The New Jersey Devils certainly have had a recent look at their playoff opponent as their final regular season game was against the same Carolina Hurricanes and it was the only time in the teams four meetings that the Devils came out on top.
I had concerns about each of the three teams that the Devils entered the final weekend with possibilities of playing.
Pittsburgh has the outstanding talent,Philadelphia has the rivalry,while Carolina is one of those fly under the radar teams that are so scary to play in the first round.
I always had a soft spot for the Hartford Whalers and the way the Hurricanes left the town always bothered me,along with the lack of support that the southern teams always give their teams makes me dislike Carolina far more than I usually would.
In any event,it is Carolina and they enter the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league,but remember that is not always a barometer of playoff success,remember the Devils of 06-07,who roared out of nowhere to win the division title and resulted in playoff disappointment.
Many times teams that play their best hockey late in the season find the gas tank low when they need it most.
Carolina is paced by 40 goals scorer Eric Staal,team point leader Ray Whitney (who it seems like played with Bobby Orr) and Tuomo Ruutu,who makes the list of the day lower in the post.
The Hurricanes also have an aspect the Devils do not with not just one but two scoring threats from the defensive corps with Anton Babchuk (16 goals) and Joe Corvo (14).
The Devils lack any defender with the scoring capability of either player and that has helped to choke off offensive flow from the Devil power play at times this season.
I am not as big of a fan of Cam Ward as others are,but when Ward gets on a roll-he has the potential to dominate a series.
The Hurricanes also return one of my most hated players in Erik Cole after shipping him to Edmonton in the off season and Cole could play a big part in the series as he has had success in the past against the Devils.
Barring any last minute changes-the Devils will have the following lineup for tonight.
Forwards: Zach Parise-Travis Zajac-Jamie Langenbrunner; Patrik Elias-Dainius Zubrus-Brian Gionta; Jay Pandolfo-John Madden-Brendan Shanahan; Mike Rupp-Brian Rolston-David Clarkson.
Defensemen: Johnny Oduya-Paul Martin; Colin White-Mike Mottau; Bryce Salvador-Niclas Havelid.
Goaltender: Martin Brodeur.
Healthy scratches will be Andy Greene,Jay Leach,Pierre LeBlond,Rod Pelley (Up from Lowell) and Bobby Holik.
The Hurricanes are capable of winning this series and considering the way the Devils finished the season,I can see why some observers are picking Carolina to pull the only upset in the first round.But the Devils are more well rounded,better defensively and have an edge in net.
Devils in six.
List of the day
Five forwards that I have always wanted to see the Devils acquire.This list is not always the most talented,just guys that I like the way they play the game and would be a good fit in Red and Black.
1:Milan Lucic-Boston
2:Olli Jokinen-Calgary
3:Tuomo Ruutu-Carolina
4:Richard Park-New York Islanders
5:Vinny Prospal-Tampa Bay
Don't forget to take our new poll!
Photo Credits-Chris Creamers Sports Logo Page
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