The Morning After: NJ/OTT Game 2 Post-Game

We would have written this reaction right after the game (we hate to keep you waiting, Gentle Reader), but we were too busy running around our neighborhood screaming like maniacs and banging pots and pans together. And we wonder why all our neighbors are Flyers fans…

As much as we are clearly delighted with how things ended up last night, there is still a lot we would like to see fixed. But first, let’s consider the positives:

1. We won. It can’t be stressed enough how huge it was that the guys didn’t fold (a la Carolina, Game 2 last year. Not that that game doesn’t haunt our dreams still or anything…), and furthermore killed two penalties in OT. Going into the first overtime session having just choked away their hard-fought lead, and having to kill Gio’s moronic penalty right off the bat… well, lesser Devils teams have succumbed in that spot in the past. The Devils spent three full periods getting skated into the ice by Ottawa, but somehow managed to find the resilience to just barely hold them off long enough. It speaks volumes of the character of this team that they found a way to win this one.

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Devils @ Lightning – Game 6 (Au Revior, TB!)

(Final Score: Devils 3, Lightning 2)

Our pre-game predictions, based on the Devils long and storied history of choking in possible elimination Game 6′s, hover between 4-0 and 6-0 TB.

PRE-GAME

Oh no. Pierre McGuire’s working the game. He starts out with an interview with Vinny and it looks like Pierre is trying to climb into Vinny’s uniform with him, then when the angle cuts in closer to show Vinny’s face, you can see Pierre’s lips moving hungrily. He could not possibly be more creepy.

We really don’t like watching the feeds on NBC. Yes, the HD is nice (no Devils HD availability here in Flyer Country), but the three-man “booth” makes for very awkward chemistry. Could they possibly make Pierre behave like a sideline reporter rather than a second color guy? Doc ends up not doing play-by-play but rather serving as an Eddie-Pierre facilitator, and the dynamic between those two always reeks of pathetic toadyism on McGuire’s part and thinly veiled disgust on Eddie’s.

FIRST PERIOD

19:51 Icing already? SERIOUSLY???

19:42 Madden and Pando on a two-on-one, Madden misses the net. Pierre is horrified Torts is going with the checking line against Vinny. Um, that’s not been a bad matchup for TB.

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Devils vs. Lightning Game 1

Devils 5 Lightning 3

Let’s revisit, for a moment, our “ifs” from our prediction post:

If Patrik Elias’s heart can grow three sizes, back to where it was last year when he came back from the Hep, if Gionta can find his hidden store of scoring sticks rather than the slumping sticks he’s been using for the last three months, if Marty, miraculously, isn’t as tired as he looked in March, and if our boys can stay healthy, then maybe the Devils have got a shot.

Well, what do you know? Every single one of those things happened. And the team won. And looked awesome doing it. Aside from two exceptionally ridiculously terribly awful penalties courtesy of rookie Johnny Oduya, top-to-bottom the boys were playing exactly how we want to see them playing. Sure, they could tighten it up a bit, but for a first game of the playoffs, we’ll take it. What’s especially encouraging to see is the way the boys were backing each other up. Once again, we find ourselves remarking, “Oh, so that’s why Julien was fired.”

Specifically, Patty, Gio and Gomer showed a tenacity that was completely absent from their collective game all season. On the fifth goal, was that the first loose puck that Patty beat an opponent to all year? They could still stand to learn from the ZZ Poppers how to follow up on their scoring chances, but baby steps, baby steps. Speaking of the Poppers, our very own Zach Parise has clearly been studying at the feet of Jamie “Screw This ‘Being Tied’ Crap” Langenbrunner. That game-winner was a thing of beauty, and very much like a classic clutch Langer. Is that a good sign for the Devils that they’re now fielding a Langer and a Baby Langer?

It’s less of a good sign that the Devils are going to need to stop the force of nature that is Vinny Lecavalier. This just in: that dude’s scary good. What we find most frightening about the Lightning is that you can give them literally nothing, and they can and will still score against you. Tonight, though, Madden and Pando, who have at times looked overmatched by Tampa’s top line, came up big for the most part. Moreover, the team PK was back in masterpiece form — it’s so nice to be a fan of a team that makes you calmer when they’re playing down a man than when they’re at even strength. It’s also nice to be a fan of a team that blocks shots with their sticks rather than leaving their feet, getting out of position and risking unnecessary injury; Paulie Martin really set the tone for the game in the first few minutes with a monster block-and-clear. PaulieMartinNation rejoiced as Paulie seemed to be channeling Nieder’s unruffletitude.

All in all, we are tickled by what we saw tonight: a Devils team playing with professional pride, hunkering down on D, taking advantage of shaky goaltending, and looking like they might be tough to beat. It’s going to be interesting to see if they can keep it going.

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Everybody Gets a Trophy

It’s that time of year again — birds are in song, there’d be spring flowers all around if the deer didn’t eat them all, and we’re able to wear fewer than 15 layers under our Devils sweaters when we attend games. Yes, it’s season wrap-up time, and in the spirit of the only kinds of trophies Interchangeable Parts ever won, we’re introducing our first annual Everybody Gets A Trophy Awards for the New Jersey Devils.

#5 Colin White
The Second-Best Player In The League From Nova Scotia Award (Take that, Jon Sim!)

#6 Andy Greene
The Most Closely Resembles Chardin’s “Bubble Blower” Award

#7 Paul Martin
The Fluffapuffiest

#9 Zach Parise
Special Double Award-Winner, scoring both the “Why Can’t The Rangers Have Players Like Parise” and the “Why Can’t The Islanders Have Players Like Parise” Awards.

#10 Erik Rasmussen
The Most Surprising Bared Torso Wandering In The Background Of An Intermission Interview Award

#11 John Madden
The “I Don’t Know Who My Competition Is For Best Defensive Forward On The Devils” Award

#12 Jim Dowd
The Member Of The Devils Most Likely To Hold An Ocean County Library Card Award

#14 Brian Gionta
The Most Suprisingly Made Out Of Porcelain Award

#15 Jamie Langenbrunner
The “Dallas Gave Us Langer For McKay? Really? Seriously? Him?” Award

#16 Tuomos Pihlman
The “Dear God! Please Tell Me That’s Not Bobby Holik!” Award For Wearing #16

#17 Mike Rupp
The Tallest And Most Genial When Randomly Met In An Elevator In Buffalo Award

#18 Sergei Brlyin
The Interchangeableist Part Award

#19 Travis Zajac
The Best First-Line Center Award

#20 Jay Pandolfo
The Frank J. Selke Trophy

#21 Brad Lukowich
The coveted Mr. Clutch Award

#22 Rod Pelley
The, Uh… Well… It Is Called “Everybody Gets A Trophy” So We Are Legally Bound To Give You A Trophy Award

#23 Scott Gomez
The Worst Contract Year Ever Award

#24 Richard Matvichuk
The Most Annoying To Buffalo Sabres Fans Who Hate On Lou But Don’t Want To Admit Their Own GM Is Skirting Cap Issues By Burying A Guy For An Entire Season On The Long-Term Injured Reserved List Award

#25 Cam Janssen
The “Fuck You Very Much, Asshole. I Used To Like This Team” Award

#26 Patrik Elias
The Most Obviously Just Signed A Huge Long-Term Contract Award

#27 David Clarkson
The Future’s Looking Good And Good-Looking Award

#28 Brian Ralfalski
The Least All-Star-like All-Star Season Ever Award

#29 Johnny Oduya
The Slowest Fastest-Guy-On-His-Team-In-The-NHL Award

#30 Martin Brodeur
The Best Sneaky Coach Killing Ever Award

#40 Scott Clemmensen
The Award For Most Public Complaints About The Team That Weren’t Immediately Followed By A Trade To Edmonton Or Beyond

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