A Ranger fan’s view on a Devil fan’s eternal Hell

November 4, 2008   ·   Derek Felix   ·   Jump to comments

Let me first say that anytime you root for your favorite team, there can be that one player who becomes someone special which you separate putting them up on a pedestal. Nothing can take away that awe kinda feeling you have for that player because of how great they are and what they mean to your team.

As a kid growing up here, that player was Don Mattingly. Nobody was better than Donnie Baseball. I’d imitate his batting stance with my hands playfully and even play a game tossing a blue ball off our porch. The imagination can go a very long way when you’re young. Life was more simple and easier than the world we live in now where on Election Day, it could become the most historic due to circumstances.

I’m not here to talk about how that plays out. What I am here to do is tell you that when I first was told about Martin Brodeur’s elbow being a bit more serious, I didn’t want to believe it. It was close friend Brian Sanborn who cut and pasted the 3-4 months portion from TSN.CA. Still, I wasn’t totally convinced because I’d just been to that site minutes earlier and nothing. So, was this another classic trick from the man known as LOTCB (Legend of The Clown Banner) on njdevs?

We’ve been close ever since college when we went to St. John’s and sat in a basement for three hours. And one of the big parts of our friendship was always duping each other. Brian also had Brodeur on his fantasy hockey team. So, I just figured:

‘He’s gotta be kidding. Besides, the guy never seriously gets hurt.‘

Odd thing was that when he then told me he already IR’d Marty, only then did I start taking him seriously. Cause I was like, you can’t just IR a player unless there’s news. When I finally went back to tsn.ca, only then did I see it for my own very eyes that Brodeur- the man chasing idol Patrick Roy for most wins and games and Terry Sawchuk for most shutouts- is going to miss significant time for the first time in his brilliant career.

We’re only talking about one of the all-time greats in net. Love or hate him, Brodeur has been remarkable for the New Jersey Devils franchise carrying them to great heights with three Stanley Cups, half a dozen Atlantic Divisions and a playoff contender every year. Sure. He’s been ousted early before but how many goalies where you recite their name do you get that feeling with that they can take their team deep? Marty’s why you never discount the Devils.

I think he’s proven that much since Scott Stevens’ retirement along with the defections of Scott Niedermayer, Brian Rafalski and Scott Gomez. Everytime his team was written off, Brodeur elevated his game to new heights showing no signs of slippage despite getting older. The 36 year-old Montreal, Quebec native who Lou Lamoriello swapped picks with Calgary to get stealing him at 20th overall in 1990 while the Flames wound up with <gulp> Trevor Kidd has been a rock in goal for almost two decades.

That in itself is hard to believe. Brodeur’s done it all. We’ve already cited the Cups but how about the four Vezinas which would’ve been a lot more if not for Dominik Hasek. There’s also Olympic Gold with Canada which means everything to his country. Who could forget another showdown against Mike Richter in Salt Lake City for all the marbles? Granted. Marty had better support but weren’t those battles what we grew up on in the New York, New Jersey and even Connecticut area?

There was always something extra special about seeing No.30 in Devil red and white against No.35 in Ranger blue and red ever since they battled in one of the greatest Conference Finals in NHL history. Thankfully, my team prevailed or only God knows how long The Curse would’ve lasted. But it was also during that intense seven-game series with the sudden death chilling conclusion provided by Stephane Matteau that I realized just how special the opposing netminder was.

We were clearly getting a taste of the future which is why it wasn’t much shock that Brodeur led his team to its first Stanley Cup the following year after shedding tears and heartache. The guy was a winner proving he could backstop his team to a championship learning from how close they were the Spring before.

All these years later, he’s won a couple of more turning the Devils into one of the most respected franchises in any sport. The numbers speak for themselves:

978 Games

544 Wins

2.20 GAA

98 Shutouts

.913 Save Percentage

It don’t get much better than that. And so, for now, the record chase has been put on hold with Marty still seven wins shy of matching Roy’s NHL record and five shutouts within reach of Sawchuk’s once thought unbreakable 103.

I could be like many Ranger fans and smile about a guy I hate being out for such an extended period. But no. I never root for injuries in sports and don’t wish them on even the bitter enemy. Sports are supposed to be fun. Part of what makes it what it is are special stars like Brodeur who you might hate facing but love going up against because you’re facing the best.

To me, Brodeur will always be a dynamic part of the Battle of Hudson rivalry. I always want to see the Rangers go out and beat the best. If you’re facing No.30 with the usual “sister n law” references being mentioned as if the guy committed murder, it’s just part of the tradition of how intense this rivalry is.

So, yes. It’s going to be weird the next time the Rangers visit Newark and Brodeur’s not in net replaced by respectable backup Kevin Weekes. Brodeur versus Henrik Lundqvist has always been a fun battle of two great No.30′s with usually King Henrik’s team prevailing. Still, anytime our emerging star netminder faced Brodeur, it’s never taken for granted that the Rangers will prevail. It’s just how the rivalry has gone lately. I’ve been on the other side of the fence plenty when our team couldn’t get out of its own way.

So, it’s always nice to beat Marty. The fans sure love giving it to him. But through that hatred comes respect. If they didn’t chant, he wouldn’t be who he is. If the Rangers ever get to that next level with Lundqvist backstopping them, in some weird way, we’ll have Brodeur to thank. He changed the way the game is played and how you build a winner which is now from the goal out.

Injuries are part of sports. If your best player hasn’t suffered a serious one which sidelined them a significant period, consider it lucky. With Brodeur, he never gave you any sign he’d ever get hurt which is why we must remember he’ll turn 37 next Spring.

Sometimes, injuries come when you least expect. Given how many Devils have fallen victim to the IR bug, maybe it was a sad tale of things to come. Devil fans can at least take solace knowing they still have a healthy Zach Parise cause if they didn’t, then they’d really be doomed. I saw injuries cut Richter’s career short. The concussions didn’t allow him to ever see the playoffs again since that run to the Conference Final in 1997. Fortunately for New Jersey supporters, Brodeur’s elbow can be repaired and you know he’ll work extremely hard to get back.

Now, we get to see Weekes earn his paycheck. He certainly was very good last night keeping his club afloat despite being outshot 20-3 after a period in what amounted to a 2-0 home defeat to Buffalo. This is his chance to rally his teammates. In the mean time for myself, it’s gonna be odd not seeing the familiar No.30 in Devil colors take on the Rangers in upcoming match-ups like Nov.12, Dec.12 and probably Dec.27.

You just never expect the man who’s become the one constant in the rivalry to not be there in net. That’s why even for this fan, Election Day has already been a big disappointment.

Get well soon Marty. Even the fans who boo you will miss ya.