Hello there!! I’m sure you either already know me and what I’ve done in the past (10 years of Devils recaps, mostly through emails and a Devils Mailing list, but also archived somewhat on www.crasherline.net) or you have no idea who the fuck I am and could really care less about some boring introduction from me and who I am… so I’ll spare the bullshit and just get to what you wanted to read here!

But I will bore you (well not too much I hope) with what I think the keys to this series are…. for the Devils:
–Martin Brodeur MUST be Martin Brodeur and not the poster boy for average goaltending he was in the first round (again there’s no need for him to EVER play 78 games like he did this year in the regular season)
–the scorers need to keep scoring (re: Gomez, Gionta, Parise and Langenbrunner)
–I don’t think this Devils team is built to shut ANYONE down anymore (and the 7 playoff games this year show this), but John Madden/Jay Pandolfo/Sergei Brylin MUST be better then they were last series (and should be because Ottawa is better but not FASTER then Tampa is)

And now what Ottawa needs:
–Stay the course, they SMOKED a really good and high tempo Penguins team making them look like minor leaguers in the process (well aside of Fleury and Crosby)
–Don’t fear the Madden match-up… like I just stated, the Devils shut down line ain’t what it used to be and if you can use that match-up to keep the Devils offensive guns off the ice… go for it!
–Depth and Grinding… Ottawa can go four lines and six D… I don’t know if the Devils can
– Joe Corvo… watch this man UNLOAD from the point if the Devils give him time on the power play.. his shot is scary good….
– Ray Emery, average is good enough with the team he has in front of him and I think he’s better for the most then he gets credit for (he was bad tonight though)

Tonight’s game was a baffling, hard to explain contest, much like most of the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals (well what you could endure of Gary Thorne and Bill Clement’s ear bleeding play by plays of the games)…. anytime one team took control of the game and it looked like it was time to go home… Case in point 4-0 Ottawa when Martin Brodeur was missing saves like me on the roller hockey rink 4 hours into a 95 degree game session in July)… Ottawa took a quick lead 90 seconds into the contest (and the stats show like 80% of the team’s who score first win this year) and then just steamrolled the Devils most of the period keeping them bottled up and just looking worse then the Atlanta Thrashers did last round…but then just as Dean McAmmond scored a brutal shorthanded goal that had every fan in the building (and if you expect me to comment on the attendance go find a tall building to jump off, because any fan who endures that out of date inaccessible shithole deserves a medal and 50% discount on our entrance into a civilized arena!), but a minute after ruling the game over… Travis Zajac gives you a flicker of life to hold onto into the second period and the Devils Storm the Castle and make a game out of it, cutting the lead to 4-3 with good effort and equally as BAD goaltending from Ray Emery (it was like he said “Hey Marty any suck you can do I can do better!”) and two long goals by Brian Gionta and Andy Green making it a hockey game again.

But the big comeback was not to be as the 3rd period arrived and only 43 seconds into the period Wade Redden iced the game with another seemingly stoppable wrister (at least from my seats in Section 216)… and that made the hill too big to climb over and only some more Zach Parise magic with 30 seconds to go (does any team score more with the empty net then the Devils do?) made it just mildly interesting… and not bad for the league’s most boring team … yeah you know… the one on top of all the offensive stats (2 guys with 7 goals and Gomez near the top in assists, points and contract demands!) and the only team left playing with a worse team GAA is the San Jose Sharks, but that will change once Nabokov’s Shutout is added into the stats…. so yeah it is boring… we get 3-5 goals a game from the same freaking guys!!! Makes you wonder what a difference even half a Patrik Elias would have done in this game on the top line instead of the unimpressive Erik Rasmussen and the overwhelmed by the playoffs David Clarkson…. but that’s why they play seven games right ???

We have a guest coming in for the next couple of days. He’s a favorite of mine and Derek’s, and a very rare Devils fan without a panic button taped to his forhead whenever this team loses a PERIOD!

Most of you know him from NJDevs and Crasherline.net, ladies and gentleman, welcome Scott, AKA CRASHER!

He’ll be posting very soon and covering the 1st 2 games of NJ-OTT for us. Enjoy his ramblings! And believe me, there will be ramblings.

Hmm…No Rags stuff today after their loss to the Sabres 5-2.

New Jersey Devils and VERSUS/NBC lead Play-by-Play man Mike “Doc” Emrick on Mike and the Dog’s morning show:

http://wfan.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=672204

Buffalo Sabres Owner Thomas Golisano:

http://wfan.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=672205

Before they drop the puck in Buffalo! I am pretty relaxed about this series. Facing my best friend’s team kind of sucks. But that’s life. In order to move on, you have to beat the best. This will be a very difficult series for the Rangers.

Thinking about what Buffalo can bring on offense is daunting. Every line has unbelievable skill, speed and finishing ability. The Rangers will have to play a near flawless game to win. Meaning no silly turnovers, remaining disciplined and a solid forecheck. And oh yeah. Great goaltending which they have been getting.

I will be having extensive coverage over at my site on each series. Let’s drop the puck already!

Hitting Back

TSN/NBC’s Pierre McGuire on Mike and the Mad Dog:

http://wfan.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=668957

NJ RW Jamie Langenbrunner with Evan and Joe:

http://www.wfan.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=668444

NYR C Michael Nylander with Evan and Joe:

http://www.wfan.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=668443

Eastern Conference

#5 Buffalo vs. #1 NY Rangers
Steve: Sabres in 6
Derek: Sabres in 6 (NOTE: This is the 2nd Round in a row that Derek has picked against NYR!)

#4 Ottawa vs. #2 New Jersey
Steve: Devils in 7
Derek: Senators in 6

Western Conference

#6 San Jose vs. #1 Detroit
Steve: Sharks in 6
Derek: Red Wings in 7

#3 Vancouver vs. #3 Anaheim
STEVE AND DEREK: Ducks in 5

Rangers and Sabres Game 1, VanCity and The O.C. at 10, all on VERSUS, even in the local markets. Enjoy your hockey, and enjoy Round 2!

Here is the local TV Schedule for the Rangers-Buffalo series:

Game 1 - April 25 - 7:00 - VERSUS
Game 2 - April 27 - 7:00 - MSG
Game 3 - April 29 - 2:00 - NBC 4
Game 4 - May 1 - 7:00 - VERSUS
Game 5 - May 4 - 7:00 - MSG
Game 6 - May 6 - 2:00 - NBC 4
Game 7 - May 8 - 7:00 - MSG

The Devils have yet to announce a TV schedule, but here is how their series will likely go:
Game 1 - April 26 - 7:00 - FSNY
Game 2 - April 28 - 8:00 - VERSUS
Game 3 - April 30 - 7:00 - FSNY
Game 4 - May 2 - 7:00 - FSNY
Game 5 - May 5 - 8:00 - VERSUS
Game 6 - May 7 - 7:00 - FSNY
Game 7 - May 9 - 7:00 - FSNY

Well, it says Sean Avery is supposed to appear on MTV’s TRL. No sign yet.

MEDIA BUZZ (all times ET)
New York Rangers forward SEAN AVERY: Today at 3:30 p.m. on MTV’s “TRL”

He certainly was a big part of the Rangers’ sweep of Atlanta and will once again need to be a factor against Buffalo if his team is to pull the upset in the Conference Semis.

Some other stuff:

HE SAID IT
“I can’t believe you’re that good” — Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur to Lightning forward Vincent Lecavalier during the post-series handshake.

Nice compliment from one champion to the other. I’m sure the feeling was mutual.

Here’s an article from the Tampa Tribune on Brodeur’s turnaround:

Brodeur Back On Form For Devs

“We knew it was going to come sooner or later,” Lightning coach John Tortorella said of Brodeur’s Hall of Fame form. “And the last two games, I thought he was the difference.”

Well, I’ve finally recovered from the Isles’ tumultuous season, with Hill’s suspension the icing on the cake. Looking ahead to the summer, it will be interesting to see what the team’s roster shapes up to look like by September. Of course, the Isles will make a pitch for Smyth, but I feel he will go back to Canada, probably Calgary. Blake is going to want more years than the Isles are willing to give and I expect him to walk as well.

I strongly feel that Yashin should be bought out. He has got to be the worst captain in the history of the NHL. He does not produce, and does not lead the team either. No one on that team would shed a tear if he was gone.

Trent Hunter and Aaron Asham are also two guys I’m wondering about. To me, Hunter had about six weeks of very good play, just after the new year. Yes, Hunter leaves it all on the ice, but where is the value added? Asham has a wicked shot and can play tough, but he rarely shoots and is fairly invisible.

DP looks like he may actually earn his contract as long as his noggin holds out. Dunham proved his worthlessness. I’d actually consider Dubie as the back up for next year. Randy Robitaille? I keep reading quotes by Nolan regarding how valuable he has been. I have seen very little to get excited about and would jettison him in a heartbeat.

Hilbert and Park played important roles and have a lot of heart - I’d keep them around.
Satan? I’d trade his lazy butt to someone in return for a kid with promise or even a high draft pick.

Kozlov? Enigma. As lazy as he seems to be much of the time, the numbers were very good. Keeper.

Simon - I’d like to replace him with a younger, faster character guy with toughness, but I’m not sure who that would be.

Defense - I thought Witt was incredible this season. A leader on and off the ice. In fact, if Smyth does not stay, I would make him a captain.

So this leads us the UFA season - and I have just three words to say: Defense, Defense, Defense.
I would get rid of the dead wood and build from DP out. I’d stockpile at least 2 top tier D men and pair them with Witt, Bergeron, Gervais, and Martinek. I would keep Campoli as a 7th defenseman if Hill is not retained, that would only play when Martinek suffers his annual injury. I would kick Freddy Meyer out the door. I’d only keep Poti id we could not get 2 top UFAs. The D would then look like:

UFA
UFA
Witt
Bergeron
Gervais
Martinek
Hill/Campoli

I thought Hill was awesome this year. Many will say that was completely due to roids, but I’m not convinced. I think he was looking for an edge at his age, but still think he can get it done, especially as part of the third pairing, getting less minutes.

Who to get on D? I’d go for Rafalski and Hannan. Raf to rush the puck and Hannan to stay back. A. Markov is probably too expensive. Sarich would be an excellent signing. Souray is too weak defensively. Redden would also be an excellent choice.

As for the offense, if we build a solid D, it will take care of itself. I would make sure to get Bergenheim back here and would also give spots to Nielsen and Tambellini as well. Their time has come.

It has been an exciting season, but in the end, a first round boot does not get it done. Yes, they played top seeded Buff, but you know what, Buff did not impress me as much as I expected. I think they can be beat, and I think the Rangers may be just the team to do it. The Rags can play tough, which the Sabres do not like - and can put a lot of pressure on the opponent’s D when they feel like it. and so far this playoff season, the Rags seem to have the right mindset.

I predict Rags in 6.

-Rob

Once again as with Rangers-Sabres, I constructed this one during the second period and intermission of Calgary and Detroit which are tied 1-1 with 9:07 left in Game Six.

I’ll post the whole thing here though. For more hard hitting info on puck or other sports, it’s Hitting Back!

Forwards-The Devils rely on their top two lines for most of the scoring. The line of Zach Parise (6 goals), Travis Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner has been their most consistent all season. Though they didn’t connect in the last two wins, they’re always dangerous due to their aggressive forecheck. If they’re not scoring, then it will be up to the EGG line of Patrik Elias, Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta (5 goals). Criticized throughout their first round against the Bolts, the trio got better as it went on and has a huge hand in turning the series in their favor. They’ll need to be even bigger against Ottawa. As usual, the checking line of Jay Pandolfo, John Madden and Sergei Brylin will draw the assignment of stopping the Sens’ dynamic top line of Daniel Alfredsson (3-3-6), Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley. They’ll play a large role in how the series goes.

Aside from that dynamic trio which was excellent against Pittsburgh in their five-game First Round win, the Sens also get balanced scoring from their supporting cast up front which includes underrated pivots Mike Fisher and Antoine Vermette. Chris Kelly and Mike Comrie also had good series against the Pens combining for seven points (5-2-7). Grinders such as Peter Schaefer and Dean McAmmond can’t be overlooked. Neither can the brute of pest extraordinaire Chris Neil, who does a bit of everything. Unless Devil brass has a change of heart and dresses enforcer Cam Janssen, they’ll have no answer for Neil’s antics.

Slight Edge: Sens

Defense- The Devils are led by Brian Rafalski offensively. He’ll get the bulk of the work. With Colin White still questionable, figure Richard Matvichuk to continue to get big minutes. He was vital in swinging the Tampa series. How will his back hold up? You know the Sens will test it. Paul Martin and Brad Lukowich were steady against the Bolts. They’ll need to be even better in this one. Rookie Andy Greene came one in the last couple and can chip in offensively. But the goal for him is to not make any glaring mistakes. Ditto for Johnny Oduya, who can be forced in the corners. This isn’t your prototypical Devils unit but they can be effective.

Ottawa will match the tandem of Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov against either the Parise line or Egg line. They both have size and are physical making it tough on opponents. Each can also skate well and contribute if needed. With them drawing the checking assignment, it lightens the load on Wade Redden and Andrej Meszaros. Both are excellent skating D who can jump into the rush. They are extremely dangerous on the power play as is Joe Corvo, who likes to bomb away from the point. There’s also the most underrated D on the roster in the solid Tom Preissing who can do everything well. It’s worth mentioning that in Round One, Bryan Murray used seven defensemen. He also mixed in Christoph Schubert, who is a decent skater but is nothing special. Will they try the same formula here? Remains to be seen. But this unit can make teams pay.

Edge: Sens

Goalies- Martin Brodeur will be matched against second-year netminder Ray Emery. On paper, it looks like a mismatch. But Emery has played well and given his team confidence. The good news for the Devils is that Brodeur finally returned to form in the last seven periods only permitting two goals (both PP). In order for the Devils to advance, the three-time Cup winner will have to be just as brilliant in this series. He did it to the Sens four years ago. We’ll see how it goes here. Emery will have to also be equally as good for his team. The challenge will be shutting down the Devils top two lines. They’re particularly dangerous around the net. So they should pose more of a threat than the Pens shooters did.

Edge: Devils

Coaches- Lou Lamoriello is coach in name only. He defers to assistants John MacLean and Jacques Laperriere to change personel. Murray has been around forever and never been great. He’s used the underdog role all Spring. Expect more of the same now.

Edge: Even

Prediction: The Devils do have home ice. So after careful consideration, we think it will be a little closer than earlier today. However, I just see that Ottawa blueline making a difference in this one. They have a huge edge there. Look also for the grinding style of the Ottawa forwards to wear on their opponents who just got through a tough series in which Tampa pounded them. The Sens are a little better geared for this one. It’s revenge served cold.

Ottawa in six because this team is extremely focused and way overdue on delivering a big playoff run for Canada. They’re the best team we’ve seen so far in this tournament.