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Gdt: Ps Game 1 Rangers @ Devils 9/16/09


overtime98

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Very entertaining scrap between Voros and Fraser, with each guy not holding back at all and throwing them. I'd say slight edge Fraser, he got Voros' helmet off first and seemed to connect on more punches. Good job by both guys though.

Love your pic

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I thought Leblond looked terrible in that fight.

+ 1, he didn't look like a heavyweight.

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Love the discussion over whom to choose for the shootout that I just saw.

Tremblay: Let's take that guy (pointing to the end of the bench).

Lemaire: (Looks over) Who............... him?

Tremblay: Yeah he's pretty good at it.

Lemaire: (Perplexed) Really?

Tremblay: (writing on pad) Yeah let's put him in.

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Strong performance by the Devils tonight. Danis looked good, some of the young guys like Bergfors showed some skill, and it definitely seemed like the coaches like Murphy on the PP, so it looks there is a chance at him making the roster.

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the players on the ice that caught my attention the most tonight were

1) Gilroy - that guy is going to be really good. he seemed to be everywhere

2) Murphy - just as advertised he was very good and played very natural in the offensive end but was much much better than i ever expected in the d-zone. very happy about that pickup and hope he gets a spot on the roster.

3) Bergfors - best game I have seen out of him. If this was any indication he should mess nicely with Elias and his style of play. definatly liked his willingness to let the shots go.

Honorable Mention: Zubrus who seemed more involved than all of last year combined.

Clarkson was also good but he just played like clarkson, nothing special, nothing different. If he plays his game he is going to get goals like that all season. most likely not at that kind of pace, but he'll get his share.

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Just got back. A few observations.

Ditto to what most have said about Murphy. Aside from a few gaffes - hopefully just chalked up to rust since he hadn't seen a game since March - he played well. Did a nice job of getting his shots through traffic, especially on the PP. If someone like Clarkson had been setting a screen for him, or trying to tip the puck, Murphy would be even more dangerous. Best moment for Murphy tonight that impressed me: bodying Brian Boyle off the puck along the boards in the third period. Boyle is listed at 6'7" 250lbs, and Murphy is more in the range of 5'7" 170lbs (no way he's 5'10", 5'7" is even pushing it) and he angled him right off. That's a testament to Murphy's heart and Boyle's pansy attitude.

Urbom looks like the real deal after tonight, holy crap. He's huge and he's pretty quick. In the third he moved up on a 3-on-2 charging the net and he was moving like a power forward. Didn't quite seem to know what to do once he got there, but hey, it was the smart play. Can't wait to see how he develops as his skating gets even better... he's already got NHL size, but probably a little light on the strength to go with it. Jeez, if he's playing in the WHL this year he's going to beat the hell out of people.

Speaking of quick, Bergfors has got some serious jets. That two-on-one he had in the third was impressive since he was at the end of his shift. Still looked a little lost at times in the defensive zone, but he didn't completely chase after the puck. Had some good offensive chances that just wouldn't go tonight.

Speaking of beating the hell out of people, Fraser destroyed Voros - and then went downhill from there. He was awful on the Gilroy goal. And even before that, in the 2nd period, there was a span of about a minute and a half where the Devils couldn't clear the zone because Fraser made three bad plays in his own end. Maybe he was nervous, but he's a real longshot now. I could see him as a 6th defender in the future.

Zharkov I didn't notice very much, nor Pikkarainen.

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Well my thoughts from the game.

Bergfors was poised and making things happen when he was around the puck. Based off of this game there is no reason he can't play in an offensive role for the Devils this season.

Murphy was good, but he didn't have much pressure defensively, which is his weak point, so I don't know if this game told us much.

Fraser was physical, but without much pressure from the Rangers I don't know what we can really tell from the defensive side of the defenseman,

Urbom didn't screw anything up but didn't have many big plays to make, but I think that's pretty good for an 18 year old. It wouldn't surprise me if he was fairly dominant in juniors.

Illka Pik didn't do very much. I'm sure that wasn't the game he would have liked to play.

Zharkov was attacking the puck and looked better than his linemate Cormier who looked like a guy coming out of juniors.

Gilroy, as someone mentioned above, was all over the place....the problem is that half the time it was behind the Devils net. The Devils had 4 or 5 odd man rush opportunities off of Gilroy's aggressiveness. I think that's what the Rangers coaching style wants but it doesn't seem to me like that will work against NHL players. Who was that defenseman that played for Colorado and Carolina who was really more like a 4th forward? I can't remember his name but that's who he reminds me of off of the last 2 games.

Grachev was really making things work for the Rangers, he was easily the most impressive Ranger, to me.

Parise was really selfish with the puck tonight, and it's only preseason, but I thought he got that was in a lot of the second half last season. He was taking too many "no chance" type shots tonight, long no screen snap shots and such.

Danis looked nice. I see no reason he can't be a backup. He was really good with the Isles last season as well.

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Stylistically, the Devils were much more on the puck than the last 2 years. Much more likely to leave their zone to attack the puck carrier. The team was running around at times because of that but overall I think that will be beneficial to the team in the long run.

It's only a preason game but if this is the style of game the Devils try to play during the season it'll be strong defensively and offensively than last year, I bet.

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i'll probably just repeat what 731 said, i also attended the game, thanks to an njdevs member -

zharkov - drew the penalty in overtime obviously, made some good plays, had one bad turnover, but all in all there's a lot of good there.

cormier - didn't thrill me. made some nice hits, but took a bad penalty and made some mistakes without the puck. seemed to do well on faceoffs though - i recall two offensive zone draws he won.

pikkarainen - meh. threw a big hit, otherwise nothing of substance really. had an okay shift with parise and zajac late.

danis was obviously impressive, didn't seem to make a mistake all night

urbom - not nhl ready, but who would be? i'll be shocked if he gets less than half a point a game in junior. he skates well and didn't make too many mistakes - it's easy to see why the devils' brass is really excited about him.

murphy - eh. made one very nice breakout, but on the power play he wasn't making confident moves. i also didn't like the angle he took on gilroy in OT when gilroy almost skated away with a breakaway.

fraser - obviously like the fight, didn't notice him really anywhere else, which i think is good.

bergfors - had at least one nice shot, and one heads up play in OT where if oduya had been paying attention he could've gotten a breakaway.

pelley - didn't like what i saw, and if he, pikkarainen, and leblond is the 4th line this year, i think they're going to struggle a bit

all in all, i wasn't blown away by anyone, but i liked a lot of what was going on. zubrus on the PK is an improvement, in my eyes.

----

731 - are you thinking of sandis ozolinsh? gilroy was definitely the player i was most impressed with from the rangers, but i agree that his gambling might land him in the tom poti doghouse after a bit.

Edited by Triumph
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