Burns Promises Victory

[Triumph]

Link: http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam030508/col_stevenson-sun.html

Burns promising victory

Devils coach says his team will take Senators out in East final

Pat Burns is about as subtle as a can of Mace.

The New Jersey Devils coach is gruff, sometimes intimidating, blunt and always forthright.

He owns one of the sharpest minds -- and a tongue to match -- in the game.

What's he think about the Senators?

"They have so much talent up front. You look at their skill level. People used to bring up the fact they were soft in the playoffs, but that's gone. You can throw that out the window," he said yesterday over the telephone.

"It's a perfect hockey club."

Quite a compliment.

You can't you beat a perfect hockey club, can you?

"Oh, we will," said Burns, and you can almost hear the smile sliding down the telephone line. "We'll win.

"I met with the coaches and took off by myself (yesterday). We have a big meeting (today). We'll look at the videotape of teams that beat them. We're a confident group and we'll give them a hell of a fight."

The Devils are coming off a couple of five-game eliminations, taking out the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning, both one-line teams.

The Devils were the No. 2 team in the conference behind the Senators this season.

They are rested and as healthy as healthy is at this time of year.

Somebody voiced the opinion they have had the easiest draw in the tournament so far.

"Well, I'd turn that around and say the Senators have had a pretty easy go. They had the New York Islanders, the eighth seed, a team we beat all year long. Then they had the Flyers, who had the crap knocked out of them by Toronto. I don't think they've had very tough series, either," he said.

The Devils have gotten this far on some outstanding play by forwards John Madden and Jamie Langenbrunner, tied for the New Jersey lead in scoring.

While pointing out the Devils will need some of their scorers to step up against the Senators, Burns did allow that they maybe didn't get the usual ice time as he leaned heavily on the Madden line to shut down the likes of Boston's Joe Thornton and Tampa's Martin St. Louis in those series.

"We have a lot of confidence in our offensive guys. They didn't get that much ice time, because with those teams that had just one line, we wanted to get rid of them quick," he said.

"And we've got Marty Brodeur."

Burns said he had a lot of admiration for the way the New Jersey goaltender has handled the revelations about Brodeur's self-admitted domestic problems. Brodeur and his wife have been separated since December.

The story was splashed all over a crime tabloid in Quebec and picked up by the mainstream media after Brodeur went public with his feelings on it.

"Some people tried to distract him with this (crap)," said Burns. "It's not a concern of the public. It was low. It was cheap. I know a lot of stuff about media people, but I'd never say it. I'd like to get every media person and me in a room and ask who has been divorced, ask them to put up their hands. I'd have to myself.

"It's not a concern of Joe Public, but Marty has handled it very professionally."

This will be Burns' fourth trip to the conference finals. He beat the Philadelphia Flyers with the Montreal Canadiens in 1989. He took the Toronto Maple Leafs to the conference final two years in a row, losing to the Los Angeles Kings in '93 and the Vancouver Canucks in '94.

"My first time with Montreal, I learned a lot of different things. You can't teach experience. I made some mistakes and learned from them. I'm a calmer person now. People who are waiting for those outbreaks, they're not going to come.

"There's a lot of guys on this team who have been there before," said Burns. "It's kind of fun to get there. You start out and there are eight games being played, then four then two.

"When you look up at the clock and you're playing in the last game, it's quite a feeling."

[SC Devs Fan]

Let's hope Burns has some magic to ignite Neiwy/Elias/Friesen so we can keep up with the Sens. There is no way that Marty/Langs/Madden can put this team on their backs against this quality of a team and lead us to the SCF alone.

[Risky]

Langs needs to go back with Nieuwy and Friessen. Brylin should be on the checking line and Gionta should be on the 4th line with Turner and Rheaume.

[SensSpaz]

Burns is a 3rd round jinx!!!!

Prepare to be steamrolled!!!!

[Risky]

I've never seen Radek Bonk steamroll anything other than Ottawa's cup runs.

[CaptainScotty]

Steamroll?

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAA..

I will say this though, if Ottawa tries those little dipsy doodle through the legs passing that they did with Philly, they're going to get knocked on their asses, and counterpunched straight out of the ECF.

However, if they play a straightforward hockey game, we have two good counterattacking puck-posession teams going at it. Sadly, at this point, I'd take the Ottawa counterattack to NJ's...

Hopefully theyll dipsy doodle and get manhandled.

[CaptainScotty]

oh, and please stop with the steamrolling, Ottawa is stocked full of creampuffs.

How the hell do you think they get all that "creative stickwork" Its because they dont know how to receive or throw a check and they get their stick up in a defensive posture, clipping his checker's face.

[Sen4Ever]

It's not easy to say who is going to win this series untill the puck is dropped. In my Opinion, there are two factors; Martin Brodeur and Devils Defense. If Brodeur plays unbeliavable, i.e allowing only one or two goals a night then maybe u guys have a great chance. Ottawa is good playing with the lead, if your guys can't score, then there is a problem. Defense, depends on how you match up, but either way its going to be difficult because each of the three top lines for ottawa has a pair of 20+ goal scorers. - the devils defence has to be at their best.

I am totally convinced the devils will shut down Hossa. But how will they shut down Smolinski, Havlat, Alfredsson, White, Fisher, and Bonk - Stevens and madden can't do it by themselves - the Best Devil players tend to play on one line - our guys don't have lines they play on any line. Sometimes Hossa plays on the fourth line with Van Hallen, Sometimes on the second line with Bonk. If you intend to match up dynako against Havlat, then just forget it, he's too fast - maybe neidermeyer or Stevens can stop him - Collin White - I don't know how good he is but against smolinski - I think its a mismatch. Apart from the SENS, New Jersey is my second favorite team but lets face it. This years devils, is not the best they've ever put on ice - it is good but not as good - Most of the players have become older banged up and slower. Younger guys like Elias, Gomez seems to have stopped producing - Neuwndyke - I don't know what his problem is. Madden is having a great Playoffs but I don't know how long he can keep this thing going. Anyways, good luck. Who ever wins this thing deserves to win, because I think this is the most even match up of the playoffs so far. Both defensive minded, fast puck movement, neutral zone clogging, Both play transition game, both capitalize on turnovers, both play a patience game, both protect the lead very well.... It's ike a carborn copy.

[NJDF]

Burns is a 3rd round jinx!!!!

Prepare to be steamrolled!!!!

He may be, but the Devils organization has a pretty good track record in the conf. finals.

If I am correct it's two game 7 losses to two favored teams (Rags and Boston) and then 3 wins.

Now....what is the Sens Conf. final record??

GO DEVILS!!

[SensSpaz]

I will provide a sample of steamrolling........or was it diving...maybe it's not so clear? LOL!!

[insanity_gallops]

2 things:

1) I expect no steamrolling to occur, for either team.

2) Sens4, you clearly haven't followed the Devils very closely this season. Granted that's understandable because you're a Sens fan first and foremost, but I don't think you give this team enough credit where credit is due.

[westcoastdevfan]

Hey Sen4ever, who is this dynako character you referred to?

[MantaRay]

Wow, our turf has been invaded by Sens fans.

I love it.

I my opinion this series IS the unofficially Stanley Cup final. These are the two best teams in the league. What a showdown.

Burns knows the right buttons to push and he makes me even more confident.

This will be Elias time.

[Sen4Ever]

westcoastdevfan - this Dynako character is a new Devil - invisible guy (the seventh man) Anyways, it's a spelling error on my Part.

For insanity_gallops I watched some of the devils bruins matchups. I know madden and Lang have been on a tear, Friessen is playing well, Other than those guys I didn't see anyone else who exceeded expectations. In fact I have been a little bit dissapointed with the way stevens have played ever since he delivered that massive body check on Lindros. He hasn't hit anybody else like that again. You may see that kind of hit though from Anton Volchenkov - I have a feeling Gomez or Brylin is going to get caught because of the way they like to criss-cross through the neutral zone with the puck.

[Pepperkorn]

Hvlat and Alfredsson scare the bejeepers out of me Oh ^&*#(&* I keep on thinking and him and him and that guy...the Sens are a scary team -- but this IS playoffs and one nevers knows do one?

[NJayDevil]

Burns is a 3rd round jinx!!!!

Prepare to be steamrolled!!!!

How would u know what a 3rd round jinx is? You're team has only been this far once, and they haven't even played their first game yet.

Prepared to be bored out of your mind, prepared to be frustrated. In other words, prepare for DEVILS HOCKEY!

[Phillyreaper]

As a Flyer fan, I hate both of these teama a great deal. That being said, I think the Sens fans are in for harsh surprise against the Devils. Beating the Flyers in the playoffs means absolutely nothing considering their penchant for quitting, crap goaltending and how banged up they were. Quite simply, the Devils are a whole other beast to contend with and the Sens will have to play 10X better than they did in the Flyers series to have a chance. Imo, the series comes down to the trap and their isn't a team that plays it with more precision than the Devils.

If you look at the Flyers/Sens series closely, you will see that special teams and weak goals were the culprit of the Flyers annual downfall. These are two problems that the Devils do not have. Brouder is a filet mignon and Chemo is a bag of sh!t so the Sens can't count on those 55 foot unscreened shots getting through. Additionallly, the Devils have an awesome PK and two playmaking defenseman who can carry the puck rather than the Flyers cement shoed D-Men who panic and fling the puck to the opposition. The Devils are also a very disciplined team who won't take bad penalties like the Flyers did.

I know the Sens fans are on an emotional high, but fear should be gripping them. The Devils are more experienced, tougher and just won't go away or panic. Quite simply, they are focused and that spells doom for the Sens. If the Sens allow the first goal in this series like they did against the Flyers, it will be a quick death. I think they'll be smarter than that, but I'm still going with Devils in 6.

[Zamode]

Spaz first let me say that that pic on the bottom of your posting is pretty cheesey (I'll refrain from using other words ). I think your team should be prepared, as the Devils will need to be, also. They're ready and Burns sounds like he has some tricks up his sleeve. A speedy O can go nowhere by a trap D.

[Sen4Ever]

Phillyreaper

There is nothing that you said about the devils, that is not true for ottawa, we have puck moving defenceman, we have a disciplined team, sometimes we play the trap too - in fact we stole it from the devils. I think you are just bitter after the loss - just take a deep breath - it's only a game.

[Zamode]

sometimes we play the trap too - in fact we stole it from the devils.

Now one of you Sens fans is saying you invented it (Al Gore for Sens?)and now 4 is saying Sens stole it.

I think you are just bitter after the loss - just take a deep breath - it's only a game.

Is it, Sen4? Is it.....    Your fellow fans should know (that is not a dig, either).

[Sen4Ever]

hey Zamode:

Didn't Al Gore use to be a senator?

[Zamode]

Well, Sens, technically speaking................

[Sen4Ever]

Zamode:

We've studied the Devils system to the details, just read this article to find out what I meant by stealing the devils Trap system http://www.waymoresports.com/NASApp/cs/Con...eafs/MapleLeafs

[Zamode]

Sens, I got this:

GX Error (GX2GX)

socket result code missing!!!

Thanks anyway!

[NJDevs4978]

Me thinks Burns is getting a little sick of the local (Sens) media, a lot of the national media and most fans of BOTH teams who think the Devils have little chance.

Let's hope Burnsie delivers