Brodeur and fans don't show up

[SC Devs Fan]

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=e...2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2

Brodeur and fans don't show up

Friday, April 27, 2007

By TARA SULLIVAN

RECORD COLUMNIST

EAST RUTHERFORD

When the fourth goal of the first period hit the back of Martin Brodeur's net, Continental Arena was so quiet it might as well have been empty.

Too bad it practically was.

Sparse attendance and an off night for the Devils led to a wholly uninspiring night of hockey Thursday, with the Senators striking quickly and decisively with four first-period goals before hanging on for a 5-4 win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Key to Game 1: The Senators came out hard and scored on four of their first eight shots to build a 4-0 lead in the opening 16:39. That deficit proved too big for the Devils to overcome.

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Three stars

1. Dany Heatley, Ottawa

Senators star scored his team's fourth goal 16:39 into the first period and also had two assists.

2. Jason Spezza, Ottawa

Heatley's linemate scored the first goal just 1:30 into the game and also had an assist on Wade Redden's one-timer 43 seconds into the third.

3. Scott Gomez, Devils

A pair of primary assists for the Devils' top line center wasn't enough.

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FIRE & ICE

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The official count for Thursday night's second-round playoff opener was 15,512 of a possible 19,040, but there were far more seats disguised as lilac-colored folding chairs than the franchise would like to admit. Those infernal thunder sticks given to fans are no substitute for actual people, and the noise level early was far too low for any building hosting a postseason game.

The Devils have yet to sell out a playoff game this year, not surprising on many levels. First, the team didn't sell out a game during the regular season. Second, the Devils are leaving East Rutherford at the end of the season, moving to Newark and the swanky new Prudential Center. And just in case you weren't aware of that, a commercial for the new digs and its catering/business meeting/luxury box possibility ran on the overhead scoreboard for the duration of the second intermission.

Continental Arena is a charmless, hulking, gray mass of concrete left standing alone amid a sea of Xanadu construction dust, an utterly charmless place, so there's little wonder the focus is on the new home. The Devils won't say as much, trying their hardest to hang on to the fans they have as they continue a run through the 2007 playoffs, but you just know they can't wait to get out of here.

"Certainly we were disappointed with the number of people here, but the people here give us everything they have," Devils coach/GM Lou Lamoriello said. "They didn't have to play for us."

The Devils didn't do much for the fans Thursday, dropping into a 4-0 hole before the brave souls who made the trek had time to settle into their seats. The first period was an unmitigated disaster of defensive mistakes and offensive near-misses. Brodeur started his second straight series on thin ice, his four-goal first period matching the worst of his vaunted playoff career. And this one had to hurt, given the verbal jabs launched this week by Ottawa's players.

The Senators hadn't played in a week since beating Pittsburgh in the opening round and were primed and ready to attack Brodeur, backing up their pre-series bravado with the onslaught of goals. While Brodeur and his Hall of Fame resume usually work to New Jersey's advantage as an intimidating presence in the net, the Senators weren't buying into that story line. They saw how Brodeur struggled in the early games against Tampa Bay, giving up three goals in each of the first four games of the series.

"He's not immortal," center Jason Spezza told the Ottawa Sun this week before scoring the first goal just 90 seconds into Thursday's game.

"Look, Brodeur is a good goalie, but we've got some offensive guys who can put the puck in the net," forward Dany Heatley told the same newspaper, before scoring the fourth of those first-period tallies on a 2-on-1 break. "He's not perfect. He hasn't won every year. They've lost. It's not like we're thinking, 'Oh geez, it's Marty Brodeur.'"

"If it wasn't for [a reporter's question] I wouldn't have known they said that," Brodeur said afterward. "It's the playoffs. That's what people do. You're asked the same questions and you have to find a new way to answer it. Hey, I would love to get our start back. But if you're going to have a bad game, this is the time to have it."

In other words, don't count me out just yet. Brodeur and the Devils made the game interesting Thursday, a late first-period coach by Travis Zajac leading to an inspired second period, which ended with the Senators clinging to a 4-3 lead. But a penalty that carried into the third led to an early power-play goal and Ottawa was back in control.

With that, silence carried the night, evident in the dejected fans filing out of the building and the defeated Devils skating into their locker room.

Once again, the Devils lost their home ice advantage, same as they did by losing Game 2 at home to Tampa. The sad truth for New Jersey, however, is that this arena doesn't really offer much of a home ice advantage anymore.

The wall of flags that hang from the rafters -- three Stanley Cups, six Atlantic Division titles, five Eastern Conference trophies

[Jerrydevil]

If we are a second-class hockey town, the Record has matched that by sending a second-class columnist to cover playoff games. This is bird-cage liner.

[SatansDevils]

Devils will be even better on the road in Ottawa where they have played well there over the years. They become a much tighter group on the road and with the Ottawa fans and some Devils fans filling up their seats is when the Devils play their best especially Brodeur in Canada.

[peteyvegas]

Guys: Do me a favor? Please dont email this woman. Whyever would she leave her email address after a scathing article about a home team? To put it in her resume?

[SueNJ97]

Guys: Do me a favor? Please dont email this woman. Whyever would she leave her email address after a scathing article about a home team? To put it in her resume?

[MadDog2020]

I did send her an email...I couldn't stand it. I had a partial plan for years and always got playoff tickets, until I was laid off, out-of-work for a year and then could only get a job paying me half of what I used to make where I have to pay for my own health insurance. Plus I carry my own mortgage, property taxes, etc, sicne I'm single. How the hell am I spoiled? I pay self-employment taxes (both ends of the SS and Medicare taxes). There is no way I can afford tickets. I never go anywhere - I can't afford it. I am about to get a second job because I have no money left to live on. This is one of the most insulting things I have ever read.

[njdevil26]

I sent her one. Not a mean one. I just said "Hey, we all know the fans haven't been there. I bet Saturday night brings a better game, a much larger crowd, and a lot of noise. It's old news, let's concentrate on the product on the ice."

[MadDog2020]

I sent her one. Not a mean one. I just said "Hey, we all know the fans haven't been there. I bet Saturday night brings a better game, a much larger crowd, and a lot of noise. It's old news, let's concentrate on the product on the ice."

[njdevil26]

Notice how none of these iditos say a word when we pack over 18,000 in for the weekend games?

[SatansDevils]

This Tara Sullivan writer needs to be crucified on a cross right now. She should be flooded with hate emails. Why do writers, reporters, opposing fans and others worry about attendance or how many show up for the game? They should be writing or reporting on the GAME itself and not attendance. At least I am there all the time among the crowd every night and we do support our Devils team like every other arena and for what we have in attendance we are very loud. We have seen the comments and reports made by Lou and the players on how loud and supportive our fans are. That is all that matters no matter how big or small the crowd is. Just ridiculious and it is really talked about way too much and for too long. Time to really let it go because next season we will not be hearing any of this in the new arena.

Edited April 27, 2007 by SatansDevils

[peteyvegas]

I'll say this gain. We have 4 teams in our area and our tax burden is the highest in the country. Money talks. And our real estate values have doubled in the past 10 years. Only thing cheap here is hot dogs and macaroni and cheese. Hence, the weight problem.

[eaglejelly]

Only thing cheap here is hot dogs..

[NJD Jester]

Notice how none of these iditos say a word when we pack over 18,000 in for the weekend games?

[FriesenKris]

I emailed her and said that if anyone was spoiled she was - she's a female sports writer covering one of the most successful teams in hockey. I said that I know someone more qualified and better suited for the job than her. Then I explained the process of how the "average person" without a press pass purchases a playoff ticket. I said I am a fan, I was there and her article did nothing but infuriate me.

Edited April 27, 2007 by FriesenKris

[Jerrydevil]

Greg, you should have her job. She's a terrible columnist, and I'm sad to say that I'm not basing my opinion solely on today's masterpiece.

Edited April 27, 2007 by Jerrydevil

[NJD Jester]

Greg, you should have her job. She's a terrible columnist, and I'm sad to say that I'm not basing my opinion solely on today's masterpiece.

[Jerrydevil]

I guess it's just easier to come up with "they're saving their money for the conference finals." Sheesh...

<JESTER>

[Sickman]

This woman deserves to be beaten with a frozen steak. We all know how many articles have been written about the Devils attendance but this one is just really bitter. What makes me laugh though is that if this idiot didn't have the job she did, you probably wouldn't find her caught dead inside CAA, the fvcking hypocrite that she is. Does she not realize that some people can't afford to go to the games?

Let her keep writing her trash with the rest of these clown "journalists". It's so sad that these people actually get paid to write this bullsh*t when there are certain people on this message board who can put there work to shame. It just gets so sickening after a while.

I don't know if there is any franchise in sports who gets blasted as much as the Devils do, and for what? You have players in other sports raping women, doing drugs, getting arrested, etc....But for whatever reason none of these things matter. Whats the big deal? How dare those Devil fans not show up to the games.

As much as this crap pisses me off I have come to the conclusion that it will never stop. It's just the way it is and the way it probably always will be. It's all good though. I just hope one day justice is served. Maybe one day all our journalist friends will get what they deserve and will be sentenced to chronic diarrhea for the rest of their lives. I think that would be fitting considering all they ever seem to do is write about crap and their great articles would be more then sufficient to wipe their a$$es with.

Edited April 27, 2007 by SickMan

[Weekes Head]

Mmm frozen steak...

[officerfarva]

It's the second round of the playoffs and the building is near empty, there was nowhere near 15k in that place. Everyone here can scream and yell about Tara's article but she's right. This team deserves better support than what they are getting.

Although the Devils are professionals and they have to be ready to play, I think that team sometimes feed off the energy from the crowd and last their was none.

Also, for the "15k" in the building. Nice job leaving early, when Parise made it 5-4 last night the place was empty. Disgraceful. Devils fans don't show up and the ones that do sit on their hands all night then leave early if the Devils are trailing, so you can't complain when there are articles written about the bad fan support.

[mikepopowich]

Notice how none of these iditos say a word when we pack over 18,000 in for the weekend games?

[gordienumber9]

how orriginal another cheat shot at the devils attendace...

[Satans Hockey]

I am sooooooooo fvcking sick of articles about attendance.

[FriesenKris]

The lack of fans in attendance didn't make the Devils play poorly in the first. Most people couldn't even get to their seats before the Sens had their first goal. The "lack of support" also didn't cause Rasmussen to take a penalty and for Redden to get the game winning goal because that sealed the game right there. The enthusiasm and emotion was there. It could have been a coincidence but everytime the crowd oohhed over a big hit or ahhhed about a chance, the Senators also fed off of that and got chances of their own. You can run all the attendance numbers game all you want, but I'm going to look forward to game two.

While I don't leave the game early, it's none of my business why people do. Like everything in life, there are good reasons for it and there things more important in life than hockey, like family.

[Exit56]

Myself and my 8 month old daughter were at the game till the end.

I can't blame people for leaving early, especially those that have kids that had to go to school today. I'm surprised more didn't leave early.

Hell, after the first 15 minutes of the game, I'm surprised more people didn't leave in the first period.

Lets face it, games shouldn't start at 7pm. Earliest start should be 7:30 or 8. It's too fvcking hard to get from anywhere farther away than Wayne, eat a palatable dinner somewhere, park, walk to the arena, and get to your seats by 7 if you can't leave work till 6.

This is yet ANOTHER thing that will change with the new arena. Easy access from most of the state via rail, GOOD FOOD AT THE ARENA, and SOMETHING TO DO AT THE ARENA IF YOU GET THERE EARLY. Who the fvck wants to stand outside in the rain listening to a cover band?

Edited April 27, 2007 by Exit56