Derek21

How long ago was it? Did you sit upstairs? MSG these days is pretty tame. I was surprised to see a actual fight break out between fans during the Islander game. It was better than the game.

It works both ways. Plenty of Devil fans would come to MSG during the lean years and act like a bunch of jerks. The rivalry hasn't been fun in years. Maybe when the Devils get more competitive, you'll have something. It was nice to see a couple of fights to add some needed juice to a dead rivalry.

Severson is younger and they probably wanted to keep him over Larsson, who had a movable and workable contract. Funny enough. I envisioned a Severson for Hall deal the year before. But it turned out to be Larsson. Larsson fits into Edmonton's top 4. That shouldn't be underestimated. McDavid is a great great player. Not complete yet. But he will put up 100 points a year and win scoring titles and contend for MVP's. Of course, you need that caliber player in a rebuild. They finally got it. It took long enough. How many times did they win the lottery? The Sabres didn't do too badly with Eichel. He's quietly been on a tear since the second half and is basically a point-per-game. I think it's harder to stay competitive without a top 10 pick. Say like the Red Wings. SI had this great piece on The Joe. I finished reading it yesterday. How they drafted so well and landed gold mines like Lidstrom, Fedorov, Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Their scouting was unreal and the biggest reason for the streak. It will end this year. Ironically, Datsyuk went home following another first round exit. Gordie Howe passed as did Ilitch. It's amazing how consistent they were. It takes a lot to stay that competitive for so long. In the long run, Detroit is better off hitting a lull now. They can rebuild for the future and finally land a high pick.

I think it was listed as a sellout. 16,514 is capacity, right? I am sure there were some empties. Same as MSG these days. But you had a mostly full building for an exciting rivalry game that actually was good. Well, the second half and the OT. The first half was boring. Hardly much happening. Once the Devils scored, it got exciting. Plus a couple of scraps following the Holden hit on Wood. I understood it. Vesey and Coleman was good. It was nice to see some of that intensity back. It's been missing the past few years. The games have had no edge. You had Miller and Santini jawing post whistle. Then those scraps which livened it up. Devils got some excellent play from their key guys. Schneider had one of his better games standing tall in the 3rd and OT. Great poke on Grabner and robbery on Hayes. He was definitely locked in. Blandisi and Quenneville were excellent. They took advantage of a bad Rangers PK overload for Quenneville's first. And the winner was predictable. The Rangers got stuck with the same 3 out for over a minute. When they didn't change, I knew it was coming. McDonagh missed wide and he and Grabner had nothing left. Quenneville made a patient play passing for Blandisi for the sweet finish around Raanta. No complaints. Both goalies played well. Rangers held the shots edge (40-29), possession and attempts by a wide margin (68-41). I don't put much emphasis on that because they rarely win when they out-shoot opponents. They fall to 17-18-3. Hall had one of his better games. His goal from Palmieri off a bad Holden turnover was a laser. 8 total shots. But I come away saying Palmieri is their best player. He makes things happen. He forced Raanta into some tough saves early. And he got off to a bad start and still has 25 goals. When they got him, I knew it was a steal. Very good player. I didn't care about winning. That means nothing. I just want to beat the Islanders and send their annoying fans home. They rarely beat them. It's their Cup. Should be interesting tomorrow.

You can't win without quality D. They upgraded. You also can't win without a great goalie. Talbot is that this year. It's not how many goals you score. But how many you prevent. Talbot deserves inclusion for the Vezina.

They haven't sniffed the playoffs in 11 years. I guess they're supposed to go right back to the Stanley Cup Final like last time. They have more than a couple of good players. Maroon is good. So is Lucic even though the contract they gave him is awful. You need guys like that in the playoffs. Eberle is good despite what's been a bad year. So is Nugent-Hopkins although he doesn't score as much as I thought he would. Klefbom and Nurse are good. Larsson is plus-19 and leads Edmonton in hits. Talbot isn't getting enough credit for the season they have had. He should be up for the Vezina. Without him, they'd be cooked. Even with McDavid's scoring, they wouldn't make the playoffs without Cam.

Find the part where I said Edmonton won the trade. The winner hasn't been determined yet. Because when such deals are made, it takes more time before deciding. I think many of us including the experts jumped the gun. The Oilers knew they had McDavid and needed a top 4 defenseman who could log key minutes. Larsson might not be the guy you or I thought he was. But that doesn't mean he's bad. He was a solid minutes guy for the Devs who they depended on. Those types aren't easily replaced. Hall made sense for them because it's like you said. They have little to no offense. I think it's also fair to point out that there's no playoffs for Edmonton without Talbot. He's up to 37 wins and 7 shutouts. They don't have a backup. He plays basically every game. I think last night was number 66. He's gonna win 40. Even Lundqvist never did that. Without Cam, the Oilers don't sniff the playoffs.

After a down season, his value will be at an all-time low. They won't get close to fair value for him. You have to wait it out. Maybe next year, Schneider returns to form. The Devils can't be any worse. They'll get rid of some of the dead weight and play the kids more which should make them more competitive. I don't think he's as bad as he's shown this year. Your best bet is to ride it out. Either he carries them in even though it's unrealistic given the division and East. Or has a bounce back year which increases his value making him a more attractive option if teams are interested. It depends on management. I have no clue what the plan is.

Who cares. If he were truly elite as you claim, he'd be more consistent despite the awful defense. All you do is make excuses for him. Elite is what Bobrovsky is doing. He should win the Vezina again. Even with the improvement on D, he stands on his head nightly. Elite is Lundqvist carrying the Rangers during 2012 when he won the Vezina on a flawed team that was the top seed, won a Game 6 and two Game 7's before finally cracking against the Devils. It's Kiprusoff during a couple of Calgary years doing the same for the Flames even getting them within an inch of a Stanley Cup. It's Brodeur doing it every year for the Devils even with the talent they had. Winning 40 games or better. Smashing records and winning 3 Cups and 4 Vezinas. I feel like the definition of elite has dropped off. Elite to me are great goalies. The level of Hasek, Brodeur and Roy. Price is at that level even though he's been inconsistent this year. He can steal games or a series. Bobrovsky might be capable of it. Rask also could be. Lundqvist has won series when his team's back was against the wall. Roy always did. Marty did it against the Flyers in '00 and against the Senators in Game 7 of '03. Is Schneider even as good as Dubnyk? He's finally showing signs of slowing down with the Wild in free fall. If you took Dubnyk off that team, they would stink. What about Talbot's performance for Edmonton? They're not exactly a lock down defensive team even with the upgrades. Talbot rarely gets a night off. I want to make one thing clear. I don't want to diminish what Schneider did last year. He was at the best level of his career and gave the Devils a chance to make the playoffs. I expected him to take the next step. Maybe it was poor thinking. I didn't consider how much they would miss Larsson or how bad their moves were. I had them just missing the wildcard. Yet you claim the Devils won that trade cleanly. I thought so too. Many did. But they haven't. Hall should be a 30-goal 70-point guy. Edmonton is doing fine. They don't miss him.

Not when you're out of it. Santini should play every night. Scratch Lovejoy or Moore. Every coach does this. They stick with vets and bench kids for no reason.

Why would they scratch Santini? They're out of it and he's got promise.

Exactly the point I was going to make. Buffalo is a huge ratings market for hockey. They always tune in. And they have passionate fans who will make the trip next year. I wish more people paid attention to that fact. It doesn't always have to be local. The Stadium Series has been pretty successful at giving other markets chances at the outdoor game.

So, you think they would actually have McDavid and the Oilers play the Rangers in the game? Or is this just a suggestion for an Oilers/Flames game which NBC would not draw on? I think you had Calgary and Winnipeg in an outdoor game this winter. Eichel is not just good. He's been ripping it up. Since the All-Star break, he has 28 points (9-19-28) and is 48 points in 49 games. It just seems there is a lot of bitterness over these games which are overrated to begin with. I don't care one iota about it.

Brad Marchand 19-12-31 since 1/24. He should be up for the Hart.

They already had the Caps and Blackhawks or was that someone else. The Hawks participate in more outdoor games than anyone. Rangers played the Flyers in 2012 at Citizens Bank Park and the whole Stadium Series at Yankee Stadium. I love having the Sabres in it with Eichel. Don't forget there are other outdoor games. Hopefully, they will expand.

Elaborate why you think Andy Greene is a top pair guy. Hell. McDonagh isn't an anchor either. He's overrated. But at least he can play the minutes and produce.

The piece where Wysh just speculates. Eh. The Devils are a very bad team. You have to look at personnel. They have a captain that is being used as an anchor when on a good team, he's a 2nd pair defenseman. Plus a lot of unfinished products on the back end. Once those players develop and mature, then they'll become better. One more good D prospect in the system. Part of the issue is failed players from the Lou Era. That includes signings and draft picks. I feel for Hynes because he wasn't handed a good roster. But I also didn't think they would be this bad. I thought they would be in the mix for the last wildcard but miss out. I changed my mind due to the defense. I also didn't anticipate Schneider being inconsistent. A direct result of the team not being as good. I think Hynes will get one more year due to the rebuilding process. They'll wind up with a pretty good pick. But ultimately, he isn't the coach who will bring them back. But who is?

It sure seems that way. I don't get it. Besides, I know the Rangers are "paper tigers." Just look at their style and who coaches them. Columbus mixes it up and has a better defense. But the Metro 2/3 is a match-up nightmare for anyone. I don't think the Pens want to see the Jackets either. They'd much rather play us.

Who cares. I think him winning 30 or more in 11 of 12 seasons is a great accomplishment. Even if shootout induced, it shows how consistent he's been throughout his career. Lundqvist was a 7th round pick. It makes it pretty special. You don't have to like him. But he's one of the classiest athletes I've ever seen. As for the record books, he'll wind up in the top 5 all-time in wins and is a Hall of Famer. He's been a bit unlucky. They've never had a superstar who could carry them because they didn't tank like Chicago or Pittsburgh. And because the organization hasn't always made the right decisions. Due to not addressing the lack of grit, they're probably one and done again. Though Tanner Glass scoring made me smile.

I thought the Pens would at least push that series 6. But I never thought they'd win. That Devils team was too complete. They had a great offense, a much better defense with the checking line of Madden, Pandolfo and Stevenson. Plus Brodeur. Pittsburgh couldn't deal with their tenaciousness. If you have the right combo and can turn mistakes into goals, you usually will win in these series. Having that added grit helps. Madden drove Mario nuts. He called him "Ace" and Lemieux dropped the puck to him thinking it was a teammate. He lost his mind at the end taking a penalty. I still say the '00-01 Devils were the most talented roster they ever had. They should've repeated. But got by on talent for a majority of the season. They should've beaten the Avs without Forsberg. That was a weird series. Neither Brodeur or Roy were great. Marty had that awful Game 6 allowing the Foote goal which deflated them. What did it end up? 4-0? It surprised me that Marty got outplayed by Roy. But it wasn't like Roy was great. But he did the job. Similar to how Brodeur outplayed Lundqvist in 2012. But they won in large part due to unforeseen contributions from the fourth line of Carter, Gionta and Bernier. That line killed us. In Game 5, I knew they were gonna come back from the 3-0 deficit. Even predicted it to my Dad. They tied it and then Carter scores the winner. That killed me. Those are the random things you can't predict about the playoffs. Like Salvador having that big postseason and getting that contract. A lot of you hated Salvador. But without him, the Devils don't make that run with a 40-year old Marty. I don't think you trade that even if they didn't get the end result. I have friends that still complain over the Bernier boarding major. They still would've been up against it to win Game 6 and bring the series back home. LA was pretty tough. Quick was out of his head. When the Rangers played them a couple of years later, it was mostly the awful third periods that doomed them at Staples Center. Plus a couple of controversial non-calls for goaltender interference involving Dwight King. Some of our fans are still sore over that. Maybe if they didn't sit back so much, they would've won the game they needed and who knows. Fact is they blew leads in each and lost in overtime. I was with coworkers for Game 5 at the bar for the crazy double overtime loss. Blown power play chances. Kreider's breakaway which I thought he had until Quick robbed him. And then Alec Martinez. :\ He also beat the Blackhawks. He's a good defenseman now too. When he scored, they turned it off. So, I didn't see the handshake or Kings celebration. It was odd. I still would've liked to seen the handshake. That's the playoffs in a nutshell. Forgot to mention. I enjoyed your story CR about meeting Keenan. At least he was nice. Once, I saw Darryl Sutter before a Sharks/Devils game when I was working production truck for the Devs. I said "hi," and he just gave me this evil stare. Unpleasant. Haha. From that point on, he's known as Scrooge. Other players or coaches I met were nicer.

Just because you out-possess a opponent and outshoot them doesn't guarantee success. The Rangers have a losing record when they have more shots and are something like 26-6 when being out-shot. Corsi is a good measure of possession. It summarizes what we see during shifts. I don't need charts to tell me whether my team is struggling. I can tell it from paying attention. Sometimes, your goalie can steal a game. Bobrovsky is one of the best at it. Lundqvist did it last night and Raanta on Monday. If you have a goalie who can make the big stops and steal two points, then you're ahead of the game. To your comment that the Blue Jackets are a "paper tiger." Are you kidding? What is this based on? One or two games. I will say this about that team. They are tough to play against. They have physical guys like Dubinsky and Jenner who are pests. Gritty ones like Calvert and Hartnell. And skilled types like Atkinson, who might be the most underrated star in the game. He is up to 30 goals and is money on breakaways. Not to mention guys like Wennberg, Saad, Foligno and Anderson. The blue line has been totally rebuilt thanks to the trade of Johansen for Jones. Werenski is a stud. Jack Johnson doesn't have to be the guy anymore. Savard is highly underrated. They've improved. They play a gritty game which can work in the playoffs. Plus have a nice mix of skill types with speed. They're well coached. The only question is the lack of experience. They are my sleeper to make a run if they can get through a potential first round with the Pens. Big if. It's not favorable. But Dubinsky relishes facing Crosby and has done well against them this year. Bobrovsky can steal games. He's that good. If it doesn't happen this year for Columbus, it could in the next couple of years.

That fake beard though. Haha.

It's lower than dirt. I don't know how people can look at themselves in the mirror every day. Worse than children.

Some idiots will say anything. You're one of the most popular and respected people on here RD. I <3 you.

Take away the 3-point game and that is no longer an issue. They won't. They love parity.