The best thing you can say about a five-game series is that at least it wasn’t a sweep.  However, the Devils’ pattern of losing in five games is growing quite tiresome - 2004 against the Flyers, 2006 against Carolina, last year against Ottawa and now this year against the Rangers. 

It wasn’t as if the team went down without a fight, in some ways tonight was probably their best game of the series.  Unfortunately they were let down by Martin Brodeur, who let up at least two soft goals during a decisive first period where the Devils outplayed the Rangers, took an early lead after a Brian Gionta goal and still found themselves behind 3-1 by the end of the period after goals from Michael Roszival, Jaromir Jagr and yes, Scott Gomez again. 

After another Ranger goal by Chris Drury in the second it would have been easy for the Devils to pack their tents and fold.  But showing resiliency, New Jersey fought back.  Granted Bryce Salvador’s goal that brought the score to 4-2 was quite lucky, but sometimes you make your own breaks when you put the puck towards the net.  In Salvador’s case his long shot from behind the blueline deflected in off a Ranger, and awakened the Devil fans in attendance, however many there might have been (more on that later).  Soon after, the Rangers took two consecutive penalties giving New Jersey a 5-on-3, which Patrik Elias converted on, scoring off a netmouth scramble to make the game 4-3, where it would stay going into the third period.

As it turned out the major moment of suspense in the final twenty minutes came when Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi hauled down John Madden on a breakaway, giving the Devils a penalty shot with a chance to tie the game.  Unfortunately for Madden, his shot found nothing but Henrik Lundqvist’s pads.  Brandon Dubinsky scored an empty-net goal with a minute left to sew up the game 5-3 and the series 4-1, both in favor of the Rangers.    

As for the postgame contreversies with Lundqvist basically taking a victory lap around the Rock and Brodeur refusing to shake Sean Avery’s hand, I’m pro on each of them. 

Why shouldn’t Lundqvist acknowledge the thousands of Ranger fans in attendance?  Hell, the Rock had become MSG2 by that point anyway.  Maybe it’ll give the Devil fanbase a much-needed wakeup call, because as someone in attendance tonight was an utter embarassment.  Not to me personally, since I did what I could to support the team but to the fanbase as a whole.  The players held up their end and didn’t give up but far too many of the fans who sold their tickets in an elimination game did. 

Apparently Ken Daneyko even called out Devils fans in the postgame, I’ll certainly be interested to see the tape on that later.  It must have been hard for him to do as someone who bleeds red and has done as much for that fanbase as anyone who has ever worked for the team.

And why should Brodeur have to show class to someone that has none in Avery?  Especially given Avery’s repeated references to Marty’s well-publicized divorce among his other trash talking and idiosyncrascies.  I know to an extent it’s part of the game but Avery not only crosses the line, he lives over it.  At a certain point it just went beyond the boundaries of hockey.  Marty may have had a terrible series on the ice but he doesn’t have to prove to anyone he’s the bigger person, he already is.  Though that isn’t really saying much in this case. 

The funny part is I half predicted it to a friend, when I said during the first intermission I’d be semi-interested to see whether Marty shakes Avery’s hand or not.

Anyway, I’ve said my piece on the game - or at least what little I was compelled to write, and will post an overall Devils season recap once the dust settles.