Game 2 of the Playoffs between the New Jersey Devils and Florida Panthers took place today (April 15^th), and the Devils looked to add on their series lead. In game 1, New Jersey held on to win and they looked to carry out the momentum tonight. 2/3 of Game 2 was (depending on respective opinion) either boring or disappointing. For me it was like watching a chess match and crying at the same time. Devils fans would be entertained to an attempted miracle from the Devils in the 3^rd but in the end, New Jersey got thrown into Florida’s litter box.



I thought we would be seeing ex-Devil Scott Clemmensen between the pipes for the Florida Panthers. Instead, the Panthers boldly chose Jose Theodore to start once more against Marty Brodeur, who beat Theodore in Game 1 to earn his 100^th playoff victory. Right from the opening faceoff, I cringed. Just 11 seconds into the match, Andy Greene took a tripping penalty to give Florida a power play. It only took the Panthers 12 seconds to convert. Stephen Weiss scored his first ever playoff goal with the assists going to Mikael Samuelsson and Kris Versteeg. There weren’t many chances, to be honest, generated by either team after that. At the 12:22 point, Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov took a delay-of-game penalty which gave the Devils a power play opportunity and the chance to tie the game. Fans have stressed that the power play needs to get better. Unfortunately, they failed to convert. Florida really stepped up their defensive play compared to their performance in Game 1. Both teams went 9 minutes without a shot, which is sad because that’s not playoff hockey. The referees from Game 1 (they were clearly bad ones) were replaced by new ones, however, I think these guys were worse. With 17 seconds to go, Alex Ponikarovsky cross-checked Panther defenseman Erik Gudbranson. I agreed with that call but the call after that just infuriated me. David Clarkson was called for charging in on Gudbranson. In all honesty, it was a terrible call which gave Florida a 5-on-3 power play for a full 2 minutes. Time ran out though and the teams skated back into the locker rooms with Florida having the 1 goal edge. Shots-on-goal were just 4-3, in favor of NJ (too boring).



Florida was given the gift of starting with a 5-on-3. If you had to give props to the Panthers for one thing up to this point, it was that they converted on any opportunity they got. They, meaning Weiss, who put in his 2^nd goal of the game with the assists coming from Marcel Goc and Jason Garrison at the 18:48 point. The Devils found themselves in a 2-0 hole and things were simply not going their way, even when the opportunity came. At the 17:53 point, the Devils went back on the power play when Samuelsson took a hooking penalty, but left the ice for some unknown reason (the penalty was served by Shawn Matthias). There were a couple of chances, but ultimately, no goals. A real great chance presented itself for the Devils near the 12 minute mark. Steve Bernier had a breakaway but instead of trying to move or even shoot the puck, he looked like as if he backhanded a pass to Theodore. Branching off that play, another bad call from the ref sent Ryan Carter to the penalty box, for hooking. This power play was successfully killed off by NJ. Captain Zach Parise had a great chance to cut the lead in half with a one timer from the left circle. Unfortunately, Theodore made the stop. It really hurts deep down when Devils fans know their team looks to fight back and then slightest bit of bad luck falls upon them. This bad luck came from a shot from Goc, which Marty seemed to have. Somehow, the puck trickled in behind him and now the Devils knew they had a big mountain to climb. Goc’s 1^st goal of the playoffs came at the 5:21 point with the assists going to Brian Campbell and Sean Bergenheim. There was some pressure from New Jersey with just over a minute to go but in the end, the Panthers were comfortably leading 3-0 after two periods of play. Shots-on-goal were 14-13 in favor of Florida this time. I used to think the referees this season were for the most part fantastic but after the playoffs started, their performance arguably turned upside down.



Now the Devils came into the 3^rd without a goal in 80 minutes of play. In an attempt to get things going, Coach DeBoer put Adam Henrique between Kovalchuk and Parise. Surprisingly- it worked! In the opening minute of the 3^rd, Travis Zajac wristed the puck past Theodore and the Devils had life again! Zajac’s 1^st of the playoffs was assisted by Greene and Ponikarovsky. They didn’t stop there. Exactly 1:14 later, Kovalchuk deflected a pass from Henrique and that found its way past Theodore as well! To be honest, I love miracles and now the Devils were on the hunt for one. Kovalchuk’s 1^st goal (on his birthday!) of the playoffs was solely assisted by Henrique. Offensive forays were controlled by the Devils from this point on. There were an abundance of chances that could’ve done more than just tied the game. Florida’s best opportunity came near the 6-minute mark. Scottie Upshall was left all alone (where was the defense?) but his tip from a pass from fellow teammate Garrison was stopped by Marty. New Jersey pulled Brodeur around the 1 minute mark in search of that tying goal. They got several chances but ultimately, none would go in the net. Panther forward Tomas Fleischmann scored the empty netter (unassisted) just as time expired and the Panthers won the game 4-2. Soon, the rats started to flood the ice and the Devils made sure they got out of there quickly. The series is tied at 1 and the teams will play games 3 and 4 in Newark. Let’s hope for the best for the Devils. Shots-on-goal were 25-23 in favor of NJ.

2-4  

Three Stars:

1. Stephen Weiss
2. Marcel Goc
3. Ilya Kovalchuk

Next Game: Game 3 vs. Florida at The Rock (Tuesday, April 17^th, 2012)

Key Notes:

First off, all of us here at Running With the Devils wish Ilya Kovalchuk and Cam Janssen a happy birthday (29 years and 28 years respectively)! “Birthdaychuck” got the Devils’ second goal but Janssen, along with Eric Boulton and Adam Larsson (who warmed up) were healthy scratches. New Jersey didn’t have a great night on the PK either. They were 1/3. How can you blame em though when the officiating isn’t doing a fair job? The Florida Panthers won their first playoff game since April 17^th, 1997 (against the Rangers) so it’s fair to let the fans have their moment (while it lasts) and throw those infamous rats on the ice. Tonight’s game also featured 102 hits – my goodness! That’s the most in any playoff game so far. Even that brutally physical game played earlier in Philadelphia between the Flyers and Penguins didn’t have as many hits as tonight!

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Game one was all kinds of awesome for the first 20 minutes but as the period was ending with the Devils leading 3-0, my biggest fear was that NJ would back off and allow Florida to get back into the game. It’s not that NJ completely backed off but Florida certainly picked up there game. I don’t expect NJ to play an entire 60 minutes like they did the first 20 the other night. In fact, I don’t want to even suggest that they try to because that is unreasonable. I want a more balanced game from start to finish where the Devils keep the opposition from even thinking they have a chance. The Devils did a lot of things right the other night but there are things to improve upon for tonight.

Things I will be watching For:

• The Panthers seemed to have an endless parade to the box the other night and while we did score on one opportunity, we could have put them away early with a couple more PP goals. At times, we looked so disorganized on gaining the zone while a man up.
• Versteeg has been killing us all year..CONTAIN HIM!!
• Keep shooting. If Florida wants to go with Theordore then keep shooting because his “Jose Three-Or-More” nickname exists for a reason
• Stay physical. Florida started to amp it up in the 2^nd half of the game and it seemed to give them energy. Bang them around, don’t let them be more physical.
• Kovalchuk and Parise need to show up. Didn’t think they had a great game 1.

And finally…

You might disagree with me but I think the refs have been horrible overall in these playoffs. Lots of calls I don’t agree with getting called. For instance, the 4 minute man advantage we got the other night in the first, still not sure why. Last night I saw a terrible call on Toews for interference that was initiated by Mike Smith that led to a PP and PP goal for Pheonix. There are many more examples, those are just a quick few. Cmon Refs, let’s get it together!!

 Here we are! Friday has arrived! As long as this week has seemed Devils fans, the day has come, the puck has been dropped in New Jersey's "Quest For 4". The early goings of this game, WOW! The Devils were WIDE AWAKE. You would have never guessed that this team's last game was nearly a week ago. After wrapping up the season as the hottest team heading into the playoffs, winning the teams last 6 games, Jersey was in locked in and ready to continue their success against Florida. The last time these two teams met in the post season was back in 2000 where New Jersey swept the Panthers in 4 straight games in the opening round of the playoffs, the first team beat on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals in which the Devils won their 2nd Championship in franchise history.



 The ice was tilted here in the opening period, if you couldnt tell by the 1st period box score. The Devils outshot Florida 26-9 in the first 20 minutes of play, scoring three times! The Panthers showed up early, and briefly, and then not again until the team hit the ice for the start of the 2nd period. The score sheet got its first bit of ink on it when the birthday boy, Patrik Elias weaved magic in and out of numerous defensemen, practically unlacing Jose Theodore and firing a shot high over the sprawled out goaltender and into the net! NEW JERSEY GOAL! Elias' goal, scored on his 36th birthday gave the Devils the lead a mere six and a half minutes into the period. Dainius Zubrus got the lone assist on the goal. Patty's goal would open the flood gates. The Devils' pressure was on and the pedal was to the metal! New Jersey would put another goal on the board while on the man advantage when Florida's Shawn Matthias got called for a double minor hi stick on Andy Greene. The Devils scored AGAIN, increasing the lead to 2 on a goal by Zubrus. Zubbie's goal was set up by David Clarkson and the goalie, Marty Brodeur! When it seemed like the Devils' scoring brigade was all said and done, ANOTHER goal was scored! Ryan Carter punched a goal past the phenominal Jose Theodore to put the Dev's up 3-0. The Devils would eventually outshoot the Cats 26-9 through 20 minutes of play, scoring 3 times allowing no goals. 


 
  After seeing how prolific the scoring was in the first period, I would have expected more of the same from the Dev's in this period, what we got, was a nailbitter. The Devils would sacrafice two goals to the Panthers in the middle period. Goals by Florida were recorded by Sean Bergenheim at 7:44 of the second period assisted by Marcel Goc and Mikael Samuelsson to bring the Panthers to within two of the 6th seeded New Jersey Devils. With just under 5 minutes left, the Devils would head back on the penalty kill in the period (one of 4 New Jersey penalties in the period), a penalty that would be deactivated 19 seconds later when Kris Versteeg squeezed one through the pads of Marty Brodeur for the 2nd goal of the night for the Panthers. Versteeg's powerplay goal, his 6th goal against NJ this year, was set up due in part to a beautiful passing play initiated by linemate Mikael Samuelsson and Tomas Fleischmann. Along with the 2 goals, 7 total penalties would be assessed in the second period, 4 to New Jersey, 3 to Florida. The Panthers would kill both (aside from one off-setting minor), while scoring on one of 3. Florida's powerplay unit went 1/3 on the evening. As for New Jersey, the Devils would'nt be as productive, as they'd only score once on six opportunities. Now down by one goal, it would appear as though the famous words of The Maven, Stan Fischler could potentially come true "A three goal lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey.". 


 
 In a playoff game, its very rare to see a dull period. The third period in this one sure stood out as one of the more, uneventful periods. Shots were 6 a piece in the closing 20 resulting in no goals on either side of the ice, eventually leading to a Devils game one victory. A few fast breaks and whistle-less minutes of play would highlight the period aside from the lone penalty called on Versteeg at 15:35 for hooking, a penalty killed by the Cats. The Panthers couldnt manage to materalize on their bit of momentum gained in the 2nd period as it'd be Marty Brodeur standing tall and staving off 24 Florida shots on the night. THE DEVILS WIN! Friday the 13th sure as hell didn't seem all that UNLUCKY for Jersey's team. 3-2 the final in Sunrise!

 3-2 Final 
 
 As most of you had predicted, the Devils took Game 1 in Sunrise, FL this evening by the final score of 3-2. In wake of the victory, Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur, who finished the night with 24 saves and an assist, captured his 100th career playoff victory, 2nd on the all-time list behind Patrick Roy with 151. Elias scored tonight, being the first marker of the game, on his 36th birthday. The next game between the 3rd seed and 6th seed will be played Sunday evening at 7:30 from the BankAtlantic Center before New Jersey returns home for games 3 and 4, Tuesday the 17th and Thursday the 19th. 

  

 To hear all the latest Devils Playoff information, be sure to follow us on twitter at @RWTDblog , @DEVIN88MATTERA , @RealScottRobb and @Rvaidya33 as well as our facebook page! From all of us here at Running With The Devils, singing off until the playoffs begin, I'm Devin Mattera, you stay classy Devils Fans.

It’s finally Friday and the Devils and Panthers will finally get their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal s matchup underway tonight. This is it!! This is what we’ve been waiting an entire year for. The Devils enter tonight’s game as the hottest team to close out the regular season having won their final 6 games but that was last week. THIS is a whole different ballgame. Four quick loses and you are packing up for a long summer.

The Devils finished the regular season in 6^th place and the Panthers finished in 3^rd by having won the Southeast Division on the final day of the regular season. The Devils had 10 more wins than Florida during the regular season so on paper this matchup looks to favor NJ but this is playoff hockey, you never know what you are going to get.

Let’s get to it!!

Season Series Matchup

The Panthers won the season series over the Devils by going 2-1-1. The Devils outscored Florida 12-11 in those 4 games, so as you can see, these two teams appear to be very even. One of the most frustrating moments this season came against Florida, in Florida when the Devils squandered a 3-0 first period lead and lost to the Panthers 4-3 in regulation back on November 21^st.

The Big Story Lines:

1. Peter DeBoer, who spent 3 seasons as the Panthers coach was fired last summer by Florida before NJ picked him up to the new Devils head coach. Who would have thought back then that DeBoer’s first playoff appearance in the NHL would come against that Florida team that just let him go?
2. The Devils return to the playoffs after a rare miss last season but haven’t have playoff success in recent years. Can they right the ship? Can they be the dark horse that everyone is predicting them to be?
3. This is the first trip to the post-season for Florida since the 1999-2000 season when they were swept out of the first round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils.

What We Will Be Watching For In This Series

• I already mentioned the lack of success over the recent years when it comes to the playoffs. We all know Parise’s contract is up very soon so the Devils need to find a way to make a run. Show Zach that we are building something here and that he is an important piece and should he stay, there is no reason to think a Stanley Cup is not a possibility.
• After 10 NHL seasons, 406 regular-season career goals, nine straight 30-goal years and two world championships with Russia, there is something missing from Ilya Kovalchuk's resume, an appearance in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It’s time to change that.
• For the first time in my life, I’m not questioning if the Devils offense can get the job done but rather can the defense get the job done. The defense did a good job in the final 10 games of the season so let’s hope that continues.

What I Will Be Watching For Tonight

• The Panthers have a doozy of a first line but that line is responsible for 40% of their goals this season which means the Panthers aren’t a very deep team. NJ is a deeper team and needs to use that to their advantage.
• Ex-Devil Scott Clemmensen is a good goalie; we know that first hand but NJ will get their chances. The trick is making them count.
• Getting the lead is important against the Panthers because they are the type of team that “turtles” once they get the lead which can be very tough to overcome. On top of that, an early lead should take the crowd out of it.
• How do the Devils handle the Florida defense? They have some very good guys on the blue line which will make it difficult for NJ at times.
• Usually it’s a guy name Weiss that I fear when we play Florida but the this season, NJ did a good job keeping Weiss and Fleichmann from killing us but that just gave Kris Versteeg to opportunity to be a thorn in our side. The Devils need to keep all three quiet, which is a big task to ask.

And Finally... Let's Get It Going!!!

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!

Strange isn’t it? It feels like yesterday remembering that 2011-12 season opener against Philadelphia at The Rock (I was in attendance myself). I thought to myself “Oh no... this is gonna be one long season”. Surprisingly, it wasn’t and I’m surprised the regular season ended today with all 30 teams in action. We know that the Devils are already in the playoffs but we wanted them to end on a winning note as well as they faced off against the Ottawa Senators. This week the Devils have not disappointed us and guess what? Today wasn’t any different and New Jersey did end their regular season on a winning note!



Devils fans finally got their chance to see ex-Devil (now Habs captain) Brian Gionta’s younger brother, Stephen, play on the 4^th line. The Devils were looking for their 6^th straight win and they felt he could help them get to that feat. Ottawa looked a bit out of place as they were icing the puck quite often pretty early. At the 15:10 point, they took a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty (served by Nick Foligno) to give the Devils their first power play of the afternoon. Unfortunately, it was uneventful and they played on. Senator goalie Craig Anderson made some good stops on chances from the Devils but Marty Brodeur looked even better! Sadly though, it only took one bad play to give Ottawa early momentum and cause Marty to lose his rhythm. That bad play came at the 9:01 point, when Senator defenseman Matt Gilroy backhanded the puck at Marty, who then seemed to kick at it, and as a result, missed it and went behind the net. This Brodeur Blunder caused the Devils to fall back 1-0. Gilroy’s 3^rd of the season was assisted by Kyle Turris and Chris Phillips. Exactly 3 minutes later after the goal, Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson took a high sticking penalty, putting the Devils back on the power play. This one was actually eventful and the Devils found a way to capitalize! At the 4:34 point, Ilya Kovalchuk found himself with the puck and shot it past the right side of Anderson and into the net. Kovy’s 36^th of the season was assisted by Patrik Elias and Peter Harrold! Marty made a great save on Colin Greening to keep this game tied at 1 after the 1-minute mark. Unfortunately, the Devils took a penalty with just 11 seconds to go. Alex Ponikarovsky was called for high sticking but the Sens didn’t score. Shots-on-goal after 1 were 12-10 in favor of our New Jersey Devils.



The Devils needed to kill off about 1:49 of Ottawa power play time. In my opinion, they did more than just that. The amount of shorthanded chances that they created was phenomenal. However, no goals were yielded from either side. A good chance came for Ottawa to take the lead at the 14:45 point, when Marty was vulnerable, yet he somehow made the save! After that it was the Devils who responded with some chances of their own. A great rush by Andy Greene was stopped by Anderson and a one-handed wrap around opportunity from Dainius Zubrus failed. New Jersey’s 3^rd and 4^th lines were even getting into it, so it was good to see all the opportunities. Still, there weren’t any goals but the task was certainly in reach. Well… at least it felt that way. Around the 6-minute mark, Jim O’Brien knocked in his 3^rd of the season (assisted by Eric Condra and Gilroy) on a shot which deflected off of Marty and into the net. It’s been apparent to me that the Devils have fallen asleep several times in the last two games when the right side of the ice is their zone. Luck was bestowed on New Jersey once more though, when Foligno took a slashing penalty (ironically his stick broke as a result) at around the 4-minute mark. Right off the draw, a one-timer from Kovy deflected off the helmet of Anderson and out of play. From that point on I knew this power play would be eventful. Kovy even set up Sykora on a breakaway but Anderson stopped it. I’m not sure if this is the same for everybody, but something happened on this power play which I saw for the first time (I’ve been a hockey fan for 14 years now)… a 5-on-1. That too on a power play! What short-handed team has ever done that? Nonetheless, that didn’t matter to me as that 5-on-1 ended with a tip-in from Sykora to tie the game at 2! Sykora’s 21^st was assisted by Adam Henrique and Zubrus at the 2:17 point. A last chance from Kovy was stopped by Anderson with 13 seconds to go but now Devils looked to be in control of the game. Shots-on-goal after two were 27-20 in favor of New Jersey.



Coming into the 3^rd period, Ottawa had a pretty good record if they were tied after the 2^nd. There wasn’t much to say about to the first half of this 3^rd period. There was a great chance created by the Devils at the 14:17 point (and Anderson denied the opportunity), but that was it in my perspective, in terms of any action in the first half of the 3^rd. It got extremely exciting after and I felt back to life again. Ponikarovsky used his muscles to rush through the Senators’ zone and even got a shot on Anderson. He left a rebound and guess who found the way to wrist it in?! YES – STEPHEN GIONTA! With only 9:05 left in the 3^rd, it was Gionta’s first goal of the season that (assisted by Ponikarovsky and Steve Bernier) was at the moment, the game winner as the Devils now had a 3-2 lead! New Jersey did take a penalty later at the 6:36 point. Bryce Salvador was called for delay-of-game but the Senators power play only produced a couple of chances, which Marty stopped. Momentum belonged solely to the Devils. With just about a minute to go, Ottawa pulled Craig Anderson out of the net for an extra skater. As added insurance, Kovy found a way to score the empty netter and pretty much seal the deal! It was Kovy’s 2^nd of the match and 37^th of the season (giving him 83 points on the season – better than a point-per-game), assisted by captain Zach Parise. The Devils held on and won the game 4-2! They finished their 2011-12 regular season by winning 6 consecutive games and reaching 102 points! Playoffs here we come!

2-4 

Three Stars:

1. Stephen Gionta (Well deserved!)
2. Ilya Kovalchuk
3. Matt Gilroy

Next Game: It will be New Jersey @ Florida/DC. We will know later tonight but the Devils will play the Southeast Division Winner as they clinched the 6^th spot Thursday night. Most likely Game 1 will take place on April 11^th!

Key Notes: As this was game 82, the Devils decided to sit some players out. Eric Boulton, David Clarkson, and Anton Volchenkov all sat out. Stephen Gionta (congrats to him again!) came in along with Adam Larsson. The situation with Larsson is tricky. He led all Devils defensemen in points this season with 18 but is his confidence good for the playoffs? Benching him must’ve affected it and I certainly do not want to see any mistakes from the defense come playoff time. Harrold has been performing pretty well so we shall see what coach DeBoer decides to do. Oh and speaking of DeBoer, he got a new tie! It was presented as a gift to him after he spoke at his old law school in Windsor, Ontario (Wednesday night). Props to the Atlantic and Central Divisions for having 4 teams (NYR, PHI, PIT, NJ for Atlantic) (STL, DET, NSH, CHI for Central) finish with over 100 points on the season! That’s called dominance! Adam Henrique came into today’s match with 50 points, 2 behind rookies Gabriel Landeskog of Colorado and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of Edmonton. He picked up an assist so that puts him 1 behind. Should that affect his chances at winning the Calder? The voters should recognize that he’s at least going to the playoffs unlike the other two rookies, regardless of their great season. Congrats to Parise, Sykora, Zubrus, Mark Fayne, and Salvador for being the only Devils players this season to play all 82 games! Parise had at least one shot-on-goal in every game he played this season. New Jersey’s penalty kill was 2/2 in front of a sellout crowd of 17,625. The Devils’ PK set a single season record! They finished greater than 89.5% and scored a league-high 15 shorthanded goals!

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It seems like just yesterday that I sat down to start writing the preview for game 1 of the 2011/2012 season. I can’t believe that I am already sitting here, writing up the preview for game 82. The mission for 2011/2012 was to return to the playoffs. I’m happy to say, Mission Accomplished and now we can move on to our next mission, which is making it past round 1. Unfortunately we don’t know who our first round opponent is but in a few hours, we will know.

This is pretty much a meaningless game because we are secured into the 6^th position without the ability to move up or down. The Devils should use this game as a way to start perfecting the things that will make us successful in the playoffs but I cautiously say that because these are the types of games I fear. Could you imagine losing an important player for the playoffs in a meaningless game? While I want the Devils to work and attack the Senators this afternoon, part of me wouldn't mind watching the 4th line A LOT today.

Assuming the Devils don't sit back today, what are those things the Devils should work on for the playoffs?

• Defense - The Devils were a great defensive team back in the late 90’s and early 2000’s and it helped them make deeps runs.
• Physicality – I have a feeling these playoffs will be the most physical we’ve seen yet, start hitting...A LOT!!
• Power Play – When teams get physical, penalties happen. While there are teams that have succeed with horrible power play units (Boston in 2011), successful power plays usually mean success in the playoffs. Make them pay for sitting in the box.
• One shift at a time. Don’t get ahead of ourselves and just take it shift by shift.

While I’m not overly pumped for this afternoon’s game, I am pumped for what lies ahead of us later in the week, whoever that might be against!!

And finally…

A little inspiration for what lies ahead….

 

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?

The New Jersey Devils won their fifth straight contest on Thursday evening by defeating the Detroit Red Wings by a score of 2-1. Alexei Ponikarovsky and Petr Sykora scored for New Jersey, who defeated Detroit on the road for the first time since 1996. Martin Brodeur collected his fourteenth thirty-win season, an NHL record. The Red Wings strong offense was no match for a solid Devils' defense tonight as New Jersey pulled off the victory.


Both teams skated with high amounts of energy in the first twenty minutes. The Devils were strong on the forecheck, as were the Red Wings. Perhaps the best scoring chance of the evening for Detroit came about halfway through the opening period. Red Wings' forward Pavel Datsyuk danced around defenders and in front of Martin Brodeur. Datsyuk ripped a wrist shot that rang just off the inside of the pipe; everyone in the building, including Datsyuk, thought the puck had gone in the net. The play went under review during the next commercial break; however, it was evident that Datsyuk's shot rang off the post and was ruled "no goal." Alexei Ponikarovsky scored his fourteenth goal of the season 10:13 into the first period to put the Devils up by one. David Clarkson and Peter Harrold were credited with the assists on Ponikarovsky's goal. Harrold made a magnificent play to sidestep two defenders and put the puck on net. Ponikarovsky attacked the rebound and netted the goal. At the end of the first period of play, the Devils lead by a score of 1-0 and in the shots on goal category, 11-6.


The second period was a lackluster twenty minutes for New Jersey. The Devils continued to play strong defense. However, Tomas Holmstrom scored his eleventh goal of the year on the lone Detroit power play of the evening. Holmstrom's goal came 6:13 into the middle period. Martin Brodeur remained strong in net and denied the Red Wings on several other scoring chances. At the end of the middle period, both teams were locked in a 1-1 tie.


Looking to join the "100 Point Club" in the Eastern Conference, the Devils came out ready to play in the final period of regulation. A strong Devils' defense paired with an even stronger forecheck produced several scoring opportunities in the third. Petr Sykora scored his twentieth goal of the season 11:20 into the third period to put the Devils back up on top. Martin Brodeur and the defense did the rest of the work and held off the Red Wings attempts to tie the game. As the final horn sounded, the Devils picked up points 99 and 100 on the season with a dominating 2-1 victory over Detroit.

Key Notes: Martin Brodeur picked up his thirtieth win of the year and his fourteenth season with at least thirty victories ... Petr Sykora joined the long list of Devils who have scored at least twenty goals this season ... Peter Harrold picked up his first point in a Devils uniform tonight.

Next Game: The Devils will wrap up the regular season on Saturday, April 7, 2012 against the Ottawa Senators (3 PM EST) at the Prudential Center.

Playoff Picture: The Devils have clinched the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference standings and will play the southeast division winner in the Conference Quaterfinals. The Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals are currently in a race for the southeast division title and each have one game to play.

Photo of the Night:


Above: New Jersey Devils forward Alexei Ponikarovsky (12), of Ukraine, and forward David Clarkson (23) celebrate with teammates on the bench after a goal by Ponikarovsky during the first period of an NHL hockey game with the Detroit Red Wings, Thursday, April 5, 2012, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)

The New Jersey Devils close out the regular season against two very good hockey teams, both of which will be playing in the postseason. Tonight, the Devils make their final road trip of the regular season and visit a place that hasn’t been so kind to them in recent years. Detroit isn’t a team we play very often and this will be the only regular season matchup against them this season but Detroit is 6-0-1 in the last seven meetings with NJ. They also lead the season series 40-34-1 but I will just mention that NJ is a perfect 4-0 against the Red Wings in the postseason. (Yes Wings fans, I went there!!)

Both teams have clinched a ticket to the post season and both are just battling for position at this point. NJ can’t fall into 7^th place in the East but they do have a shot, a long shot at moving up in the standings. We only trail Philadelphia by 3 points with 4 points left on the table. A win by Philadelphia tonight will clinch 5^th place for them.

Injury Report: New Jersey's Henrik Tallinder (blood clot) is still out, while fourth-line center Jacob Josefson fractured his wrist against the Isles on Tuesday. David Clarkson also missed the Islanders game with a lower-body injury, but practiced on Wednesday and is expected to play against the Wings. … Center Darren Helm (sprained knee), Joey MacDonald (back) and Patrick Eaves (concussion) are out for the Red Wings.

This will probably be the line combinations that we see for the Devils tonight.

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Ilya Kovalchuk
Petr Sykora - Patrik Elias - Dainius Zubrus
Alexei Ponikarovsky - Adam Henrique - David Clarkson
Eric Boulton - Ryan Carter - Steve Bernier

Andy Greene - Mark Fayne
Bryce Salvador - Marek Zidlicky
Anton Volchenkov - Peter Harrold

Martin Brodeur
Johan Hedberg

I’m not really concerned with the Devils winning or losing tonight. Like I mentioned, Ottawa can’t catch us and if we catch Philly, the prize is Pittsburgh in round 1, which no one wants. I’m more concerned with the little things like:

• Can the Devils be smart with the puck or do the Devils try and go for the big cross-ice pass like they did against the Islanders?
• Can the Devils finish the scoring chances they get or will they leave the puck on the doorstep?
• Can the Devils get their power play some momentum going into the playoffs?
• Can NJ play disciplined hockey and keep out of the box?
• Can the defense play shutdown hockey against a premiere player of the national hockey league?

And finally…

I already gave the Detroit fans a little reminder of 1995 and we don’t really need to visit that here. Everyone knows NJ swept Detroit and it always seems to get mentioned when these two teams play. The funny thing is, there are only two people on the ice tonight that were on the ice for that series, Lidstrom for Detroit and Brodeur for NJ but if you watch this Red Wings ad, you will notice they use a little Marty Brodeur guy in their break the ice game. Despite all the success that the Red Wings have had since 1995, I guess that loss still screams at the organization.