Goaltending is huge

['7']

And the only difference in this game, as the Devils outplayed the Rags on ALL FRONTS (I still recall that graphic that NBC flashed...scoring chances Devils 23 Rangers 10) but again...you have one goalie letting up a stoppable shot to Girardi followed by a backbreaker softie from the point (which wasn't even tipped) and another who stops everything from every angle every time. Could you blame marty? I suppose, he pretty much always sh!ts himself at the sight of the rags in the playoffs...but when you have somebody like lundqvist there isn't much you can do.

The difference will be goaltending...the rangers will get some soft goals because of brodeur. The devils have to be pinpoint precise because of lundqvist, he will not allow a single soft goal. No tricklers from the point, no wrist shots from D-men after a faceoff.

I'm really worried, because this is EXACTLY what I saw during the entire 2008 series.

The series isn't over...but we need some help, we need some BREAKS! That's what the rags got today. BS penalty on Salvador (what did he do exactly) let to a PP goal and then the softy.

Can we play like crap for a game and win? ONCE? because the Rags played like crap today for 40+ minutes, got a BS pnealty in our zone on one of their rare good shifts.

Edited May 19, 2012 by '7'

[theamazingtiny]

It isn't just goaltending look at both teams PP/PKs our lack of production there has hurt us this series.

[Beetlebum]

Blaming Brodeur really? You are a fvcking joke maybe if Kovalchuk puts in one of his two break aways and our alleged superstar FA who exhibits the scoring touch of Tom Chorskey does something those plays never happen.

[devilsfan26]

And the only difference in this game, as the Devils outplayed the Rags on ALL FRONTS (I still recall that graphic that NBC flashed...scoring chances Devils 23 Rangers 10) but again...you have one goalie letting up a stoppable shot to Girardi followed by a backbreaker softie from the point (which wasn't even tipped)

It was clearly tipped, you can tell from the replay they showed from behind the shot.

[devlman]

Cant say I disagree with us having to play perfect and losing to a team that did nothing for much of the game. Marty was great today but we need hIm to be even better. No softies, or semi-softies.

Blaming Brodeur really? You are a fvcking joke maybe if Kovalchuk puts in one of his two break aways and our alleged superstar FA who exhibits the scoring touch of Tom Chorskey does something those plays never happen.

Lol this is also true re parise.

[Beck27]

2 breakaways, 3 clear cut 2 on 1's (one of which didn't even make it past the blue line) and a couple of other decent looks in front (Bernier)...this game is on the Devils forwards inability to bear down and bury one.

Kovy's first breakaway was the best chance...wasn't even a great save as much as Kovy lamely keeping the puck on the ice. If he scores there, it's a different game.

The rangers are terribly unimpressive, but will probably win the series because of their goalie.

Edited May 19, 2012 by Beck27

['7']

2 breakaways, 3 clear cut 2 on 1's (one of which didn't even make it past the blue line) and a couple of other decent looks in front (Bernier)...this game is on the Devils forwards inability to bear down and bury one.

Kovy's first breakaway was the best chance...wasn't even a great save as much as Kovy lamely keeping the puck on the ice. If he scores there, it's a different game.

The rangers are terribly unimpressive, but will probably win the series because of their goalie.

true...same story as 94, 97, 08

[95Crash]

2 breakaways, 3 clear cut 2 on 1's (one of which didn't even make it past the blue line) and a couple of other decent looks in front (Bernier)...this game is on the Devils forwards inability to bear down and bury one.

Kovy's first breakaway was the best chance...wasn't even a great save as much as Kovy lamely keeping the puck on the ice. If he scores there, it's a different game.

The rangers are terribly unimpressive, but will probably win the series because of their goalie.

I agree with the bolded part.

[DevsMan84]

2 breakaways, 3 clear cut 2 on 1's (one of which didn't even make it past the blue line) and a couple of other decent looks in front (Bernier)...this game is on the Devils forwards inability to bear down and bury one.

Kovy's first breakaway was the best chance...wasn't even a great save as much as Kovy lamely keeping the puck on the ice. If he scores there, it's a different game.

The rangers are terribly unimpressive, but will probably win the series because of their goalie.

The last part is the biggest point. This is going to be a goaltenders duel the entire way and Marty cannot let softies in like the first goal against these guys.

If we win against these guys it will most likely be by only a goal and not a blowout. Therefore every goal against is as huge as every goal we score. We were done after that first goal against.

[AEWHistory]

I can't blame Brodeur today. He was very good, lundquiche was simply better. However, I think that while we had an abundance of scoring chances, there weren't as many quality chances as everyone thinks. I could be mistaken but I think that if you went back and looked over this game you would find that the number of overall chances would be lopsided in our favor BUT the number of high quality chances would be damn near even. Even the breakaways were forced into mediocre angles, rushed, or quickly defended. Look at the two-on-one early in the game when the pass was deflected.... A scoring chance I suppose but it wasn't a quality chance as the puck had only made it to the blue line. For me high quality chances are the ones that hit the goal post, are saved on or near the goal line, or in some way have a realistic chance of leading to a score if only a millisecond/millimeter (or a few) had changed. Being thirty feet from goal and repeatedly shooting the puck on net from crap angles are fine ways to get stray goals, but I worry when that becomes our bread'n'butter or when these start being labelled among our "quality" scoring chances.

Yes, anything to get the puck on net, but just because the damn puck and net are in the same neighborhood the job isn't done. I am craving the Devils' scorers to be able to solve Queen Quiche. We gotta treat the Rags goal like a lonely shepherd treats his flock: score frequently and keep scoring!

[devlman]

I want a clarkson or bernier to get the puck in the offensive zone goal line and just bull their way to the front of the net with it..cause havoc, have the queen and his court of five goalies scrambling to find the resulting puck.

[Marshall]

Marty is playing good-to-great...but Lundqvist is superhuman.

[capo]

First goal will win every game in this series. The Devils forwards need to make the Rangers pay for blocking shots and they aren't doing it. They're being way too damn cute with the puck. Let one of them catch one off the head and they'll think twice. In game 2 they didn't try to be as cute and got some deflections. Also, Elias has been no where to be found for a while now. The Devils will not win without him.

Edited May 19, 2012 by capo

[coldply123]

This game isn't entirely on Brodeur, but he deserves a fair share of criticism here. He plays way too far out. That Callahan save he had doesn't look as good if Marty doesn't get caught cheating out so much. A lot of his acrobatic saves come from that but he gets burned too much for my liking and constantly leaves huge portions of the net and sides of the crease open.

Bottom line is Marty should have had better positioning and reflex on both goals. The Girardi goal was stoppable. We need vintage Brodeur and we aren't going to get that.

Devils may pull another game, but it's going to be Rangers in six.

['7']

I guess what annoys me the most is that the devils never win a playoff game when theyre as thoroughly outplayed as the rags were today...

[Triumph]

I guess what annoys me the most is that the devils never win a playoff game when theyre as thoroughly outplayed as the rags were today...

yeah they do, it's just been years since it has happened. but it has happened.

[Satans Hockey]

I'm really worried, because this is EXACTLY what I saw during the entire 2008 series.

This series is nothing like that one. We didn't dominate a single game in that series. That Devils team didn't even show up.

[socbrian]

The series isn't over...but we need some help, we need some BREAKS! That's what the rags got today. BS penalty on Salvador (what did he do exactly) let to a PP goal and then the softy.

Sal got hit sticks in gabbys hands, that a penalty 90% of the time, just bad luck that it went from gabbys midsection to hands.

[95Crash]

I can't blame Brodeur today. He was very good, lundquiche was simply better. However, I think that while we had an abundance of scoring chances, there weren't as many quality chances as everyone thinks. I could be mistaken but I think that if you went back and looked over this game you would find that the number of overall chances would be lopsided in our favor BUT the number of high quality chances would be damn near even. Even the breakaways were forced into mediocre angles, rushed, or quickly defended. Look at the two-on-one early in the game when the pass was deflected.... A scoring chance I suppose but it wasn't a quality chance as the puck had only made it to the blue line. For me high quality chances are the ones that hit the goal post, are saved on or near the goal line, or in some way have a realistic chance of leading to a score if only a millisecond/millimeter (or a few) had changed. Being thirty feet from goal and repeatedly shooting the puck on net from crap angles are fine ways to get stray goals, but I worry when that becomes our bread'n'butter or when these start being labelled among our "quality" scoring chances.

Yes, anything to get the puck on net, but just because the damn puck and net are in the same neighborhood the job isn't done. I am craving the Devils' scorers to be able to solve Queen Quiche. We gotta treat the Rags goal like a lonely shepherd treats his flock: score frequently and keep scoring!

+ 1 ... the whole post.

The Capitals took the Rangers to 7 games by trying to out-defense them. That's not the Devils' game. The Devils like to push, push, push the action. They need to score at least two goals a game to win. If they try and change it up now and play lockdown defense, they're sunk, and Devs fans would complain how PDB stopped doing what made them successful to begin with, a la Sutter in 2008.

[NJDevs4978]

I'm really worried, because this is EXACTLY what I saw during the entire 2008 series.

The series isn't over...but we need some help, we need some BREAKS! That's what the rags got today. BS penalty on Salvador (what did he do exactly) let to a PP goal and then the softy.

Can we play like crap for a game and win? ONCE? because the Rags played like crap today for 40+ minutes, got a BS pnealty in our zone on one of their rare good shifts.

In 2008, they got to Lundqvist eventually, it's just that Marty was so bad it didn't matter. I don't think they get to Lundqvist this year. Marty hasn't been bad, he's just been fallible. I mean two goals a game for the first three games isn't exactly getting lit up like a pinball machine. It's just that the shot-blockers were perfect in Game 1 and Henry was perfect tonight.

As far as your last sentence, I'd settle for them playing good and winning. I don't know what more they could have done today other than maybe risking a goalie interference penalty to get more traffic in front of Lundqvist. It's not like they didn't have in close chances, breakaways and two-on-ones though. That game HAD to be ridiculously discouraging, I'd be impressed if the Devils bounced back from today. Even in the third period they amazingly didn't give up and kept peppering the net.

[maxpower]

Why would you be amazed if they came back? The other team is doing nothing but laying and praying. You don't have any choice but to come back, because they're not doing anything!

I wouldn't be amazed if they came back even if they LOST on Monday. Two days off and that's the best you can do? Like the first 3 games, they are going to spend the rest of the series in their zone.

[NJDevs4978]

Why would you be amazed if they came back? The other team is doing nothing but laying and praying. You don't have any choice but to come back, because they're not doing anything!

I wouldn't be amazed if they came back even if they LOST on Monday. Two days off and that's the best you can do? Like the first 3 games, they are going to spend the rest of the series in their zone.

That was the best effort the Devils had - I don't think that can even be disputed - and they couldn't even get ONE in the net. At least the other games when they got frustrated and kept pressing (Game 6 Florida, Game 4 Philly) eventually they had a breakthrough, but this isn't Clemmensen or Bryzgalov we're playing here. They've been shut out twice in the first three games and needed perfect deflections and shots to just get enough to win Game 2. Not to mention Lundqvist has owned us for five years, if Holtby had had two shutouts in the first three games it wouldn't be nearly as dire because he isn't in our heads the way Henry is.

Edited May 19, 2012 by NJDevs4978

[maxpower]

That was the best effort the Devils had - I don't think that can even be disputed - and they couldn't even get ONE in the net. At least the other games when they got frustrated and kept pressing (Game 6 Florida, Game 4 Philly) eventually they had a breakthrough, but this isn't Clemmensen or Bryzgalov we're playing here. They've been shut out twice in the first three games and needed perfect deflections and shots to just get enough to win Game 2. Not to mention Lundqvist has owned us for five years, if Holtby had had two shutouts in the first three games it wouldn't be nearly as dire because he isn't in our heads the way Henry is.

You're missing the point. One, players, hopefully are not as shrill as fans are, and two, the Rangers aren't going to do anything. All their games look the same. They might throw a burst out for a 5-10 minute portion of a game, but otherwise, they're not going to do anything. They will KEEP you there, even if you don't want to be there.

They just have to keep playing. Yeah, if they quit, they'll probably lose, unless Lundqvist plays like ass, but it is what it is. They win on Monday and they'll do no worse than playing in a Game 7.

[NJDevs4978]

yeah they do, it's just been years since it has happened. but it has happened.

2007 Game 5 against Tampa was the last one I can remember...the famous 'we know what we did' Torts press conference, where we got outshot like 30-14 and won 3-0.

['7']

Why would you be amazed if they came back? The other team is doing nothing but laying and praying. You don't have any choice but to come back, because they're not doing anything!

I wouldn't be amazed if they came back even if they LOST on Monday. Two days off and that's the best you can do? Like the first 3 games, they are going to spend the rest of the series in their zone.

the rags are on fumes as is. multiple days off won't help them, nothing will help them...they will spend the rest of the series in their zone relying on their 5 goalies and the sofa king.

Trouble is...this is working for them