New Jersey Devils (2nd seed — East)
Regular Season Record: 49-24-9, 107 Points, 1st Place, Atlantic Division
Coach: Lou Lamoriello (2nd Coaching Stint, 34-14-4)
Captain/Leading Scorer: Patrik Elias (LW), 21 Goals, 48 Assists, 69 Points
Top Defenseman: Brian Rafalski (D), 8 Goals, 47 Assists, 55 Points, +4, 25:30 of Ice Time per game.
Starting Goaltender: Martin Brodeur (G), 48-23-7, 2.18 GAA, .922 Save Pct.
1st Round Opponent: Tampa Bay Lightning (7th seed – East)
Martin Brodeur
The Season and Beyond: Despite dealing with more injuries and cap problems than you can shake a skate at, the Devils have once again found a way to finish a season they can be damn proud of. They even survived being picked 9th in the East by The Hockey News as well as constant and relentless bashing by some of their bloggers. Thanks to the consistently tireless efforts of the regulars, and some shining spurs from call-ups such as David Clarkson (you may see him again in the playoffs), the Devils have clawed their way all the way to the top of the Atlantic Division for the second straight year. With Lou once again behind the bench for the playoff run, you better believe the team will be ready for this playoff run no doubt about it. Even if you happen to find yourself up late in the third, New Jersey exemplified numerous times over the season why you should never count them out. They led the league in game tying goals in the last minute with eight. (Just ask the Flyers who watched it happen 3 times.) However, one fault in the Devils play this year is their soft Defense. Even with a hard-nosed guy like Lukowich, the Devils D has at times let the opposition dictate the play in their end for extended amounts of time. That could prove costly, but not necessarily fatal. The return of Matvichuk can help alleviate the soft D problem but only so much. A few more goals from Scott Gomez wouldn’t hurt their chances, either. If Elias can stop his occasional hot dogging, the Devils have a lethal PP and a gritty second line that wins a ton of loose pucks in corners. The Devils are a tough team to take out…they will battle to the ends of the Earth to find a way to win….especially Martin Brodeur. He has last year’s memory etched into his mind. Brodeur has put together a season for the ages and in the last couple weeks has started to play like the form that he showed thru the middle part of the season where he was practically untouchable when he had a 1.71 GAA and .932 sv pctg in a 30 game span. This is a team I think can go all the way.
| TEAM LEADERS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Goals | Zach Parise | 31 |
| Assists | Patrik Elias | 48 |
| Points | Patrik Elias | 69 |
| Plus/Minus | Scott Gomez | 7 |
| PP Goals | Jamie Langenbrunner | 12 |
| Wins | Martin Brodeur | 48 |
| GAA | Martin Brodeur | 2.18 |
| Save PCT | Martin Brodeur | .922 |
Why They Can Win It: I felt the Devils had a great chance of winning the Cup at the start of the season (many thought I was nuts), and I intend to stick by them to the end. This team has faced a great deal of adversity in championship years (Moving to Nashville, Robinson fired, Marty’ marital issues) and this year, as always, is no different. The sacking of Julien has had even the most zealous Fruit Punch Kool-Aid followers questioning their belief in Lou. But rest assured, Lou is still the best GM there is and many forget he is a master motivator, he will find a way. This team has scoring punch and the return of a healthy Devils team is a scary proposition for any team come playoff time.
Why They Can’t Win It: That said, if Elias, Gomez and Gionta run as dry as they did against Carolina last year, they’ll be relying on two rookies and Jamie Langenbrunner for scoring. The defense is not your classic Devils ‘D’. The Devils are vulnerable to any team with two complete scoring lines as well, because that team will have a threat outside of the Madden line’s checking. Matvichuk may not be enough to form a solid defensive second pairing for the team and remember Elias, Gionta, and Madden all had groin injuries late in the season….that may come back to haunt the Devils. The Devils have also had a habit of running into the ridiculously hot goalie in the playoffs…last year it was Ward…the other year was Esche for a stretch.
