Who/what do you blame?

[El Diablo]

Other = Did one thing give us the cup last year? Many actions created that and many actions led to today. Sometimes in life the "Bear eats you".

[ev0lemi]

I don't feel the need for blame, it doesn't change anything or make me feel any better.

here here.

in the end no matter whos to "blame" the result is the same.

sh!t happens, and wasn't our year. the devils played well, and as much as it sucks to think about, the philthies had a decent team this year with a streaky goalie who happened to be on a good streak in the first round.

seeing him do his best sieve impression in round 2 or 3 will just confirm his streaky un-abilities.

right now, i just hope there's a season next year to look forward to and that everyone comes back from a longer offseason healthy and ready to reclaim what's ours.

-emily

[Lateralous]

I'm frankly surpised Marty is running third in this poll. Yes, the offense was horrible. Yes, Stevens was missed. But Brodeur didn't steal a game in the postseason for the first time in his career. And he's our star, and he needed to be better.

<JESTER>

Yeah, but then again, this was exactly the type of performance many want to give Luongo the Vezina for!

[Elias Sports Bureau]

I disagree with this. Luongo keeps his team in games. Marty did not.

Marty's big gift to the Devils, to the league, to us has ALWAYS been that he makes the tide-turning save. He doesn't see many of them, so he's got to make the ones he has. We got these in one playoff game this year. Guess which game?

Luongo makes astonishing breath-taking saves and had the god-awful Panthers in the playoff hunt until almost the last week. We saw none of that kind of focus from the best goalie in the league.

There's no reason to blame, because when we win, he's the biggest reason why. But with saves like the one he should have had on Markov, we have another win or two and life.

Edited April 18, 2004 by Elias Sports Bureau

[NJDevs4978]

Seriously, I don't see a need to 'blame' anyone. To blame someone means you think we 'should' have won the series. I don't, the Flyers were the better team and the Devils were just drained. I doubt any one factor can or should be pinpointed, although I agree with Nieuwy losing all that veteran leadership is tough to get over overnight.

[Lateralous]

I disagree with this. Luongo keeps his team in games. Marty did not.

Marty's big gift to the Devils, to the league, to us has ALWAYS been that he makes the tide-turning save. He doesn't see many of them, so he's got to make the ones he has. We got these in one playoff game this year. Guess which game?

Luongo makes astonishing breath-taking saves and had the god-awful Panthers in the playoff hunt until almost the last week. We saw none of that kind of focus from the best goalie in the league.

There's no reason to blame, because when we win, he's the biggest reason why. But with saves like the one he should have had on Markov, we have another win or two and life.

Every time I've watched Luongo, he usually faces around 40 shots, gives up a weak goal, loses but makes several nice saves in the process and ends up with a nice shinny save %. That sounds about right.

Anyway, I didn't mean to get off topic, I just don't think we had "it" this season for several reasons that have all pretty much been covered here.

Edited April 18, 2004 by PhillyDevil