NJ/OTT Post-Game 1 Reaction

We can’t think of a clever title for this post because our spirits were beaten down by this game.

Needless to say, the first 15 minutes were a complete disaster. Every player, top to bottom, was atrocious. Our nightmares tonight will be haunted by images of defensemen turning pucks over at the blue line and Marty’s ineffectively waving glove hand. So. Putrid. The only positive we are taking out of the defensive showing tonight is this: how often can you possibly expect the entire team, to a man, to play at their flamboyant worst? (Don’t answer that.) Most glaring tonight was Rafalski’s short-handed turnover — was that karmic retribution for the “Hey Ace” goal Madden scored against Pittsburgh in 2001? (If so, it was still worth it.) Raffie looked tonight like he was trying to make Oduya feel better about his rookie penalty mistakes in Game 1 against Tampa; Raffie, we think Johnny’s over it. You can stop now. More subtle, yet still as wretched, was Paulie Martin. He played the best hockey of his career during the Tampa series… and now this. Has he peaked?

And speaking of players we’re afraid have peaked, how about that Marty Brodeur? Four goals on nine shots in the first period? Seriously? Thanks, Marty, for giving us a chance to win tonight. Sure, the D was hanging him out to dry, but the foundation of the Devils gameplan is that Marty is supposed to be the gamebreaker. And he was tonight. But for the wrong team.

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Devils vs. Ottawa – Game 1

We start our blog tonight with Devils GameNight. They bring us into the action, such as it is, with a shot of fans outside CAA posing with Chuck The Duck. We are bitterly, bitterly jealous.

It warrants mention that there is no way Patty actually only has a cold. He has been upgraded in specificity from a “cold” to a “common cold”. The Devils doth protest too much — it must be either his groin or the Hep.

David Clarkson has, impossibly, become hotter since we last saw him. He is staggering in his gorgeousness.

Steve and Dano predictably discuss the 2003 series between these two teams, and after Dano’s reminiscences, Steve promises that later in the broadcast they’ll touch on the ’98 series where the 8-seed Senators upset the 1-seed Devils. Schnookie mutters around a mouthful of her dinner, “We really don’t need to do that.” Dano’s facial expression says exactly the same thing.

The game broadcast starts and we are dazzled by the fancy, artsy special effects Chico has going for his highlights of the EGG line’s production from the first round. Sparkly animated pucks! Nice! (Pookie thinks this is what hockey looks like in Jason Pominville’s head.)

We are also dazzled by the Spezza, Heatley, Alfredsson’s collective plus/minus from the first round: -5. Pookie declares, “The Penguins didn’t score enough for them to be minus. How did that happen?”

Stan Fischler looks like he’s keeping himself together okay, considering what happened to the Rangers last night. Good thing he backed off that prediction of a sweep, or else he’d have a lot of egg on his face right now.

FIRST PERIOD

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