Monthly Archives: April 2011
Devils play in World Hockey Championship
Today is the first day of the 75th annual IIHF World Championship being held in Slovakia. As any other world championship, several countries scoop up their best players into a team and go at it for the title. This tournament is made up of 16 teams, broken down into 4 groups and play for a little over 2 weeks for hockey supremacy.
The World Hockey Championships conflict with the NHL Playoff schedule, so it isn’t very popular in North America, but Devils fans have a reason to take interest! Our own Travis Zajac is playing with an A for Canada and Ilya Kovalchuk is leading the Russian team.
A few other Devils are playing for their respective teams. Nick Palmieri and Mark Fayne are on Team USA. Anssi Salmela is playing for Finland, Patrik Elias on Czech Republic and Tedenby on Sweden.
Plus, the word is VERSUS will be covering a few games with Matt Loughlin as one of two rotating hosts and special guest analyst, Zach Parise.
If you’re missing the Devils in all the playoff action you can still get excited for our boys over in Slovakia. Check with VERSUS for up to date schedules, they’ve got a few TBD’s as of right now. First game up for them should be Saturday the 30th at 10AM when USA takes on Austria.
Photo Credit: Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger
Round 2. Where Do You Stand?
Round 1 of the playoffs is over and now we’re heading into Round 2. We as hockey fans, that is. Since the Devils are out, we have to root for (or against) other teams.
In case you weren’t paying attention – I’m sure you all were – here’s a super quick recap of Round 1.
Caps knocked out the Rangers in 5, awesome!
Tampa eliminated the Pens in 7, great!
The Flyers are still in it over Buffalo in 7, no!
Boston beat the Canadians in 7, nice! (We don’t really have a rivalry with these teams, but after a particular Habs game this season, I had no choice but to root against them!)
As for the teams we don’t have an immediate interest in: Detroit swept the Coyotes, the Preds beat the Ducks in 6, Canucks eliminated last years champ the Blackhawks in 7, and San Jose beat the Kings in 6.
The teams we root against are obvious but everyone has a different stand on who to root for. I’ll be rooting against the Flyers (duh!) and for the Canucks and Caps. I’m torn on the Detroit/San Jose series but I’m leaning towards San Jose. To be honest, I just really like their jerseys and since I have no vested interest in either team, I think that’s a decent reason to base my decision on.
Not only do we want to know who you’re rooting for, we want to see it! Send us pictures (devilsgenerals@gmail.com) of you supporting your Round 2 teams and we’ll post them here. Let us know where you stand!
(Pst, pick 4 teams!)
Tweet To The Cup | Boston/Montreal Game 5 at Cryan’s
Where did you watch Game 5 of the Boston and Montreal series? If it wasn’t at Cryan’s in South Orange, you made the wrong choice. The Generals hosted a Tweet Up to watch the game last Thursday with all the usual festivities. There was hockey. There were prizes. There was even a Stanley Cup in attendance… kind of.
Kim with the Cup!
Tweet Ups are fun, that’s a given. But each Tweet Up gets better. There are a few regular attendee’s and always a few new faces. It’s a great way to meet and hang out with other hockey fans and enjoy a game. Since the Devils season has officially ended this is how we can get our playoff hockey fix! There’s still hockey to watch and there’s plenty to talk about. All the usual topics are covered – players, teams, stats. Then there are the unusual conversations about hockey hats and beards. (Kim and I decided that the Flyers need to clean up a bit, don’t you agree?)
Hockey Talk
The majority of us were rooting for Boston so the overtime win was pretty sweet! We also had a ton of give aways and a drawing to win an autographed Elias puck that people were pretty pumped about.
Elias Puck Box
Mobbing the Give Away Table
It was another successful Tweet Up. If you missed this one don’t worry, there will be more to come! We kind of really like this Tweet Up thing.
Calder Trophy Finalists Announced: Devils Rookies Fall Short
In a season that saw us start countless rookies, none of our first-year Devils players cracked the top three for rookie of the year. The Calder Trophy finalists were announced on Tuesday, and Nick Palmieri, Mattias Tedenby, Jacob Josefson, Mark Fayne, Mark Fraser, Vladimir Zharkov, and even Tim Sestito were left out of contention for the award.
Of the three Calder Trophy finalists, only one is still playing. Logan Couture had a key role in the incredible four-goal comeback win against the Kings in game three of the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. He scored a goal and had an assist. Michael Grabner of the New York Islanders carried a mediocre team with 34 goals this season, while Jeff Skinner was the youngest player to ever play in the All-Star game for the Carolina Hurricanes. No sane hockey mind would argue that the Hurricanes or Islanders are better than the Sharks, but does playing in the playoffs make a difference for Rookie of the Year honors?
Couture had the sixth most goals in the NHL this season on the second-seeded Sharks in the West. He also notched 24 assists for a total of 56 points in his first season. The 22 year old center also had an incredible eight game-winning goals this season, which is 7th best in the league. He led all rookies with 10 power play goals and also led them in game-winners. Couture played 25 games last season, but still qualifies as a rookie this year.
Jeff Skinner had the most points of any of the candidates with 63. His 31 goals and 32 assists set him apart from the other two candidates. The 7th pick of last year’s entry draft, Skinner became the youngest NHL All-Star ever at age 18. However, his Hurricanes lost the last game of the regular season to be eliminated from the playoffs. Perhaps Couture’s propensity to win games for the Sharks, and their playoff berth this season, is more important than points.
Michael Grabner likely didn’t expect to make the playoffs with the New York Islanders this year, but he was a bright spot on a mediocre team that surged in the second half of the 2011 season. Grabner was waived by the Panthers to start the year, but found a niche with the Isles. He won the Fastest Skater competition at this year’s All-Star game and his speed made him a top-line forward. His 34 goals lead all rookies, and his six shorthanded goals set the pace for first-year players as well. His speed makes him one of the most dynamic players in the NHL, but does that mean he should be rookie of the year?
My pick for this year’s rookie of the year is Logan Couture of the San Jose Sharks. It is impossible for me to discount his clutch play during his first year in the NHL. Eight game-winning goals is an impressive stat. All three players broke the thirty goal threshold, and all three have a realistic shot at the award. But Skinner had a chance to make the playoffs and couldn’t will his team past the Lightning while Grabner played for the 14th-in-the-East Islanders. Couture is still playing, and still contributing. He is my rookie of the year.
But what about the Devils’ rookie of the year? We saw contributions from a plethora of young stars with which we can build the franchise around. We’ll have a lottery pick this year, and the team is as young and promising as it’s been in years. I probably give it to Palmieri, who woke an under-performing Ilya Kovalchuk and launched his epic streak in the second half. Who do you think deserves it?
All Aboard the Bandwagon to D.C. … Literally!
What’s a Devils fan to do when this year’s playoffs don’t include them? Jump on another team’s bandwagon of course! Every hockey fan does it. They pick two teams they’re going to pull for during the playoffs, one from each conference, and then see if they’re right. If not, they just continue to jump from bandwagon to bandwagon. I’v
e made my stance about who I’m rooting for in the East this year, some know who, others do not. But for one night I’m choosing to jump on the Washington Capitals bandwagon.
You see, my husband is a die-hard Rangers fan. So, any opportunity I can get to root against our Blue Shirt rivals, I jump at the opportunity. We decided earlier in the week that this would be a great experience for both of us, and one that we would both enjoy. After all, I did bring him to Chicago for a Devils/Blackhawks game last season, and he donned a Hawks jersey. So, it’s only fitting that I go to Washington and rock my Ovechkin t-shirt. Therefore , tomorrow morning we’ll head down to the D.C. area to do some sight-seeing, and get ready for Game 2 of the Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers series.
Having watched a lot of the Rangers/Caps games all season, this is still anyone’s series for the taking. The Rangers outscored the Caps 17-6 and took the season series 3-1. They also held Alexander Ovechkin to no goals and two assists. Last night however, Alexander Ovechkin got on the board and tied the game late in the 3rd period. The game headed to overtime and the Caps came out with the victory.
The Capitals lead the 7 game series 1-0. Game 2 is tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. and I can’t wait to enjoy some playoff hockey. I’ll be rocking my red one way or another, even if it is for a different team.
Go Caps Go!
Nordiques Nation invades The Rock!
Nordiques Nation
The Nordiques Nation was in attendance for the Devils last game of the season on Sunday against Boston, all 2,000 of them with their blue shirts, face paint, and resident sasquatch. They took up a few sections in the upper level and were scattered through each section of Prudential, chanting and cheering on the Devils… and The Nordiques Nation, of course.
Their goal is to bring it to the attention of the NHL that they want a team back in Quebec. It’s been 16 years without a team after the Quebec Nordiques moved and became the Colorado Avalanche in 1995. Each period, the Nordiques would start a countdown to the 16 minute mark and make noise for the next 30 seconds of play to mark the importance of 16. They were loud the entire game, started a pretty successful wave throughout the arena and were very organized! Chico made a few comments about the Nordiques not just being a haphazard group, “they have leaders!” (I know this because I watched the replay of the game later that night.. it’s hard to say goodbye!)
In the last few minutes of the game, the Nordiques Nation left their upper level seats to invade the lower half. Lines of blue filled the aisles of the lower level of the Prudential Center and the rest of the arena in red gave the Devils a standing ovation for the last minute of play as they won 3-2. It was a great game to finish the season. Everyone was happy, light-hearted and there to celebrate the team and its amazing run.
After the post game interview, I lingered in my seat for a few more minutes and got a little sentimental! It’s hard to think I wouldn’t be sitting in seat 10 for another few months – September can’t come fast enough.
Nordiques Nation
Devils Army Rises Up
Habs vs Bruins Game Four NHLtweetup / Viewing Party!
The Devils’ season is over, but the NHL playoffs are just beginning! What better way to enjoy them than to get together with your fellow Devils (and hockey) fans to watch some hockey!
The Devils Army will be getting together to watch Game 4 of the Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins series on Thursday, April 21st at Cryan’s Beef & Ale House in South Orange!
We will have our own private room, drink specials, and the Devils will be supplying some very cool giveaways and prizes!
If you’ve joined us for previous NHLtweetups, you know it’s always a great time. So, whether you’re a Devils fan, Habs fan, Bruins fan…or just a hockey fan in general, you’ll want to join us once again for a very fun event!
You can head on over to NHLtweetup.com to RSVP for this event.
Cryan’s is located less than a block from the South Orange train station.
You can find directions to Cryan’s by clicking here.
We Earned It
We have had a pretty crazy season. We picked up a great player in Kovalchuk, lost our star Parise to a knee injury, the return of Jaque Lemaire, saw Hedberg make incredible saves while Marty wasn’t looking to hot, had a terrible first half and are finishing it up on fire – but are missing the play offs for the first time since 1996! That’s a whole lot for a fan to handle. But I have to say, we handled it pretty well!
We never give up. We rocked our red, defended our boys and always knew that we had what it took to make a great team. We are all proud of the Devils and proud to be members of the Devils Army. We have a whole section, the NJ Devils Supporters Section, dedicated to those fans who like to be heard and are offering season tickets to join them at every game. We have even taken our fan community to another level with the launch of Mission Control and the Devils Army Generals earlier this year, bringing the fans in closer to the organization instead of leaving them on the concourse.
We are the best fans and the team knows it! They mention how great it is to hear us support them and how much it means to them while they’re on the ice. The Devils employees put together a LIPDUB in honor of us. The annual Fan Appreciation Day is coming up, landing on our last game of the season on April 10th and I think it is well deserved! In addition to the normal Fan Fest with music, food and games, Sunday the fans will have the chance to win great prizes and receive a team poster on their way out.
This is a great team to be a fan of. With 1,000 first time season ticket holders signing up for next season, it’s obvious that people can not get enough of Devils hockey! The Devils Army is growing and next year is our year.
The Rock
