682 replies to this topic

[Top Shelf]

Just win the damn game please!!!!

[Kulags]

C'mon boys, she's all loaded up and ready to go...

[overtime98]

Score early tonight. Get 2 goals in the first. and set the tempo. bang bang.

[overtime98]

http://www.thehockey...les/25772-.html

This is what playoff hockey is all about.

Game 7s.

Unfortunately, because of the ongoing spat between Canadian cable providers Bell and Rogers many of us north of the border won’t see a good chunk of what should be the better game and has easily been the better series all along: The Devils-Canes.

Like a tug-of-war between two teams of world-class weightlifters, New Jersey and Carolina have gone back and forth in the series and no one has ever had a foothold or an advantage.

When the Devils jumped out of the gate in Game 1, it looked like the Hurricanes were going to be out-classed and the series would not be a long one. However, the Canes won Game 2 in overtime – to which the Devils said ‘oh yeah, we can beat you in OT in your building, too!’ – and again evened the series with a slim 4-3 win at home in Game 4. After the teams – both led by goalies more than capable of winning at least one series on their own – traded shutouts in Games 5 and 6, the stage was set for a Game 7 that will top off what has been the best and probably least-watched series so far.

The matchup was the least sexy from the get-go. No flashy, household superstars; no pesky headliner pests; no must-watch, talked-about young guns. A Canes-Devils showdown has a connotation attached to it that makes you think you’d rather watch paint dry. But the fact of the matter is this series has been home to some great hockey.

It’s got the goalies, it’s got the difference-making underdogs (Chad LaRose and David Clarkson have been great to watch) and, most importantly, it’s got tremendously evenly-matched lineups.

It wasn’t too long ago both of these teams were Stanley Cup champions. The Canes, winning in 2006 fresh out of the lockout, the Devils last doing it in 2003, but both still have large chunks of past success intact.

Key players such as Rod Brind’Amour, Eric Staal and Erik Cole still lead Carolina and vets Jamie Langenbrunner, Patrik Elias and John Madden continue to provide the backbone that has propped New Jersey up among the league’s best for more than a decade.

Both defense corps are viciously underrated simply because they don’t have a big name, but they have performed admirably well and whoever wins Game 7 will give the next team they face headaches, migraines and nightmares.

The story, of course, has been the goaltending. All-time great Marty Brodeur and Conn Smythe-winner Cam Ward have both been on top of their games and whenever two world-class goalies trade saves through a two-week series you can be sure it will ultimately be decided by one timely goal late in the deciding game.

[Souray44]

Let's Go Boys! Give them hell!!!
Let's Go Devils!!!

[Devils731]

This made me feel better today:

Steve (Hoboken): Scott!! Talk to me about the best series in the East that no one is talking about...Devils/Canes. Who comes out on top tomorrow?

SportsNation Scott Burnside: (4:33 PM ET ) Agreed that this series has little buzz but lots of emotion and terrific back-and-forth battles. Like the 'Canes but maybe I'm partial to southern weather. The goaltending has been a wash with Cam Ward playing very well and Zach Parise has gone dry for the Devils. Watch for Eric Staal to have another big game Tuesday.

[NJDevil1530]

LET'S GO DEVILS!!!!!

[skeeter]

Just win.

[nyrsuck26]

For the sake of my mental health, they better win.
GO DEVILS!!

[Prucenterrules]

Let's Go Devils!!!!

[South Jersey Devs Fan]

When I asked the iBall application on my iPhone if the Devils would win tonight it said "Outlook Good" There you have it folks

Let's Go Devils!!!

[welcometotherock]

Ill be up in 211 tonight rocking my Brodeur jersey; hopefully the crowd will be roaring tonight. Im so nervous for the game, its going to be hard to watch if its 0-0 after a large amount of time. Im expecting a goal from Elias, and hoping for a goal from Rolston. Marty should be great in net, we just need to get him a couple of goals.

Plenty of this tonight...



...and hopefully handshakes afterwards as the Devils celebrate their 1st playoff series victory while at the Rock.

LETS GO DEVILS

[DevilNurn]

...my thing is this: Where will the players' heads be, if we do win tonight? How will they play in the coming rounds? Tonight marks the eighth (yes 8th) consecutive time we've played these guys. April 9th was the last time we've played anyone other than Carolina. Does that make us complacent, or will it work in our favor?

Definitely the least of my worries at this point.

[goalieguy87]

This is it boys, do or die, only one thing left to say!!!

[Niaure]

Don't know, easy or hard,but devils will surely win this. Good thing is that our next opponent also playing a 7 game series...

[PeteyNice]

Blah, just realized the game will not be on Versus. Way to go NHL. There is no excuse for not broadcasting a game 7 nationally. None.

[Undersold]

Win.

That is all.

[David Puddy]

LET'S GO DEVILS!!!! I WANT TO KEEP MY BEARD!!!

[RSC]

Oh my God. School went by so slow today. I've had knots in my stomach all day. All of my doodles on my notes were hockey related. This game needs to come.

[eaglejelly]

Blah, just realized the game will not be on Versus. Way to go NHL. There is no excuse for not broadcasting a game 7 nationally. None.

The Rags and Caps are playing a game 7 at the same time. What did you expect?