Game 6 2000 Finals

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

The 01 team will always drive me insane because they were the best team in the history of the franchise imo, but they knew they were really good and sometimes they got a little arrogant I suspect. You saw that type of 'whatever, we got it' kind of attitude in taking Carolina lightly once they got up 3-0. We had to go 7 with the Leafs, and then they did make short work of Pittsburgh... But it's well known they apparently had limos and sh!t ready to go after game 6 of the Finals, like they thought it was a formality. Once the Gomez goal got waved off, they quit, and I will NEVER understand why. 01 I will take with me to my grave, that team should've won the Cup.

 

In a way, I can almost understand WHY they were starting to feel invincible...they won 19 out of their last 21 games to close out the regular season, then won Games 1-3 in pretty easy fashion over the 'Canes...yeah, they were on a pretty ridiculous run (22-2 in a 24-game stretch?!).  Some will say they "peaked too early", but they still had two games to win the Cup, even though they were clearly not playing their best hockey at that point. 

 

 

Few point out that Brodeur really didn't play all that well during that run.  I mean, that Devils team allowed more than 30 shots on goal twice during the playoffs.  They had 13 games where they held the opponent to 20 shots or fewer.  If Brodeur plays .920 hockey that team steamrolls through the playoffs.

 

As for Brodeur, he's played great in tons of series.  He's just never stolen a series - the Devils have never come in worse than another team and he was the difference.  Part of it is the team he plays for, obviously, NJ hasn't been an underdog in the playoffs all that often.

 

As far as Brodeur goes, I've actually pointed out quite often that he was not very good in 2001, especially in the Finals.  He was wildly inconsistent in the playoffs that year (.897 overall save%): 

 

Games 1-3:  .981 save% (I remember thinking...OK, he's starting to get locked in again, after a meh season)

Games 4-11:  .869

Games 12-18:  .929

Finals:  .870

 

I've talked about this before, but 2000-01 was the one season I remember not having much confidence in Brodeur, and being nervous when play was headed his way.  He was so shaky in the Cup final that season.  The team really carried him that year...Marty faced just 507 shots in 25 playoff games...just 20.28 shots per game.  I rarely criticize Marty (the many MANY positives he has brought far outweigh any negatives, and even the best aren't perfect), but he was clearly the weakest link of that '01 team, and there are times I think his inconsistent play affected his teammates that postseason (which is another issue...I agree with MD2020 that the 2000-01 team was the best Devils team in terms of raw talent and "blast to watch" factor, but that 22-2 run turned them into front-runners a little bit...when they started getting pushed, it was like they forgot how to push back...and they were greatly helped by the fact that Pittsburgh, for whatever the reason, didn't seem terribly interested in competing in the Conference Finals). 

Edited September 5, 2013 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[DevsMan84]

2001 Finals will forever piss me off.  At this point I barely acknowledge it.  I just remember how fun that season was and agree that I believe that was the best team the Devils have ever iced.  While the 2009 loss to the Canes was probably the 2nd most upsetting loss I have encountered with the Devils, it is still a VERY distant second to the anger I felt when they lost games 6 and 7 in the 2001 Finals.  Brodeur played like trash in that series and the team just stopped playing after they were up 3 games to 2.

 

What could have been if they won that series.....