2018 Offseason Thread

[Jimmy Leeds]

8 minutes ago, jagknife said:

Yeah fraternal twin boys. Dodged a work "curse" as people who do my job tend to have girls. The wife is absolutely miserable now, she's not very big to begin with, people cant believe she hasn't popped yet. Less than two weeks to go at least.

So exciting!   Best of luck to you and your wife and the new little Devil fans!  

Post pics please after your joyous moment and when you have time!  

[Daniel]

4 minutes ago, Jimmy Leeds said:

the future Mrs. Leeds and I were there.

I think that was her last game, lol

I was 16 and spent maybe $250 of some cash I saved to get a nosebleed ticket to go by myself.  Obviously it was before the days of Stubhub where all secondary market tickets were either sold in the parking lot or through the classified section in the Ledger, which is how I got mine.  I had to meet these dudes in a hotel room in the Meadowlands Sheraton a couple of hours before the game.  My parents could only drop me off and couldn't stick around with me and I didn't have my driver's license.  My mom called the guy up like the day before and told him she would have him killed if anything happened to me or if he ripped me off.  I knock on the hotel room door, guy gives me the ticket and says something like "here, take it, I don't want your parents to kill me."  lol

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Just now, Jimmy Leeds said:

I had taken so many awesome pictures at that game. Tailgating was awesome.  I brought a couple of rolls of film (remember them?) to Sam's Club to get developed. Somehow I checked slides and got two copies of slides that would have cost me like $50.  I couldn't afford that at that time. Lost all this pics

Oh man, sorry to hear THAT!  At least you've got your memories...

Some other tidbits about that game:

I think the first period went very badly for the Red Wings, even though it was tied at 2-2.  As crazy as it sounds, I think the Devils scoring that first goal really hurt the Wings, in spite of the fact that they answered back less than a minute later...don't know how much you remember about Game 3, but the Red Wings scored a couple of "angry" power play goals near the end of the third period to give themselves SOMETHING to build on, even though they still lost the game 5-2.  The Devils managed to quell whatever momentum the Wings had almost immediately, and you could see the Wings' shoulders sag just a little...keep in mind that they had only scored five goals through three games in the series to that point (the Devils' opening goal in Game 4 gave them 12 for the Finals), and the Wings had yet to score more than two against the Devils in the previous three games, so being down 1-0 so early had to have them thinking "Here we go again..."  They knew that goals were going to be hard to come by for them.  And I think the Wings really needed to get out of the first with that 2-1 lead that they managed to take intact, for their collective psyche.   

I didn't see the actual broadcast of the game until much later, but it wasn't until Chambers scored his second goal that pretty much iced the game for the Devils that John Davidson FINALLY (and not begrudgingly) was willing to give the Devils some genuine respect and props.  Prior to that, he was all about what the Wings weren't doing right, than what the Devils were doing to wrap them up and stuff them.  When the Wings took that first period 2-1 lead in Game 4, he went on and on about how the "real" Red Wings finally showed up; in Game 3, after Holik's goal put the Devils up 5-0, he basically said that the Devils were living a charmed life, almost like they were winning more due to incredible luck (and the Red Wings not playing well) than anything else.  It was funny how much he changed his tune after Chambers made it 5-2...basically said that the Red Wings were toast and that there was no reason to expect any kind of rally (I think they had one or two shots in the third period up until that point, and John MacLean said that the Wings were clearly in "Yep, we're done, let's just go home" mode after that goal), and then simply said that the Devils had flat-out earned the Cup that they were soon to win.

Once it was 5-2, my section (and I think all of the others) just went nuts, knowing what was inevitable...there was still over seven minutes to play, and the outcome had been decided, and the seconds just slowed to a crawl...the anticipation was awesome and intoxicating, but at the same time it almost felt like torture...it was all so overwhelming.  I wish I'd seen Peluso crying on the bench as it happened...I didn't know about that until I saw a replay on TV, but man what a great moment of just pure emotion.   

Also in my section, some guy made up a sign that read "Hey McMullen, Don't be a NASH-HOLE, Keep the Devils in NJ!"  Security took it away from him in the first period, to many boos.  Some other guy had a "NASHVILLE ALREADY HAS ENOUGH PEOPLE WITHOUT TEETH!"  Killer stuff. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

16 minutes ago, Daniel said:

I was 16 and spent maybe $250 of some cash I saved to get a nosebleed ticket to go by myself.  Obviously it was before the days of Stubhub where all secondary market tickets were either sold in the parking lot or through the classified section in the Ledger, which is how I got mine.  I had to meet these dudes in a hotel room in the Meadowlands Sheraton a couple of hours before the game.  My parents could only drop me off and couldn't stick around with me and I didn't have my driver's license.  My mom called the guy up like the day before and told him she would have him killed if anything happened to me or if he ripped me off.  I knock on the hotel room door, guy gives me the ticket and says something like "here, take it, I don't want your parents to kill me."  lol

I had tix for the final two rounds that year (I went to one of the games against Pitt)...a single as well, but I didn't care.  I was so locked into those games that I barely interacted with anyone.  I remember being plenty pissed when the Devils lost Games 3 and 4 of the ECF to the Flyers...I was at a shore house in Manasquan for Game 5 of that series, watching the game on a 13" color CRT TV, and I was a friggin' nervous wreck right up until Lemieux somehow beat Hextall...once the Devils won that game, I felt great about Game 6...just felt like they were going to get it done.  The place exploded after Lemieux's breakaway goal made it 4-1...much like Game 4 of the SCF, we all knew the Devils weren't giving up a three-goal lead in the third. 

[vadvlfan]

3 hours ago, jagknife said:

I'm so damn fired up for this season to start. Between the chance for the young guys to shine, to seeing who Ray brings to camp on a PTO, to my twins being born soon, to planning a modified backyard rink with a friend of mine, so much to look forward to this hockey season, except for that whole never gonna sleep again part...

Good luck with twins.  Backyard rink? pretty cool

[MadDog2020]

TG with a good read on Nico: https://www.nhl.com/news/nico-hischier-ready-for-nhl-global-series-challenge/c-299773254

[jagknife]

2 hours ago, vadvlfan said:

Good luck with twins.  Backyard rink? pretty cool

Thanks! I’m thinking some kind of faux floor that can go up and come down easily. We’ve got time before they’ll be able to go on it but I’d like to do something since the closest ice rink is 2 hours away

[jagknife]

5 hours ago, Jimmy Leeds said:

So exciting!   Best of luck to you and your wife and the new little Devil fans!  

Post pics please after your joyous moment and when you have time!  

Thanks man! Definitely will. They’re gonna have gear from so many teams with our friends a family pretty scattered haha so don’t chase me away with torches and pitchforks!

they won’t wear Rangers gear, that I can promise!

[MadDog2020]

 

[mfitz804]

On 8/13/2018 at 2:14 PM, titans04 said:

Beat me to it.  The guy has never even remotely been a physical presence especially for a guy his size.  That said I still like the guy and think he brings other things to the lineup.  Admittedly I'll never be critical of anybody that's battled through all that's come his way.  

Roughly translated: we all love to hockey. 

[Jimmy Leeds]

On ‎8‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 10:23 AM, Daniel said:

I was 16 and spent maybe $250 of some cash I saved to get a nosebleed ticket to go by myself.  Obviously it was before the days of Stubhub where all secondary market tickets were either sold in the parking lot or through the classified section in the Ledger, which is how I got mine.  I had to meet these dudes in a hotel room in the Meadowlands Sheraton a couple of hours before the game.  My parents could only drop me off and couldn't stick around with me and I didn't have my driver's license.  My mom called the guy up like the day before and told him she would have him killed if anything happened to me or if he ripped me off.  I knock on the hotel room door, guy gives me the ticket and says something like "here, take it, I don't want your parents to kill me."  lol

That is some funny stuff. Thanks for sharing

My story...........I went to all the playoff games in '94...........so '95 rolls around and I went to a few, but when the Finals arrived I was not in possession of tickets.  Now I don't know how they do it now, but back then, you had to buy two rounds of playoff tickets at a time.  So a LOT of Flyer fans bought tix to the ECF and they had to get SCF tix.   As soon as the Devs eliminated the Flyers, I put a classified ad in the Philadelphia Enquirer looking for tix to games 3, 4 & 6.   I got a lot of whacky calls..........."Send me the money and I'll mail you the tickets" and that kind of Bullsh*t.   1 guy..........1 guy contacted me that seemed legit and I met him in East Windsor. As I had suspected, he was a Flyer fan hoping to go the ECF then get a refund on SCF tix.  He wanted to go to a SCF Final game so he kept Game 3 and sold me Game 4 & 6.  After the Devs swept, this guy reimbursed me for Game 6. 

Good ol' Classified Ads

[mfitz804]

I watched game 4 on TV with my girlfriend (now my wife, we'd been dating less than a year), my friend who got me into the Devils and hockey in general, and his girlfriend. 

It was basically my wife's first intro to hockey that year, and they won the Cup. She had pretty high expectations going forward lol. 

Fast forward 23 years, I've lost touch with my friend, I married my wife, and my friend's ex-girlfriend is an attorney who works for the Court system who I see all the time. 

[DevsMan84]

I have been to a bunch of SCF games over the years.  The ones I have attended were:

1995: Game 4

2000: Games 1 and 5

2001: Games 4 and 6

2003: Game 7

2012: None

I was 11 in 1995, 16 in 2000, 17 in 2001 and 19 in 2003.  Still have very fond memories of all of them except for game 6 in 2001.  That one was easily the worst of the bunch.  Game 5 in 2000 ended in disappointment, but it was fun being around the arena for a game that went into triple overtime.  Everyone was waiting to bust out in celebration only for Modano to score halfway through the 3rd OT.  It was like the air left the entire arena all at once.

Game 1 in 2000 was really fun.  To see them put up 7, chase Belfour out of his net (damn cough syrup lol) and even see Daneyko jump up and down like a little kid after scoring was something else.  That game pretty much sealed it for me mentally that we were going to win that series and the cup.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

16 minutes ago, Kinkyisth3b3st said:

I was 3 years old in 1995, so all of these stories seem incredible and I am eternally jealous. 

I've only been to 1 Stanley Cup Finals game. 2000. I was 8 years old. I got my dad into hockey, and we'd go to 10 devils games a year at that point. We hadn't gone to any playoff games and it really didn't seem in the cards, as much as I begged. And I mean, I begged and begged and begged. "It can count as every birthday present until I die" was uttered more than once. 

So it's game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals and my mom tells me I had to go to my dad's office in Edison so I could help him "finish his work". I was livid. First time I ever cursed in front of my mom! I said "We're not watching the Devils game?!?! This day is an ass!" Real vulgar stuff. We get to his office and he tells me to go into his desk drawer and pull out my instructions for how to help him work... and there were 2 BIG tickets. I still remember exactly what they look like; they were white, with Brodeur printed on the front (and his shadow looked like a Devil) with a shiny Stanley Cup logo on the side. Apparently his office had a box at the meadowlands and my dad asked if he could use 2 seats in exchange for any bonuses that year. 

The Devils lost that game; 2-1 on a very late goal from Brett Hull I believe. Didn't matter to me. Didn't even phase me. That day my dad turned into superman. He got me what I thought we'd never have, he surprised me with it, and I will literally never forget it. On the way home I was bawling my eyes out, my dad kept trying to console me saying "They'll come back. They've got this". I had to correct him.. no, I'm crying because of how happy I am. This was the best night of my life.

Still is.

Heh heh, re:  the bolded, if I was 8 years old and uttered that in front of my parents, I wouldn't have made it to the first "s" in "ass"...I would've been lying on the floor, crying and looking up as the ceiling and holding the side of my face where it had just been smacked.  Not saying I was even an abused kid, I was NOT, but things were just a tad different in 1978.  It wasn't uncommon to see kids getting whaled on in stores and shopping malls for less back then. 

The 1995 Cup win was my #1 Devils game until last year.  The game against the Blackhawks last season, with my just-beat-prostate-cancer dad and my daughter, down at center ice just six rows up (with the buffet seats), supplanted the 95 game.  What made it so damned fun wasn't just the game itself (Devils came out flying, then had a rough second where Cory stood on his head, then pulled it together for the third), but the way my dad reacted to it.  He hadn't been to a game in about 20 years, and he was blown away by how much the experience had evolved.  He really and truly just loved it, and halfway through the game talked about how he couldn't wait to go again.  This after the game 20 years ago (Devils vs Rangers...Devils won, but there had been a lot of trash-talking and cursing, the usual stuff you hear among some), where my dad said you couldn't drag him to another hockey game.  Was just a perfect all-around night, and so much damned FUN. 

[Daniel]

1 minute ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Heh heh, re:  the bolded, if I was 8 years old and uttered that in front of my parents, I wouldn't have made it to the first "s" in "ass"...I would've been lying on the floor, crying and looking up as the ceiling and holding the side of my face where it had just been smacked.  Not saying I was even an abused kid, I was NOT, but things were just a tad different in 1978.  It wasn't uncommon to see kids getting whaled on in stores and shopping malls for less back then. 

The 1995 Cup win was my #1 Devils game until last year.  The game against the Blackhawks last season, with my just-beat-prostate-cancer dad and my daughter, down at center ice just six rows up (with the buffet seats), supplanted the 95 game.  What made it so damned fun wasn't just the game itself (Devils came out flying, then had a rough second where Cory stood on his head, then pulled it together for the third), but the way my dad reacted to it.  He hadn't been to a game in about 20 years, and he was blown away by how much the experience had evolved.  He really and truly just loved it, and halfway through the game talked about how he couldn't wait to go again.  This after the game 20 years ago (Devils vs Rangers...Devils won, but there had been a lot of trash-talking and cursing, the usual stuff you hear among some), where my dad said you couldn't drag him to another hockey game.  Was just a perfect all-around night, and so much damned FUN. 

This sort of reminds me of a Devils Hawks game I went to a few years ago before.  My friend’s brother took his sons to the same game.  Said they loved it, and kept yelling “you suck” at everyone and everything afterward.

[MadDog2020]

14 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

I have been to a bunch of SCF games over the years.  The ones I have attended were:

1995: Game 4

2000: Games 1 and 5

2001: Games 4 and 6

2003: Game 7

2012: None

I was 11 in 1995, 16 in 2000, 17 in 2001 and 19 in 2003.  Still have very fond memories of all of them except for game 6 in 2001.  That one was easily the worst of the bunch.  Game 5 in 2000 ended in disappointment, but it was fun being around the arena for a game that went into triple overtime.  Everyone was waiting to bust out in celebration only for Modano to score halfway through the 3rd OT.  It was like the air left the entire arena all at once.

Game 1 in 2000 was really fun.  To see them put up 7, chase Belfour out of his net (damn cough syrup lol) and even see Daneyko jump up and down like a little kid after scoring was something else.  That game pretty much sealed it for me mentally that we were going to win that series and the cup.

Re: SCF game 5 in 2000- I will never forget just how close we came to winning it that night. In the first OT, Brylin backhanded a rebound of a Holik shot that Belfour saved along the ice, and it clanked the bottom of the post. The whole place shot up out of their seats and when that puck hit the post the crowd let out the loudest collective OOOOOOOH I’ve ever heard. I mean we were INCHES away from celebrating an OT Cup winner on home ice. It worked out just fine in the end of course, but I always think about that whenever I think about game 5.

Edited August 17, 2018 by MadDog2020

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

6 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

I have been to a bunch of SCF games over the years.  The ones I have attended were:

1995: Game 4

2000: Games 1 and 5

2001: Games 4 and 6

2003: Game 7

2012: None

I was 11 in 1995, 16 in 2000, 17 in 2001 and 19 in 2003.  Still have very fond memories of all of them except for game 6 in 2001.  That one was easily the worst of the bunch.  Game 5 in 2000 ended in disappointment, but it was fun being around the arena for a game that went into triple overtime.  Everyone was waiting to bust out in celebration only for Modano to score halfway through the 3rd OT.  It was like the air left the entire arena all at once.

Game 1 in 2000 was really fun.  To see them put up 7, chase Belfour out of his net (damn cough syrup lol) and even see Daneyko jump up and down like a little kid after scoring was something else.  That game pretty much sealed it for me mentally that we were going to win that series and the cup.

Games 3 and 4 in 1995 for me, and Game 1 in 2012. 

If you look at highlights ever, check out Sykora's goals in Game 1 of the 2000 SCF...after his first one (made it 3-1 Devils), check out the looks on some of the Stars...you could tell they were kind of thinking "Damn, these guys are fvcking GOOD."  I loved Sykora's second goal (made it 6-1 and came just after Brylin's insane driving backhander...also chased Belfour from the net)...the way he shot it, it was such a "fvck YOU!" goal, and the building just exploded.  I would've LOVED to have been there for that game.  I remember watching the game with my Slovakian girlfriend at the time (our first date was Game 2 of Round 1, the Niedermayer 3-on-5 SH goal), and after Goal #6, she just started giggling and said "Oh my God, AGAIN?!" 

[DevsMan84]

2 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

Re: SCF game 5 in 2000- I will never forget just how close we came to winning it that night. In the first OT, Brylin backhanded a rebound of a Holik shot that Belfour saved along the ice, and it clanked the bottom of the post. The whole place shot up out of their seats and when that puck hit the post the crowd let out the loudest collective OOOOOOOH I’ve ever heard. I mean we were INCHES away from celebrating an OT Cup winner on home ice. It worked out just fine in the end of course, but I always think about that whenever I think about game 5 in 2000. 

Haha I remember that too.  Any sort of scramble near Belfour or save by him was met with a huge roar from the crowd.  Everyone was ready to explode and you could cut the tension in the air with a knife that evening.

By the time 3rd OT started, I do remember the crowd sort of getting a little tired by that point.  I just remember that I wanted it to be over by then.  That's why when Modano scored, while I was a little bit pissed I would be lying if I wasn't slightly relieved to finally go home.  I think by that time it was nearly 1AM.

[DevsMan84]

1 minute ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Games 3 and 4 in 1995 for me, and Game 1 in 2012. 

If you look at highlights ever, check out Sykora's goals in Game 1 of the 2000 SCF...after his first one (made it 3-1 Devils), check out the looks on some of the Stars...you could tell they were kind of thinking "Damn, these guys are fvcking GOOD."  I loved Sykora's second goal (made it 6-1 and came just after Brylin's insane driving backhander...also chased Belfour from the net)...the way he shot it, it was such a "fvck YOU!" goal, and the building just exploded.  I would've LOVED to have been there for that game.  I remember watching the game with my Slovakian girlfriend at the time (our first date was Game 2 of Round 1, the Niedermayer 3-on-5 SH goal), and after Goal #6, she just started giggling and said "Oh my God, AGAIN?!" 

I remember in the first period it felt like we were jumping out of our seats every 5 minutes to celebrate a goal.  I was with my dad at the game (he was with me for all of them) and that was probably the most excited I have ever seen him at a game.

I think the Stars and even Thorne and Clement were surprised about not only how good we were, but how we were doing it.  The A-Line just dismantled them in that game and even Clement sounded like he was going to pass out during the replay of the one where Elias did a no look-pass behind him while faking Belfour that was going to go around behind the net and Sykora scoring.

[MadDog2020]

2 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

Haha I remember that too.  Any sort of scramble near Belfour or save by him was met with a huge roar from the crowd.  Everyone was ready to explode and you could cut the tension in the air with a knife that evening.

By the time 3rd OT started, I do remember the crowd sort of getting a little tired by that point.  I just remember that I wanted it to be over by then.  That's why when Modano scored, while I was a little bit pissed I would be lying if I wasn't slightly relieved to finally go home.  I think by that time it was nearly 1AM.

Yeah it was about 1:00 when that game finally ended. I was taking summer classes that year and had class really early the next day. Had we won, I was obviously blowing class off to party into all hours of the night, but Mike Modano made me be responsible instead lol. 

[DevsMan84]

4 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

Yeah it was about 1:00 when that game finally ended. I was taking summer classes that year and had class really early the next day. Had we won, I was obviously blowing class off to party into all hours of the night, but Mike Modano made me be responsible instead lol. 

lol yeah I had to go to class after that too.  I was basically running on adrenaline for that day and when I got home from school I just crashed.  Also, my dad and I along with a few friends of his tailgated since about 2PM so it was a pretty long day lol.

I also remember by the end of the 1st OT the arena running out of food.  All they had left was coffee and water by that point.

[DevsMan84]

I also must say that I feel bad for anyone who either wasn't a fan of the team yet or wasn't born/old enough to see the A-Line play.  While we have had some good lines since (EGG, ZZPops and Parise-Henrique-Kovy lines come to mind), the A-Line was truly the best line we have ever had.  In the 2000-01 season you would expect the team to score at least 4 goals a game with the A-Line scoring at least 2 of them.  They were THAT good.

[MadDog2020]

Just now, DevsMan84 said:

I also must say that I feel bad for anyone who either wasn't a fan of the team yet or wasn't born/old enough to see the A-Line play.  While we have had some good lines since (EGG, ZZPops and Parise-Henrique-Kovy lines come to mind), the A-Line was truly the best line we have ever had.  In the 2000-01 season you would expect the team to score at least 4 goals a game with the A-Line scoring at least 2 of them.  They were THAT good.

This X 1000. The A-Line was just a pleasure to watch. Truly unbelievable. I put that line up there with any of the best lines in NHL history. I just wish it could’ve lasted longer. 

[devlman]

I've only been able to make it out to one SCF game, and the memory attached to it is Mark Fayne and his horrendous series-turning miss. Was still great seeing the Pru hosting a game of that significance. Our fans that playoff year go up against any in sports for passion/support.

[devlman]

8 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

I also must say that I feel bad for anyone who either wasn't a fan of the team yet or wasn't born/old enough to see the A-Line play.  While we have had some good lines since (EGG, ZZPops and Parise-Henrique-Kovy lines come to mind), the A-Line was truly the best line we have ever had.  In the 2000-01 season you would expect the team to score at least 4 goals a game with the A-Line scoring at least 2 of them.  They were THAT good.

The A line remains the most underrated line in hockey. The level of chemistry and offense was off the charts. It was automatic offensive zone time with them.