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Summing Up The Season: My Feelings From an Unforgettable Season
The 2011-2012 New Jersey Devils season will be one I will never forget. From a fan’s perspective, I watched my beloved Devils defeat two of our biggest rivals (Flyers, Rangers) and come within two wins of a 4th Stanley Cup. Off the ice, I also got my first taste of the business side of sports working and writing as a Devils Army General. It was a great experience for me to interact with other fans who are just as passionate about the team as I am. This is something I definitely want to continue doing for future seasons.
Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 Preview: Devils Seek 2-1 Series Lead Back At the Rock
Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round 3
New Jersey (9-5) at New York (9-7)
1:00 P.M. ET
TV: NBC
Radio: Bloomberg 1130 AM
After outplaying, out-coaching, and outclassing (36 word press conference Tortorella, really?) the New York Rangers in game 2, the Devils head back to home ice with a chance at consecutive victories and a 2-1 series lead. On Wednesday night, the Devils were able to get three goals by Henrik Lundqvist, who made life extremely difficult for the Devils in his shutout back on Monday. Helped by another superb outing by the 40 year old going on 30 Martin Brodeur, New Jersey was able to get back in the series and avoid returning home with a deep 2-0 hole to overcome. Captain Zach Parise was especially satisfied with the Devils improved effort, stating “…we felt that we could definitely bring it up a notch from the first game and we could play a lot better and we did. I think our intensity was better, our compete level was better and we did a good job on the boards.”
Eastern Conference Finals Game 2 Preview; Devils Aim For MSG Split
Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round 3
New Jersey (8-5) at New York (9-6)
8:00 P.M. ET
TV: NBCSN, CBC
Radio: Bloomberg 1130 AM
If all goes well for the Devils in game 2, they will head back to the Prudential Center with not only momentum, but more importantly the series tied at 1. Sounds familiar? It should. It was only about two weeks ago where the Devils were in the same position they are in right now, and we all know how that ended up. Four consecutive and dominating victories later, the Devils overcame their game 1 struggles en route to a bid with their arch nemesis New York Rangers. Being in this position before has helped keep the Devils composure after a game 1 loss, and Ilya Kovalchuk stressed the importance of moving on to a crucial game 2: “It’s happened with us before where we lose one game and then we’ll see what’s going to happen. Tomorrow is a must-win game for us and we just have to be focused and do our best. We know what to do to be successful and we just have to do that.”
Stanley Cup Playoffs Game #5 Preview – Florida Panthers vs. New Jersey Devils
Stanley Cup Playoffs
New Jersey Devils vs. Florida Panthers
6:30 PM E.T.
TV: MSG Plus (HD), NHLN-US, TSN, RDS, SUN (HD)
Radio: WFAN 660 or SiriusXM 92
In a crucial game 5 with the series tied 2-2, tonight’s game will determine if the Devils head back to the Prudential Center in game 6 looking to close out the series, or only play to stay alive for one more game. The Devils realize the importance of this game and as Ilya Kovalchuk stated, its a “huge game for both teams and I think that will be the deciding game in the series.” This under the radar first round playoff matchup is now set to a best of 3 series, with 2 of the 3 possible games remaining to be skated in Florida. The Bank Atlantic Center will be loud, as it was in games 1 and 2, but the Devils have been a solid road team all year and will not be intimidated.
Leading up to tonight, this series has been so up and down, back and forth, for both teams. Multiple seemingly insurmountable leads have been blown, goaltending has been inconsistent on both sides, and as a result the momentum has gone just like the series: back and forth. However, the momentum factor is definitely in the Devils hands right now. Coming off of a dominating 4-0 win in front of a sell out crowd in New Jersey, the Devils are feeling good about their play right now. Game 4 was the best 60 minute effort the Devils have had in this series, and if they are going to have any success against the gritty Florida Panthers in game 5, another 60 minute effort is key. Fortunate for the Devils and their fans’ sake, they were treated to a game of vintage Marty Brodeur goaltending, as he broke the NHL’s playoff record for most shutouts, picking up his 24th. Additionally, the Devils must stay out of the penalty box. Although they were able to kill off all 6 Florida power plays in game 4, led by Kris Versteeg, they have a dangerous power play unit that has been successful in this series. The #1 ranked PK that the Devils bring has not been up to par with its success during the regular season, but they hope to carry over their PK efforts in game 4 over to tonight.
On the other side of the rink, things are not as set in stone in terms of goaltending as they are in New Jersey, with Brodeur set to play in his 178th straight playoff game. Kevin Dineen once again has to make the call on whether to go back to Scott Clemmensen or Jose Theodore. Clemmensen was the hero in game 3 after Theodore had surrendered a 3-0 lead in the first six minutes, but the Devils were eventually able to score on him in game 4. Theodore was the starter for most of the regular season, but has looked extremely vulnerable early in this series. There are indications that Theodore will be back in net tonight, but Dineen has not officially announced the starter. The Devils will not make any lineup changes, and will go with the same group that they have gone with since the start of the series. Jason Garrison, a key component of Florida’s powerplay, is questionable tonight after not playing in game 4. The Devils are trying to win back to back playoff games for the first time since 2007 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Panthers’ projected lineup:
Fleischmann – Weiss – Versteeg
Bergenheim – Goc – Samuelsson
Wolski – Matthias – Upshall
Sturm – Madden – Kopecky
Garrison (questionable) – Campbell
Kulikov – Weaver
Jovanovski – Gudbranson
Theodore
Clemmensen
Devils’ projected lineup:
Parise – Zajac – Kovalchuk
Sykora – Elias – Zubrus
Ponikarovsky – Henrique – Clarkson
Carter – S. Gionta – Bernier
Greene – Fayne
Salvador – Zidlicky
Volchenkov – Harrold
Brodeur
Hedberg
Game 79 Preview: Your New Jersey Devils at Carolina Hurricanes
New Jersey Devils (44-28-6, 94 points) at Carolina Hurricanes (31-31-16, 78 points)
7:00 PM E.T.
TV: MSG Plus
Radio: WFAN 660 A.M.
Last year at this time, as all of us die hard fans know, the Devils took the ice in their last handful of games playing mostly for their own sense of pride. After their miraculous second half eventually became too much to overcome following a dreadful first half, the Devils packed the bags early for the first time since the 1995-1996 season. Oh how things have changed in a year. One year later, the Devils are on the verge of clinching a playoff birth, and sending perhaps the most explosive team to the playoffs since their magical 2003 Stanley Cup run. All that stands in their way: the Carolina Hurricanes and an always rowdy RBC center crowd.
Game 71 (Calder Trophy Showdown) Preview: Your New Jersey Devils (Henrique) vs. Colorado Avalanche (Landeskog)
New Jersey Devils (40-25-5, 87 points) vs. Colorado Avalanche (38-30-4, 80 points)7:00 PM EDT
TV: MSG +2
Radio: WFAN 660AM
In the midst of their own version of “March Madness,” the Devils tough March continues tonight against a hungry, on the playoff bubble, Colorado Avalanche team that currently holds the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. This will be the 2nd and last time the two teams match up, and for the Devils sake, they hope it ends with a better result. Back on November 30th in the Pepsi Center, the young Avs dominated the Devils, a team still searching for their identity then, in a 6-1 rout with the lone goal coming from Ilya Kovalchuk.
Tonight will be an opportunity for the Devils to make up for their lackluster effort on Tuesday against the Flyers. The Devils barely tested Ilya Bryzgalov, producing only 17 shots and getting shutout for only the 4th time this season. It was a disappointing game for them, being unable to carry along the momentum they had gained from the past 4 straight victories. Ilya Kovalchuk’s 5 game point streak was also snapped, and he remains on the cusp of reaching 400 goals, still stuck with 399. After being outshot 29-17, DeBoer called the Devils “outcompeted” by the Flyers. Although Captain Zach Parise didn’t believe the Devils played their best brand of hockey, he did give credit to how the Flyers performed stating “… tonight it seemed like we didn’t do enough to challenge him [Bryzgalov] enough. We made it pretty easy for him. I think he saw a lot of the shots. We weren’t able to get rebounds. It’s a credit to the way they play too. They just didn’t give us much.” With that loss, the Devils now sit in 6th place in the Eastern Conference with 85 points. With 9 other East teams in action tonight, a Devils have an opportunity to gain ground on a lot of teams depending on the outcomes of the other games. Returning to the Prudential Center tonight should only help the Devils case: they have won three straight at home, outscoring opponents 13-3 in the process.
Meanwhile in Colorado, the Avs come to Newark in dire need of extending their current 3 game winning streak. With 80 points, they lead the Sharks, Flames, and Kings by only two points. However, if they are able to keep up this pace and secure a playoff spot, they will have gotten hot at the perfect time. In the past 12 games, the Avs are 9-3-0. They last hit the ice Wednesday, in which they won in dramatic fashion as Jamie McGinn forced overtime with just 2 seconds left in the 3rd period. Peter Mueller ended up scoring the lone goal in the shootout to lock up another victory for the surging Avalanche. A lot of the focus tonight will be on center Matt Duchene, a dynamic center is making his return to the lineup for the first time since March 6th, after the original prognosis had him sidelined until April. In 48 games this season, Duchene has registered 26 points on 13 goals and 13 assists. He may see limited ice time being it is his first game back, but he is always dangerous for Colorado.
Another story heading into tonight is the matchup between the two front runners for the Calder Trophy (NHL’s version of Rookie of the Year). Adam Henrique of the Devils, and Gabriel Landeskog of the Avalanche are both putting together fantastic rookie years, making the decision for the NHL award voters extremely difficult. Henrique and Landeskog are currently in a deadlock for the rookie lead in points scored, with both of them collecting 46. With a goal and an assist last night, Henrique was well aware that Landeskog had tied him for the lead, but insisted it will not be a factor for tonight: “He’s been fire lately, the last month,” Henrique said. “It makes it fun, going out there and playing. But it’s something you can’t focus on too much. You don’t want to take away from the game. It’s not me against him tonight. They’re in a tight race for a playoff spot, so we’re going to see their best game and we’re going to have to be a lot better.” Regardless of who wins, both players have had a tremendous impact on their teams this season. Adam Henrique’s game has been so solid this season that DeBoer has placed him on the top line with Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise. Landeskog leads all rookies with 20 goals, and his recent surge has the Avalanche clinging to a playoff spot.
Finally, the goaltending matchup tonight should bring back good (mostly) memories for Devils fans. With J.S. Giguere getting the nod from head coach Joe Sacco, and Martin Brodeur most likely starting for the Devils, a 2003 Stanley Cup rematch is in effect tonight. The Devils raised Lord’s Stanley Cup that year, defeating the Ducks in game 7, but Devils fans were shocked when Gary Bettman awarded the Conn Smythe trophy to Giguere – 7:25 into this video. Brodeur has lost his last three straight against the Avs, but comes into this game with a 16-8-6 record against them.
New Jersey Devils Projected Lineup
Parise – Henrique – Kovalchuk
Sykora – Elias – Zubrus
Ponikarovsky – Josefson – Clarkson
Boulton – Carter – Bernier
Greene – Fayne
Volchenkov – Larsson
Salvador – Zidlicky
Brodeur
Hedberg
Colorado Avalanche Projected Lineup
McGinn – Stastny – Jones
Landeskog – O’Reilly – Downie
Mueller – Duchene – Hejduk
McLeod – McClement – Oliver
Johnson – Hunwick
O’Byrne – Hejda
O’Brien – Wilson
Giguere
Varlamov
Game 69 Preview: Your New Jersey Devils vs. Philadelphia Flyers
New Jersey Devils (39-24-5, 83 points) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (39-21-7, 85 points)
7:00 pm EDT
TV: MSG Plus
Radio: WFAN 660 AM
Tonight’s matchup features two of the hottest teams in the NHL and starts a home-and-home split between the currently 6th seeded Devils, and their Atlantic Division foes and 5th place Philadelphia Flyers. The visiting Flyers skate into the Prudential Center as winners of five straight, including a 1-0 shootout victory last night over the Toronto Maple Leafs. They have excelled in the Prudential Center this season, by spoiling opening night for the Devils and their fans with a 3-0 shutout, and with a commanding 4-1 win in late January. Their 84th and 85th points yesterday were capped off by a MUST see deciding goal by captain Claude Giroux (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC9z3lC1Z6s), in which he displayed his unbelievably quick hands. Giroux is third in the NHL in scoring, trailing only the Hart Trophy favorites Evgeni Malkin and Steven Stamkos with his 79 points. The Devils have two players in the top 10 in scoring, starting with Ilya Kovalchuk’s team leading 68 points, and Patrik Elias not far behind with 65 of his own.
The Devils traveled from Long Island back to Newark today, fresh off of a 2-1 win featuring two clutch goals by David Clarkson and Marek Zidlicky (14 seconds apart) to secure the victory over the Isles. They have now been victorious in 4 of their past 5 games, and have a 3 game winning streak on the line tonight. Yesterday, the all reliable backup goaltender Johan Hedberg started and cashed in another strong start for the Devils, picking up his 15th win on the season, while also allowing Brodeur the chance to rest up before Sunday’s showdown with the offensive powerhouse Flyers. Pete DeBoer loved the performance he was able to get from “Moose,” stating, “It would have been a crime not to get the win for him the way he played.” Albeit was a long 118 minutes dating back to last weeks game on the Island, the Devils finally figured out a way to score on Isles goalie Anders Nilsson, as David Clarkson scored his 28th goal of the year. Clarkson has proven to be one of the Devils most consistent scorers this season. His 28 goals put him 2nd on the team behind Ilya Kovalchuk’s 29, and 5th on the team with 40 points. Zidlicky’s well deserved game winning goal shortly after was his first as a Devil, and his presence on the blue line has really helped solidify the Devils defense.
The Devils are tied head to head at 2-2 against the Flyers this season. They met last in the Wells Fargo Center on February 4th. This was a game which at one point seemed to be a blowout in favor of New Jersey, but the Flyers rallied from down 6-0 to make things interesting in what turned out to be a 6-4 Devils victory. The Flyers maintain a 2 point lead in the standings on the Devils (with a game in hand). A win for the Devils would not only push them into a tie for the number five seed in the Eastern Conference, but if they are able to beat the surging Flyers for a third time, it would also serve as a huge team morale boost. Philadelphia’s recent success (believe it or not) has largely been due to goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, who is finally performing like the goalie GM Paul Holmgren handed out a hefty 9 year 51.5 million dollar contract to over the summer. Bryzgalov is 8-2-0 in the last 11 games he has started, which includes three shutouts and a 1.95 GAA. Although it has not been confirmed yet, head coach Peter Laviolette will probably roll with the hot hand in Bryzgalov, and he would be starting his 12th consecutive game.
If the Flyers are going to have any success tonight against the Devils, they are going to have to somehow come up with a plan to slow down Ilya Kovalchuk, who has been on fire since snapping out of his nine game goal drought. Kovy has four goals and two assists in his past three games, including a hat trick against the Islanders. In four previous meetings with the Flyers this season, he has been productive scoring 1 goal and dishing out 4 assists. Flyers fans can remember from the last time these two rivals matched up that Kovalchuk can also drop the gloves, as they were treated to a completely one sided fight in which Kovy knocked out second year player Brayden Schenn.
Lastly, a milestone is also on the line tonight! Whether it be Bryzgalov or Bobrovsky in goal for Philadelphia, they will both be faced with a tough task at hand in beating a rested Martin Brodeur, who aims for his 650th win tonight. Brodeur looks to etch his name into the hockey history books again tonight (as if he doesn’t hold enough records) and would become the first goalie ever to reach the 650 mark. Brodeur has played Philly well over his career, entering tonight’s matchup with a 44-29-9 head to head record. The two Atlantic Division rivals will face off again Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Center.
Devils Projected Lineup (as of 4:00)
Parise – Henrique – Kovalchuk
Sykora – Elias – Zubrus
Ponikarovsky – Josefson – Clarkson
Boulton – Carter – Bernier
Greene – Fayne
Volchenkov – Larsson
Salvador – Zidlicky
Brodeur
Hedberg
Flyers Projected Lineup
Hartnell – Giroux – Jagr
Read – Briere – Simmonds
Talbot – Couturier – Rinaldo
Shelley – Wellwood – Schenn
Grossman – Coburn
Gustafsson – Carle
Manning – Lilja
Bobrovsky
Game 67 Preview: Your New Jersey Devils vs. New York Islanders
New Jersey Devils (37-24-5) vs. New York Islanders (28-29-9)
7:00 P.M. E.T.
TV: MSG+, MSG+2
Radio – 660 AM WFAN
The Devils face off against the Islanders tonight looking to carry the momentum they gained on Tuesday by beating their Hudson River Rivals, and 1st place in the Eastern Conference, New York Rangers. To do so, they must match the intensity they played with on Tuesday, in a game where the Devils forced turnovers, came up with timely scoring (Ilya Kovalchuk, David Clarkson, Ryan Carter, Patrik Elias) and essentially had the Rangers on their heels for most of the game. Newly acquired defensemen Marek Zidlicky had his best game as a Devil on Tuesday, registering a +1 rating and creating numerous chances throughout the game. Ilya Kovalchuk set the tone early, scoring 49 seconds in on Henrik Lundqvist, and the Devils added another three goals in the third period, arguably their best 20 minute period of the season. The result of the Devils winning in 4-1 fashion: fans were able to chant, “Marty’s Better” as the Blueshirts fans quietly exited Prudential Center.
Tonight’s game will be the 2nd out of 3 in this week between the Atlantic Division rivals. On Sunday at Nassau Coliseum, the Devils faced a disappointing 1-0 loss where they could not figure out Isles rookie goalie, Anders Nilsson. Nilsson stopped all 24 shots he was faced with en route to his first career win and shutout. Nilsson will not start again tonight with Evgeni Nabokov getting the nod, but the Islanders come to Prudential Center leading the season series 2-1 against the Devils. The Islanders will be well rested, having not played since beating the Devils on Sunday. It is important that the Devils play a 60 minute game, and stay out of the penalty box, both of which they were not able to do last Sunday.
The Devils will certainly be looking for revenge against the Islanders after their performance on Sunday. Said captain Zach Parise, “you could have put a peewee goalie in there the first two periods and he probably would have had a shutout too.” While they are still working to bolster their playoff spot and not fall out of the top eight spots, the Islanders currently sit 7 points out of the 8th seed, making every game crucial for them. Regardless, the Devils know and it is fresh in their minds that the Isles will not give them an easy time and that they can not underestimate them. Zach Parise said he expects similar play from the Isles that gave the Devils trouble on Sunday, and that “by no means are (the Islanders) out of it.”
The Islanders will look to match a season high three game winning streak, and get another road victory where they are only 13-15-4 this season. One player who is always a threat on the ice, center John Tavares, hopes to reverse recent trends against the Devils, where he has only 2 goals in 15 games against the Devils. Tavares leads the Isles with 63 points this season. Zach Parise hopes to continue his recent dominance over New York, tallying 16 points in his last nine home games vs the Islanders. Ilya Kovalchuk also has excelled against the Islanders lately, with 21 points in his last 16 match-ups. Ilya Kovalchuk looks to start regaining his scoring touch. Second on the team behind Zach Parise with 26 goals, Kovy finally broke a nine game goal drought against the Rangers.Additionally, the Devils will look forward to the return of left wing Alexei Ponikarovsky, who declared himself “ready to go” after he had missed the last three games with a sprained MCL in his right knee. As expected, Martin Brodeur will be in net for the Devils. Brodeur, who is winless in two starts against the Islanders this season, has done well against the Isles in the past, bringing in a 48-27-2 career record against them. The two teams will match up again on Saturday at Nassau Coliseum.
New Jersey Devils Projected Lineup
Parise – Henrique – Kovalchuk
Sykora – Elias – Zubrus
Ponikarovsky – Josefson – Clarkson
Boulton – Carter – Bernier
Greene – Fayne
Salvador – Larsson
Volchenkov – Zidlicky
Brodeur
Hedberg
Scratches – Janssen, Taormina
New York Islanders Projected Lineup
Moulson – Tavares – Parenteau
Ullstrom – Nielsen – Bailey
Niederreiter – Cizikas- Okposo
Pandolfo – Reasoner – Martin
Harmonic – Streit
MacDonald – Jurcina
Eaton – Staios
Nabokov
Nilsson
Scratches – Grabner, Reese
