Devils-Senators Game 7 resonates 14 years later

[thecoffeecake]

https://www.nhl.com/news/devils-senators-game-7-sticks-with-tom-gulitti-14-years-later/c-289558884

Cool article from Tom talking about game 7 between the Sens and Devils as his favorite playoff memory. I remember that night so well. I was 10 and my grandmother shuttled me on a trip that night up to New England. We stopped at a deli in Connecticut at watched the first period, and when we got where we were going, I had to sit on front of a tv for what felt like ages trying to catch the score on ESPN. I had a terrible feeling about that one, it just seemed like fate after the Senators' rally from down 3-1. My grandmother and I were actually at that deli about a month ago, and I brought this game up and gave her a hard time for picking that day of all days to make that trip. She's a Devils fan, too, I don't know what she was thinking.

This series really feels like the one that won us the cup. As good as the Ducks and Giguere were, it was all but certain to me after getting through Ottawa that we'd win that series. The Senators felt like a team of destiny that year, and sometimes it's hard for me not to still think of them as a big, bad Goliath. What a series.  

[MadDog2020]

I watched that game with a bunch of Devils fans at a bar in Morristown called Cutter's (sadly, it closed a few years later)... When Friesen scored that goal, the place just went insane. As the final few seconds ticked off and it became evident we were gonna win, people were hugging each other, high-fiving, jumping up and down- we even had a tin foil Cup we were passing around because everyone felt the Finals were gonna be a formality (they were harder than anticipated as it turns out lol). What a night that was. One of the three or four biggest games in franchise history.


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['7']

That was one of (if not THE most) improbable win in Devils history. Yes the Devils of that era were a great road team, and the 2003 team specifically could be lockdown defensively (and were Tortorella level insane in their commitment to blocking shots) but they were very basic offensively. Not very fast, not very skilled. It was just get the puck to the net and crash the net. Nothing fancy.

Ottawa was incredible that year 113pts. Goaltending was a weakness but the Sens could be just overwhelming with their youth, speed, playmaking. That team wasn't very dead puck era.

Game 6 was such a crusher. The typical heartbreaking OT loss where we could've advanced to the finals at home. Seemed like Ottawa was a team of destiny at that point. And Lalime who wasn't a top goalie played like one. Stymied us.

And the Devils trailed in Game 7 and came back with an ugly goal to tie it. They withstood some fanatical Ottawa charges in the 3rd. This was actually probably the first Game 7 that Brodeur outright stole. The Devils just withstood the storm and got themselves another gritty goal...and withstood the storm again. They looked totally spent and worn down and old...but they held on.

Anaheim was a threat to beat us simply because of how gassed we looked, and just because of what Giguere was that year. I mean it made a mockery of the sport to have somebody wear that kind of equipment. Most games he barely moved. The puck just hit him because 90% of the net was already covered. His performance was really overrated when you look at how little he had to do to put up those numbers. This wasn't exactly Hextall in 1987 basically looking like someone out of Cirque du Soleil saving the Flyers bacon. But we couldn't do anything about it that year and that's what made the series dangerous.

Edited May 24, 2017 by '7'

[Nicomo]

One of my favorite moments as a Devils fan. 

[Satans Hockey]

I was actually at games 1, 2 and 5 in Ottawa. Of course I couldn't get to game 7 but I ran around the house screaming like a lunatic in celebration when Jeff scored that goal. 

[MadDog2020]

'7' mentioned Marty stealing this game (which he did) and it made me think immediately of his save on Hossa after Niedermayer made perhaps the worst play I've ever seen him make as a Devil (out of character for Nieds to be so sloppy with the puck, particularly because he had a Smythe-worthy playoffs that year)... I thought we were toast when I saw that puck pop into the slot... I literally was at the edge of hyperventilation. Here it is:

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['7']

17 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

'7' mentioned Marty stealing this game (which he did) and it made me think immediately of his save on Hossa after Niedermayer made perhaps the worst play I've ever seen him make as a Devil (out of character for Nieds to be so sloppy with the puck, particularly because he had a Smythe-worthy playoffs that year)... I thought we were toast when I saw that puck pop into the slot... I literally was at the edge of hyperventilation. Here it is:

 

 

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Niedermayer looked drunk that entire sequence. Madden just outright tackled Hossa which was the right thing to do, though he still got a high quality shot off. And Hossa is complaining...as if that was getting called late in game 7 in 2003.

[MadDog2020]

Niedermayer looked drunk that entire sequence. Madden just outright tackled Hossa which was the right thing to do, though he still got a high quality shot off. And Hossa is complaining...as if that was getting called late in game 7 in 2003.

White too, there was a big lack of communication on that sequence- Marty should've just covered it and gotten a whistle. Thank God it didn't end up costing us lol.

 

 

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[bostondevil11]

Gary THorne and his wonderful call "IT'S NOT IN NOT IN THE LIGHT ISN'T ON!!!!"

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

My best friend (still is to this day...he's a Ranger fan) hosted a little pre-game party at his house...the plan was we would watch the game at his place (with about 5 others), then we'd head out to some bars...obviously I was hoping to be in full celebratory mode.  Everyone around me got quiet when the Senators scored fairly quickly to make it 1-0...at that point, part of me was thinking "No way, the Sens might actually pull this thing out"...then two quick Langenbrunner goals in the 2nd, and I'm starting to breathe a little...then it's 2-2, and as that third period is winding down I'm starting to brace for the worst...then Marshall's seeing-eye pass finds Friesen and he buries it, and for some reason, even though there were over two minutes left, I just felt like they were going to get it done at that point...after being white-knuckled for most of the game, suddenly I felt relaxed and went into "They got this" mode (even though I didn't say it out loud). 

And yeah '7', the 2003 team was kind of business-like, workman-like, just win the game, smart veterans kind of team...the 2000 and 2001 teams were considerably more dynamic...the 2003 just knew how to get things done (and of course Marty had one of his stronger regular seasons for that point in career, and went into full beast mode in the playoffs).  And Friesen had his overall best season that year...then in the course of 2 seasons seemed to age 10 years. 

I think this might have been the last of the Devil teams to outshoot opponents by a beastly margin...the 2002-03 Devils outshot opponents by a franchise-best 2601-1929 margin (+672). 

Several other team shot differentials throughout the years...the Devils actually were insanely good at outshooting opponents (look at the Cup-contending years in bold, from 95 to 03), especially once Lemaire came aboard and Stevens became more of a defensive defenseman:

1986-87  -331

1987-88 +156

1988-89 +78

1989-90 +7

1990-91 +265

1991-92 +207

1992-93 +272

1993-94 +223

1995 (48 games)  +227

1995-96 +472

1996-97 +439

1997-98 +462

1998-99 +543

1999-00 +621

2000-01 +568

2001-02 +553

2002-03 +672

2003-04 +436

2005-06 -5

2006-07 +28

2007-08 +113

2008-09 +291

2009-10 +248

2010-11 +198

2011-12 +63

2013 (48 games) +257

2013-14 +121

2014-15 -497

2015-16 -333

2016-17 -280 

Obviously not so good as of late.

  

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

9 minutes ago, '7' said:

Niedermayer looked drunk that entire sequence. Madden just outright tackled Hossa which was the right thing to do, though he still got a high quality shot off. And Hossa is complaining...as if that was getting called late in game 7 in 2003.

Some pretty crappy camera switching on that one...that switch to behind-the-play really was unnecessary...I'd forgotten about that.

['7']

6 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Some pretty crappy camera switching on that one...that switch to behind-the-play really was unnecessary...I'd forgotten about that.

And later the No No No No Goal! by Gary Thorne. ESPN didn't exactly have their A game going that night. I still don't understand why he was so emphatically stating no goal.

[DevsMan84]

1 minute ago, '7' said:

And later the No No No No Goal! by Gary Thorne. ESPN didn't exactly have their A game going that night. I still don't understand why he was so emphatically stating no goal.

Thorne was a completely unabashed Devils hater.  Took any chance he could take to sh!t on the Devils.  He was probably wishing so hard that it wasn't a goal to where he was trusting the stupid goal light and not his own eyes and the video monitors in front of him that showed the contrary.

I will never forgive him for the 2001 SCF where he was openly rooting for Colorado to win.  He might as well been wearing a Sakic Avs jersey in the announcing booth.  If Roy, Sakic or Bourque ever came to a sudden stop Gary Thorne's face would have ended up halfway up their asses.

['7']

2 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

Thorne was a completely unabashed Devils hater.  Took any chance he could take to sh!t on the Devils.  He was probably wishing so hard that it wasn't a goal to where he was trusting the stupid goal light and not his own eyes and the video monitors in front of him that showed the contrary.

I will never forgive him for the 2001 SCF where he was openly rooting for Colorado to win.  He might as well been wearing a Sakic Avs jersey in the announcing booth.  If Roy, Sakic or Bourque ever came to a sudden stop Gary Thorne's face would have ended up halfway up their asses.

I'm trying tor remember if Thorne was fired from his gig here or simply not had his contract renewed? Could've been some lingering bitterness from that.

[MadDog2020]

I'm trying tor remember if Thorne was fired from his gig here or simply not had his contract renewed? Could've been some lingering bitterness from that.

Pretty sure he was canned to bring Doc back.

 

 

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[sundstrom]

Volchenkov always told me that '03 Sens team was the best team he ever played on and they could not believe they lost to NJ. obviously gave all the credit to Marty.

[thecoffeecake]

1 hour ago, sundstrom said:

Volchenkov always told me that '03 Sens team was the best team he ever played on and they could not believe they lost to NJ. obviously gave all the credit to Marty.

You know the guy?

Wasn't Gary Thorne the one who claimed on the air that Curt Schilling's bloody sock was paint or ketchup or something?

[MadDog2020]

Volchenkov always told me that '03 Sens team was the best team he ever played on and they could not believe they lost to NJ. obviously gave all the credit to Marty.

I saw an interview with Daniel Alfredsson (I think it was around the time the Senators retired his number) where he was asked what the best team he played on in his career was, and he said something similar.... He said that 2003 was 'the one that got away' for them, and was the most disappointing loss of his career. I can't lie- it brought a rye smile to my face. [emoji1]


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[Since1982-83]

7 hours ago, '7' said:

That was one of (if not THE most) improbable win in Devils history. Yes the Devils of that era were a great road team, and the 2003 team specifically could be lockdown defensively (and were Tortorella level insane in their commitment to blocking shots) but they were very basic offensively. Not very fast, not very skilled. It was just get the puck to the net and crash the net. Nothing fancy.

Ottawa was incredible that year 113pts. Goaltending was a weakness but the Sens could be just overwhelming with their youth, speed, playmaking. That team wasn't very dead puck era.

Game 6 was such a crusher. The typical heartbreaking OT loss where we could've advanced to the finals at home. Seemed like Ottawa was a team of destiny at that point. And Lalime who wasn't a top goalie played like one. Stymied us.

And the Devils trailed in Game 7 and came back with an ugly goal to tie it. They withstood some fanatical Ottawa charges in the 3rd. This was actually probably the first Game 7 that Brodeur outright stole. The Devils just withstood the storm and got themselves another gritty goal...and withstood the storm again. They looked totally spent and worn down and old...but they held on.

Anaheim was a threat to beat us simply because of how gassed we looked, and just because of what Giguere was that year. I mean it made a mockery of the sport to have somebody wear that kind of equipment. Most games he barely moved. The puck just hit him because 90% of the net was already covered. His performance was really overrated when you look at how little he had to do to put up those numbers. This wasn't exactly Hextall in 1987 basically looking like someone out of Cirque du Soleil saving the Flyers bacon. But we couldn't do anything about it that year and that's what made the series dangerous.

X2, excellent post, remember it like it was yesterday, went into the game feeling completely deflated by Game 6. YUUUUUUGE win. One of most satisfying in Devils franchise history.

[Since1982-83]

6 hours ago, DevsMan84 said:

Thorne was a completely unabashed Devils hater.  Took any chance he could take to sh!t on the Devils.  He was probably wishing so hard that it wasn't a goal to where he was trusting the stupid goal light and not his own eyes and the video monitors in front of him that showed the contrary.

I will never forgive him for the 2001 SCF where he was openly rooting for Colorado to win.  He might as well been wearing a Sakic Avs jersey in the announcing booth.  If Roy, Sakic or Bourque ever came to a sudden stop Gary Thorne's face would have ended up halfway up their asses.

Thorne's call during the SC Finals against Colorado that year was sickening. Even more sickening the Avalanche actually retired Borque's number after he had a cup of coffee and a buttered roll with them.

[Since1982-83]

 

[Nicomo]

6 hours ago, sundstrom said:

Volchenkov always told me that '03 Sens team was the best team he ever played on and they could not believe they lost to NJ. obviously gave all the credit to Marty.

Marty should have won the Conn Smythe that year. I know he faced a really small amount of shots in a lot of the wins, but 7 shutouts ffs. Giving it to that crybaby Giguère still pisses me off to this day. It should never go to a loser. 

[mfitz804]

18 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

Marty should have won the Conn Smythe that year. I know he faced a really small amount of shots in a lot of the wins, but 7 shutouts ffs. Giving it to that crybaby Giguère still pisses me off to this day. It should never go to a loser. 

Agreed. It's the MVP award, how can the Most Valuable Player be on the losing team? If you lost, you weren't that valuable!!!

[NJDevils1214]

Bonk's slapshot was so meh tho.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

9 hours ago, mfitz804 said:

Agreed. It's the MVP award, how can the Most Valuable Player be on the losing team? If you lost, you weren't that valuable!!!

I would've liked to have seen Marty win the MVP too, especially since he outplayed Giguere in that series (Marty had a .925 save%, Giguere was at .910)...not to mention that Marty shut the Ducks out four times in regulation in the SCF (the Devils lost Game 4 1-0 in OT), and allowed just 10 goals in 7 games in regulation.

That being said, equipment aside (and it was a bit ridiculous), through the first three rounds of the 2003 playoffs, Giguere put up a .960 save%, went 5-0 in OT (three of those games went to multiple OTs...by the end of the playoffs he was 7-0 in OT games), and went an insane 10-1 in one-goal games (including the first six games of their playoff run...Giguere went 12-1 in one-goal games for the entire playoffs)...in the WCF, he allowed one goal for the entire series, and faced 123 shots, so it's not like he wasn't tested at all.  He also didn't get much offensive support:  in regulation for the whole four rounds, he got more than two goals' worth of support from his teammates just 6 times in 21 GP (Ducks went 5-1 in those games, meaning that they went 10-5 in the games where they managed to score just two or less regulation goals...six went to OT, in two of which the Ducks didn't even score in regulation...the Ducks went 6-0 in those games despite scoring a total of just seven goals in regulation combined).   

Basically, the Ducks don't get to Game 7 of the 2003 SCF without Giguere...at the very least, it would've taken them a lot more games to get there...the fact that the Ducks needed just 14 games to get to the SCF despite only putting up a goal differential of +12 to that point really shows how Giguere was operating with absolute minimum margin for error.  The Ducks went 15-6 in their playoff run, despite a goal differential of just +5 overall; by comparison, the Devils were +22 in going 16-8.   

Due to all the above, as much as I would've loved to see Marty get it, I can't take it away from Giguere.  They needed him to be as good as he was to get as far as they did.  His play wasn't a nice luxury...it was an absolute necessity.

Edited May 25, 2017 by Colorado Rockies 1976