Devils VS Flyers

[yort44]

I really would have preferred ANYONE else in the first round.... hopefully Boucher doesn't turn into another CAR Weekes on us.

They are strong and fast and our "D" has struggled with them.

I refuse to pick against the Devils. Devils in 6, because Brodeur is very, very good and we find enough offense to win.

Funny, I see us winning this series on offense, not defense. I hope that works. Kinda wish they finished saw Philly win and finished third.

I thought that too. Then I thought that if I'm a Devils' player, I WANT Philadelphia. Each time we've beaten Philadelphia in a playoff series, NJ has won the Cup. This may be a blessing in disguise since no other series would have prepared us for the 16 battles we'll have to win for the Cup.

[njmar]

I thought that too. Then I thought that if I'm a Devils' player, I WANT Philadelphia. Each time we've beaten Philadelphia in a playoff series, NJ has won the Cup. This may be a blessing in disguise since no other series would have prepared us for the 16 battles we'll have to win for the Cup.

This. If they can't handle the physical battle they're going to face this week, they're cooked. Devils in 6 with no injuries to key players.

[maxpower]

i don't like that the flyers are a good team at even strength, but so too is boston, so i'm not going to be that upset there - boston just turned out to be the worst shooting team at even strength this year.

boucher is a .900 SV% goalie for his career. if he plays at that level, the flyers are in serious, serious trouble in this series. if he plays at a .920 level, the flyers will have won the series. as simple as that.

Boston is so non-threatening, though. I dunno, maybe that's how they beat you. I would have absolutely no fear of them going into a series.

Still pissed that we missed out on Montreal. That is a bye, no way around it.

[Daniel]

boucher is a .900 SV% goalie for his career. if he plays at that level, the flyers are in serious, serious trouble in this series. if he plays at a .920 level, the flyers will have won the series. as simple as that.

Almost like saying the team that scores the most goals usually wins.

[Devils731]

Boston is so non-threatening, though. I dunno, maybe that's how they beat you. I would have absolutely no fear of them going into a series.

Still pissed that we missed out on Montreal. That is a bye, no way around it.

Boston might be like '95 Devils. You're not sure how they win but they do it with solid, non-flashy play. Of course with Savard out I don't think they have enough firepower anymore, I'll take Buffalo. With Savard I think Boston is the type of team that can smother you in a series and they could pop in 4 1 goal wins while your team loses with 3 2+ goal wins.

[Daniel]

I really would have preferred ANYONE else in the first round.... hopefully Boucher doesn't turn into another CAR Weekes on us.

Tuka Rask would have had a much better shot of doing that then Boucher.

It's the Flyers skaters we should be worried about.

[Triumph]

Boston is so non-threatening, though. I dunno, maybe that's how they beat you. I would have absolutely no fear of them going into a series.

Still pissed that we missed out on Montreal. That is a bye, no way around it.

it's not a 'bye', but yes, montreal is pretty clearly the worst team in the playoffs. they get significantly outshot at even strength. they're basically an ideal matchup for new jersey. but there are no byes for a team like the devils.

boston - meh. probably a lot of OT games in that series. rask is playing real well. devils fans of course get visions of damian rhodes but they forget about johan hedberg, jeff hackett, johan holmqvist, mike vernon (twice), and so forth.

[ThreeCups]

We just seem to be focused right now. I think it will be a physically tough and demanding series with a few close games. Boucher is a joke but we will likely make him look like Patrick Roy from 1986 at times. Kovy is going to be super pumped for this, and Zach will be flying around, looking to make a huge impact as well. We have a great mix of guys on offense that can give us balanced scoring. I am going with DEVILS in 5. This is not an ideal first round matchup, but the kind that can springboard us to a great run if we get by them.

[maxpower]

Boston might be like '95 Devils. You're not sure how they win but they do it with solid, non-flashy play. Of course with Savard out I don't think they have enough firepower anymore, I'll take Buffalo. With Savard I think Boston is the type of team that can smother you in a series and they could pop in 4 1 goal wins while your team loses with 3 2+ goal wins.

that's the thing. no Savard. they destroyed us the last time around, and couldn't put the puck in the net. it took a massive screwup in a situation that wouldn't happen in a playoff game, for them to even get one.

Rask doesn't look as invincible lately either. pucks are starting to go in the net. against the Flyers, I feel like we have one clear advantage. the problem is, the styles clash enough that they can pen us up and disrupt us enough that we don't really threaten Boucher... like the last time out. but... it is a 7 game series and not a one-off, so coaching/preparation is more of a factor, we shall see. I just hope the first time they have the puck behind the net, it's not a defenseman behind the net with one option to the side, and everyone taking off for a hail mary. if that's the case, we're screwed.

[njdevs89]

Johnny the goat says he has a bahhhhd feeling about this seris

[theamazingtiny]

I think we should be able to beat this team but I keep getting visions of 2008 when we faced a rival that had dominated us all year in the first round. I told myself "the playoffs are different...anything can happen..." And then we managed one win on a fluke goal and that was that.

[Marshall]

Devils in 6. Koval-cup scores 8 goals in the series and in the media reaches out to his new father figure, Lou Lamoriello.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Flyers in five. I'm not saying that for the sake of being negative, because I would've picked the Devils to win in six or less against Ottawa, Montreal, or Boston. I just have a bad feeling against this particular opponent, much like I did against the 'Canes last year (though the Devils did fare better in that series than I thought they would). I have a feeling by the end of this series, we'll have seen too much of what we saw in the recent 5-1 loss to the Flyers (Devils looking slow and pressured), and we'll be lamenting how Boucher could have possibly played so well against the Devils...and lamenting it even more when Boucher looks human against whatever team he plays next.

The Devils are coming in having gone 10-4-4 in their last 18, and Brodeur has been terrific as of late, and there's positives to be found that refute my prediction. I'm just hoping I can read this post not too long from now and say "What was I thinking with this one?!"

[Chimaira_Devil_#9]

The Devils have to work on Carcillo and draw penalties off him.

He nearly lost it a few times last night.

[NewarkDevil5]

Let me start off by saying that I didn't want this matchup. I wanted Montreal because I thought that would be the easiest series. However, now that I think about it, no series will get the Devils more pumped up to play and playing a better physical game to go into the rest of the playoffs than one against the Flyers. I almost think that this team has to make its bones against a group of thugs like the Flyers in order to solidify their identity for the rest of the playoffs. Consider this series to be the playoff version of Fraternity hazing.

[peteyvegas]

If we transition and head-man, we'll beat these guys. If we stand around (like we have in the last few playoffs) we're dead.

[overtime98]

you cant pick your opponents. you have to play your best no matter who you play. if you make mistakes against florida they can beat you. Flyers are good tough team but so is every team in the playoffs, IMO. if they werent they would be in the playoffs. if the Devils play hard, mistake free hockey we can beat them. Should be a good series. looking forward to it!

[iamtheprodigy]

Guys need to stand up for each other early on. The Flyers are undoubtedly going to goon it up early on in the first game to try to pump themselves up. We can't get pushed around. Our forwards shouldn't be too much of a problem but I'm a bit worried about Martin, Mottau, and Greene. If a Flyer tries to take a run at anyone, we need a guy to step up immediately and let him know it's unacceptable, even if it's a non-fighter who does it. We can't let them think early on that they're just going to flatten us every game with no consequences, or it's going to be a loooong series.

Offensively, if we can get used to their high-pressure defensive style, we can exploit holes in it. We have the guys with the ability to make quick passes in their end and it's just a matter of preparation. I think they'll be ready. If Marty stays hot, then I like our chances.

[PaDevsFan]

One thing I am noticing on here, there are alot of Fans who are saying things like "we can beat them" , " we can win this series" Come on Guys!! Its not a matter of can we win this, The Devils are the # 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, The Flyers had to win a shootout against a weak Rags team with a good goalie to even get into the dance. If the Devils play like they have played the last 2 weeks or so, and get back some of the mojo from the first half of the season (when they were the best team in the entire league) then it isnt we can it is WE WIN THIS SERIES. Again I see some tough games, close ones, but I see a Devils victory in 5. in my opinion there is no way that Boucher can hold up in a series, not with the way our top lines have been playing. Pronger would have to play every shift with the way the lines have been rolling recently and that aint happening. Come on Devils Fans this is going to be fun knocking this team out of the post season!!!

[NewarkDevil5]

I think the most important thing regarding this series is not to let it drag on unnecessarily. There's no question that we can and should win with series, but letting it go beyond 5 games would open the door for injuries and fatigue that we don't want to carry through the rest of the playoffs.

[Triumph]

Flyers in five. I'm not saying that for the sake of being negative, because I would've picked the Devils to win in six or less against Ottawa, Montreal, or Boston. I just have a bad feeling against this particular opponent, much like I did against the 'Canes last year (though the Devils did fare better in that series than I thought they would). I have a feeling by the end of this series, we'll have seen too much of what we saw in the recent 5-1 loss to the Flyers (Devils looking slow and pressured), and we'll be lamenting how Boucher could have possibly played so well against the Devils...and lamenting it even more when Boucher looks human against whatever team he plays next.

The Devils are coming in having gone 10-4-4 in their last 18, and Brodeur has been terrific as of late, and there's positives to be found that refute my prediction. I'm just hoping I can read this post not too long from now and say "What was I thinking with this one?!"

reading into the 2nd game in 2 nights isn't the best idea. brodeur has barely had one good game against the flyers - they're shooting something ridiculous like 20% at even strength against new jersey so far this year. part of that is the increased scoring chances the devils have given up, but part of it is just absurd.

a lot's going to depend on just what fouls the league wants to crack down on in the first few games.

[adavid]

Devs in 6.

[britoon]

I wanted Montreal. I'm a firm believer that you want to try to get out of the first couple rounds pretty quickly and with as little physical abuse as possible. We all know how Philly plays so it's going to be a pretty tough series regardless of who wins. At least they avoided Rask though. I wouldn't be surprised to see him lead the B's to an upset over Buffalo.

I'm just glad the season is over. These last couple of months were difficult and I still think this team is capable of more to be honest. They have been pretty good these last couple of weeks though. Brodeur is in God mode and the team is doing a great job of limiting chances. Scoring could be a little better but at least there is some star power up front. The Devils have a lot going for them that they haven't in recent postseasons.

What I think it will come down to is special teams. I have a hard time seeing Philly not taking a lot of penalties this series. It's just what they do (although they were pretty disciplined against the Rags today). So in that regard the Devils must find a way to convert with the man advantage. It will probably be a very tight series at even strength and it will be crucial to take advantage while on the power play. The penalty kill has been great as of late (90% I believe over the last 50+ chances) but they must find a way to score consistently while up by a man, or two. If they don't this series will likely wind up being more of a coin toss then it really should be. We have all seen how momentum swings for this team in regards to special teams. They lost a lot of games because of it this season.

One thing that does worry me is how Philly has been able to beat up on the Devils defense and basically punish them in the defensive zone. It has led to Brodeur trying to compensate for the defense and that is why you have seen some weaker goals going in against the Flyers. He has to be able to just concentrate on playing goal. One way to correct this is to have the puck in the Flyers defensive end and neutral zone more often then not. Can't beat up the D when the puck is not in their zone.

What it boils down to for me is that I think that they are hungry and also believe that there is a lot of pride in that dressing room. This team has been on the sh!t end of the stick these last few years and I'd like to believe that they all want to correct what went wrong last year.

It's not going to be easy but I say the Devils find a way to get it done. Probably 6 games. There is just too much going for them. This could be the last real chance for some of the older guys and when you combine the hunger, experience and advantage in goal, I gotta believe they will find a way. Regular season series be damned, this is the Devils series to lose imo. First two games are key though. I think the Devils have to get to Philly up 2 - 0 to have a really strong opportunity to advance.

I agree with all of this. We shall see. GO DEVILS!

[Amberite]

Flyers in five. I'm not saying that for the sake of being negative, because I would've picked the Devils to win in six or less against Ottawa, Montreal, or Boston. I just have a bad feeling against this particular opponent, much like I did against the 'Canes last year (though the Devils did fare better in that series than I thought they would). I have a feeling by the end of this series, we'll have seen too much of what we saw in the recent 5-1 loss to the Flyers (Devils looking slow and pressured), and we'll be lamenting how Boucher could have possibly played so well against the Devils...and lamenting it even more when Boucher looks human against whatever team he plays next.

The Devils are coming in having gone 10-4-4 in their last 18, and Brodeur has been terrific as of late, and there's positives to be found that refute my prediction. I'm just hoping I can read this post not too long from now and say "What was I thinking with this one?!"

The 5-1 game wasn't exactly a rout. We were outshooting the Flyers in that game 33-25. It's not every day that you see Brodeur give up 5 goals on 25 shots or Boucher 1 goal on 33 shots. Another game against them was 5-2 to start the season, which can basically be thrown out. The other games were either very close (I believe two 1 goal games, including one in OT), a win by us, and one game where we just didn't have our legs. It's not nearly as one-sided as it looks.

[fredct]

When I look at TicketMaster for tickets to game 2, it appears that basically the entire upper bowl is sold out?? Are other people seeing this?

I'm wondering if they're holding back tickets to try to sell the packages, and trying to make single-gamers buy the expensive lower bowl... anyone have any info?