Last night was painful, there is no denying that. A lot is being made about the Bernier hit and I will admit that I was frustrated about it last night. The refs clearly missed a hit on Gionta, which led to Bernier taking his frustrations out on Scuderi. Was it a dumb hit? Yes.  Should it have been a major penalty? It was a hit from behind that resulted in blood so technically, yes. Regardless, he shouldn’t have even put himself in the situation of allowing the ref to call that.

To say NJ didn’t play a great game would be an understatement. They didn’t respond well to the major penalty and before we knew it, we were 3-0 in the hole, which didn’t have to be the end of the world. There was plenty of hockey left to play and the goal should have been to chip away at the Kings lead, little by little but how did NJ respond the rest of the first period? No shots on net with the exception of Patrik Elias who rang a rebound off the pipe (although technically it doesn’t count as a shot on goal).

They immediately come out in the second and give up another goal to go down 4-0. Game, set and match!! We then got the pleasure of watching the wheels come completely off as our frustrations got the best of us, something that is never comfortable to watch.

Congrats to the LA Kings, they played a heck of a postseason and are a young team that will certainly make some noise in the future.  As for NJ, we will have to wait and see what the off-season does to this team but one thing is for certain, Lou won’t disappoint and this team will continue to battle in the future. I love what DeBoer did this season and hopefully year 2 will be just as exciting. Since the year 2000, the Devils have been to more cup finals than any other team in the league. While they’ve won two and lost two, this franchise doesn’t get enough credit for the hard work they do.

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A Special thank you to Devin, Scott and Raj who helped make this blog so much better this season. I’ve been doing this since the beginning of the 2009/2010 NHL season and they were certainly a huge help this season. I’m excited to see what next season brings as we will come up with new and exciting ways to bring you Devils coverage next season. Thank you to the readers for visiting and allowing us to continue to be passionate about the Devils.

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I love the effort that the CBC puts into covering the Stanley Cup Finals year after year. Before each game, there is an opening montage with footage from the previous game (or in the case of Game 1, what each team did to get there).  If you missed any of them, they are posted below, along with the CBC montage to open and close out the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which let’s be honest, the last minute of the closing video is hard to watch at the moment!!

Opening To The Stanly Cup Playoffs

Game 1

Game 2

Game 3

Game 4

Game 5

Game 6

End of the Playoffs Montage

Here we are folks. The New Jersey Devils are Eastern Conference Champions and will take on the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup Final. For New Jersey, it's their first trip to the Cup since they defeated Anaheim in 2003. The Kings have not been in the Stanley Cup Final since 1993. In what should be an interesting series, the Devils look to finish off their 2011-2012 season on a very positive and somewhat unexpected note.

Who: The sixth-seeded New Jersey Devils will take on the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup Final. For the first time in the postseason, the Devils will have home-ice advantage. The Devils collected 102 regular season points with a 48-28-6 record. The Kings racked up 95 points with a 40-27-15 record. The Kings are 12-2 in the 2012 NHL Playoffs and, even more impressively, are 8-0 on the road.

When:



Season Series: The Devils won the season series over Los Angeles. New Jersey (2-0-0, 4 points) won both of their games against Los Angeles (0-1-1, 1 point) in October; Johan Hedberg won both games for the Devils. One victory was in shutout fashion, the other came in a shootout.

Four More Wins: Jersey's Team is just four wins away from their first Stanley Cup Championship in nine years. With a win, New Jersey will tie the Detroit Red Wings for most Championships in the last two decades with four each. This is the Devils' fifth trip to the Stanley Cup in franchise history; New Jersey defeated Detroit in 1995 and the Dallas Stars in 2000 before losing to the Colorado Avalanche in 2001. In 2003, the Devils defeated the Anaheim Ducks in seven games to win the Cup again.

Key Players: It will be a battle of the goaltenders in this series. Forty-year-old Martin Brodeur is so close to his fourth championship. Look for him to turn up his game a couple of notches, if that is even possible. Brodeur has posted 12 wins this postseason, one shutout, and a .923 SV%. Back in 2003, Brodeur posted three shutouts in the Stanley Cup Final; the Devils won 3-0 in Game One, Two, and Seven. Los Angeles goaltender Jonathan Quick has also posted 12 postseason wins, 2 shutouts, and a .946 SV%. In order for either team to win, they will have to rely on the netminder to carry them. Who will prevail victorious?

It's Actually Kind Of Interesting: The Devils, for the first time this postseason, have home-ice advantage. However, the Kings are 8-0 on the road in the 2012 Playoffs. Can the Devils capitalize on their home-ice advantage? The Devils have won all but two of their home games in the 2012 Playoffs. The Prudential Center is certainly going to be louder than ever before during the Stanley Cup Final, and hopefully, the Devils are able to use that to their benefit.

What's The Big Deal: The Kings are 12-2 in the playoffs heading into the Stanley Cup Final. Two of the Devils' three Championships have come against teams who were 12-2 heading into the Final: Detroit Red Wings (1995) and Anaheim Ducks (2003). The Stars, who the Devils defeated in the 2000 Stanley Cup Final, were 12-5.

Stanley Cup History: The Devils are 3-1 in the Stanley Cup Final. The Kings' only Stanley Cup Final appearance came in 1993. The Montreal Canadiens defeated Los Angeles in five games.

Prediction: Devils in six. I said the SAME THING before the Flyers and Rangers series and the Devils were able to win both series. Something about this match-up says seven games is not totally out of the question, though.


Above: New Jersey Devils left wing Zach Parise (9) scores against Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick (32) during the shootout Thursday Oct. 13, 2011. Devils win 2-1 against the Kings in a shootout. (Photo by Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger)

Make sure you follow the @RWTDblog staff on twitter: @RealScottRobb, @DEVIN88MATTERA, and @Rvaidya33. You can check us out on facebook, too. If you have not done so already, make sure you visit our photo gallery highlighting the Devils' victory over the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals. I will see YOU at the Prudential Center for Game Two of the Stanley Cup Final. Make sure you get your JERSEY on and support your team; be louder than ever!

LET'S GO DEVILS!

Here we are. Nine years removed from the Eastern Conference Finals and the Devils are finally back. With the series set to begin on Monday, May 14 at Madison Square Garden, the Devils will look to make the most of their brief time off and win over the New York Rangers. New York and New Jersey are ready to add another chapter to their historic rivalry.

Who: The sixth-seeded New Jersey Devils will square off against the top-seeded New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The last time these two teams met in the Eastern Conference Finals, the year was 1994. Jersey was able to force a Game Seven before falling short after Stéphane Matteau's 2OT goal in that contest. The Rangers would go on to win the Stanley Cup that year by defeating the Vancouver Canucks in seven games.

When:

 

Season Series: The Rangers won the season series with seven points (3-2-1), while the Devils collected six points against the Rangers (3-3). At times, New York completely dominated New Jersey and vice versa. It will be interesting to see who prevails in this series.

Half Way There: The Devils are now just eight wins away from lifting the Stanley Cup. After a completely dominant series over the Philadelphia Flyers, can New Jersey keep their momentum moving in the right direction? The first two games are going to be a challenge and with at least split on the road, the Devils will be in fine shape. All of New Jersey's home games for this series have been sold out and the Prudential Center should be relatively free of Rangers fans. If the Devils can pick up four wins against the Rangers, they'll be three-quarters of the way to a Stanley Cup Championship.

Key Players: Look for the Devils big three to step up in a huge way this series. Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise, and Patrik Elias will play a very influential role in the Devils success if they are going to have any. If New Jersey can solve Rangers' goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, they will do just fine. On the other hand, look for Rangers' captain Ryan Callahan to have a big impact this series. Callahan is a big part of the picture both offensively and defensively. Callahan loves to block shots, as does the rest of the Rangers team, and this will test the Devils' patience for sure. With a tight defense, the Rangers are definitely a tough opponent.

Bet You Didn't Know: Teams are 0-38 in the Eastern Conference Finals after taking the first two rounds to Game Sevens. The last three teams to knock out the Flyers have won the Stanley Cup: 2009 (PIT), 2010 (CHI), and 2011 (BOS).

Prediction: Devils in six. I said it last series, and New Jersey pulled it off in five. Can they do it again? Hopefully, we'll be looking at a Kings-Devils Stanley Cup Finals.

 
Above: Devils winger David Clarkson celebrates his tying goal scored against the Rangers with 47.6 seconds remaining in the third period. (Photo by Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger)

Make sure you follow the @RWTDblog staff on twitter: @RealScottRobb, @DEVIN88MATTERA, and @Rvaidya33. You can check us out on facebook, too. If you haven't done so already, make sure you check out our photo gallery of highs and lows from round two of the playoffs. This is going to be an interesting series, folks, so enjoy the roller-coaster ride! LET'S GO DEVILS!

Usually I would sit back and be happy about where the Devils are and believe me I am happy and shocked and a million more emotions because I honestly didn’t think they’d get this far this season. Especially not after missing the playoffs just one year ago but that’s what is great about the parody in the NHL, year to year is different. Just ask Tampa Bay.

However, with that said, I am sick of the media and its constant looking down on the New Jersey Devils. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard something along the lines of “what’s wrong with the Flyers that they lost to NJ?”

Yes, the Flyers beat the Penguins who most, including myself, picked to win the cup but the Penguins put up no defense and played stupid hockey in round one. When the Flyers came up against a team that played defense, they didn’t have any answers to solving the defense. The fact is, the Devils were just the better team in this series. THAT’S WHY THEY WON not because the Flyers didn’t show up.

DeBoer has taken his fair share of criticism since he took the head coaching job last summer. I didn’t know much about him at the time but if you believed what the media was selling, he was a bum coach who couldn’t do anything in Florida. Guess what, they were wrong. The guy is a hell of a coach and with the right tools he is proving that he can win. I guess the issues in Florida may have been more about the roster than the coach.

People have really short memories because it would appear that everyone has forgotten that the Devils came into the playoffs as the league’s hottest team by winning its final 6 games. The Devils ended the season with 102 points which makes for an incredible season. They aren’t the Rangers, Flyers or Penguins so I don’t think people noticed how good this team actually was in the regular season. Yes, the Panthers took them to 7 and to double OT in the 7^th game but the Devils took a lot of bad penalties in that series and the Panthers were just killers on the power play. Had the Devils stayed out of the box, that series isn’t close.

And then there was this tweet that came out this morning..


 

REALLY?? I’ll admit to the Devils playing boring hockey in the mid 90’s because the trap, while effective, wasn’t the most exciting thing to watch. But how can you call a team that forechecks so effectively and has guys like Parise, Elias and Kovalchuk firing pucks into the net “boring to watch?” You might want to go get a checkup Don because that dementia might be setting in.

So now on to the Eastern Conference Finals and I have to ask, who are you rooting for as an opponent. Having a Rangers and Devils conference finals would be an amazing series and great for the NY/NJ area hockey fans but wow can you say stressful? The Caps have put together a nice run and it would be a sad thing to see that end but if wouldn’t getting to the Stanley Cup Finals at the Rangers expense just be an amazing run? Either team will be hard to beat but if the Devils stick to their game, there is no reason we can’t get 4 more wins.


 

The Eastern Conference Semifinals are upon us and your New Jersey Devils are gearing up for their match-up with the Philadelphia Flyers. With the series set to begin on Sunday, April 29, the Devils will have a short rest coming off their double-overtime victory over Florida early Friday morning. The series promises big hits, great saves, and a whole lot of trash talk.

Who: The sixth-seeded New Jersey Devils will take on the fifth-seeded Philadelphia Flyers. The Devils finished the regular season with 102 points, just one behind the Flyers. The last time New Jersey knocked the Flyers out of the playoffs, Bill Clinton was President and a gallon of gas was just $1.51. Yep, you guessed it. The year was 2000 and the Devils were on their way to a Stanley Cup victory. Down 3-1 in the series, New Jersey rallied to beat the Flyers in seven games and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

When:

 

Season Series: New Jersey faired pretty well against the Flyers this season. Technically, the Flyers won the series with a record of 3-2-1 (7 points), while the Devils went 3-3-0 (6 points). The Flyers outscored New Jersey by a tally of 18-15 in the regular season.

Do I Smell Stanley Cup: This will definitely be an interesting series. If New Jersey is able to knock off the Flyers in the second round, the Devils will have a lot of momentum heading in to the Eastern Conference Finals. Both of these teams are just 12 wins away from winning it all.

Key Players: Martin Brodeur will be huge for the Devils this round. Brodeur went 1-3 against the Flyers this year, but posted an impressive 2.26 GAA and .905 SV%. Marty picked up career win number 650 against the Flyers on March 11, a game that I was in attendance for. Ilya Kovalchuk now knows what has to be done in order to win a playoff series; look for Kovy to step up big in the second round. On the opposite side of the puck, Claude Giroux will play an important role for the Flyers in the Semifinals. Giroux is coming off a fantastic series against the Pittsburgh Penguins and is for sure one of the top players in the NHL. Does Martin Brodeur have enough to stop Giroux and his top-line buddies?

Prediction: I went 2-for-3 in my predictions last round. I said that Adam Henrique would be a key player for the Devils and he ended up with two goals in Game Seven. I also said that the Devils and Flyers would meet in the Conference Semifinals. However, my predicted "sweep" of the Florida Panthers wasn't so great, so I will try to be a bit more realistic this time around. Devils in six. New Jersey wins G1, G3, G4, and G6; with that, the Devils will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Rangers.


Above: New Jersey's Ilya Kovalchuk fights Brayden Schenn during a scrum that followed Zac Rinaldo's dangerous trip of Zach Parise. (Photo by Eric Hartline/US Presswire)

Make sure you follow the @RWTDblog staff on twitter: @RealScottRobb, @DEVIN88MATTERA, and @Rvaidya33. Check us out on facebook, too. If you haven't already, check out our photo gallery of highs and lows from round one of the playoffs. I will see YOU at Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at the Prudential Center on May 6 at 7:30 PM. LET'S GO DEVILS!

 

Here we are again. Our beloved New Jersey Devils are on the brink of elimination after a tough 3-0 loss in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. At times, the Florida Panthers have dominated the Devils; however, New Jersey has hung in there against the scrappy Panthers. The Devils are one loss away from elimination, but I stand with those that believe New Jersey can pull off a series win. Give me ten chances to convince you that I am right.

Reason #1: Playoff Experience
Multiple players on the Devils roster have playoff experience. Martin Brodeur has three Stanley Cups, Patrik Elias has two, and Petr Sykora has one. Zach Parise, the captain of the Devils, knows what the playoffs are all about, as does Ilya Kovalchuk. Although the Devils have lost their last four games when facing elimination, Zach Parise said, "I think we’re a better team. I think we play a better team game than in the past. It’s been a tight series and every game was winnable for us, so there’s a lot of reason that we can win these next two games."

Reason #2: Prudential Center Plays Host to Game Six
Although the Devils must win their next two games in order to advance, the first battle comes Tuesday night at the Prudential Center. If the Devils are able to win on Tuesday night, Game Seven becomes a toss up. We'll discuss that in Reason #3, but for now, let's stick to the topic. During Game Four, the crowd was energized and the Devils played well. If the fans and the players can repeat this performance, the Devils will be fine.

Reason #3: Game Seven Becomes a Toss-Up With Game Six Victory
As mentioned above, if the Devils win Game Six, Game Seven is a toss-up. The previous six games do not matter. The statistics do not matter. All that matters is that the Devils play strong. Hopefully, with a Game Six win, New Jersey will gain some momentum and carry it over into Game Seven.

Reason #4: Pressure Heats Up
As the NHL playoffs grow deeper, the pressure heats up. With a hypothetical win in Game Six for New Jersey, the series will shift back to Florida for Game Seven. It has been mentioned over the last few days that if the series were to extend into Game Seven, more pressure would fall on the Florida Panthers than the Devils. I am not completely convinced that the Florida Panthers have what it takes to deal with such pressure. After watching the Devils all season, I can confidently say that New Jersey is certainly able to overcome obstacles and handle adversity.

Reason #5: Look Around the League
Boston and Washington, New York and Ottawa, Phoenix and Chicago. The Boston Bruins faced a 3-2 series deficit heading into today and won in overtime against the Washington Capitals to force a Game Seven. What is interesting about this fact is that Boston won Game Six on the road. New Jersey will have it somewhat easier with Game Six at home. No one is counting the Bruins out now and the same will be true for Jersey with a Game Six victory. The New York Rangers also trail their series, 3-2, against the Ottawa Senators. Like it or not, the Rangers have been a good team all year and fell just short of the President's Trophy. Certainly, they are not out of it. Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Phoenix Coyotes last night and trail in the series 3-2. With some momentum, Chicago is certainly not out of the playoffs just yet.

Reason #6: No Lead is Safe
Devils fans, how confident would you be with a 3-2 series lead? While you would feel somewhat better about our situation, the possibility of Florida winning the series would not be out of the question. The Devils blew a three-goal lead in Game Three. What would have happened if Florida gave up? The Devils cannot give up now and will have to fight to win this series. However, this is a fight that can be won. This brings me to my next reason...

Reason #7: May 14, 2010
We look no further than our Atlantic Division rivals for a perfect example of hard work and determination. The Philadelphia Flyers squared off against the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Boston jumped out to a 3-0 series lead. Philadelphia battled back to tie the series at three. Even after trailing by three goals in Game Seven, the Flyers did not give up. Philly won the game and the series, 4-3. Although our hatred towards the Flyers grows more and more each day, their aggressive and heart-filled play led them to victory. Can the Devils duplicate this performance? I think so.

Reason #8: Football and Baseball
Look everyone, I will be honest with you. If there is one thing I have learned from being a New York Mets and Seattle Seahawks fan, it is that ANYTHING in the world of sports is possible. Maybe I've hinted at it before, but this series is far from over. No one is eliminated until the final horn sounds. It sounds cliche, but it is definitely true.

Reason #9: Parise, Parise, Parise
Zach Parise knows what has to be done. Parise also knows that he is in the last year of his contract and if he wants big money next year, he will have to produce. By taking a strong leadership standpoint throughout this series, Parise will improve not only his current situation, but also his future. Of course, just like any other professional athlete, Zach wants to win a championship. It's time to put a little bit more faith in Parise and let him handle things as he sees fit. With veteran leaders like Parise, Martin Brodeur, and Patrik Elias, the Devils will be good to go.

Reason #10: A Look Back at This Season
How often were the New Jersey Devils faced with hardships and adversity this season? Twice the Devils lost three in a row, and twice the Devils lost four in a row. One of the most inspirational lines I've ever heard states, "Don't let your performance affect your effort. Let your effort affect your performance." The world of sports is all about how well one handles difficulties. Put games one through five behind us. Let's focus on winning the next two. New Jersey certainly is able to do so. Even at the low points of the season, the Devils were tough and always "came out swinging," said Head Coach Peter DeBoer. Look for the Devils to play with some fire on Tuesday and Thursday.


Above: Goaltender Martin Brodeur #30 of the New Jersey Devils looks down at the puck in the net as Shawn Matthias #18 celebrates the goal by Scottie Upshall #19 (not pictured) of the Florida Panthers in the third period in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the BankAtlantic Center on April 21, 2012 in Sunrise, Florida. The Panthers defeated the Devils 3-0. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images North America) View more photos at http://tinyurl.com/83htfwz.

Game Six is Tuesday night at 7:30 in Newark. If we win--scratch that--WHEN we win, make sure you check back here for your game recap. Follow the @RWTDblog staff on twitter: @RealScottRobb, @DEVIN88MATTERA, and @Rvaidya33; like us on facebook, too.

One more time... LET'S GO DEVILS!

The 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs are upon us. It's time to put on your Devils jersey and crowd around the big screen television. New Jersey's team will take on the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, set to begin on Friday. Between scoreboard watching, tallying up the points, and analyzing the possible first round match-ups, the "Running With The Devils" staff has experienced a busy week. Now that we're in playoff mode, let's take a deeper look at the Devils first round series.

Who: The sixth-seeded New Jersey Devils will take on the third-seeded Florida Panthers. The Devils finished the regular season with 102 points, just seven behind the Rangers, who won the Atlantic Division. Florida, on the other hand, racked up 94 regular season points and won the southeast division in the Eastern Conference.

When:

 

Season Series: Technically, the Panthers won the season series against the Devils this year. Florida went 2-1-1 (5 points), while New Jersey went 2-2-0 (4 points). New Jersey outscored Florida, however, 12-11.

Will History Repeat Itself: The last time these two teams met in the playoffs, the year was 2000 and the Devils were on their way to an eventual Stanley Cup championship. New Jersey, who held the four seed in the east, swept the fifth-seeded Panthers in four games. New Jersey outscored Florida by a tally of 12-6 and easily advanced to the next round of the playoffs. Will we see a similar performance this year?

Key Players: Adam Henrique will have to step up for the Devils in the opening round of the playoffs. Henrique, a rookie, was a huge factor this season and would provide a large morale boost for the rest of the team if his play continues on the same path that it has all season. On the opposite end, Kris Versteeg has played a huge role in the Panthers organization this year and put up great numbers against New Jersey. We'll see if his play continues in the postseason and if the Devils defense can successfully contain him.

Predictions:

 Darren: I say Devils in six. Looks like we're moving on in the playoffs, as this should be a fairly easy match-up.

 Scott: I say Devils in four. I'm a huge believer in the Devils and with strong goaltending from Martin Brodeur, we'll see the Flyers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. With the way the Devils are playing, it's an insult to say that the Panthers will win this series. Is it too soon to say that I predicted the Devils to win the Stanley Cup this year?

 Devin: Devils in five. Look for New Jersey to win Game One and lose Game Two. After that, it's easy hockey for New Jersey, and they'll take the next three. The defense will have to step up, but it can be done.

 Raj: I agree with Darren. Devils in six. The Devils should win Game One but will drop Game Two. New Jersey will take Game Three and Four. Florida will win Game Five in their home stadium, but New Jersey will take the series when the teams return to New Jersey.

We want to hear from you! Chime in on twitter! Be sure to "like" us on facebook, as well. For all of your latest Devils news, information, and updates, be sure to follow our staff members on twitter: @RealScottRobb, @DEVIN88MATTERA, and @Rvaidya33! Be sure to check back periodically for game previews, recaps, and inside analysis on Jersey's team. Until next time, I'm Scott Robb, signing off, and I'll see YOU at the Prudential Center for Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals between the Devils and Panthers!

It’s playoff time and after a rare miss last season, the Devils are returning to the post-season. Since the lockout however, the Devils have only made it past the first round once and haven’t done so the entire time that Zach Parise has put on the Devils sweater. Can the Devils find a way to still be playing hockey once the first 8 playoff teams have been handed their tickets to the off-season?

When you think back to those excellent Devils teams that made deep playoff runs or the ones that ended up winning the cup, there is one thing you remember:  defense. More than that, the Devils were a physical team with Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko leading the way. The lack of physicality has me worried about the Devils chances this spring. I fear that these playoffs will be the most physical we’ve ever seen and I question if the Devils have the physicality to compete.

Volchenkov is our one booming D-man who is nicknamed the “A-Train” for good reason.  When you look back at Scott Stevens, you knew that he was going to keep the opposing stars in check all game long. That’s the problem I have with Volchekov. He’s capable of trying to put you through the boards but he doesn’t always do it. On top of that, the Devils don’t have another defenseman who can really pound the opposition so he must step up, every time.

The Devils have one more meaningless game on Saturday before we start getting ready for the playoffs. If it’s the cup we seek than the entire team must be prepared to battle.

Let us know what you think. Are we physical enough to out battle the other Eastern Conference teams?

I wanted to weigh in this morning about the start of last night’s game.  For me, it was a complete waste of time. I’m not a huge advocate of fighting in the NHL but it get it and it certainly has its place. Three fights simultaneously to begin the game is NOT its place. Whenever I talk about fighting in the NHL, I usually pick out the Iginla/Lecavalier fight from the cup finals in 2004. It was two guys battling for the puck and pushing on each other, the fight to win the cup that caused these two to start swinging, not some staged crap at the beginning of the game. I’m sorry but I thought the circus had already come to town. 

First off, Peter Deboer, don’t stand there mouth agape because of what you are seeing. You sent your 4th liners out to begin the game. You wanted a fight, maybe not  all 3 to begin fighting but you wanted something. Your quote after the game just proves that.

"I guess in John's world you can come into our building and start your tough guys, but we can't do the same here," DeBoer told reporters. "He's either got short-term memory loss or he's a hypocrite."

And don’t think I am going to let Tortorella off the hook. He’s just as responsible. Had he lined up his first liners, this would have been avoided. In fact, he probably would have been able to pin the Devils deep to start the game but no, he sends out his goon squad to match our goon squad and goes one step further to line Stu Bickel up at center and moved Dubinsky back for the faceoff. For those not familiar, Bickel is a defenseman. Had they dress Scott, no doubt in my mind he would have been up on the line.

The start of that game, at least for me was a circus. It was faker than the WWE, complete bush league, Slapshot Hanson brother’s kind of Goon hockey. It resulted in a brawl, something that DeBoer obviously set out to do. Maybe that shit flew in Florida, I don’t know but here in NJ, that is NOT how we do things. It was a waste of everyone’s time and resulted in one of our best defenseman getting a 10 minute misconduct for jumping in and trying to help Carter after getting his head bashed in.

I know I am a minority in my thinking. I know there are many out there that got jacked up by what they saw but, like I said above, for me, it was a circus. I was embarrassed by what my team did and I can’t believe that Lou liked what he saw. I think it set an awful tone to start the game but please, let me know what you think of the whole thing.

The call is all anyone is talking about this morning when it comes to the 1-0 shutout by the Devils. Were the refs right to disallow the goal? Did Volchenkov make contact with Gaborik as he was crashing the net? There certainly are a lot of opinions going around, so hey, why not throw my opinion into the ring with the rest of them.

Let’s look at Volchenkov to start. Yes, he was making contact with Gaborik as both players crashed the net. I disagree with Dave Maloney, who after the game said Volchenkov looked like he was “backing away” from Gaborik. I don’t think any player can “back away” when crashing the net but I think he put the brakes on just as much as Gaborik did. In this case, I am ok with the contact being made. Volchenkov didn’t extend the arms and didn’t give an extra push to propel Gaborik into Broduer. My first initial reaction to the replay was that Volchenkov was hooking him as the players went to the net, not pushing him into Brodeur. Initially Volchenkov was leaning on Gaborik as they approached the net but once both players put the brakes on, I thought it was more of a hook than anything. You do have to allow players some incidental contact when crashing the net so I never thought Volchenkov went over that line.

Gaborik’s mistake was that he didn’t try to avoid Marty at all. Yes there was snow from the skate which signifies that he was putting on the brakes but you need to do a little more than that. Especially since I think the stopping motion was more from trying to get his legs open vs trying to stop. There has to be some effort to keep from knocking the goalie over. In some replays, it does look like Gaborik’s elbow comes up and makes contact with Broduer, which if you are trying to bail out of a push, that wouldn't happen.

So right or wrong, the refs are going to call interference on a play like this 9 times out of 10. I think it's pretty clear why the Rangers fans think it's a terrible call and why the Devils fans thought it was interference. It’s very understandable either way you look at it. I watched the replay a good 100 times. The call seems consistent with other goalie interference calls I've seen this year but consistency doesn’t always mean it’s the correct call. I can see both sides so I can’t disagree with the call and I would say the same thing if the call wasn’t made and the goal was allowed but you’re going to have to take my word on that one.The goalies, like a QB in football, are protected to some point and I believe that from the refs angle, he didn’t think that Gaborik did enough to try and keep from hitting Marty, so he made the interference call.  When you aggressively crash the net, occasionally you will get an interference call. That's just how it is. Tortorella's reaction was extremely comical, I probably watched that a serperate 100 times.

Sometimes the calls go your way, sometimes they don’t. There was no interference call on Callahan when he rolled over Marty’s ankle and there was no high sticking call when Taoromina took one to the face in the corner.  

Then there was Gaborik’s quote at the end of the game and it’s a beauty.

"I don't understand," Gaborik said. "It's frustrating. If I would have run him, I wouldn't say a word. But the guy pushes me into him. I tried to open my leg for a pass, I tried to stop. But he just pushed me into Brodeur."

Basically, Gaborik is saying that if he had run Marty he’d be quietly deceptive about it as opposed to saying yes, I ran into him but since he felt that he didn’t run into Marty on purpose, he could speak openly and honestly about the incident…. Right!!!! That quote is getting saved for a rainy day.

The Devils / Rangers rivalry never gets old, something new always gets added. Judging the way that this game started off and the way it ended, I can honestly say that I am glad that we have 3 more meetings with the Rangers over the next few weeks.

This is what I will take away from this game. Ranger fans, while feeling robbed on the call should look at the whole picture and wonder why their team didn’t show up for the first part of the game. If they had, maybe it wouldn’t have come down to the last 3 seconds and a questionable call. Their PP is crap and coming from a Devils fan, that’s a mouthful!! If the Rangers are going to find success in the postseason, they certainly need to work that issue out. Again, the last 3 seconds weren’t about generating only 4 shots on 3 power plays.

The Devils continue to disappear in the third period. Marty played an outstanding game last night and the Devils won because of that. Whenever you are outshot 15-1 in a period, you can’t feel great about having played an entire 60 minutes. The Devils have done well in 1-goal games this season but how many times can you let a team outshoot you like that. Saturday it was 24-1 in the third against Philly and now 15-1 against NY. That is a huge shot differential.  I know Cam Janssen doesn’t play every game but I think his role on the team has helped Clarkson focus more on the role he is playing this season. In the past, it was Clarkson’s duty to be the enforcer, with Janssen and Boulton to some extent, that role is no longer on Clarkson. The Devils have put together 5 in a row and have been playing decent hockey lately (other than the third period) and have done this all while a certain defenseman named Tallinder sits on the injured list.. coincidence??

So in case you missed it last night, here’s the incredible beginning to the game…