Devils Game 7 notes and thoughts

April 28, 2009   ·   Hasan   ·   Jump to comments

I was gonna do one of these like 15 minutes ago, or a half hour.  Especially considering I’m leaving at about five to meet a friend before the game and take in some of Newark on what hopefully will be down to a 70 degree day by then.  It’s a struggle to come up with anything in terms of thoughts, especially since I posted most of my preview in the Game 6 recap since there wasn’t actually all that much to talk about from that game.

I could start with this…we’ve played this darn team eight times in eighteen days, five of those games at home of which I’ve been to all of them including tonight.  I was sick of this team even before this recent stretch thanks to the bad blood from three playoff battles since 2001, and I’m even more sick of Carolina now.  The diving, the Tarzan music after their goals, their players acting like they’ve won five championships (actually one, with two straight years not even in the playoffs after that).

More than anything though, I’m drained and I’m not even playing in this series.  Part of that is just the fact that I’m recovering from a virus or the flu that I’ve had since Friday, thankfully I’m feeling more than good enough for tonight’s game.  Most of it’s mental though, from the closeness of this series.  Games 2-5 especially, with each game coming down to the last goal or the last save.  It’s the kind of series where you cheer and take a big sigh of relief if you win or scream if you lose.  Or do a slow burn, whatever you do to release frustration.

There’s really not much left to say other than that.  Except that everyone involved – fans, players, coaches – better leave it all on the ice tonight.  Of course for this team, nothing less than winning is acceptable.  As former Knick coach Pat Riley used to say, ‘survive and advance’.  Losing in the first round’s always tough, but losing in the first round to a hated rival for the third straight time, and also crashing after what looked to be such a promising season could be a domino that sets major changes in motion.  Hopefully that won’t be the article I have to write after this game, tomorrow, whenever I’m up to the recap. 

Oh and as for actual notes: Bryce Salvador will not play tonight, mainly due to coach Brent Sutter not wanting to take Andy Greene (or Nicklas Havelid) out of the lineup for a still less than 100% Salvador.  Jamie Langenbrunner will play his second straight game though after what’s now rumored to have been a comeback from arthroscopic knee surgery – courtesy of Mark Everson in the Post.