GIANTS79 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 I was curious what my fellow Devils fans felt about this. One thing that's been great about following the Devils so long is all of the different great match ups I've gotten to see over the years. It's just great to get there and win, but if you could hand pick, what are some playoff match ups you would really like to see again for the Devils. For me, the first choice would be the Caps. I think they match up with them well and they haven't played them in the playoffs in over 20 years, so it would be cool to see a Devils/Caps series again. After that I would really like to see them play the Sabres again (haven't played since 94 and that was a great seven game series), Canadiens (also only played once and not since 97), Islanders, and Penguins (haven't played them in awhile either). And these are all good match ups that I think the Devils would have a great shot to win. In terms of Stanley Cup I'd really love to see Devils against the Blues, Chicago, Red Wings again, Oilers, and Flames on another note: A team I never want to see them play again is the Hurricane. i know last night is one game and the Devils were due for a bad one (especially after two such emotional wins over the Penguins), but they have the worst luck against this team. As a Devils fan two of the hardest series I've seen them lose both came to this Hurricane team (02 and 09). in 06 the Canes were better than the Devils, but 02 and 09 were tough to watch knowing the Devils were better, they just had the worst luck in both series in almost every game they lost (some bad calls and some bad luck). I know there is no such thing, but it almost feels like they are cursed against this team and I don't want any part of them in the playoffs. Hopefully Devils can get the 1 seed to the canes 3 seed and someone else could beat them for the Devils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils Pride 26 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Let's not do this. Think about last year everyone praying for the Panthers. Almost completely blew up in our faces 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AEWHistory Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I don't mind this discussion as I don't believe in these superstitiions and whatnot. That said, I do think certain teams, for whatever reason, make good and bad match ups, have our number, etc. Because of that I would say an emphatic NO to the Penguins. anyone remember playing the Penguins in the playoffs in the '90s? I can't remember which year it was but we had something like four or five goals waived off in a close scoring seven game series. It felt like the Penguins had greased the refs nicely. That was a long time ago but it still burns. With the NHL bound to play "be nice to Crosby" I feel like we would end up in the same damn position or something similar. Other teams I DO NOT want-- Hurricanes-- We will play them without passion.... look at the other night. I only saw the last period, but we only really came on in the last few minutes. Rangers and Flyers-- for the conference okay, but not early in the playoffs. If we want a cup we need to avoid long, exhausting series. These two teams will epitomize exciting series, but it felt like the Devils were exhausted last year after this two series. So if we are going to face them let it be only one and only at the end, once most of the playoff slog is done. Teams I'd like to play-- Jets- I love a matchup against the Jets. This is quite likely to be the last year this could happen and my wife is an ex-Thrashers fan. However, they are hardly a lock on the playoffs. Sabres and Habs- these match ups sound fun to me. One would be a chance for Marty to squash his childhood team and the other is simply a matchup we haven't seen in ages. Islanders- of all the local teams this is the one I'm pulling for. It would be good for both franchises to kindle a real rivalry and if a Devils and Islanders rivalry began it could erode the Rangers position in the area. What better payoff could a Devils fan hope for than to cannibalize the Rags arrogant bandwagon jumping fan base? As for the rest, most of them I'm neither excited nor concerned about..... but I havent thought too much about many of these match ups honestly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mort4345 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I think it's way too early to be having this discussion. We're only 1/4 of the way through the season, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimaira_Devil_#9 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I would like to make the playoffs. In a shortened season it only takes a small lul in performance and you can be out of the picture in a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aylbert Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I want to relive last decade and see another Devils/Leafs battle... It's better as a dream though. As far as projecting favorable matches, way too early to tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIANTS79 Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 I do admit that going into last year I wanted the Panthers in the first round over the other teams because I thought they were the worst team in the playoffs in the East, and they definitely played the Devils better than anyone else other than the Kings. Let's not do this. Think about last year everyone praying for the Panthers. Almost completely blew up in our faces this is just more of an overall Devils history perspective as a long time fan. It's not just about favorable match ups or even just this year, but just teams I'd really like to see them play or play again. I think it's way too early to be having this discussion. We're only 1/4 of the way through the season, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIANTS79 Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 sounds like you feel the same way I do about Carolina. I'm sure most fans agree with us that they just don't want any part of this team. To me that puck Henrique missed (which he hardly misses) off of that nice pass from Elias which was a sure goal to have Carolina take the puck and score right off of that is the perfect example of Devils/Carolina. It is summed up in that one play and that's the way the 2002 and 2009 playoffs went against them. (06 game 2 was a tough loss, but iin all fairness I think Carolina was just better), but 02 and 09 they robbed the Devils in both years (where all 4 devils losses in each series should have been wins) I do remember the series you referred to. It was 99, they were up 3-2 on the penguins and lost game 6 in ot and then lost game 7 at home. They were also a number 1 seed that year (it was the third straight year they were a 1 seed and they lost early in the playoffs). I always felt one of the big reasons they came up so short in 97, 98 and 99 as 1 seeds was not having Claude Lemieux, I think he made that much of a difference. It's a big reason they won in 95 and 2000 (his last 2 years as a devil), with him i think they finish the Avs in 01 and probably win one more cup in the 90's during that 97-99 stretch they kept losing early in the playoffs. It seems like you feel the same way about all of the match ups and I was thinking the same thing about Marty with Montreal, only difference was the Pens (but you did make some good pts about the refs and everything, but don't forget devils did beat them in 95 and 2001(mario's comeback year). 99 was tough, but 99 was just like 97 and 98 where they just didn't show up in the playoffs. (and again i think good old #22 not being there had a lot to do with that). I think the Pens series would be like last year's flyers series. Jets are a great choice, especially since they won't be in our conference for much longer and devils never played Atlanta since I think they only made the playoffs once. I also don't want the Rangers or Flyers this year like you said. I couldn't handle seeing the devils lose to them if they did lose. I don't mind this discussion as I don't believe in these superstitiions and whatnot. That said, I do think certain teams, for whatever reason, make good and bad match ups, have our number, etc. Because of that I would say an emphatic NO to the Penguins. anyone remember playing the Penguins in the playoffs in the '90s? I can't remember which year it was but we had something like four or five goals waived off in a close scoring seven game series. It felt like the Penguins had greased the refs nicely. That was a long time ago but it still burns. With the NHL bound to play "be nice to Crosby" I feel like we would end up in the same damn position or something similar.Other teams I DO NOT want--Hurricanes-- We will play them without passion.... look at the other night. I only saw the last period, but we only really came on in the last few minutes.Rangers and Flyers-- for the conference okay, but not early in the playoffs. If we want a cup we need to avoid long, exhausting series. These two teams will epitomize exciting series, but it felt like the Devils were exhausted last year after this two series. So if we are going to face them let it be only one and only at the end, once most of the playoff slog is done.Teams I'd like to play--Jets- I love a matchup against the Jets. This is quite likely to be the last year this could happen and my wife is an ex-Thrashers fan. However, they are hardly a lock on the playoffs.Sabres and Habs- these match ups sound fun to me. One would be a chance for Marty to squash his childhood team and the other is simply a matchup we haven't seen in ages.Islanders- of all the local teams this is the one I'm pulling for. It would be good for both franchises to kindle a real rivalry and if a Devils and Islanders rivalry began it could erode the Rangers position in the area. What better payoff could a Devils fan hope for than to cannibalize the Rags arrogant bandwagon jumping fan base?As for the rest, most of them I'm neither excited nor concerned about..... but I havent thought too much about many of these match ups honestly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsadvoc8 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Way too early in general, make the playoffs first with a healthy roster. Then lets see what happens. I share the view that the Hurricanes have the Devils #. Contrary to other posters I love the Devils vs Rangers/Flyers playoff series. They are emotional, intense and hard fought plus huge bragging rights for the cans all in this condensed area. Only one team can win the cup but even if the Devils don't win it, its nice to shut up the Rangers/Flyers fan with how the playoffs played out like last year did. A cup winning team needs to be tested in the crucible of hard fought playof games and Flyers/Rangers series do just that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeCups Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 I would like to see a Devils/Isles playoff showdown for sure.... Would also like to play Crosby and the Pens in a series, or AO and the Caps...we know the Caps won't be this season, lol. Poor Adam Oates.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIANTS79 Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 Devils/Leafs would be cool. We have only seen that twice and haven't seen that in over 10 years. They had such a good rivalry going those few years and Toronto was so close to beat the Devils in 2001 that I thought they would be the team to eventually beat the Devils in the playoffs to end their stanley cup run. To my surprise it was Carolina in 02 and not Toronto (although I still think we got cheated in that 02 carolina series by the refs more than in any other series I've seen. I remember they tied it late in game 2 and won in ot (the tying goal late they were offsides) and in game 5 they tied it late and won in ot (and Brodeur had the puck under his pad in which refs normally blow the whistle, they didn't and let carolina keep hitting his pad until the puck went in. and that's just 2 examples I remember their goalie dove a lot to draw fake penalties in the first 2 games too which led to some power play goals. (the game 5 example I gave for those of that don't remember or didn't watch, was very similiar to the game 3 goal against the kings last year in which Brodeur clearly had the puck frozen and the ref aloud the kings to keep hitting it to knock it in) as you guys can see I really hate Carolina and I'm so sick of the Devils losing to them whether it's 02, 06 or 09. with 02 and 09 being the worst. but yeah Devils/Leafs would be fun and we might see that again soon I'd like to see Devils/Leafs, Clarky Boy loves playing against Toronto and I think he would just come alive against the Leafs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIANTS79 Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 you never know Caps might sneak in. they've won 3 in a row and maybe they can still get the 8 seed. Caps and Devils have been to the playoffs so many times in the past 20 years, it's shocking to think they haven't played since 90, we are due for a caps/devils series (would have had one in 09 if the devils could hold a 1 goal lead in the final minutes agaisnt carolina in game 7. Islanders look like they are falling apart, but I really do want to see that series (like one of the posters said, take some attention away from the rangers). I think we will see Pens/Devils soon and that series I think will be like last year's flyers series. I think they'll really expose that defense and poor goaltending that the pens have. And we've seen some great series between those teams going back to the Mario and Jagr days. I would like to see a Devils/Isles playoff showdown for sure.... Would also like to play Crosby and the Pens in a series, or AO and the Caps...we know the Caps won't be this season, lol. Poor Adam Oates.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouse Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 I want to win the Cup. I'll appreciate whomever we beat if that happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIANTS79 Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 I hear you and you are right, but there are certain teams I'd really like to see them play and beat along the way over the next few years. I want to win the Cup. I'll appreciate whomever we beat if that happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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