offense up front, it should be expected that they do better. I don't disagree with that line of thought, and his prediction is pretty close to what I feel. Chere takes it a step further by using the powerful medium of video where Chere and Tom Bergeron preview the team. Small nitpick first: John Madden's first game was in 1999 and became a regular in 2000. Still, it's an excellent video. Bergeron does well setting up each section and Chere is absolutely great in this. He's knowledgable, he's thorough without being longwinded, and he's got plenty to say (and bold considering his predicitions for Patrik Elias and Zach Parise). Overall, the preview is positive - he sees New Jersey challenging for the top of the conference.
In any case, the time for talk is over and the time for hockey is upon us. What to do in between? Look at the Lowell preview at Hockey's Future to gain some thoughts from Jared Ramsden about New Jersey's AHL affiliate. If there's any Lowell blogs out there, let me know, I'd like to see what a follower of the team thinks of the team from time to time. You can check out Mike Ashmore's blog about the Trenton Devils; he'll be covering the team and updating this regularly - so you can get your Jeff Frazee fix. Lastly, if you want laugh for 5 minutes straight, check out proof that a minor league affiliate can own their NHL team. Yeah, I know it's preseason, but it's still a loss to your minor league team. A team filled with players not good enough or not ready for the NHL. That gets one of these.
Anyway. Important point: Devils hockey begins tomorrow at the Rock, I'll see YOU in Section 1! Unless you're not there, then I won't see you - but it's OK because we will see Jersey's Team.
Labels: 2008-09 Season, Devils Game, Devils Legends, Devils Rivals, Hockey - General, Media, Personal/Site News
# posted by John Fischer @ 6:31 PM 4 comments
Monday, September 22, 2008
Preseason Begins TONIGHT
Yes, TONIGHT. It's the first hockey game the New Jersey Devils hockey organization will play for their preseason, the first since their stomach-punching playoff loss to Our Hated Rivals, and while it won't count for anything, the game against the Philadelphia Flyers will be a sight to see.
And with Gulitti reporting - along with past reports of lines like Elias-Rolston-Gionta and Rupp-Holik-Zubrus - that roster-battlers Fedor Fedorov, Nicklas Bergfors, and Petr Vrana will be on a line together. That will be interesting to see since all of them can't make the team, they are put together to harness their competiveness for any spots. An interesting idea and I can't wait to see how it looks.
Also, from the same article, you can surmise that your defensemen will be Colin White, Mike Mottau, Matthew Corrente, Tyler Eckford, Sheldon Brookbank, and Johnny Oduya. Two rookie defensemen, one of which has past experience in doing well in training camp. Yet another thing to look for in tonight's game.
Except, uh, you won't be able to see this game on TV.
You can see it through the power of the Internet™. The Flyers website will be streaming the game IF you are local (boo). Gulitti will be posting updates about the game. The Devils website will be streaming audio from the contest, but no video. Want to learn a little about the opposition? Might as well check out this short preview from Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Will the Devils win? It's preseason, so as long as there no injuries and they look in sync, that'll be good enough for me. But the important thing is that it's Devils hockey. It's back! Receive and enjoy it!
UPDATE: Go to the Flyers site, click on their Live webcast, and if nothing comes up streaming, hit play on the side-bar for the game. If you allow pop-ups from the site, the video should come up. Beware, though, the audio is seriously behind the video. I guess it's pre-season for hockey game producers as well. (UPDATE #2: Now the Flyers are just airing what's being played through the arena (and their graphics) along with the game. Interesting. I'm trying to sync the Devils' audio with the Flyers' video and, well, it seems the video is ahead of the audio. This is bizarre hearing what you've already seen.)
Labels: 2008-09 Preseason, Devils Game, Media
# posted by John Fischer @ 6:22 PM 2 comments
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Let's Enjoy the Devils: A Guide
Hi. I'm John Fischer and I write on the Internet™ at this particular blog, In Lou We Trust. It's come to my attention that blogging requires some snark and tounge-in-cheek writing as well as some bullet-pointed lists. This site is seriously lacking in all of that. Given that it's the NHL All Star break and the last game was horrible, there's not a whole lot to talk about Devils-wise. I've been going to Devils games at the lovely and spectacular Prudential Center for a good chunk of the season so far, and I haven't sat on my high horse in a while. So I figure now is a good as time as any to offer a few tips on what newer fans who may not know about the unwritten rules of being a fan enjoy the Devils.
Step One: Getting Ready
Going to a hockey game requires some preparation. This isn't like some kind of potluck dinner where you can just bring a your supposedly famous tuna casserole and show up and hobnob and mingle and so on and so forth discussing issues like the Monroe Doctrine with your supposed "wit."
- If you have anything New Jersey Devils' related, then it's fair game. Jerseys are standard. Hats, jackets, coats, sweat pants, flags, big foam fingers, socks, underwear (not on the ourside, you're not Quail-Man), horns, rings, pins, and so on and so forth.
- For your sake, keep the Scott Gomez Devils jersey in your closet. Unless you "modified" it.
- If this is your first hockey game, you probably don't have a Devils jersey yet. So take a tip from the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and try wear red if you have no Devils attire. Not blue, not green, not yellow, not grey, and definitely not any other hockey jersey you own. Unless the Colorado Avalanche are at The Rock and you are a fan of them, then you need to keep it at home.
- If you're planning wearing a Rangers or a Flyers jersey, it better say "LOSERS" on the back or something to take them down a peg. Or else you'll be shunned- yes, shunned and maybe even ridiculed - at the game.
- This is never inappropriate. In fact, this is encouraged.
- Lastly, buy tickets. Don't be that loser quitely and creepily asking "You got any tickets? Any extra?" The idea is to support the team, not be sketchy in Newark.
Showing up is important. It's 80% of success according to Woody Allen. But he's dead wrong here, so don't listen to him. It's 100% necessary to fully enjoy a game where you spent a lot of money on some pretty pricey tickets.
- Show up to the game. On time if you can; this isn't a party. Being late means you miss some Devils hockey - potentially missing a goal, a highlight save, or a rockin' Mike Rupp forecheck is never fashionable. Nobody one likes your tardy style, Latey Thoneverontimepson.
- Show some respect. This is not the time to yell - or worse, boo - anything. I don't care how obnoxious someone else may be, booing anthems is right out.
- Singing the anthem is perfectly fine.
- Arlette wants to sing the anthem, not hear her name. If it's not Arlette out there, then the singer doesn't want to hear a question regarding her location.
- If you're wondering out loud about how it should be "God Bless America" or "America the Beautiful" or "Berserker," then you can go pound sand, eat a carton of eggs, and kiss Mike Ricci on the nose. The National Anthems of either country aren't going to change.
- Rule One: Support The Team. Remember, you are fans of the Devils. The Devils can and do feed off the crowd's energy. If you're not sure on what to scream or when to do so, just quietly ask yourself: would this support the Devils or hurt them.
- In that vein, doing the Rangers Suck chant when the Rangers aren't at the game makes you look like a fool. It gets a part of the crowd to yell "Rangers Suck" for approximately 2 second and then the noise dies down afterward. Yes, the Rangers suck and we all love it when they fail. But when the Devils are playing the Washington Capitals, it doesn't really help New Jersey to say that the Rangers suck. Try yelling Capitals suck or Let's Destroy or something else.
- What? The Rangers do a similar chant about Denis Potvin at their home games? Well, Devils fans there's your reason to cut back. You don't want to be like the Rangers fans do you? Be better than the fans of Our Hated Rivals.
- Oh, the Rangers are playing? Then by all means, let them know exactly how much they suck - early and often.
- Chanting "Kill" during Devils penalty kills is cool, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
- Yelling "SHOOT!" whenever someone has the puck on a power play is not cool. Most of the time, it's a bad shot or the player can't get it off cleanly anyway.
- Screaming in favor of the team after goals is a good idea; high-fives, fist-bumps, flag-waving, and dancing are optional.
- Cussing: this is always tricky. It may be best to inquire the people around you as to whether it would be appropriate to get a little tawdry with what you have to say. Remember, you got to support the team - not start a situation in the stands with an angry parent.
- Heckling is always a pastime of fans of pro sports all around the world. But be creative; anyone can yell "___ sucks!" I find that the truth hurts the best. Consider: "PHILAAAA-DEL-PHEEE-AAAAA DISC-EEEE-PLIIIIINE" (best yelled after a Flyer penalty) works a lot better than "Flyers swallow."
- Regarding who is and is not a bum: Viktor Kozlov is a bum. Chris Simon is a bum. Sidney Crosby, despite how you despise him, is decidedly not a bum. Scott Gomez is a traitor who prefers to hold up comically large bags of money instead of Stanley Cups - not bum material though.
- Don't sing; this isn't a soccer game.
- If you have friends or family with you, chanting and yelling together is always fun. You're louder, you'll be more supportive, and it can be a bonding experience.
- Big banners and signs are also encouraged, provided they support the Devils. But no tifos or gigantic ones; people paid to see the game, you know.
- Speaking of tifos, don't be a soccer-esque hooligan. You'll get thrown out and deservedly so. I stick this under groups because they tend to come in groups.
- Be nice. Light chatter pointing out the failures of their team works best.
- Only shove a Devils win or a goal in their face if they are being a jackass. You paid for that seat; don't let them tell you to shut up.
- Except if Devils fans are telling you to shut up; then you're being annoying.
- Never boo an injury. But do heartily laugh if a player falls down on his own and looks like a fool.
- Don't start a fight, let the idiot get himself thrown out of the game.
- Well, you can't stay there. So go home.
- Be excited and high five ushers and other Prudential Center workers after wins.
- Look glum and forlorn after losses.
- Watch the game on TV. Don't be afraid to yell at it.
- Listen to it on the radio. Again, don't be afraid to yell at it.
- Talk/complain about it a lot on the Internet™. Don't yell at it though, that would be silly.
- But none of this excuses you from supporting the team - see Step One about getting ready for that.
Following and considering these steps, or the ones you actually read, you too will be on your way to becoming a great Devils fan. Next time, we'll deal with loyalty, or "Don't be a Scotty Unless Your Name is, in fact, Scott." Until the next failed attempt at snark and tounge-in-cheek writing, everyone!
Labels: Devils Game, Hockey - General, Prudential Center
# posted by John Fischer @ 9:04 PM 2 comments
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Toys for Tots Tomorrow
It's very clear on the front of the New Jersey Devils' official website. Tomorrow is Toys for Tots Night at the Prudential Center. If you're going to the game, bring a new, unwrapped toy for the charity. You'll be doing a good deed as you see the Devils face their old coach Claude Julien and the Boston Bruins. If you're not going to the game and you know someone who is, make sure they bring a toy. And if you're not going to the game and you know nobody who is going to the game, well, give a toy at some other Toys for Tots outlet.
I know this reads like a commercial, but it is a good organization and it's always good to give something to charity that will put more than a smile on someone's face.
ALSO: Tom Gulitti is reporting that Jay Pandolfo isn't playing tomorrow and that Lou is looking into the ice issue. He says it has to do with the computer system that monitors the environmental conditions, in that the system doesn't work right. It's great that we finally have an actual explanation as to the poor quality of the ice at the Rock. It would be better, of course, when it is fixed. Hopefully, that will be soon.
ALSO: Tom Gulitti is reporting that Jay Pandolfo isn't playing tomorrow and that Lou is looking into the ice issue. He says it has to do with the computer system that monitors the environmental conditions, in that the system doesn't work right. It's great that we finally have an actual explanation as to the poor quality of the ice at the Rock. It would be better, of course, when it is fixed. Hopefully, that will be soon.
Labels: 2008 Pregame, 2008 Season, Devils Game
# posted by John Fischer @ 9:46 PM 0 comments
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Devils @ Rangers UPDATED Post-Third Period Thoughts
It's the second intermission in the Devils-Rangers game tonight. You usually see postgame, pregame, or live-blogging thoughts. But let's try inter-period thoughts instead. Something different.
I am very pleased by the second period play by the Devils. OK, the power play has not been consistent, the offense has been dulled due to some bad luck, bad decisions in passing, bad execution in aforementioned passing, and bad decisions in shooting. While I sound like a smart aleck here, I think you Devils need to get open first before firing a shot. So why am I pleased? They didn't concede a goal this period! Not one! Considering how many the Devils let in during the second period this season, that's an accomplishment.
The Devils have not allowed a power play goal tonight. That's also an accomplishment considering how poorly the Devils have been on the penalty kill.
The defense also hasn't been as bad either. John Oduya actually looks fairly steady. Sheldon Brookbank has been OK, but he's s-l-o-w. I don't know how much more of him we'll see in New Jersey. But the big star of the game tonight has been...
Martin Brodeur! Doubters, critics, those who feel he is overrated or has been "exposed," you are all abject fools! Utter idiots! Know-nothings! Etcetera! Brodeur has been amazing all night long, stopping breakaways, point-blank scoring chances, and doing it all with ease! Not that Lundqvist has been poor; but Brodeur has been stopping what would otherwise be high-percentage scoring chances. He has been stoning blueshirts all night long. If you thought he lost "it" or never really had "it," you're being proven absolutely wrong tonight.
The Devils are still down 1-0 to the Rangers. There are 20 minutes left for an equalizer and maybe an equalizer. Plenty of time for a lot to happen. Go Devils!
UPDATE: Final thoughts for the 2-0 win by the Rangers.
1) If you're going to beat Martin Brodeur, you have to shoot incredibly strong and precisely - Nigel Dawes did it twice.
2) If you're going to get stops on the NY Rangers' offense, you need to respond properly on offense. Obvious, but it is worthy of mention. For once, the defense wasn't the goat and Brodeur brought his A game. The offense - from the first line to the fourth - played very poorly with sloppy passing and even worse finishing. I guess Sutter was right to call out Elias (who I thought was just average) and Gionta (who I thought played very poorly); but he may need to call out Parise, Zajac, Asham, Zubrus, Madden, Pandolfo, etc., etc. The consistency needs to be there for the Devils to succeed.
3) The road trip is over, it didn't go as well as expected, and it ended with a shutout to the team's most hated rival. I assure you, the season isn't over. Yes, the Devils play the Ottawa Senators on Saturday - currently the team with the best record in the league. It will not be an easy game. But with their first home game of the season, the opening of a new arena, and at least 17,000 Devils fans screaming in support of the Devils; I'd like to think the team will get at least a little boost from the game. I'd also like to think it'll be enough to say they are the favorites. But the team needs to show up at both ends of the rink for it to lead to any results. Best of luck to the Devils as they try to get it right for Saturday night.
4) If you want a tiny bit of solace, consider that with the win tonight, the Rangers and Devils now have the same record in the league.
I am very pleased by the second period play by the Devils. OK, the power play has not been consistent, the offense has been dulled due to some bad luck, bad decisions in passing, bad execution in aforementioned passing, and bad decisions in shooting. While I sound like a smart aleck here, I think you Devils need to get open first before firing a shot. So why am I pleased? They didn't concede a goal this period! Not one! Considering how many the Devils let in during the second period this season, that's an accomplishment.
The Devils have not allowed a power play goal tonight. That's also an accomplishment considering how poorly the Devils have been on the penalty kill.
The defense also hasn't been as bad either. John Oduya actually looks fairly steady. Sheldon Brookbank has been OK, but he's s-l-o-w. I don't know how much more of him we'll see in New Jersey. But the big star of the game tonight has been...
Martin Brodeur! Doubters, critics, those who feel he is overrated or has been "exposed," you are all abject fools! Utter idiots! Know-nothings! Etcetera! Brodeur has been amazing all night long, stopping breakaways, point-blank scoring chances, and doing it all with ease! Not that Lundqvist has been poor; but Brodeur has been stopping what would otherwise be high-percentage scoring chances. He has been stoning blueshirts all night long. If you thought he lost "it" or never really had "it," you're being proven absolutely wrong tonight.
The Devils are still down 1-0 to the Rangers. There are 20 minutes left for an equalizer and maybe an equalizer. Plenty of time for a lot to happen. Go Devils!
UPDATE: Final thoughts for the 2-0 win by the Rangers.
1) If you're going to beat Martin Brodeur, you have to shoot incredibly strong and precisely - Nigel Dawes did it twice.
2) If you're going to get stops on the NY Rangers' offense, you need to respond properly on offense. Obvious, but it is worthy of mention. For once, the defense wasn't the goat and Brodeur brought his A game. The offense - from the first line to the fourth - played very poorly with sloppy passing and even worse finishing. I guess Sutter was right to call out Elias (who I thought was just average) and Gionta (who I thought played very poorly); but he may need to call out Parise, Zajac, Asham, Zubrus, Madden, Pandolfo, etc., etc. The consistency needs to be there for the Devils to succeed.
3) The road trip is over, it didn't go as well as expected, and it ended with a shutout to the team's most hated rival. I assure you, the season isn't over. Yes, the Devils play the Ottawa Senators on Saturday - currently the team with the best record in the league. It will not be an easy game. But with their first home game of the season, the opening of a new arena, and at least 17,000 Devils fans screaming in support of the Devils; I'd like to think the team will get at least a little boost from the game. I'd also like to think it'll be enough to say they are the favorites. But the team needs to show up at both ends of the rink for it to lead to any results. Best of luck to the Devils as they try to get it right for Saturday night.
4) If you want a tiny bit of solace, consider that with the win tonight, the Rangers and Devils now have the same record in the league.
Labels: 2008 Postgame, 2008 Season, Devils Game
# posted by John Fischer @ 8:36 PM 0 comments
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Devils 3 - NY Islanders 4, OT
Apologies for the lack of recent content. I was yelling and jumping and hoping and worrying and euphoric in Piscataway, New Jersey when the Rutgers Scarlet Knights defeated the #2 University of South Florida Bulls 30-27. So I missed the Devils-Flyers game from Thursday. From the accounts of Patricia Greuter, Hal Stern, Jeremy Kenter, and others who have told me about it, I don't think there's anything more than I can say. At least, there isn't anything that isn't profane I can say about it. So I didn't.
Anyway, tonight should be interesting to say the least. This where I say that Martin Brodeur will likely have a big game because he usually bounces back well after bad games. But that's not true. Per Tom Gulitti's Fire & Ice, Kevin Weekes will get the start tonight. However, also per Gulitti, that may be the only change - tonight's lineup should be similar if not exactly the same as it has been in the last two games. In either case, I still think Karel Rachunek should stay far, far away from penalty killing duty; and the defense as a whole needs to be a lot better than it has been. But I think anyone who has been watching the Devils so far this season pretty much knows that already. Previews for tonight's game have been made by Joe Betchel, Jeremy Kenter, and Steve at Battle of NY.
Me? I'm going to attempt at a live-blog of this game if only because I always wanted to try it. For an experienced live-blog, 2 Man Advantage is your place to go.
7:00 PM: The game is just about to begin, my TV is set to FSNY because I haven't switched to the Devils feed yet so I have the Islanders feed to start. Brent Sutter returns to Long Island, where he was a captain for the franchise in the past. As does Aaron Asham where he was, uh, a fourth liner. Bill Guerin faces off with his former team as the current captain. The Islanders found success by pinching Bryan Berard and Chris Campoli and having them jump up on offense. Good luck to the Devils in the hopes that they can exploit that. For what it's worth, the Isles announcers say the forwards to watch from NJ are Zach Parise (fair) and John Madden (really).
7:07 PM: Found the Devils feed. Steve Cangelosi is more familiar than Deb Kaufman, though I prefer Deb (sorry Steve). Daneyko believes tonight could be a goaltender's duel (Weekes vs. DiPietro, I can dig that) and that the team needs to shore up the defense. Daneyko also likes Elias on the point of the power play - perhaps we'll see more of that tonight. Perhaps we'll see a game soon to satiate my impatience. Start!
7:11 PM: Finally! Wow, are the Islanders jerseys ugly on the ice. Too busy. And the Devils win the crucial opening faceoff! And wow, the Devils get the first scoring chance! Then the Isles! Then the Devils It's already back-and-forth hockey and it's not even a minute in!
7:12 PM: WOW! The forecheck is successful, Zach Parise looks pass, throws it at the net, and it's underneath the crossbar and in! 1-0 NJ! Whoo and all that!
7:13 PM: Miroslav Satan on the Islanders' third line? Um, interesting move.
7:16 PM: And we see Campoli act as a surrogate left winger on that last rush. Yep, the Islanders are going to use some of their defenseman to jump up on the offense. Again, I hope the Devils adjust for that to A) stop them and B) strike back while the d-man is too busy rushing back.
7:20 PM: First commercial break and the Devils are looking good. They look crisp, they look fresh, they are succeeding on the forecheck, and they are doing well at stopping the Islanders from getting good looks on Weekes. Hopefully, they won't be like a can of soda in that it's great when you just get it from the machine but becomes flat about and hour and a half later when left out of the confines of a cool machine. Yes, I am saying it: Don't be like soda, Devils.
7:24 PM: The Islanders prove once again that a great way to disappoint the home crowd is to go offside in the middle of a 3-on-2 offensive rush. Poor Isles fans.
7:28 PM: Another commercial break and a promo for Tuesday's events on Versus. A half-hour interview with Sidney Crosby (with a 70% chance of LOLs for IPB Irregulars) before the Penguins-NY Rangers game. More importantly, Steve Cangelosi is reporting that Lou has that Jamie Langenbrunner is skating on his own now. Excellent.
7:31 PM: Dang. The Devils take the first infraction of the game. Andy Greene caught holding an Isle. Good luck Devils PK unit, you need it.
7:34 PM: My goodness, they killed a penalty!! Apologies, it's just that such a thing isn't common with this team so far this season. Take every little victory so far. (Mini-note: Was that the first Monty Python reference of the season from Doc & Chico?)
7:42 PM: Eep. Mike Comrie comes quite close but hits the goaltender's best friend, the pipe. To be fair, that was the most dangerous the Islanders have been all period. Hopefully, the Devils will dull any momentum that shot may have given to NY.
7:43 PM: Hope answered. Two Islanders run into each other, Asham misses on a slapshot, and along the way, the Islanders take a penalty late in the period. Isles are good on the PK so far, but hopefully - theres that word yet again, I'm a hopeful fan, I can't help it! - the Devils can break through.
7:47 PM: End of the first period and nearly the end of the power play. The Devils are definitely looking good so far with the lead and with how they are playing. This is how it's supposed to be with the new system. The high-pressure forecheck is causing the Islanders to make bad passes and turn over the puck. The Devils are playing a tight checking defense to much success, stopping the Islanders from generating any consistent offense. This is great. But the Devils cannot just keep it up. The Islanders will most likely adjust their game to turn the game around. It will be up to Sutter and the players to recognize any adjustments and respond accordingly.
8:09 PM: Great, I go out to get something to drink and not only do I miss the start of the second period, I just arrived to see the Islanders get an equalizer. It's 1-1, no thanks to Josef Vasicek. Now it is time for the Devils to respond. No, being hit hard by Chris Simon isn't the response, Karel Rachunek.
8:12 PM: NO, the response is NOT to let Miroslav Satan power through Paul Martin into the slot, dangle the puck wide, and put it past Kevin Weekes. 2-1 Islanders and now is the time to be concerned. The Islanders have adjusted their game, now the Devils have to re-adjust themselves to fight back.
8:20 PM: The Devils didn't need an hour and a half to go flat; they have done it much faster than that. The Islanders are now looking good with 10 minutes left in the period; and the Devils need to start stopping the Islanders on defense and/or start generating more offense on their own. Otherwise, this could get a lot worse before it can get better for New Jersey.
8:24 PM: Karel Rachunek will go to the shame box for 2 minutes. I believe it's a hook because it was a big, obvious, and incredibly stupid hook on Bill Guerin. This PK will be huge and so I worry because the PK has not been kind for the Devils so far this season.
8:27 PM: PK failed. Shot from the point hits the crossbar, drops down, and the Islanders put the loose puck home. Why Mottau didn't do all he could to smother puck is beyond me (why not Weekes? Well, it was behind Weekes, I believe.) Doesn't matter, it's 3-1 Islanders. 13 shots to 2 for the Islanders. Yep, the Islanders are now clearly dominating.
8:30 PM: And the Devils finally get something going their way. Satan trips up a Devil and that's 2 minutes in the shame box for him. A big power play for NJ here - a goal puts them right back into the groove of this game. And right as I typed that, DiPietro robs Jay Pandolfo on a rebound. Also, Pandolfo is on the power play?
8:34 PM: Since you didn't see any signs of success, it's safe to say the Devils didn't do it. But they aren't being as dominated as the period is winding down. Still, the Devils need to turn this game around and turn it around it fast. A 2 goal deficit against a top goalie like DiPietro and a team that's now playing well is a very difficult task.
8:41 PM: Sutter has mixed up the lines as the period winds down, the Islanders commit an infraction. Short of a quick strike, the Devils will start the third period with a man advantage. They don't get it, but a man advantage is good. They need all the advantages they can get if they want to get back into this game. The second has been very poor for the Devils, a sharp contrast - if not an exact opposite - of the first period. The Devils have a lot to do to try and get two points out of it. Hopefully - there's that word again - they can get it done.
8:48 PM: In lieu of a meaningful intermission, I would like to suggest some live power metal from YouTube: Dragonforce playing Revolution Deathsquad. Yes, they do have a bassist.
8:59 PM: Patrik Elias only had 6 shifts that period? Maybe that's why the offense sputtered. By that logic, maybe Sutter will bench some defensemen to send the message of...something, I'm not sure. Speaking of things I'm not sure about, how come FSNY/FSNY2 has so much trouble with their clocks on their graphics?
9:02 PM: JAY PANDOLFO IS THE GOAL SCORING MACHINE!! He just gets one with a floater that goes up over Rick DiPietro and just under the crossbar. Chico says it was just a wicked shot. Any Pandolfo shot that goes in is wicked, if you ask me. Now that was a response! 3-2, let's go Devils!
9:05 PM: Rod Pelley assisted on Pandolfo's goal (along with Brylin). That was Pelley's first point in the NHL, congratulations to him.
9:06 PM: How did Comrie miss that!? I'm glad he did, but that should have been the Isles' fourth.
9:08 PM: Fun fact: Pandolfo's goal is his third of the season. At this rate, Pandolfo will have 30 goals this season. I love ridiculous early-season stat extrapolation.
9:09 PM: Madden on a breakaway and the shot is tipped over the bar! So close! But the Devils are looking a lot better so far this period. Keep on attacking!
9:14 PM: Gionta's stick catches Comrie's face and it drew blood. Intention doesn't matter; that's a double minor. I know the puck was in the air, but the stick has to be controlled. That was a dumb decision by Gionta to try and bat it down to begin with and now it has led to this unfortunate four-minute penalty kill. Good luck to NJ. If they can kill it, it will be a momentum boost for sure.
9:18 PM: The kill has been great so far. The clearances have been solid and the Islanders haven't been able to get too much going. Then Oduya made a clearance that went high and over the glass with a little over 30 second left. Fortunately for the Devils and Oduya, the puck seems to have taken a deflection off the glass so no delay of game penalty.
9:19 PM: PENALTY KILLED! Awesome! 8 minutes left for an equalizer, go Devils!
9:20 PM: I SPEAK TOO SOON! BRIAN GIONTA OFF THE DEFLECTION! Great drive to the net by Zubrus, great job by Martin to pick up the rebound and for the shot, and great job by Gionta for the re-direction! 3-3! Don't stop now, Devils, there's a lot of time left for a lot to happen.
9:28 PM: A little less than 4 minutes left and the Islanders are surging a bit; but the Devils aren't being steamrolled on defense like they did in the second. They're getting chances too. Great hockey game, but I would love a Devils goal very soon to really put the screws to the Islanders.
9:33 PM: Sergei Brylin dishes it to Jay Pandolfo on the off-wing and a shot to DiPietro's glove. Yes, Pandolfo is looking for the winner. I love it. Less than 2 minutes left. Keep up the pressure, Devils.
9:34 PM: Sean Bergenheim may have just become the goat. 2 minutes for interference. You can't hit players away from the play, even if it wasn't much. Devils on the power play with 1:10 left.
9:38 PM: And we are going to OVERTIME. 42 seconds of power play time will carry over for the Devils. If I'm Sutter, I push my team to get the goal here rather than go into a shootout. I don't know how good Weekes is good in shootouts, but I do know DiPietro can definitely handle their own. These 42 second will be crucial.
9:39 PM: Devils didn't get it, but the power play did their best. Hopefully the Devils can hold the Islanders back from their offensive pushes.
9:39/9:40 PM: KAREL RACHUNEK HIT THE POST?! OR DID IT GO IN!? Can we get a review on that, refs? That was ODD.
9:42 PM: Sergei Brylin loses his balance on a breakaway, that could have been something but no dice. Also: a replay showed that Rachunek did just hit the post - my mistake earlier. Got my hopes up.
9:44 PM: Late call by the ref! Andy Greene will sit for the rest of overtime for tripping. This penalty kill is obviously crucial. Good luck, PK unit.
9:47 PM: The Islanders win the game in overtime by Bill Guerin sneaking into the slot behind Martin to put home the rebound. The penalty kill failed and the Devils lose the game. They get a point, but it's still a loss.
9:49 PM: Recovering from the second period to tie the game was great. Losing the game shorthanded was not. The game ends 4-3 and the Devils will play their next game next Thursday against the Rangers. I hope the team will finally get their heads on straight and perhaps be able to put together a solid 60 minutes of hockey during their relatively long rest.
9:55 PM: This concludes my first attempt at liveblogging - the title has been altered to account for this and I hope you all enjoyed it. The game didn't end well, but considering how terrible the second period was for the Devils - you have to admit that taking them to overtime is a lot better than seeing the team roll over in the third period. While everything the Devils did in the second period was poor, the Devils did give a much better performance on offense and defense. Their never-give-up approach in the third yielded results. As a whole, the Devils clearly need to do improve in terms of discipline (Who trips up a player with less than a minute in overtime, Greene? Bad hockey players, that's who.) and playing a consistent level of hockey. Again, I hope they can work on this for Thursday's game against the Rangers in MSG.
Me? I'm going to attempt at a live-blog of this game if only because I always wanted to try it. For an experienced live-blog, 2 Man Advantage is your place to go.
7:00 PM: The game is just about to begin, my TV is set to FSNY because I haven't switched to the Devils feed yet so I have the Islanders feed to start. Brent Sutter returns to Long Island, where he was a captain for the franchise in the past. As does Aaron Asham where he was, uh, a fourth liner. Bill Guerin faces off with his former team as the current captain. The Islanders found success by pinching Bryan Berard and Chris Campoli and having them jump up on offense. Good luck to the Devils in the hopes that they can exploit that. For what it's worth, the Isles announcers say the forwards to watch from NJ are Zach Parise (fair) and John Madden (really).
7:07 PM: Found the Devils feed. Steve Cangelosi is more familiar than Deb Kaufman, though I prefer Deb (sorry Steve). Daneyko believes tonight could be a goaltender's duel (Weekes vs. DiPietro, I can dig that) and that the team needs to shore up the defense. Daneyko also likes Elias on the point of the power play - perhaps we'll see more of that tonight. Perhaps we'll see a game soon to satiate my impatience. Start!
7:11 PM: Finally! Wow, are the Islanders jerseys ugly on the ice. Too busy. And the Devils win the crucial opening faceoff! And wow, the Devils get the first scoring chance! Then the Isles! Then the Devils It's already back-and-forth hockey and it's not even a minute in!
7:12 PM: WOW! The forecheck is successful, Zach Parise looks pass, throws it at the net, and it's underneath the crossbar and in! 1-0 NJ! Whoo and all that!
7:13 PM: Miroslav Satan on the Islanders' third line? Um, interesting move.
7:16 PM: And we see Campoli act as a surrogate left winger on that last rush. Yep, the Islanders are going to use some of their defenseman to jump up on the offense. Again, I hope the Devils adjust for that to A) stop them and B) strike back while the d-man is too busy rushing back.
7:20 PM: First commercial break and the Devils are looking good. They look crisp, they look fresh, they are succeeding on the forecheck, and they are doing well at stopping the Islanders from getting good looks on Weekes. Hopefully, they won't be like a can of soda in that it's great when you just get it from the machine but becomes flat about and hour and a half later when left out of the confines of a cool machine. Yes, I am saying it: Don't be like soda, Devils.
7:24 PM: The Islanders prove once again that a great way to disappoint the home crowd is to go offside in the middle of a 3-on-2 offensive rush. Poor Isles fans.
7:28 PM: Another commercial break and a promo for Tuesday's events on Versus. A half-hour interview with Sidney Crosby (with a 70% chance of LOLs for IPB Irregulars) before the Penguins-NY Rangers game. More importantly, Steve Cangelosi is reporting that Lou has that Jamie Langenbrunner is skating on his own now. Excellent.
7:31 PM: Dang. The Devils take the first infraction of the game. Andy Greene caught holding an Isle. Good luck Devils PK unit, you need it.
7:34 PM: My goodness, they killed a penalty!! Apologies, it's just that such a thing isn't common with this team so far this season. Take every little victory so far. (Mini-note: Was that the first Monty Python reference of the season from Doc & Chico?)
7:42 PM: Eep. Mike Comrie comes quite close but hits the goaltender's best friend, the pipe. To be fair, that was the most dangerous the Islanders have been all period. Hopefully, the Devils will dull any momentum that shot may have given to NY.
7:43 PM: Hope answered. Two Islanders run into each other, Asham misses on a slapshot, and along the way, the Islanders take a penalty late in the period. Isles are good on the PK so far, but hopefully - theres that word yet again, I'm a hopeful fan, I can't help it! - the Devils can break through.
7:47 PM: End of the first period and nearly the end of the power play. The Devils are definitely looking good so far with the lead and with how they are playing. This is how it's supposed to be with the new system. The high-pressure forecheck is causing the Islanders to make bad passes and turn over the puck. The Devils are playing a tight checking defense to much success, stopping the Islanders from generating any consistent offense. This is great. But the Devils cannot just keep it up. The Islanders will most likely adjust their game to turn the game around. It will be up to Sutter and the players to recognize any adjustments and respond accordingly.
8:09 PM: Great, I go out to get something to drink and not only do I miss the start of the second period, I just arrived to see the Islanders get an equalizer. It's 1-1, no thanks to Josef Vasicek. Now it is time for the Devils to respond. No, being hit hard by Chris Simon isn't the response, Karel Rachunek.
8:12 PM: NO, the response is NOT to let Miroslav Satan power through Paul Martin into the slot, dangle the puck wide, and put it past Kevin Weekes. 2-1 Islanders and now is the time to be concerned. The Islanders have adjusted their game, now the Devils have to re-adjust themselves to fight back.
8:20 PM: The Devils didn't need an hour and a half to go flat; they have done it much faster than that. The Islanders are now looking good with 10 minutes left in the period; and the Devils need to start stopping the Islanders on defense and/or start generating more offense on their own. Otherwise, this could get a lot worse before it can get better for New Jersey.
8:24 PM: Karel Rachunek will go to the shame box for 2 minutes. I believe it's a hook because it was a big, obvious, and incredibly stupid hook on Bill Guerin. This PK will be huge and so I worry because the PK has not been kind for the Devils so far this season.
8:27 PM: PK failed. Shot from the point hits the crossbar, drops down, and the Islanders put the loose puck home. Why Mottau didn't do all he could to smother puck is beyond me (why not Weekes? Well, it was behind Weekes, I believe.) Doesn't matter, it's 3-1 Islanders. 13 shots to 2 for the Islanders. Yep, the Islanders are now clearly dominating.
8:30 PM: And the Devils finally get something going their way. Satan trips up a Devil and that's 2 minutes in the shame box for him. A big power play for NJ here - a goal puts them right back into the groove of this game. And right as I typed that, DiPietro robs Jay Pandolfo on a rebound. Also, Pandolfo is on the power play?
8:34 PM: Since you didn't see any signs of success, it's safe to say the Devils didn't do it. But they aren't being as dominated as the period is winding down. Still, the Devils need to turn this game around and turn it around it fast. A 2 goal deficit against a top goalie like DiPietro and a team that's now playing well is a very difficult task.
8:41 PM: Sutter has mixed up the lines as the period winds down, the Islanders commit an infraction. Short of a quick strike, the Devils will start the third period with a man advantage. They don't get it, but a man advantage is good. They need all the advantages they can get if they want to get back into this game. The second has been very poor for the Devils, a sharp contrast - if not an exact opposite - of the first period. The Devils have a lot to do to try and get two points out of it. Hopefully - there's that word again - they can get it done.
8:48 PM: In lieu of a meaningful intermission, I would like to suggest some live power metal from YouTube: Dragonforce playing Revolution Deathsquad. Yes, they do have a bassist.
8:59 PM: Patrik Elias only had 6 shifts that period? Maybe that's why the offense sputtered. By that logic, maybe Sutter will bench some defensemen to send the message of...something, I'm not sure. Speaking of things I'm not sure about, how come FSNY/FSNY2 has so much trouble with their clocks on their graphics?
9:02 PM: JAY PANDOLFO IS THE GOAL SCORING MACHINE!! He just gets one with a floater that goes up over Rick DiPietro and just under the crossbar. Chico says it was just a wicked shot. Any Pandolfo shot that goes in is wicked, if you ask me. Now that was a response! 3-2, let's go Devils!
9:05 PM: Rod Pelley assisted on Pandolfo's goal (along with Brylin). That was Pelley's first point in the NHL, congratulations to him.
9:06 PM: How did Comrie miss that!? I'm glad he did, but that should have been the Isles' fourth.
9:08 PM: Fun fact: Pandolfo's goal is his third of the season. At this rate, Pandolfo will have 30 goals this season. I love ridiculous early-season stat extrapolation.
9:09 PM: Madden on a breakaway and the shot is tipped over the bar! So close! But the Devils are looking a lot better so far this period. Keep on attacking!
9:14 PM: Gionta's stick catches Comrie's face and it drew blood. Intention doesn't matter; that's a double minor. I know the puck was in the air, but the stick has to be controlled. That was a dumb decision by Gionta to try and bat it down to begin with and now it has led to this unfortunate four-minute penalty kill. Good luck to NJ. If they can kill it, it will be a momentum boost for sure.
9:18 PM: The kill has been great so far. The clearances have been solid and the Islanders haven't been able to get too much going. Then Oduya made a clearance that went high and over the glass with a little over 30 second left. Fortunately for the Devils and Oduya, the puck seems to have taken a deflection off the glass so no delay of game penalty.
9:19 PM: PENALTY KILLED! Awesome! 8 minutes left for an equalizer, go Devils!
9:20 PM: I SPEAK TOO SOON! BRIAN GIONTA OFF THE DEFLECTION! Great drive to the net by Zubrus, great job by Martin to pick up the rebound and for the shot, and great job by Gionta for the re-direction! 3-3! Don't stop now, Devils, there's a lot of time left for a lot to happen.
9:28 PM: A little less than 4 minutes left and the Islanders are surging a bit; but the Devils aren't being steamrolled on defense like they did in the second. They're getting chances too. Great hockey game, but I would love a Devils goal very soon to really put the screws to the Islanders.
9:33 PM: Sergei Brylin dishes it to Jay Pandolfo on the off-wing and a shot to DiPietro's glove. Yes, Pandolfo is looking for the winner. I love it. Less than 2 minutes left. Keep up the pressure, Devils.
9:34 PM: Sean Bergenheim may have just become the goat. 2 minutes for interference. You can't hit players away from the play, even if it wasn't much. Devils on the power play with 1:10 left.
9:38 PM: And we are going to OVERTIME. 42 seconds of power play time will carry over for the Devils. If I'm Sutter, I push my team to get the goal here rather than go into a shootout. I don't know how good Weekes is good in shootouts, but I do know DiPietro can definitely handle their own. These 42 second will be crucial.
9:39 PM: Devils didn't get it, but the power play did their best. Hopefully the Devils can hold the Islanders back from their offensive pushes.
9:39/9:40 PM: KAREL RACHUNEK HIT THE POST?! OR DID IT GO IN!? Can we get a review on that, refs? That was ODD.
9:42 PM: Sergei Brylin loses his balance on a breakaway, that could have been something but no dice. Also: a replay showed that Rachunek did just hit the post - my mistake earlier. Got my hopes up.
9:44 PM: Late call by the ref! Andy Greene will sit for the rest of overtime for tripping. This penalty kill is obviously crucial. Good luck, PK unit.
9:47 PM: The Islanders win the game in overtime by Bill Guerin sneaking into the slot behind Martin to put home the rebound. The penalty kill failed and the Devils lose the game. They get a point, but it's still a loss.
9:49 PM: Recovering from the second period to tie the game was great. Losing the game shorthanded was not. The game ends 4-3 and the Devils will play their next game next Thursday against the Rangers. I hope the team will finally get their heads on straight and perhaps be able to put together a solid 60 minutes of hockey during their relatively long rest.
9:55 PM: This concludes my first attempt at liveblogging - the title has been altered to account for this and I hope you all enjoyed it. The game didn't end well, but considering how terrible the second period was for the Devils - you have to admit that taking them to overtime is a lot better than seeing the team roll over in the third period. While everything the Devils did in the second period was poor, the Devils did give a much better performance on offense and defense. Their never-give-up approach in the third yielded results. As a whole, the Devils clearly need to do improve in terms of discipline (Who trips up a player with less than a minute in overtime, Greene? Bad hockey players, that's who.) and playing a consistent level of hockey. Again, I hope they can work on this for Thursday's game against the Rangers in MSG.
Labels: 2008 Postgame, 2008 Pregame, 2008 Season, Devils Game
# posted by John Fischer @ 6:38 PM 1 comments
Friday, May 04, 2007
Rd. 2, Game 5: Ottawa @ Devils
The New Jersey Devils are in a must-win situation on Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators.
GAMETIME: 8:00 PM, EST
Local TV: Fox Sports NY
Local Radio: 92.3 FM, FREE FM
The Ottawa Senators Lead the Series 3-1
NHL.com Preview
Everything that is done in the game of hockey is done as a team.
I need to repeat this in bold and italics.
Everything that is done in the game of hockey is done as a team.
The Devils have represented this axiom: they have done everything this season as a team. They had excellent months, poor games by the definition of the word poor, incredible comebacks, and it all ended with 49 wins, the most this franchise has ever had in one season and a once-seemingly unbreakable NHL record broken.
They have faced the Tampa Bay Lightning as a team. They have beaten the Lightning as a team, fought closely with the Lightning as a team, and lost to the Lightning as a team.
If there has been one thing apparent in this series so far, is that the results have reflected how the Devils have played as a team. In Game 1, they collectively played one of their worst hockey games in one period and collectively scrapped to try and complete a comeback. In Game 2, they collectively played much better and won. In Game 3, everyone not named Martin Brodeur played average at best and easily lost. In Game 4, they collectively gave too little too late.
There are many other things I could cover for this game. For example, Ray Emery's poor rebound control should easily lead the Devils to crash the net like college students going after free things. As a second example, the Devils have yet to use their speed to their advantage, something they used to throw Tampa Bay off and helped in winning in the first round - and now is clearly the time to at least try that. A third example could be to be more aggressive on the power play; taking advantage of the Senators' poor discipline. The Senators have given New Jersey 3, 7, 5, and 5 power plays respectively in each game of the series, after all.
But above all this the most important thing for the team, and I think the fans as well, is that the Devils must collectively raise their game to new heights. It's not a matter of whether the Devils have the talent or not. This is the team that beat the Buffalo Sabres strongly back in February. Hell, this is a team that beat a loaded Sabres squad with 16 active skaters back in March; they definitely have the talent. It's effort and desire, two things that the Devils did not have enough of (and in the case of Game 3, none at all, excepting Brodeur) in the past two games. The Devils will need to leave it all out on the ice and play like the end is nigh. Otherwise, it obviously will be the end - the Devils' playoff run will be over and they move to a brand new arena.
I must emphasize that this must be a team effort. This includes Patrik Elias, Scott Gomez, and Brian Gionta - to be the fearsome force that they can collectively be when they are "on." This includes Zach Parise, who has been invisible as of late. This includes the third line of Jay Pandolfo, John Madden, and Sergei Brylin - who have not been the shutdown line they have been all season this playoffs. This includes guys firing pucks from the point and taking lead passes, such as Brian Rafalski, Paul Martin, and Andy Greene. This includes defensemen who are expected to block shots, throw hits, and win pucks along the boards, such as Richard Matvichuk and Colin White. This includes Martin Brodeur to be himself. This even includes the fourth line to provide some energy in what little ice time they will get. Everyone needs to do it.
For the Devils to have any semblence of a possibility of a chance of winning Game 5, the team must give a firey and committed team performance. If they falter, if they flounder, if they fail and lose Game 5 and the series with it, it will be because of the team effort - the loss will be the fault not of Elias or Brodeur or Gomez or some other scapegoat, it would be a team loss.
I must make a confession: I don't want to talk about the off season. Writing an entire season-in-review post does not interest me at this point. I don't feel like looking ahead to a new coach, the NHL Draft, free agency, and Newark. I want to do all these things in June, not May. I don't believe you want to read that yet. Most importantly, I'm sure the Devils aren't particularly enthused with the idea of not playing past this week.
The Devils need to win to avoid all this. The Devils need to win to continue playing hockey. The Devils need to win. They must do so collectively as a team. Just like they did all season.
Go Devils.
Labels: 2007 Playoffs, Devils Game
# posted by John Fischer @ 9:35 PM 1 comments
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Rd. 2, Game 4: Devils @ Ottawa
The New Jersey Devils will have a chance to tie up the series a second time in Ottawa when they play the Senators in Game 4 tonight.
GAMETIME: 7:00 PM, EST
National TV: Versus (HD)
Local Radio: 660 AM, WFAN
Ottawa Leads the Series 2-1
NHL.com Preview
In my view, the Devils need to play the complete opposite how they did in Game 3. Well, check that, everyone not named Martin Brodeur needs to have a complete 180-degree turnaround in their games. Brodeur is more than welcome to stop Ottawa all night long. The penalty killing units are also welcome to prevent Ottawa from setting up their power play.
On defense, positioning is not enough, the Devils defenders need to get in Ottawa's face. This means not standing around and letting the Senators control the puck in New Jersey's end. I'm not looking for hits on every play, but the Devils need force the Senators forwards to make decisions prior to them setting up. Close down on the skater and have them force the puck blindly into the slot and in the corner. Being more "hungry" along the boards will definitely help in winning possession there; since most battles for the puck against the glass really comes down to desire. With respect to tonight's game, Tom Gulitti's blog has noted that the Devils held a full practice yesterday; and Johnny Oduya may return to the line up. While Richard Matvichuk was a big and consistent factor against Tampa Bay, he hasn't been a consistent one against Ottawa so far this series. It isn't an idea I'm completely against.
For the forwards, they need to show up among other things. They need to play with something resembling urgency and fire, two things they lacked in Game 3. This applies for all four lines, not just one or two. More than anything, I'd like to see some effort on offense rather than playing passively and hoping for a brilliant gaffe by the Ottawa Senators. That leads me to something else I think the Devils need to do on offense: stop passing the puck so much. We saw this in Games 2 and 3 where the Devils forwards would literally pass up a good shooting opportunity. In those cases, if those passes go through, the chance for scoring goes from good to glorious. But the vast, vast majority of those passes - blindly throwing the puck into the slot, drop passes to no one, cross-ice passes from sideboard to sideboard, etc. - did not get through cleanly or otherwise. Clearly, the Ottawa Senators defense has done a great job at blocking passing and shooting lanes - making it more crucial to take any opportunities possible.
As an added note, a commenter (Ethan, in the post-Game 3 post) noted that Emery has been giving up huge rebounds. I completely agree and I think it's high-time Brian Gionta returns to his rightful place of creating havok in the slot. Unless I'm mistaken, I haven't seen Gionta do that much and with Emery not handling the puck particularly well, I think there's definitely opportunities for goals. It's worth a shot. I've also noticed that Emery isn't very fast in terms of lateral movement; but I think the Devils offense needs to improve in taking shots (both in selection and execution) before specifically trying to get Emery moving left-to-right and vice versa. If they can do it, great. That said, the offense needs to work real hard and play with desire above all else.
This leads me to what I want to see head coach Lou Lamoriello do during the game: I would like to see him abandon matching lines if they are failing during the game. The checking line of Jay Pandolfo, John Madden, and Sergei Brylin have been a solid unit all year long. Yet, they have not been as effective in shutting down the other team's top line in the first round series against Tampa Bay and now against Ottawa. If Pandolfo, Madden, and Brylin are getting burned by Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson, and Jason Spezza; then it's time to stop matching the two lines up at every opportunity. I understand that matching lines has been a successful strategy this season for New Jersey. However, from where I sit, continuing to match lines where it does not favor New Jersey makes no sense regardless of how well it has done in the past.
Above all of this, I'd like to see the Devils give an improved performance tonight. Losing this game brings the Devils into a precarious position in the series. Coming back down 3-1 to win 4-3 against Ottawa is incredibly unlikely. Tonight, they have a chance to tie up this series, avoid this fate, and begin to turn things around in their favor. I certainly hope they succeed, but they need to bring their "A" games to do so. GO DEVILS!
Above all of this, I'd like to see the Devils give an improved performance tonight. Losing this game brings the Devils into a precarious position in the series. Coming back down 3-1 to win 4-3 against Ottawa is incredibly unlikely. Tonight, they have a chance to tie up this series, avoid this fate, and begin to turn things around in their favor. I certainly hope they succeed, but they need to bring their "A" games to do so. GO DEVILS!
Labels: 2007 Playoffs, Devils Game
# posted by John Fischer @ 4:15 PM 0 comments
Monday, April 30, 2007
Rd. 2, Game 3: Devils @ Ottawa
With the series tied at 1 a piece, the New Jersey Devils will travel to Ottawa to take on the Senators to break this playoff deadlock.
GAMETIME: 7:00 PM (EST)
National TV: Versus (HD)
Local Radio: 92.3 FM, FREE FM
The Series is Tied at 1
NHL.com Preview
I feel good about this game tonight for three reasons. The first is that the Devils beat the Senators in double overtime in Game 2, obviously providing a huge lift for the Devils in terms of momentum and confidence. If you don't believe me, check out Rich Chere's article in today's Star Ledger - the win was clearly huge. The second is inherent in the headline for the game preview at NHL.com: Senators: Devils' timekeepers had slow hand. For Ottawa's sake, I hope those are old quotes. Otherwise it's proof that they are still dwelling on Game 2, complaining about Sergei Brylin's last second shot on the first going in - conveniently ignoring Jamie Langenbrunner sneaking behind the Ottawa defense in the neutral zone which led to the breakaway en route to the game winning goal. In any case, any sign of the Senators still stuck in the past with Game 2 is definitely good for the Devils.
The third reason is that the Devils are on the road. That may sound a little puzzling, but consider Game 2 for a moment (and ignore my own hypocrisy about not dwelling on the past as well). The Devils were excellent in the first period: they constantly threatened Ottawa on offense, they forced turnovers, and they made Ottawa play on the heels of their skates for most of the period. Then the Devils tried to sit on the lead for the next forty minutes, the Senators worked through the Devils' defense and if it wasn't for Martin Brodeur being himself, the Devils would have blown the lead. Actually, even with Brodeur making huge save after huge save, the Senators tied up the game - blowing the lead anyhow.
My point is this: now that the Devils are on the road, they should be less inclined to play with a completely defensive mentality. This was the thesis of Ken Daneyko's comments after Game 2 and I certainly hope he's right. Hey, I got not problem with defensive hockey - Devils hockey, as it were - I certainly not question the success the Devils have had. There is a difference however between a defensive style and a defensive mentality. You can play a defensive style without sacrificing the offense or just sitting on a lead - the Devils have done this very well. However, in the playoffs against a team as offensively powerful as the Ottawa Senators, trying to sit on a lead for a period or so is very difficult. I know the defense has come through in the clutch and that Martin Brodeur is Martin Brodeur; but trying to turn a 2 goal lead into a 3 goal lead does wonders for protecting a win than just playing defense only with the 2 goal lead.
Tonight should be interesting in that it's a tied series and both teams are considerably tired. The Devils didn't practice yesterday, according to Tom Gulitti at his blog Fire & Ice, and the NHL.com preview stated that Cristoph Schubert was the only Ottawa regular who did practice yesterday. Hopefully both teams will be rested enough to give us another great hockey game. Hopefully the Devils remember what they did in period 1 in Game 2 and do those things to great success tonight. I'm confident that if they do those things, they will likely be the winners of Game 3. GO DEVILS!
Labels: 2007 Playoffs, Devils Game
# posted by John Fischer @ 10:55 AM 0 comments
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Rd. 2, Game 2: Ottawa @ Devils
The New Jersey Devils will attempt to strike back and tie up the series against the Ottawa Senators in Game 2 tonight in New Jersey.
GAMETIME: 8:00 PM, EST
Local TV: Fox Sports NY
National TV: Versus (HD)
Local Radio: 92.3 FM, FREE FM
The Ottawa Senators Lead the Series 1-0
NHL.com Preview
The NHL.com preview tells the story and Bridget Wentworth at the Star Ledger confirms it, as does the Bergen Record's Tom Gulitti at his new blog, Fire & Ice.
Captain and top left-winger Patrik Elias will return to the Devils line up tonight and I couldn't be happier. While the Devils fought valiantly to salvage what was once a blowout seemed to be a foregone conclusion, they still gave up 4 unanswered goals in the first period. You can be sure captain Elias (or any of the coaching staff) won't allow that to happen again.
What do the Devils need tonight? They need to win the first period. Not do well and get behind early due to a fluke. Not do well but end the period at 0-0. Not rely on Martin Brodeur to bail out the entire team via standing on his head from minute 1. I want the Devils to score first and send the message to Ottawa that what happened in Game 1 will not be repeated. The Devils need be calmer with the puck, be smarter in their clearance attempts (e.g. not blindly firing the puck away in your own zone, Rafalski), more direct and simple with their passes (e.g. cut down on the number of no-look passes), and take it to Ray Emery right from the start. The return of Elias should definitely bolster the offense just by virtue of the EGG unit being re-united.
If the Devils can do that and maintain a strong level of effort from such a first period, I believe they got a good chance to win this one. Obviously, I hope they do. GO DEVILS!
Labels: 2007 Playoffs, Devils Game
# posted by John Fischer @ 4:22 PM 0 comments
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Rd. 2, Game 1: Ottawa @ Devils
The New Jersey Devils begin the second round of the playoffs by hosting the Ottawa Senators tonight.
GAMETIME: 7:00 PM, EST
Local TV: Fox Sports NY
Local Radio: 660 AM, WFAN
NHL.com Game Preview
An excellent hockey series will begin tonight and bad luck has hit the the Devils hard for Game 1. TSN.ca (among others) are reporting that captain Patrik Elias will not play tonight, he is out with a bad cold. Elias did not practice yesterday because of this cold. Given that it's the playoffs, public reporting of injuries gets murky at best. Understandably so, the team does not want to reveal any possible weaknesses to their opposition. Is it a cold? Maybe, it is spring, after all. But it may not be. All the same, I hope he recovers as soon as possible.
The TSN article notes that Colin White says he's ready to come back from a back injury; but Devils head coach/GM/President/CEO Lou Lamoriello has stated that he is a game-time decision. I don't expect the Devils to go with seven defensemen and eleven forwards tonight; Elias is an important part of the team on offense not to mention the team's leadership. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see who will replace Elias' spot on the EGG line. In my opinion, it'll probably be Zach Parise. He plays left wing, he's a scorer, and he's been playing well. I know he plays real well with Travis Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner, but the first line could really benefit from his scoring ability. As far as to who to replace Parise's spot on the first line; there are third options - both involving David Clarkson. The first is to slot utility forward Sergei Brylin up to the second line at left wing, and David Clarkson can play his natural position on the right wing on the third line. The second option is to move Brylin up to the second line, move Langenbrunner to the third line and move Clarkson up into a scoring position on the second line at right wing. The third option is to have Clarkson play on the off-wing on the left wing in Parise's spot.
In any case, the Devils have every reason to do their best tonight. The first game in a series is important in establishing momentum, establishing an early lead, and establishing the tone for the rest of the series. The Devils are at home and they know what they need to do to get this one (namely, what they did in Games 5 and 6 against Tampa Bay would suffice in my view). Without Elias, it will be tougher but not impossible. All the same, shoot hard at Ray Emery's glove side and GO DEVILS!
Labels: 2007 Playoffs, Devils Game
# posted by John Fischer @ 5:10 PM 0 comments
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Rd. 1, Game 6: Devils @ Tampa Bay
The New Jersey Devils have a chance to win the series as they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in front of a national TV audience.
GAMETIME: 1:00 PM, EST
Local TV: NBC
Local Radio: 770 AM, WABC
Devils Lead the Series 3-2
NHL.com Preview
Win.
I could sit here and type of the same things over and over again. Limit Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis as much as possible. Score first and don't sit on the lead. Actually utilize the extra space a power play usually results in. Don't take shots if there is an opposing player literally right in front of you, especially at the point. So on and so forth. It all comes down to one thing that the Devils must do.
Win.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are in a must-win situation and the conditions for this one favor them. The Devils, for some reason, don't do as well in matinee games this season. More important than that, the game is in Tampa Bay. The St. Petersburg Times Forum will be full, it will be loud, and it will give the Lightning players the very definition of a "lift" when necessary. It is imperative that the Devils take the crowd out of this game ASAP. It is imperative to pour as much misery on the Lightning as possible and quickly. The Lightning need to win this game and a tied-up series will give them a new hope to win the series. All the good work of Game 5, a decisive victory by the Devils, would go to waste and the Lightning would go straight into Game 7 with momentum should the Devils fail to do one thing.
Win.
At this point, Martin Brodeur has got his playoff groove back and should perform very well in Game 6. Richard Matvichuk continues to play incredibly well, with an amazing 12 blocked shots over the last two games. Andy Greene has stepped it up both from the point and in his own end. The EGG unit seems to have found their scoring touch and Zach Parise remains a dominant forward for the Devils so far this postseason. The tools are there, the momentum is in New Jersey's favor by virtue of winning the last two games, the players have the skill and have proven they can beat the Lightning, and the confidence is there by all indications. Now is the time take that hope away. Now is the time to nail the proverbial coffin. Now is the time to just do one thing.
Win.
DUAL ASIDES: It has come to my attention that The NHL Arena Program blog will be doing a live-blogging of Game 6. I suggest you check it out tomorrow if you are near a computer for the game.
Also, it has come to my attention that In Lou We Trust had our 10,000th visitor sometime last week. I believe someone from British Columbia if I'm reading my own SiteMeter correctly. Thanks everyone.
Labels: 2007 Playoffs, Devils Game
# posted by John Fischer @ 8:21 PM 0 comments
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Rd. 1, Game 5: Tampa Bay @ Devils
The series returns to New Jersey, where the Devils will host the Lightning in a crucial Game 5 match up.
GAMETIME: 7:00 PM, EST
Local TV: Fox Sports NY
Local Radio: 92.3 FM, FREE
The Series is Tied, 2-2
NHL.com Preview
Review of Game 4: Trendon Lynch at On Fire
Breakdown of Game 4: Joe Bechtel at 2 Man Advantage
Review of Game 4: Tim Mo at RaReMaDev
In my opinion, the winner of this game will have a great chance to win the entire series in Game 6. A Lightning win means the series returns to Tampa Bay, where the Bolts can end it with the home crowd of 20,900+ screaming their heads off in rooting for the Lightning. However, a Devils win would really put the Lightning back on their heels in a chance to clinch the series for New Jersey. Needless to say, this game is crucial in terms of momentum and in terms of the series as well.
The Devils clearly did a number of things right to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning in overtime 4-3. They scored first, they attacked Johan Holmqvist with more dangerous shots on net as opposed to firing directly to his chest, they exploited the Tampa Bay defense with simple but excellent passes to wide-open teammates, they took fewer penalties, and they didn't fall completely flat as Tampa Bay came back to tie up the game. Continuing how the Devils played in the second half of the third period and overtime would be wise for the Devils' sake in order to win.
The Devils, however, can improve in some regards. Before I get to that, I'm not going to criticize Martin Brodeur here: goal against #1 was off a screen that wouldn't have happened if Elias cleared the puck more effectively, goal against #2 was a tip in front by Martin St. Louis, and goal against #3 came from a wide-open (I'm looking at you Brad Lukowich), as in left uncovered, Vincent Lecavalier on Brodeur's flank. Brodeur made a lot of big saves on Wednesday, he's not the issue. That said, the Devils have to shape up in two regards:
1. Defense. Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis have made this series their own. They both played over 30 minutes in Game 4 and expect another 25+ minute night from the two of them. John Madden and Jay Pandolfo alone can't contain them. Richard Matvichuk had a big night on defense; but Brad Lukowich was less than optimal against the terrible two-some. All the same, the Devils have to keep close tabs on both of them at all times. I know that's easier said than done, but the effort must be there. At the same time, the Devils can't let up against the other Lightning players - Vaclav Prospal nor Eric Perrin should be flying around in the zone like they own it even if Lecavalier and St. Louis has. I'm just saying. Just stay strong on defense. above all don't mess with Martin Brodeur with a screen or not covering the NHL's leading goal scorer of the recent regular season when he's right by the goalie (Lukowich).
2. Power play. The Devils have ran the gamut of successful power plays, dangerous but unsuccessful power plays, and incredibly ineffective and terribly-played power plays in Game 4. I've seen the Devils cough up the puck in their own end to Lightning forecheckers and give up shorthanded shots. I've seen the Devils not cough it up, but show an inability to penetrate the zone. And I've seen the Devils actually make the most of their power play. All of this in Game 4. It is an improvement over Game 3, but I want some consistent power play efforts. Specifically consistent strong power plays that lead to goals for the Devils (and absolutely no risk of shorthanded goals).
The Devils showed in Game 4 that they can hang with the Lightning's run-and-gun style and skate as hard if not harder than the Bolts on their home ice. Now that the series is tied up, the Devils should continue the hard work they showed and used to win the in Game 4 to take Game 5. It's a new series and it's time to start it with a big win. GO DEVILS.
UPDATE: Take a quick look at the New Jersey Devils' roster on their website. Notice a greyed-out name that reads "David Clarkson."
Clarkson, as you know, impressed me and many others when called up to the New Jersey Devils earlier this season. He's big, he's strong, he's got a nose for the net, he hustles, and he can bring the pain in multiple facets of the game. He's a power forward and he could make that fourth line a lot more usable for tonight's game or give one of the top three lines an added dimension. I think this is a good call up, indeed if it is a call up from Lowell, and I think he could definitely help out right away in Game 5 tonight. All the same, GO DEVILS.
Labels: 2007 Playoffs, Devils Game
# posted by John Fischer @ 9:40 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Rd. 1, Game 4: Devils @ Tampa Bay
The New Jersey Devils have a chance to tie up the series with the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow night.
GAMETIME: 7:00 PM, EST
Local TV: Fox Sports NY2
Local Radio: 970 AM, WWDJ
Tampa Bay Leads the Series 2-1
NHL.com Preview
I didn't have Internet access for the past day or so, so I'm not going to go into recapping Game 3. I'm not too sure what I can say about it: the game was decided by weird bounces and fluke goals. For additional views:
NHL.com's Recap of Game 3Tim Mo's despondent response to Game 3 at RaReMaDev
Tom Lycan is also not feeling good after the loss at Devils Due
Trendon Lynch at On Fire has an extensive breakdown of Game 3 and ideas for Game 4
Joe at 2 Man Advantage also has a breakdown of Game 3, says it's gut-check time
And Joe is absolutely right (I'm sure he'll appreciate reading that). It truly is gut-check time. We can reminisce all we want about 2000, about how the Devils came down 3-1 in the series to the Philadelphia Flyers and winning 3 straight. It's 2007 and the Devils are playing the Tampa Bay Lightning. More specifically, the Vincent Lecavalier show with guest stars Martin St. Louis and Brad Richards - with the Johan Holmqvist & Scrappy Defense Orchestra. John Madden and Jay Pandolfo have been shutting down the best forwards the NHL has to offer all season; but right now, they are being worked to the bone. It doesn't help when the defense is spotty at the worst times: such as Brad Lukowich deciding to pokecheck instead of swarm Brad Richards, who was wide open in the slot, before Tampa Bay's second goal. I guess my calling for a shadow would be a bit silly - if John Madden can't seemingly slow him down, who can?
Trendon has called for some pain to be brought into the line up. OK, maybe not pain; but a return of Cam Janssen and David Clarkson. I don't know how much Janssen can contribute given that all season he's had to have done two things: hit and fight. Not appropriate here, especially in a must-win game. I'm surprised Clarkson hasn't been called right up and get a spot on the line up. With the Tampa Bay defense clogging passing and shooting lanes so well, a power forward-type player would be incredibly useful in terms of plowing right through the defense. Some physiciality wouldn't hurt either, as Tampa Bay has fed off the energy generated with their own hits in the past two games.
But more importantly than that, the Devils' offense needs to show up. The power play in Game 3 was so putrid, I half expected to see Igor Larionov bring up the puck. Which leads me to breakouts and rushes in general; the Devils are not getting through. The Tampa Bay defense has been adept at staying patient, waiting for the Devils (usually Scott Gomez) to make the first move and then respond. This puts them in a good position for pokechecking it or intercepting a poor pass (which the Devils do far too much of doing). I don't know whether it's a mental issue or a tactical issue; but whatever it is, it needs to be resolved ASAP. It won't matter if the Devils literally shutdown Tampa Bay's offense, they need to score first in this one, actually threaten Holmqvist with decent scoring chances, and actually threaten Tampa Bay on the power play. If the Devils don't improve on the offensive side of things, forget about it.
In general, the Devils should be - and better be - extra motivated for this one. Going back to the first few sentences, this is the time to step it up. If the Devils drop Game 4, then their chances of winning the first round will drop to an incredibly small likelihood. If the Devils do not win Game 4 and ultimately lose the series, it will be a big disappointment to say the least. I will remain confident and hopeful that the Devils get it done tomorrow and make this a three-game series.
Labels: 2007 Playoffs, Devils Game
# posted by John Fischer @ 7:40 PM 0 comments
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Rd. 1, Game 3: Devils @ Tampa Bay
The first round continues with the New Jersey Devils now traveling to Tampa Bay for the next two games in this series. Monday night will feature Game 3 of the series.
GAMETIME: 7:00 PM, EST
Local TV: Fox Sports NY 2
Local Radio: 770 AM, WABC
Series Tied: 1-1
NHL.com Preview
On Fire's 5 Wishes for Game 3
With respect to what occurred in Game 2, I believe what the Devils mostly need to change in Game 3 are is all coach-able, tactical matters. In Period 3, the Devils kept rushing the puck, directing it through the zone as fast as they could to try and "catch" the TB defense unaware. Needless to say, the TB defense responded by hanging back and blocking/deflecting fancy passes made by the Devils to kill any offense. What it led to was up-and-down hockey the Devils are not particularly adept at. Even when the Devils forced a turnover or found an open man, the only clear shot seemingly went into Holmqvist's chest every time.
The Devils got their two goals last night after maintaining possession in the offensive zone, moving the puck around for and open shot was there, and the Devils pouncing on the rebound. They forgot to try that in periods 1 and 3 because they were more concerned in hustling for the puck. In my opinion, the Devils should focus on that in Game 3. If the transition offense is sputtering and rushing the puck up on the break out yields little, then the Devils should stop doing either for a while. Taking their time with the puck, trying to maintain possession on offense should be encouraged if only to change things up and force the Tampa Bay defense to do more than just sit back and wait for the Devils to come at them. With the Devils being on the road, they may do that regardless. As far as Holmqvist goes, the Devils got a lot of shots on him in Game 2, but not a lot of threatening ones. Shooting high on him worked in Game 1, shooting hard and forcing him to give up big rebounds also worked (and worked in Game 2 to a degree). The Devils' shooters from the point or down low should keep that in mind when they have the puck.
As far as defense, the only forwards really burning NJ here are Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. While I know and expect the Devils to line-match the Madden unit against #4, the Devils could really step it up and shadow Lecavalier. We all know that Vinny has a temper and enough agitation will cause him to be thrown off his game. This is a series where a Claude Lemieux type would be most beneficial. Claude's not here; he's not coming here, so let's not expect him to show up. No, David Clarkson isn't Claude Lemieux. But I don't think we need Claude; just a shadow. Throw Lecavalier off his game, make sure St. Louis and Richards don't roam freely, and the Devils should be fine for the most part. Now, who should be the shadow?
In my opinion, it should be John Madden. As it is, the third line sees Lecavalier and St. Louis' line pretty much all the time as it is. Lou has been and I expect will continue to match up Lecavalier's unit with Madden's unit. What's more, it wouldn't split up the third line since the third line is usually out there with Lecavalier, St. Louis, and Vaclav Prospal. The main checking unit would still be Pandolfo-Madden-Brylin, which would make more sense since Pandolfo can work on trying to keep up with St. Louis. Not much would need to change with respect to New Jersey's lines.
Of course, if Tortorella gets wise to the shadowing, he'll either move Lecavalier or St. Louis to a different line and force Lou to have a non-checking line or make changes in his own lines to counter act that. Given that Tortorella didn't seem fazed by Madden's line being out there against Lecavalier's for a majority of Lecavalier's shifts; I don't expect him to do that. Then again, he does have the last line change in the next two games, so it's possible.
Most importantly, and the preview at NHL.com notes this in it's title, the Devils cannot dwell on the Game 2 loss. Nothing has been decided in this series, there is no need to press the panic button. What defeated the Devils in Game 2, among other things, was the fact that the Devils did not come out strong in the first period, and played the third period less than well. The Lightning are too good of a team to beat with only good period of hockey. That said, the Devils should just focus on this game - not the crowd, not being on the road, not anything else - and look to get off to a good start and play with more consistency. That alone would go a long way into re-taking the series lead. No, it won't guarantee a win, but I think it's the first step towards victory. GO DEVILS!
Labels: 2007 Playoffs, Devils Game
# posted by John Fischer @ 9:14 PM 0 comments
Friday, April 13, 2007
Rd. 1, Game 2: Tampa Bay @ Devils
This Saturday evening brings the second game in the first round match up between the New Jersey Devils and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
GAMETIME: 7:00 PM EST
Local TV: Fox Sports NY
Local Radio: 660 AM, WFAN
Devils Lead The Series, 1-0
NHL.com Preview
NewJerseyDevils.com Preview
GAMETIME: 7:00 PM EST
Local TV: Fox Sports NY
Local Radio: 660 AM, WFAN
Devils Lead The Series, 1-0
NHL.com Preview
NewJerseyDevils.com Preview
Again, I'm keeping these previews brief but I have three comments on what I think the Devils have to do to win Game 2.
- Score early and shoot often. The Devils scored first and set the tempo of the game early and in their favor. Clearly, this turned out well for the Devils. Johan Holmqvist succumbed to strong shots on net by giving up 4 (and the fifth he gift-wrapped for the EGG line). The NHL.com preview pretty much states that Holmqvist will start again; hopefully the Devils pick him apart like they did on Thursday.
- Take fewer penalties. The fact that Tampa Bay only scored on one of the six power plays they had speaks well of the defense, Martin Brodeur, and the penalty killers. However, the Devils should obviously not hand an offensively powered team that many chances with the man advantage. The refs said they'd call these playoff games tightly; ergo, stop grabbing people with your free hand (Oduya), tripping players right in front of the ref (Zajac), and slashing players on the wrist (Parise).
- Send out some other checkers against Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. John Madden and Jay Pandolfo are excellent defensive forwards. However, they do not regularly play as many minutes as Lecavalier and St. Louis, who averaged 22:36 and 24:09 of ice time respectively. Considerably less than the 18:52 and 18:36 of ice time Madden and Pandolfo respectively average. Lecavalier and St. Louis both played over 26 minutes in Game 1 and Madden and Pandolfo saw them for at least 21 of those minutes. The two Lightning players can handle big minutes, but I'm worried that big minutes will tire Madden and Pandolfo out and have them be less effective late in the game. Ergo, I think coach/GM/President/CEO/Man of the Hour/Tower of Power/Too Sweet to Be Sour Lou Lamoriello try matching a different line against Lecavalier and St. Louis at times and give the third line some rest.
Other than that, the Devils should build on what they did right in Game 1 and look to take a strong lead in this series before going to Tampa Bay for Games 3 and 4. As far as other posts I've seen, I'd like to disagree with Trendon Lynch at On Fire, I don't think Richard Matvichuk should be put back into the line up. A guy who has played just under 12 minutes is likely going to be big sign for the Lightning to send out their top players when Matvichuk takes the ice, challenging his side at all times. I think for that reason alone, I don't think Matvichuk should replace Oduya or anyone else in the lineup. Yes, Johnny Oduya played poorly, but I think he should be given a chance to turn it around - it's not like Oduya cost the Devils game 1. Feel free to make any comments about the game or even during the game. GO DEVILS!
Labels: 2007 Playoffs, Devils Game
# posted by John Fischer @ 11:39 PM 1 comments
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Round 1, Game 1: Tampa Bay @ Devils
The New Jersey Devils' first game of the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs will take place Thursday night by hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. This is game 1 of a 7 game series.
GAMETIME: 7:30 PM EST
Local TV: Fox Sports NY
Local Radio: 770 AM, WABC
Devils Record Vs. Tampa Bay This Season: 1-2-1
Series Previews:
NHL.com Series Preview
Preview at New Jersey Devils' official website.
Tom Lycan's Devils Due has two preview round-ups: Part 1 and Part 2
2 Man Advantage: The Calm Before the Storm
On Fire: Reviewing the Previews (links and thoughts on mainstream media predictions)
Beast of the East: Series Preview
Now, I'm not going to go into depth for every game at this point. We've seen Tampa Bay before in 4 games this season. Much ado has been made about the series with previews, predictions, and other analyses. I think it's apparent that this is a team that is strong on defense and in net taking on a team that is strong on offense.
It is also blindingly obvious that this first game is crucial for both teams. As I mentioned in my review of each team's offenses; the Devils have a brilliant record when they score first and when they out-shoot their opponents. Considering that Tampa Bay will likely start Johan Holmqvist, the Devils should take every opportunity to put a lot of rubber on net. Even if the shots make Holmqvist look like Dominik Hasek circa 1998 or Martin Brodeur circa, well, now, they will eventually go in if enough pucks are put on net. Momentum is absolutely vital in the playoffs and scoring first on your home ice, where you have the fan support and the last line change, is a great way to get some early. Not that the Lightning won't battle back, but it's easier to protect a lead than to mount and complete a comeback in the playoffs. The Devils worked hard to secure the home ice advantage this season, and like their power plays, they should attempt to take full advantage of it. Hopefully it will be unlike their power plays and actually take full advantage.
The Devils have played in and won a lot of close hockey games in this past season, they should be used to playoff-style hockey, where the defenses and the goaltending become much tighter. Therefore, that is all I have to say to the Devils for this first game: score first, shoot a lot. Yes, you still need to win four to move on; which makes this first game quite an important one.
GO DEVILS.
Labels: 2007 Playoffs, Devils Game
# posted by John Fischer @ 8:18 PM 0 comments
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Game: Islanders @ Devils, 8 of 8
The New Jersey Devils will end their regular season in a Easter Sunday matinee game against the New York Islanders.
GAMETIME: 3:30 PM, EST
Local TV: Fox Sports NY
Local Radio: 92.3 FM, FREE FM
Devils Record Vs. Islanders: 6-1-0
NHL.com Preview
Tibbs' Preview at Beast of the East
Happy and Blessed Easter to everyone who cares about Easter; those who don't, good morning/afternoon/evening.
While the Devils have secured the Atlantic Division title and the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference, it would be in New Jersey's interest to play this game as if it was any other game. While the Devils won against Philadelphia on Thursday, they came out flat, they gave up an early goal, they were sloppy on defense, and they were lucky to even complete the comeback for the win. Against the worst team in the NHL. That is simply unacceptable right before the playoffs. I'm confident that head coach/GM Lou Lamoriello will keep his team focused on winning this game if only to go into the playoffs on a high note.
While the Devils have secured the Atlantic Division title and the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference, it would be in New Jersey's interest to play this game as if it was any other game. While the Devils won against Philadelphia on Thursday, they came out flat, they gave up an early goal, they were sloppy on defense, and they were lucky to even complete the comeback for the win. Against the worst team in the NHL. That is simply unacceptable right before the playoffs. I'm confident that head coach/GM Lou Lamoriello will keep his team focused on winning this game if only to go into the playoffs on a high note.
Now, a good question for this game would be who is playing for the Devils? Rich Chere's article in Saturday's Star-Ledger is rather insightful. Martin Brodeur wants to play and who can blame him? He's been a rock all season, he says he's not tired, and he prefers to play rather than get a week of rest - with the playoffs starting later this week. Richard Matvichuk might play, though if he does, I'd be seriously surprised (and not all that pleased) if he isn't on the third pairing. He hasn't played at all this season and they'll be playing against a rival team whom ups their intensity whenever they play the Devils. In any case, Brian Gionta wants to play but it's unknown as to whether he's healthy enough; and Cam Janssen's shoulder is still sore. Rich Chere's article in Sunday's Star-Ledger notes that the Devils' style of play is a good fit for the playoffs. However, it has no further clarification as to who the starting goalie is, nor whether Matvichuk, Janssen, or Gionta are playing. Well, other than that if Gionta plays, Janssen sits regardless of injury.
Personally, with this game possibly being incredibly crucial for the Islanders, I think at the least Martin Brodeur should get the start. It's the final regular season game at the Continental Airlines Arena, Brodeur actually wants to play, and for the Devils to have the best chance to win Brodeur needs to be in net. There's also a selfish reason: I'm going to this game with some people who have never seen a NHL game in person before, and I would love it if they got to see Martin Brodeur rob the Islanders forwards all game long.
In any case, for the Devils, they have to come out strong and play a consistent 60 minutes of hockey with a shored up defense. That requires a serious reduction in terms of giveaways and less-than-good clearances; something that there was too much of in the Philadelphia game. As far as the Islanders go, ignore the season series record. They have given the Devils a challenge in each of the other 7 games they played. Regardless of the playoff situation, expecting the Islanders to mail it in on Sunday would be a poor decision.
However, the playoff situation will come into play on Sunday. Needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Islanders beat Philadelphia 4-2 on Saturday afternoon (link goes to NHL.com recap). The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6-5 tonight. That gives the Islanders a golden opportunity to come from behind and get the eighth and final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference with a win against the Devils. Yes, the Islanders will be without Rick DiPietro (expect Wade Dubielewicz starting in this game); but they every motivation to play their hearts out - the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. In other words, they'll likely fight like hell to beat New Jersey, because 2 points is what it would take for the Islanders to get in the playoffs. Jason Blake (40 G, 27 A), Ryan Smyth (36 G, 31 A), Mike Sillinger (26 G, 33 A), Miroslav Satan (26 G, 31 A), Viktor Kozlov (25 G, 26 A), and Alexei Yashin (17 G, 31 A) among other forwards will fly down the ice and try to put a ton of pucks on net to win the game. The Islanders defense will be extra pumped to put aside their sometimes-questionable decision making (see: Tom Poti) and collapse down low to force the Devils to take relatively low percentage shots. Dubielewicz would have every reason to emulate a brick wall. Again, I fully expect the Islanders are going to play incredibly hard since they need the win to make the playoffs.
For that reason alone, I would like to see the Devils to shape up their game - no slacking allowed at any point - and start Brodeur in net.
For that reason alone, I would like to see the Devils to shape up their game - no slacking allowed at any point - and start Brodeur in net.
In any case, rivalry games are always exciting affairs and I cannot stress enough that the Devils need to start this game right. Final regular season game at the Continental Airlines Arena, Fan Appreciation Day, and an opportunity to deny the Islanders a spot in the playoffs. Hopefully, they will be reasons enough to give a strong 60 minute effort. GO DEVILS!
PLAYOFF MATCHUP UPDATE: The Pittsburgh Penguins did what they had to do and they defeated the New York Rangers 2-1, led by Mark Recchi's power play goal.
However, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Atlanta Thrashers went into overtime tied at 2 and the game was decided in a shootout. Atlanta won the shootout, to win the game 3-2. (Both links go to NHL.com's recaps of the games.)
It's official, the New Jersey Devils will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Labels: Devils Game
# posted by John Fischer @ 9:07 PM 1 comments
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Game: Devils @ Philadelphia, 8 of 8
Tonight, the Devils will play their final road game of the regular season when they visit Philadelphia Flyers tonight.
GAMETIME: 7:00 PM
Local TV: Fox Sports NY
Local Radio: 660 AM, WFAN
Devils Record Vs. Flyers: 6-0-1
NHL.com Preview
Preview at Beast of the East by Tibbs
Tonight's game could be history in the making. If Martin Brodeur starts this game and wins, he will set a new NHL record for wins in the regular season. Brodeur has tied Flyers legend Bernie Parent with the 2-1 win, Brodeur's 47th, over Ottawa on Tuesday. While the Flyers are rarely an easy opponent for the Devils, facing off the team with the worst record in the NHL certainly can't hurt Brodeur's chances for #48. Again, this is assuming he starts this one. I think he will because this game a second importance. With the Pittsburgh Penguins' 4-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday, I believe the Devils will only need a point out of this game to clinch the Atlantic Division. Clinching the division guarantees the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference, which means a home ice advantage for at least the first two round of the playoffs. The Devils have been to the top of the mountain many times and they know and therefore want that home ice advantage.
Namely because of the game's significance in playoff seeding as well as of having general manager Lou Lamoriello behind the bench, expect a much better performance out of the Devils against the Flyers than the last Flyers game. The last time the Devils played the Flyers, Brodeur was the only one to have really showed up to play for the first 40 minutes with the Devils ensuring a win only in the third period. The rest of the team looked demotivated and were skating seemingly in slow motion for the beginning (and the entire first and second periods for the most part) of that one. It goes without saying that the Devils need to avoid falling into the trap of complacency or coming out flat to win tonight. I'm sure Lou will remind the Devils that while they won most of the games against Philadelphia this year, they were all close and fairly intense games. Expect the Devils to respond in kind.
As far as the Flyers go, they are really playing for pride tonight. They lost their last three games, with a 3-2 overtime loss to Toronto on Tuesday being their most recent downfall. Given that the Devils are one of their biggest rivals, there's quite a bit of pride at stake - if only to try and end their season on a high note. They've played the Devils fairly tough even though the results haven't gone their way and I can't really expect them to not repeat that tonight. Again, the man to keep an eye on for Philadelphia is Simon Gagne (38 G, 25 A). All he needs is a little space and a little time to do something good with the puck; and it goes without saying that what he does with the puck is often not good for the other team. With John Madden back in the line up for this game, expect the defensive forward line to be more effective against Gagne's unit. Yes, I know Gagne is not a center, he's still the best offensive player on the Flyers and Madden's unit is usually up against the other team's top line.
Speaking of returns, the notes section of Rich Chere's article in today's Star Ledger states that Scott Gomez is ready to return. He will give the Devils a lot more punch up front, so that's definitely good. While the X-rays were negative, Brian Gionta may not be playing tonight, so it's a return of what we saw mostly at the end of March before Gionta's return. Cam Janssen made the trip, but it's not clear whether he'll play. Lastly, and interestingly, Richard Matvichuk has made the trip to Philadelphia; there's a chance he make his return to the Devils' lineup after being out all season long. Personally, I don't know whether that would be wise, as one would expect to Matvichuk to have more than his fair share of rustiness after not playing for so long. Before you tell me how great he was in the second half of last season and in the playoffs last season - and he was, I know; I also distinctly remember the first half of last season when he was generally awful. That could have been the result of not playing for a season too; but I could be wrong. In any case, I hope he does well if he does play.
Regardless of the lineup, the Devils have a reason to win this game for their own sake and they really should come out and give a solid 60 minute effort on the ice. I think that, at the very least, would be enough to beat the Flyers. GO DEVILS!
Preview at Beast of the East by Tibbs
Tonight's game could be history in the making. If Martin Brodeur starts this game and wins, he will set a new NHL record for wins in the regular season. Brodeur has tied Flyers legend Bernie Parent with the 2-1 win, Brodeur's 47th, over Ottawa on Tuesday. While the Flyers are rarely an easy opponent for the Devils, facing off the team with the worst record in the NHL certainly can't hurt Brodeur's chances for #48. Again, this is assuming he starts this one. I think he will because this game a second importance. With the Pittsburgh Penguins' 4-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday, I believe the Devils will only need a point out of this game to clinch the Atlantic Division. Clinching the division guarantees the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference, which means a home ice advantage for at least the first two round of the playoffs. The Devils have been to the top of the mountain many times and they know and therefore want that home ice advantage.
Namely because of the game's significance in playoff seeding as well as of having general manager Lou Lamoriello behind the bench, expect a much better performance out of the Devils against the Flyers than the last Flyers game. The last time the Devils played the Flyers, Brodeur was the only one to have really showed up to play for the first 40 minutes with the Devils ensuring a win only in the third period. The rest of the team looked demotivated and were skating seemingly in slow motion for the beginning (and the entire first and second periods for the most part) of that one. It goes without saying that the Devils need to avoid falling into the trap of complacency or coming out flat to win tonight. I'm sure Lou will remind the Devils that while they won most of the games against Philadelphia this year, they were all close and fairly intense games. Expect the Devils to respond in kind.
As far as the Flyers go, they are really playing for pride tonight. They lost their last three games, with a 3-2 overtime loss to Toronto on Tuesday being their most recent downfall. Given that the Devils are one of their biggest rivals, there's quite a bit of pride at stake - if only to try and end their season on a high note. They've played the Devils fairly tough even though the results haven't gone their way and I can't really expect them to not repeat that tonight. Again, the man to keep an eye on for Philadelphia is Simon Gagne (38 G, 25 A). All he needs is a little space and a little time to do something good with the puck; and it goes without saying that what he does with the puck is often not good for the other team. With John Madden back in the line up for this game, expect the defensive forward line to be more effective against Gagne's unit. Yes, I know Gagne is not a center, he's still the best offensive player on the Flyers and Madden's unit is usually up against the other team's top line.
Speaking of returns, the notes section of Rich Chere's article in today's Star Ledger states that Scott Gomez is ready to return. He will give the Devils a lot more punch up front, so that's definitely good. While the X-rays were negative, Brian Gionta may not be playing tonight, so it's a return of what we saw mostly at the end of March before Gionta's return. Cam Janssen made the trip, but it's not clear whether he'll play. Lastly, and interestingly, Richard Matvichuk has made the trip to Philadelphia; there's a chance he make his return to the Devils' lineup after being out all season long. Personally, I don't know whether that would be wise, as one would expect to Matvichuk to have more than his fair share of rustiness after not playing for so long. Before you tell me how great he was in the second half of last season and in the playoffs last season - and he was, I know; I also distinctly remember the first half of last season when he was generally awful. That could have been the result of not playing for a season too; but I could be wrong. In any case, I hope he does well if he does play.
Regardless of the lineup, the Devils have a reason to win this game for their own sake and they really should come out and give a solid 60 minute effort on the ice. I think that, at the very least, would be enough to beat the Flyers. GO DEVILS!
Labels: Devils Game
# posted by John Fischer @ 4:39 PM 0 comments
