In anticipation of the first round series between the Philadelphia Flyers and the New Jersey Devils, we'll take a look back at the previous playoff matchups between the two rivals. Earlier today, we took a look back at the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals, which the Devils won, 4-2. Today, I’ll recap the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals, where a big hit changed the series and propelled the Devils to their second Stanley Cup championship.

When the regular season ended, Philadelphia sat atop the Atlantic Division, with 105 points. The Devils finished only two points behind the Flyers, meaning the fourth seed in the conference. Six games before the season ended, Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello decided to fire coach Rob Ftorek, electing to go with Larry Robinson to coach the team in the postseason. Philadelphia defeated Buffalo and Pittsburgh to reach the finals, and the Devils swept Florida and defeated Toronto. The teams would face each other again for a chance to play for Lord Stanley’s Cup.

In the opening game, Martin Brodeur stopped 35 shots, turning in an outstanding performance. Bobby Holik and Petr Sykora scored within a minute of each other in the third period, extending the Devils lead to 4-1. The team would go on to win Game 1 in Philadelphia, mirroring their 1995 opening game performance.

In game two, the Devils jumped out to a 3-2 lead. The series began to look eerily similar to 1995, with the Flyers losing both home games to fall into a 2-0 hole. But Rich Tocchet and Daymond Langkow scored goals in the third period to put the Flyers ahead, 4-2. Brian Boucher looked strong in net, stopping 30 shots and sending the series to the Meadowlands tied, 1-1.

It seemed Tocchet and Langkow turned the series, because game three was all Philadelphia. The Flyers defeated the Devils, 4-2, to take a 2-1 series lead. Game four went the same way, with the Flyers taking advantage of their opportunities. Craig Berube, who hadn’t scored in 86 playoff games, tallied a goal as the Flyers went on to defeat the Devils, 3-1. With the win, they swept the Devils on New Jersey’s home ice and went home to Philadelphia with a decisive 3-1 edge.

Facing elimination, the Devils played well in Philadelphia. The Devils jumped out a lead in the first period on a Jason Arnott goal, and never looked back. Patrik Elias, Bobby Holik and Sykora all scored in a 4-1 defeat over Philadelphia. Down in the series, 3-2, the Devils once again had life. But the odds were still against them. At the time, no team in the expansion era had ever rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the conference finals. What was worse, Flyers star Eric Lindros, who had missed several games after two concussions, was cleared to return to action.

Game six began as a scoreless battle, with each team unable to light the lamp for the first 51 minutes of the game. The Devils drew first blood, with playoff hero Claude Lemieux providing the spark. Lemieux stripped Andy Delmore of the puck and worked the puck to Holik. Holik put a shot on net, and Lemieux put home the rebound for his 80th playoff goal. Even a Lindros goal couldn’t help the Flyers, as the Devils defeated their rivals, 3-1, and evened the series at three apiece and forcing a game seven.

The Devils got out to a quick lead, 1-0, in game seven. Then, Scott Stevens gave every Devils fan something to remember, leveling Lindros near the blue line. The Flyers scorer was down for the count, and while it's always seemed to be up for debate, the hit looked clean. It would have been easy for the Flyers to fold, especially after a crushing hit. But they continued to battle, and Tocchet tied the game at one with a goal in the second period. As had happened all postseason long, the Devils big players stepped up. In the third period, Alexander Mogilny took the puck and put a shot on net. Elias, who drove the net, beat Boucher on the rebound for the series-clinching goal, and the Devils would complete the comeback.

After completing the comeback, the Devils moved on and faced the Dallas Stars in the finals. The Devils prevailed in six games, winning their second Stanley Cup championships. Stevens, who many believe sparked the Devils championship run with his hit, was awarded the Conn Smythe award.

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As the countdown to the 2010 playoff opener between the Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils, I’ll take a look back at the past postseason meetings between the two teams. Today, I look back at the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals.

The Devils, fresh off their surprising defeat of the Pittsburgh Penguins, faced off against the Flyers. The Flyers were looking to get back to the Cup finals for the first time since 1987, and the Devils were searching for their first ever Stanley Cup berth. The Flyers held home-ice advantage throughout the series, setting the tone between these rivals.

In the first game of the series, the Devils jumped all over the Flyers, taking a 3-0 lead after the first two periods. Bill Guerin added his second goal of the game to stretch the lead to four. Craig McTavish broke Martin Brodeur’s shutout with 1:54 remaining in regulation, but that was all the noise the Flyers would make. New Jersey defeated Philadelphia, 4-1, to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

The team’s traded goals in game two, with Mikael Renberg putting the Flyers ahead, 2-1, at the 13:54 mark of the first period. It gave the Flyers their first lead of the series. Devils’ forward John MacLean scored with 12 seconds left in the first, tying the game at two. New Jersey scored three straight goals in the second period, and went on to defeat the Flyers, 5-2. The Devils eliminated the home-ice advantage, dominating the Flyers and heading back to the Meadowlands with a 2-0 series lead.

The Flyers came into game three a desperate team. The Devils jumped out to a 2-1 lead, but Rod Brind’Amour tied the game with 6:03 left in regulation. Flyers captain Eric Lindros played the role of hero, scoring at 4:19 of the extra session to win the game. It gave Philadelphia life, and the cut the Devils’ lead in half, 2-1.

Game three helped the Flyers confidence, as Ron Hextall turned in a terrific performance. The Flyers goalie stopped 32 shots, vastly outplayed Brodeur, who finished with 15 saves. The Flyers won the game, 4-2, to head back home tied in the series, 2-2. Heading back on the road, the Devils needed a strong performance to get themselves back into the series.

Game five began well for the Devils, with the team taking a lead, 2-1, after the first period. After a scoreless middle period, the Flyers’ Kevin Dineen’s second goal of the game tied the game 3:13 into the final period. Stephane Richer almost gave the Devils’ a lead, breaking in alone on Hextall with under four minutes to play. The Devils’ forward rang a shot off the crossbar, ending the threat. But the Devils weren’t done, and Claude Lemieux scored one of the memorable goals in Devils postseason history. With less than a minute remaining, Lemieux picked up the puck in his own zone, and carried it into the Flyers zone. After crossing the blue line, Lemieux fired a shot that beat Hextall glove side, silencing the Spectrum crowd and giving the Devils a lead, 3-2. The Devils would hang on and head home with a chance to clinch the series on home ice.

The Devils returned home in the same situation as the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals – up in the series, 3-2, with a chance to clinch on home ice. While the Rangers went on to defeat the Devils in seven games, this series would end on a better note. Jim Montgomery scored 4:05 into the opening period to give the Flyers an early 1-0 lead. But the Devils, in large part to their trapping defense, would take control of the game. Richer tied the game with a powerplay goal at 10:25, and Brian Rolston scored with 1:45 left in the first period to give the Devils a 2-1 advantage. The second period would prove pivotal, as the Devils shut down the Flyers attack.

With the team holding on to a 2-1 lead, Bobby Holik would provide a big insurance goal. McTavish came into the Devils zone, putting a shot on net from the blue line. Shawn Chambers blocked the shot, and forwarded the puck to Holik. With four Flyers caught in the defensive zone, the Devils broke in with a 3-on-1. Holik held the puck, and Flyers’ defenseman Kevin Haller went to the ice to block the pass. Holik threaded a pass past the diving defenseman to Randy McKay, who deflected the puck past Hextall for the goal. The Devils extended the lead to 4-1 at 10:11 of the period. It was Lemieux once again, breaking in on Hextall all alone. He beat the Flyers goalie for his 11th goal of the postseason.

Renberg scored to cut the Devils lead, 4-2, but it wouldn’t be enough. The Devils defeated the Flyers, 4-2, to win the game and the series. They would move on to their first Stanley Cup and defeat the Detroit Red Wings, sweeping the series for their first ever Stanley Cup championship. Lemieux, who set career highs in playoff goals scored, won the Conn Smythe Trophy.

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With the playoffs looming, Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner shut down and didn’t speak to the media until yesterday afternoon. The media showed the Devils seemed to have an unhappy captain.

Langenbrunner, who created a self-imposed silence for the past two days, finally gave reporters more than a "no comment" today. He admitted his displeasure with being a healthy scratch Saturday in Carolina, a move he did not ask for. He also admitted frustration with having to travel to Raleigh even though he wasn’t playing that night. Langenbrunner, who has only once played all 82 games, wanted the chance to hit that mark again.

When speaking to Tom Gulliti of the Bergen Record, he expressed his frustration with the decision to be scratched.

“It was definitely something I wanted to do or at least attempt it,” he said to Gulliti. “I’m not sure if I’ve ever done it. I missed one last year and it would have been nice to at least try it.”

“I felt (Langenbrunner), needed a rest. I gave him a rest,” Lemaire said to Gulliti. “I felt Motts (Mike Mottau) needed a rest. I gave him a rest (last night against Atlanta).”

This issue may have been the boiling point for the captain. According to Gulliti, Langenbrunner wasn’t in the greatest of mood during last Thursday’s practice. The captain got into an extensive battle with defenseman Colin White. At the end of the drill, White ended up on top of Langenbrunner. White gave Langenbrunner an extra shot with the stick as they seperated.

Later in practice, something similar happened with Rob Niedermayer.

Langenbrunner hasn’t spoke to the media since before Friday’s game against the Blackhawks. He also spent considerable time in the training room after practice. The captain, who already played in all 79 games and six Olympic matches, has accumulated an already considerable workload this season.

This late in the season, with a potential second seed up for grabs, Langenbrunner needs to focus on hockey. If he took an issue with Lemaire’s decision, he needs to bring it up with the coach in private. There’s no reason to air dirty laundry to the media. According to Gulliti, the captain and coach haven’t spoken about the decision yet. This should be a minor speed bump this late in the season. I know Langenbrunner was upset by the decision. But look at the facts. Langenbrunner was spending more time in the training room. The wear and tear of this elongated season has probably taken a toll on his body. To march him out against a team brimming with young players ready to “prove themselves” could have led to injury. Why risk it, especially this close to the playoffs?

Langenbrunner isn’t a rah-rah type of leader. But the players still look to him as the captain. Handling this situation in this manner wasn’t the greatest. But the captain needs to reign himself in. There are more important things than individual records on the line. With the Devils one of the better teams challenging coming into the playoffs, Langenbrunner needs to settle this issue and refocus on hockey.

Photo Credit: Mike Stobe/Getty Images

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Throughout the day, I like to check Tom Gulliti's Fire and Ice Blog. The Bergen Record reporter usually provides some great reporting, and one of those stories stuck out yesterday. You can check out the entire post here, but what it said was that Devils' coach Jacques Lemaire doesn't plan to rest Martin Brodeur in any of the remaining six games. The 37 year old veteran, who has already played 71 games this season, will never admit to being tired or overworked. But Marty might need a break.

Year	Regular Season Games Played	Regular Season Wins	Regular Season G.A.A.	Regular Season Save %	Playoff Wins	Playoff G.A.A.	Playoff Save %
2003-2004	75	38	2.03	0.917%	1	2.62	0.902%
2005 - 2006	73	43	2.57	0.911%	5	2.25	0.923%
2006 - 2007	78	48	2.18	0.922%	5	2.44	0.916%
2007-2008	77	44	2.17	0.920%	1	3.19	0.891%

Almost every single year, Brodeur has performed worse in the playoffs than in the regular season. There was one year, 2005-2006, where he outperformed the regular season. But, his consistent heavy workload during the regular season seems to have a negative effect on his performance. While it may not be the be-all, end-all reason for Brodeur's struggles, I'm sure it adds to the playoff decline.

So what's the solution? Clearly, I think the Devils should look to rest Brodeur in these final six games. But they're also sitting in fourth, and the second seed is a better position. Brodeur's play is significantly better since the Olympic break, but the team around him is struggling. The last few games, Brodeur has needed to be the Devils best player on the ice. Putting the extra stress on him now can have adverse effects in the future. While it's important to win the second seed, it's more important to give Brodeur some rest to keep him fresh for the playoffs.

Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

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Going into tonight’s game, the Devils sit in fourth place, two points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the Atlantic Division lead with seven games left. That’s important to note, because the difference in points puts the Devils fourth in the conference, while the Penguins sit in second place. And while two spots might not seem like a huge deal, the Devils road to the Cup may depend on their conference position come playoff time.

There’s no doubt the Devils want the second seed going into the playoffs. It gives them home-ice advantage for the first two series, and they could avoid the Washington Capitals until the conference finals. Also, if the standings remain the same and only New Jersey moves into second, the Devils would play Montreal in the first round. This would be a great matchup. The Devils play well against Montreal, and they play good hockey on the road in the Bell Centre. Not only that, but Martin Brodeur owns his hometown team. The future Hall-of-Famer’s career record against the Canadiens is 38-16-0 with five ties. I think Brodeur’s record alone shows the importance of grabbing the second seed. The Devils can play a team they dominate, and they also earn home-ice advantage.

The most important part of the number two seed is avoiding the Capitals for the first two rounds. The Devils are 3-1-0 against the Capitals this season, and they would probably play well against them. But facing the Capitals early could be trouble. Why not get the higher seed and face them for the chance to win the conference? Their goaltending might not be great, and the defense might be spotty. But the Capitals are the best team in the league, and with the way Jose Theodore is playing right now, they could be a hot team coming into the playoffs. Clinching the second seed allows the Devils to completely avoid them, making the first and second round series potentially easier.

The fourth seed would take away several of the advantages of the second seed. The Devils could only clinch home-ice advantage for one round, and they would probably have to face the Capitals in the second round. The Devils are 3-0-0 against the Senators, currently the fifth place team. While the first-round may not be tough, the second seed increases the chances of seeing the Sabres or the Capitals in the second round. Both teams present a daunting opponent. Not only that, but the second-round matchup would give the other team home-ice advantage.

The second seed is the most desirable position for the Devils. By taking fourth, they’ll miss out on several advantages, including getting home-ice for the first two rounds of the playoffs. Also, the Devils will be able to avoid a matchup with the Capitals until the conference semifinals, if both teams make it that far. With only seven games left, the Devils need to make a push for the second seed. With a game in hand and only a two point deficit, there is no reason why the team can’t leapfrog Pittsburgh for the Atlantic Division crown – and the number two seed.

Photo Credit: Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press

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With only 18 games left in the regular season, most playoff contenders are fine-tweaking their game and preparing for the rigors of the postseason.

The Devils, however, are trying to figure out a way to right the ship.

Last night’s loss shows the problems facing the Devils in their final 18 games. They were shutout, 2-0, to an Edmonton team that allowed a league-high 217 goals. They’ve only won five games since December 11 – including three in regulation. The Devils only generated 20 shots last night, and only had one quality scoring chance. Meanwhile, the Devils were outshot 32-15 in the final two periods of yesterday’s game.

The only reason the score stayed 2-0 was the play of goalie Martin Brodeur. But even his play hasn’t been stellar as of late.

The team only has six wins in their past 20 games (6-12-2). They’ve lost 10 of their past 13 road contests, and they’ve now fallen five points behind Pittsburgh in the Atlantic Division. They’re only ahead of Ottawa by two points in the conference.

Zach Parise said the team needs to play better to keep up with the “hot” teams in the conference.

“It’s been going on for way too long,” Parise said to Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record. “It seems that Pittsburgh right now is catching their stride and winning all of these games and we’re going to find ourselves far away from them pretty soon if we keep it up. We’ve had pretty good success against them this year. We’ve beaten them four times. But, regardless of what they do, we’ve got to play better. We can’t be doing this going into the playoffs or we’re going to be done pretty quickly.”

What’s the solution? The Devils need to play like their playoff lives are on the line. Watching the game last night was the most frustrating game I’ve seen in quite some time. They couldn’t get any pressure on the Edmonton defense, and they were continually beat to the puck. They showed no punch and no fire. It looked like the team was going through the motions.

I believe Jacques Lemaire needs to shake-up the lineup, and he should start along the defense. Either bench Colin White or Mike Mottau and play Mark Fraser. The rookie, who should have earned more minutes, will probably be sent down with the arrival of Martin Skoula. But White and Mottau haven’t played well enough this season to warrant immunity. Bench one of them and let the rookie log some minutes. Fraser already netted three goals this season (two against the Penguins), and his potential is far higher than that of White and Mottau.

The Devils, who didn’t arrive in New Jersey until 5 a.m., but they will practice at 3 p.m. today. They face a pivotal game with the Rangers on Wednesday. If the Devils can’t get motivated to turn their streak around against their bitter rivals, than I don’t know what will motivate this team.

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In the fourth installment of “Devils At The Break,” we’ll take a look at the trade for left-winger Ilya Kovalchuk. The trade, one of the most aggressive by general manager Lou Lamoriello in his tenure, hasn’t had immediate benefits. But the trade served its purpose – to spark the team and add a potentially dangerous weapon.

The Atlanta Thrashers desperately tried to keep their superstar winger in their uniform. Atlanta general manager Don Waddell didn’t want to trade the team’s captain, who scored 328 goals since being drafted in 2001. The Thrashers, an expansion team in 1999-2000, couldn’t find sustained success, only making one playoff appearance. Kovalchuk balked at a 12 year, $101 million dollar extension, and the race for Kovalchuk was on.

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We've seen it time and time again. One minute a guy has the puck and the next minute he's lying motionless on the ice with his eyes no longer focusing on the puck or goal but rather on the ceiling of the arena, probably trying to figure out exactly where he is and what just happened. Sometimes this is the result of the head being smacked against the ice but lately, it seems more common that this is a result of the check itself and not from the ice surface.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the protective gear guys are wearing today go above and beyond that. It’s a double-edged sword because the equipment can protect the players but now the way it's designed can cause serious injuries to players and is doing so at an alarming rate. The plastic used in this equipment is extremely hard. Go search Google Images for "hockey shoulder pads" and go see what the pads that players are wearing today look like. It honestly looks like Armor.

Just to clarify, I am not talking about the shin guards that are being worn because to block a 90 mph puck, a player has to have that type of protection. Plus, we aren't checking guys with our legs. It's the upper body equipment that I am speaking of.

The NHL has gone to some lengths to try and regulate they equipment being used. Look up Section 3, Rule 12.3 and you will find: All elbow pads which do not have a soft protective outer covering of sponge rubber or similar material at least one-half inch (1/2'') thick shall be considered dangerous equipment. Too bad this isn't enough to actually keep guys from getting injured.

Look at the Jeff Carter / Annsi Salmela hit from last night's Flyers/Devils game. I have a problem with how the hit was delivered as Carter came from behind Salmela but honestly believe that if the equipment Carter was wearing was a made differently, injury may have been avoided on this play.

If everybody wore the old school shoulder pads of our hockey forefathers, yes there might be a few more shoulder injuries, but on a positive note, there would also be less concussions. Is it likely that hockey players will go back to the hockey shoulder pads of old? Probably not but with the technology that exists in todays world, I am sure somebody can manufacture equipment that is light in weight and protects the player just as well without risking the safety of the guy taking the hit.

Sure, you could make an argument that hockey players should realize that they do have a responsibility to try and check opposing players without making direct contact with the head. But it is also important to realize that this is an extremely fast game and all hockey players are different sizes and completely eliminating hits to the head is next to impossible. This is why I believe this issue rests more of the guys making the equipment than the guys wearing the equipment.
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I thought the Devils didn't play well at all on Friday night against the Leafs but somehow put it all together in the last 3 minutes and sent the Leafs home without a point. I thought the Devils did a much better job on Saturday night and give a lot of credit to Lundqvist as he kept the Devils off the scoreboard for most of the game. A few bad minutes in the second cost NJ but these things happen.

I think the Devils need to learn how to play with Kovalchuk, not play for him. I found myself watching these games and thinking that the Devils were trying to hard to get him the puck. I know the guy is extremely talented and you want him to have the puck but these long, homerun type passes aren't the way to get it to him. It comes down to getting time to practice with Kovalchuk, finding his linemates and learning about each other. Even this weekend you could see how the guy moved and how he has tremendous vision of the ice. Once he learns his teammates and gets more comfortable with his new team, this guy is going to be lethal.

This is the final week before the Olympics and boy its a doozy. Preview of tonight coming up later... no comments