119 replies to this topic

[point]

Tough loss, but it was all in all a great year and a terrific postseason.

On the bright side, now my wife will talk to me. She a die hard NYR fan.

[BlueSkirt]

A quote from Brodeur's post-game last night:


"The Devils is what I am, what I believe in and this is where I want to be."



This holds true for me too !
Since 1987...

[Jas0nMacIsaac]

I needed a night to post anything on this site, not because I was terribly angry with the game but I was more angry with many posters. This has been the most enjoyable playoff run because it was the most surprising. New Jersey will come back hungrier next season just as Pittsburgh had when losing to Detroit.

Edited by Jas0nMacIsaac, 12 June 2012 - 03:29 PM.

[Jas0nMacIsaac]

Devils 4th line this playoffs, 10 ES goals. The famous crash line in 1995, 9 ES goal. I'm sure the crash line were better possession wise than this years 4th line but that was a different non cap era. This is one of the more impressive efforts from a 4th line post cap era.

NJ would be foolish not to try to keep this together for next year even if they cool off their sh%, they clearly have chemistry.

Edited by Jas0nMacIsaac, 12 June 2012 - 04:58 PM.

[CaptainRafalski]

Devils 4th line this playoffs, 10 ES goals. The famous crash line in 1995, 9 ES goal. I'm sure the crash line were better possession wise than this years 4th line but that was a different non cap era. This is one of the more impressive efforts from a 4th line post cap era.

NJ would be foolish not to try to keep this together for next year even if they cool off their sh%, they clearly have chemistry.

yes

[Onddeck]

I was at game 7 in florida, best hockey moment of my life. I watched all of the playoff games following that from a europe hotel room, most started at 2:00am. It was an amazing run, it was an amazing team, and it was a successful season.

Also.

WE BEAT THE FVCKING RANGERS IN THE CONFERENCE FINALS SUCK ON THAT FVCKERS!

Seriously, we beat Philly, we conquered the almighty Queen 4 out of 6 times, we had a rookie emerge as the most clutch playoff preformer on the team, we have leadership from the most talented forward in the game in Kovalchuk and the most dedicated hardworking forward in the game in Parise, we have a young stable coach and a re-discovered goaltender. I'm so proud I root for this team.

i dont know if ive ever been that nervous for any game ever in my life. its almost easy to forget because its already been over a month but i was sooo filled with anxiety. i was legit shaking like it wasn't healthy.

game 7 double OT, its like something most people only make up in their minds

[Jas0nMacIsaac]

Taking EN and Special teams out of the equation.

Parise-Zajac-Kovalchuk - 11 ES goals
Sykora-Elias-Zubrus - 5 ES goals
Ponikarovski-Henrique-Clarkson - 9 ES goals
Carter-Gionta-Bernier - 10 ES goals

[halfsharkalligatorhalfman]

Taking EN and Special teams out of the equation.

Parise-Zajac-Kovalchuk - 11 ES goals
Sykora-Elias-Zubrus - 5 ES goals
Ponikarovski-Henrique-Clarkson - 9 ES goals
Carter-Gionta-Bernier - 10 ES goals

Did you ignore goals when those lines didn't exist or PDB changed lines during the game? I can't recall all the different line combos, but when Josefson was in for example, or Kovy sat and Bernier moved up to the 1st line? If so this stat may be misleading since the 4th stayed together longer than the others. Still pretty remarkable.

[Jas0nMacIsaac]

Did you ignore goals when those lines didn't exist or PDB changed lines during the game? I can't recall all the different line combos, but when Josefson was in for example, or Kovy sat and Bernier moved up to the 1st line? If so this stat may be misleading since the 4th stayed together longer than the others. Still pretty remarkable.

Rearrange it all you want, I think it's clear who didn't step up and who did. I understand there is a lot of luck involved but eyes tell the same story.

[Mayday]

I love this team.

Something truly magical happened this year and even though we just lost I still feel it with the team and the fans.

[DevsMan84]

Rearrange it all you want, I think it's clear who didn't step up and who did. I understand there is a lot of luck involved but eyes tell the same story.

Elias and Zubrus were invisible since game 3 of the Florida series and that just proves it.

[capo]

I'm surprised by the fact that so many people are surprised. This is a top-notch organization and has been for a long time. Lou is a freaking genius. Francessa says it all the time that he would hire Lou to gm any major leagues sports team. The guy just simply knows how to put a team together. When he picked Poni was when I really started to believe that we could do something this year because of the depth he added to the team. If you can roll four lines in the playoffs and keep your top lines fresh, that's huge. At that time, I was thinking 3 solid lines and how that was pretty good for a parity-laden league but when this 4th line got together in the playoffs and started making noise I was like sh!t we're going to do this thing because eventually Kovy and Elias are going to be the Kovy and Elias we're all used to. Unfortunately, Kovy was never able to get back together and I'm still frightened what we're going to hear about there... I'm not really sure about Elias. I think he has to have some kind of injury as well because he didn't seem to have legs after the 1st round either.

My unsung hero for the playoffs is Anton Volchenkov. While he may have been a pylon in the first round he was an oxen the rest of the way. I have feeling he's probably going to miss the start of camp too, but I have definitely reestablished a man-crush on the dude.

Edited by capo, 12 June 2012 - 06:48 PM.

[ZeroGravityFat]

I was at the welcome back group and definitely saw deboer get teary as they pulled up to the arena. Probably my fav memory of this season. What a coach, got to shake his hand driving out. We hit gold for years to come, we will pull a pens and win next year.

[GA Devil]

I'm just disappointed because you just can't predict what the future holds. It was RIGHT THERE for the taking. Who truly knows when they'll have that chance again? Although, I do believe a bright future is in store for this franchise.

In the end, their penalty kill was a big reason why they couldn't win 16 post season games. It was maddening to see them so ineffective, so...different. In the regular season, the penalty kill played with SWAGGER. It was a weapon to be feared. In the post season, no. INFURIATING!

And Kovy was not 100%.

And this team still almost pulled it off.

This team gave us a hell of a performance this year.

Lou was his magician self again. In particular, I was impressed of his use of the Albany pipeline. Of course, catching lightning in a bottle with Stephen Gionta was unforeseen. He had a playoff for the ages. What a great story. One of many.

DeBoer and the coaching staff. They were fantastic. And to think, they can, and probably will, get better. These players were the tightest knit group this team might've ever had. The feud PDB has going with Torts is tits.

They were imperfect, but, damn, they were also one for the ages. What a great fvcking team.

Thank you Devils Nation.

Edited by GA Devil, 12 June 2012 - 09:34 PM.

[Devils Pride 26]

Man, I loved this team.

[DaneykoIsGod]

First, I was just happy to see the improvements throughout the season. Remember when this team needed the SO to get wins? Or when they couldn't hold a 3rd period lead to save their lives? Or when they were among the bottom five in the league in goal scoring and PP efficiency? DeBo & Co. did a masterful job all season of identifying, addressing, and improving weaknesses.

Then I was just happy to make the playoffs. After last season, to see the team compete hard all year long and lock down a playoff berth -- something that almost felt like a birthright for years -- suddenly became a feat worth celebrating in and of itself.

Then I was estatic we beat the Panthers. Honestly, so many monkeys off this franchise's back with that. For the first time in what felt like forever, we weren't one-and-done. For the first time since moving to Newark, we weren't eliminated on home ice. The Rock was finally a building that had seen postseason success, and it came on the heels of back-to-back elimination game OT wins. So satisfying!

Then I was amazed by the Flyers series. After Game 1, where Briere's second OT winner (after the first was negated) should've also been negated but wasn't, it almost seemed like the magic had run out. Philly took it to us in the first period of Game 2 too. But that second period. Man, to me, that's when the 2012 Devils postseason really got its identity. The Devils just dominated every inch of ice for every second of that period. When Larsson finally cracked Bryz in the third, the team just went full juggernaut. For the rest of that series, the Devils played as impressively as I can ever recall a team playing. It was a beauty to behold.

Then came the Rangers. The ghosts of '94. The echo of that bald-headed twat's supposed guarantee. Lundqvist's personal history against us. It didn't help when we mirrored '94, taking a 3-2 lead back to Jersey. But the ghosts were exorcized. As if Henrique's winner in Florida wasn't enough, he clinched this one for us as well. The past was left behind while a bright young star's future shined bright.

This was a special team and a special season. Given last year's near-return from the dead and the dramatics achieved this postseason, it actually didn't seem far-fetched to imagine them coming back from down 3-0 in the Final. Even though they couldn't finish out the miracle, they still achieved something that no one had done since 1945 by winning those two with their backs against the wall on the game's biggest stage.

So proud of these players. Every single one of them has far more positives coming out of these playoffs than negatives (yes, I've finally cooled off on Bernier haha), from the everyday guys on down to Harrold, Larsson, Josefson, and Sykora. So proud of these coaches. So happy for Lou. For all the armchair GMs who've said he lost his touch, he really assembled an exceptional cast for this run. From his picks like Henrique, Josefson, Greene, and Fayne, to his offseason pickups like Carter and Bernier, to his acquisitions like Ponikarovsky and Zidlicky.

The disappointment of 2001 has pretty much blacked out the memories of that run for me. I don't even remember who we beat to reach the Final without looking it up. But this is different. No disappointment here. Just achievements and a team to be proud of.

Thank you, Devils. And congratulations on a magnificent season!

[devilsrule33]

Man, I loved this team.

My thoughts exactly. I had more fun on this ride than any other because it was so unexpected. It was a special season and two wild months. I'm not even thinking what could have been in the Finals. These Devils accomplished more than enough.

[losdiablos103]

It was such a great journey through the playoffs. I personally, had so much fun. Didn't end like I had hoped, obviously, but up until game 6, I wouldn't have traded those feelings for the world. Hanging out and watching each and every playoff game with my family and friends was just plain awesome. I went to games 4 and 6 in the Florida series, and saved my $ for a SCF game. I was distraught when I couldn't go to any. My friends joined me and my parents for every game I was not at. We had so much fun. I've been watching this team since I was like 5 years old.(21 now). I made a few friends who were either not into hockey, or only into the Devils when they were winning, bigger fans. It was awesome celebrating game 7 in Fl, game 5 in PHI and game 6 vs the NYR. My house erupted. I just only wish it could have for a SCF. Ok we didn't win, but admit it was a DAMN good run. I love this team so damn much.

[Revan]

(Cause the Kinks just had their parade yesterday), does anyone know where our Stanley Cup parade is going to be next year?

Oh, and BTW: I wanted to celebrate the great run by dishing out on some Devils gear and I have a dilemma... right after the final I thought no way in hell I'm buying the conference championship stuff, it's like celebrating the 2nd place and that it would remind me about the lost SCF. The thing is, a few days later I'm looking at those Eastern Conference Champions t-shirts and they are still looking like some of the coolest Devils shirts I've ever seen and they actually remind me more of our Rangers series than the final... What do you guys think? Go for the ECF t-shirt (which is celebrating a season which is always going to be special for me, as I've never seen the Devs go that deep before) or ditch it as "losing gear" and just buy some more generic Devils clothes? I don't really meet people following the NHL on a daily basis, so I doubt anyone is going to give me a tough time about the SCF if I show up wearing that.

Edited by Revan, 15 June 2012 - 03:08 AM.

[95Crash]

Not only did this team rebound from not making the playoffs last season, it also rebounded from the dreadful playoff performances of 2010, 2009, 2008, etc.

A few people mentioned heart. The thing I liked most about this team is that it never quit. Partcularly in the Panthers series and the Rangers series, I can recall a bunch of times that the team gave up a big goal and some of our fans said, "That's it. It's over." It was partly understandable because us fans had become so conditioned to the Devils wilting under the heat of the playoffs in recent years.

But this team always regrouped. It never gave up. It had heart.

What a blast this season was!

Edited by 95Crash, 15 June 2012 - 01:20 PM.