Fast Start-No Finish

The New Jersey Devils came out for Game 3 of their series with the Florida Panthers with all guns blazing as they ripped off three goals in the first 6:16 and seemed to be on their way to a rout.
However,the Panthers answered each,added one more and had the luck of the Irish as New Jersey had the game tying goal taken off the board with a mildly controversial call for a 4-3 Florida win and a 2-1 edge for the Panthers in the series.
Devils goals to Patrik Elias(power play),Stephen Gionta and Zach Parise.
Game four will be Thursday night in New Jersey with game five Saturday in Miami,which means hit and run for the Lakewood Blue Claws at the Muni....

Before I go to Hell Raisers,a quick pair of notes for the seamheads.
The Pirates road trip out to the left coast has made things tough to follow,hang in there-it gets better.
I also have not forgotten the latest saga in the battle for a new stadium for the Hagerstown Suns with the unveiling of the study of the Ripken Group as far as feasibility for a new ballpark.
The city council heard the study yesterday and there are plans for a public forum next week on the matter.
I do plan on attending and hopefully will have the chance to speak.
Now,bear with the following lines from an extremely frustrated author.

Hell Raisers

1) I have seen this game before and I noted it to Rachel after the third goal and the resulting 3-0 lead.
Not right away though,not until I saw former Devil Scott Clemmensen skate onto the ice in place of Jose Theodore.
I thought back to this night in November and wondered about a blown lead and Clemmensen in net.
It would prove to be quite haunting...

2) The controversy on the "fourth" goal that was waved off.
The referee ruled no goal due to incidental contact between Steve Bernier and Scott Clemmensen on a Marek Zidlicky goal.
By the letter of the law that states there can be incidental contact that does not result in a penalty,yet can result in a goal that is disallowed.
So the taking of the goal is legal,that does not mean the rule is good.
If contact is not enough to call a penalty,then it should not be enough to disallow a goal....

3) Martin Brodeur was pulled out in the second period and at least two of the three goals that he allowed were not great goals,but the decision by Peter DeBoer to remove Brodeur appears to be a panic move to losing a three goal lead and the Panthers pulling Jose Theodore after three goals.
Brodeur was playing under par,but I still wonder about that call.
Brodeur will get the start for Game four...

4) Recall the Game two post in which we looked at the Florida power play? Well,three of the four goals for the Panthers were scored with the man advantage.
For all the vaunted stats on the Devils record setting penalty killing,it is the Florida power play that has made the difference in the last two games...

5) And just what allows the power play to exist?
Penalties and the Devils were taking dumb one after dumb one.
Patrik Elias for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Bryce Salvador for roughing and the dumbest of all-Petr Sykora's high sticking.
All avoidable penalties and all led to Panther goals...

6) I did like Marek Zidlicky's game as one of few.
Andy Greene was good and Mark Fayne was not bad,but Anton Volchenkov was slow and bad.
Volchenkov is not Bobby Orr on his best day,but Florida is finding a way to isolate fast forwards on the Russian defensemen and that is making the veteran look VERY bad....

7) Not much else that I can say.
Home ice has been handed back,but 2-1 is not too bad compared to 3-0,but the energy level must move up and used for an entire game.
Game 4 is a must win.

Photo Credit:AP Photo