One down to One up!

Sorry that I have not been around much.
Since today is the 25th anniversary of me marrying up with the lovely Cherie and both of us work on the actual anniversary,I have been very busy with my parents taking us out to eat,Cherie and I going out,working on the Greensboro Grasshoppers at the Muni etc has kept me busy and away from the keyboard.

However,if the absence means Devils victories then I will take it as the Devils went from being down two games to one to up three games to two with two wins in the interim.
The Devils played very well in winning game four 4-1 at the Rock and not very well,but stole a game that they usually would lose at MSG 5-3 in snipering (a word?) game five from the Rangers.
The Devils will attempt to close the show Friday night in Newark in the sixth game of the set.

Hell Raisers

1) Game four featured the Devils dominating the game and frustrating the Rangers to the point of taking cheap shots and dumb penalties.
I did not think the Mike Rupp punch to Marty Brodeur was that big of a deal other than to show just how out of control the Rangers were.

2) The key to both wins?
Getting to Henrik Lundqvist and making him have to look through traffic.
The Devils have succeeded in making Lundqvist struggle to make the routine saves and some of those are finding the net.


3) Another key? The Devils are finding ways to reach open men in front of the net while the Ranger defenders are chasing the puck.
The Devils scored goals in game five in this manner twice with the game winner by Ryan Carter occurring in just this manner.
Being able to get the puck out of the corners with skaters cutting to the net make Lundqvist much more vulnerable than usual and turns him into a goalie that has to be almost perfect.


4) I know I have a bias.
I admit it,we write about the Devils because they are my favorite team,but even if I was not a fan,I think that I could not stand John Tortorella.
His verbal back and forth with Pete DeBoer added fire to the heated rivalry between these teams and I enjoy that part of it,but some of the routine of the Ranger coach grows thin,which is why he tends to move around.


5) Martin Brodeur was brilliant in game four and less than stellar in game five.
Brodeur's puckhandling miscues led to two of the three Rangers goals and a bad bounce by Brodeur wound up in the net for the other goal.
The Devils were VERY fortunate to escape with a victory in a game that Brodeur made so many mistakes....


6) The Devils put just 16 shots against Lundqvist in game five.
Four of them went in and that shows the Rangers have been rattled,even if just for now.
Not that things will stay that way,but the frustration of being outplayed in game four and then losing despite outplaying the Devils in game five,the blueshirts have be wondering just how they are going to win two games in a row....


7) Who would have thought that the New Jersey Devils would be winning Eastern Conference Finals  games with huge contributions from a player that was claimed off waivers (Ryan Carter) and a player that spent almost the entire season with Albany?
Not me,but Ryan Carter and Stephen Gionta along with Steve Bernier were the Devils best line in the win at MSG.
When you can get those types of performances from the fourth line,you are going to win your share of games...


8) The referees have not covered themselves in glory in any of the games in the series,but this was the worst by far.
I think the calls have gone against both teams,but the kicked in second goal was the worst.
Why even bother with video review if that type of goal is allowed to stand?


9) The Devils will need to pick up the pace in game six because I do not believe the Rangers are going to roll over and die.
They will go down fighting and I do not see the Devils getting lucky twice in a row.


10) So we move to game six and we are about where we should be.
The Rangers took game one as the fortunate winner and the Devils took the fifth game that they really did not deserve,so things have been about right thus far.
Can the Devils win Friday night? They had better because it would be very unlikely that the Devils are going to win three of four games at MSG.
No predictions here,but I will say this-I like the Devils in six far more than the Devils chances in seven...


Photo Credit:Bruce Bennett-Getty Images