DEVILS vs. RANGERS 1st Preseason Game/HOCKEY IS BACK!

I don't how I survived the summer without hockey. Even though it's only a preseason and the points do not matter, I'm psyched! What better way to to start it out with a rivalry game!

Now during the game, I want to see this:

some of this:

and definitely this:

During the game, I'll be doing this:

and hopefully at end of the game, I'll be doing this:

LET'S GO DEVILS<3


(just an fyi, I have this same post on my tumblr)

Last Game of the Season 4/10/2011

This time last year, I felt exactly the same as I do now. It's funny how two years in a row, it would have been in our interest to lose the last game. Last year, we were going into the play offs but we were going against Philadelphia and everyone knew it was going to be impossible for us to get past them, considering our record. Then we were knocked out of the first round, but we had bragging rights. We were the second in the Eastern Conference, Atlantic Division Leaders, and my favorite: we were in the playoffs and the Rangers were not.

Alas, this season has been pretty disappointing for the most part. We’re not in the playoffs, our team did horrible for most of the season, lost valuable players to injuries, and the Rangers are in the playoffs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of what this team was able to accomplish in the second half. I’m just worried about what next season is going to look like. On paper, we’re going to be a great team, but that was the same case at the start of this season.

Jacques Lemaire was the light at the end of the tunnel for this team, and in my opinion one of the best coaches in the league. He has decided not to come back, understandably, he’s had a long career. This makes me worry about who we’re going to end up with. Also, we lose Marty after next season. Hedberg has been amazing for us but even if he stays with us a little longer, he’s close to retirement as well. There are no talks of the Devils Organization renewing Zach Parise’s contract, and I can’t think of any team that wouldn’t give their left nut for him. Let’s not forget the tragedies we have been having on our defensive side of hockey. I’m really concerned about what this team is going to do but I just hope that I’m just being stupid and find out that we will be back on top next season.

At the end of the day, I was still upset that the season was over. For me, it just felt like it started. I believe in this organization and our players. You can count on me going to as many games as possible come next season. I’m going to be working my butt off so I can afford it all haha.

Four Stars of the Game:

Third Star: Alexander Urbom for this first NHL goal, congrats.

Second Star: Vladimir Zharkov, even though this is only you’re second goal, you’re an amazing player. You did all the little things that mattered. Hope to see you next season.

First Star: Johan Hedberg, you were amazing for us this season. I’m going to miss you if you end up leaving us. You always be a Devil in my heart.

The Sexy Star(s) of night: The Nordique Nation, you guys were absolutely awesome. You made the arena come alive, we need more fans like you.

I’ll be rooting for the Caps in the post season, sorry Rags. You were all probably rooting for Philly last year, so I’m sure you’ll understand.

The Season Isn't Over Yet. Devils vs. Toronto Maples Leafs 4/06/11

The funny thing about this picture, is that on the other side of it said “<3Welcome Back, Zach! <3” Devils fan, whoever you are I know exactly how you feel.

Tonight, was the sexiest display of testosterone I have seen from the Devils all season and Zach Parise wasn’t even on the ice. Haha. We may be out of the play-offs but that doesn’t mean it’s time to throw in the bag. Both these teams showed that from minute they stepped onto the ice. Let me just say that I have a lot of respect for the Toronto Maple Leafs. I’m not too familiar with their organization but they played very well tonight, and made the Devils run for their money. You could tell that both of these teams wanted the win tonight. It’s nice to see that the players still wear their hearts on their jerseys even though both are not going to the post season this year.

I’m was really happy to see that the fans still believe in our team. We may have struck out this season, but there is always the next. I’d like to shout out to everyone in section 105 for your amazing chants and cheers.

I enjoyed fans singing the United States National Anthem much louder than usual, after Canadians were through with theirs. Sorry Canada, we’re still bitter over the 2010 Winter Olympics.

I went to tonight’s game, with a defeatist attitude. I’ve been telling everyone that I was somewhat relieved that we were kicked out of the playoffs because I had a feeling for a long time that it wouldn’t be possible. I was so stressed out over every game, and admittedly started hating on certain players, which is not my style. Honestly, I missed just enjoying watching us play. It was different last season because even though we had a huge losing streak, I knew that there was no way we weren’t going to be in the post season. This season, I’m just excited any time I Jersey’s team in-sync.


My Three Stars of the Game:

Third Star: Mattias Tedenby for his needed goal.

Second Star: Martin Brodeur, thank you for standing on our head. Without you, we would have been deep in the hole.

First and *Sexy Star: Ilya Kovalchuk, for reaching 30 goals in a dismal season; for have 700 points in 700 games; your goal and assist tonight; and I can go on and on forever.

*Something I’m going to start doing for the ladies when I write about games I go to. Most of the time there will be a separate first star and sexy star.

Here are a few pictures I took at pregame warm-ups:

One a side note: I’ve been anxiously waiting for my favorite player, my reason for loving hockey, to come back to the ice but have heard the sad news that he will not return. I’m still kicking myself over not going to that game [although, after we lost that one I was a little thrilled I didn’t spend my money just to be really upset]. Anyway, my heart goes out to Zach Parise, it’s been really hard for you and I think I speak for all the fans in saying, thanks for all your hard work trying to come back to us. Get some rest, I know that this is for the best but it‘s hard saying goodbye until next season. Make sure you’re healthy to kick some ass next season. With any luck, the Devils Organization will tie you down with a long-term contract and put the “C” on your jersey, which has been a long time coming. Have a great summer =)

And another quick shout out to my friend Dave, you were awesome. Thanks for the laughs.

I’ll be at Jersey’s last two games of the season hopefully these games will make me eat my words. To all the fans I’ll see there: make sure you are screaming “Let’s Go Devils!” so loud that the other fans want to throw their beer at you.

Get Used To It

"The way we started that one, even the way we finished, wasn't good enough," Penguins center Jordan Staal said. "We made them look like a great team."
         -Quote from the Pittsburgh Tribune on Penguins shutout loss on Jan. 20, 2011

How quickly the Penguins try to forget their 6-0 season against the Devils last year. I remember it well, since I was at three of those wins. Let me add that both Crosby and Malkin were present at those games. You would think that the Penguins would be used to the Devils being a great team, but instead a quote like this comes out and it shows they are just as arrogant as ever. Don’t get it twisted Penguins, The Devils have always been known as a great team. Get used to it. 

This quote really pisses me off. The Penguins win a cup in the 2008-09 seasons, after not winning the Cup for 15 seasons in a row. Apparently, that makes them badasses now. The Penguins are not the only ones to make similar comments about the team. Not many of them positive. It seems that everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon by calling New Jersey a horrible team.

It’s only recently that the team finally came together and is starting produce wins, that doesn’t make the team a horrible one. Have we had better seasons? Of course. The team started out with numerous injuries that seem to pile up with each game. The team didn’t have the start that they would have hoped at the start of the season but they are making the right strides for next season improvement. No one knows what or who to blame for the New Jersey’s substandard start but what matters are that the Devils have finally figured it out and is back to being the team everyone expects them to be.

The chance of New Jersey making the playoffs this year is slim to none, but that doesn’t mean we will give away two points easily. I’m done with my rant now, I’m going to enjoy the fact that New Jersey just beat the Panthers 5-2 in regulation.

Zach Parise Injury, The Devils in Trouble?

The New Jersey Devils have once again lost another key player in their line up. I know I’m not the only fan out there is horrified at the loss of Zach and hopes that he has a speedy recovery. There is no word yet to what exactly is wrong with Zach, but hopefully nothing too serious. I think I speak for a lot of Devils fans in saying that I hope that last Saturday’s game against the Kings is not the last time we see Zach Parise in a Devils’ Jersey. This topic really upsets me; it’s hard not to focus on the worst-case scenario. Hockey for me isn’t the same with Zach because he’s the entire reason I ever opened my eyes to hockey. He’s an amazing player and person. I, along with many other fans, as well as the team will miss his presence on the ice.

The Devils have already lost several players to injuries. Such as Brian Rolston with a sports hernia, Bryce Salvador to a concussion, Mark Fraser with a broken hand, Anton Volchenkov to a broken nose and stiff neck and lastly Anssi Salmela with a torn ACL, to name a few. Many key defensemen are out, leaving rookies to help Marty defend the net. Even though, the rookies are faring okay, it’s still not the same team as it would be if we didn’t lose this many players so early in the season.

What everyone keeps wondering if the Devils going to be able to pull themselves out of this rut despite all of their bad luck? I think it’s obvious that this team definitely has the ability to; I just can’t say if they will be able to. There is definitely enough talent on the team excluding all the injuries. The problem is that with their 3-8-1 record for this season, it’s not looking good for them. If they do find a way out of this mess, it will be the most incredible thing the fans will ever see.

Blame Game on The Devils

New Jersey is now at 0-2-1 at the start of the season with a 3-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was clear in the first couple of games that the team required a few more adjustments. Tonight they encountered even more problems. To start, Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond faced a game suspension after an instigation penalty on a rookie from the Capitals. Along with Anton Volchenkov and Brian Rolston both out with injuries. Let’s not also forget that we also lost Bryce Salvador and Anssi Salmela.  So, let’s be honest with ourselves. There was not a high probability that we were going to come out with a win against Cindy Crybaby and the Pens.

With the exception of Andy Greene and Colin White, our defense lacked experience and skill. That’s a management problem, not the players. In the past, I wouldn’t say that losing Brian Rolston in any way was going to be a negative. The thing is that he‘s still a 20 goal scorer with a great slap shot from the point. Also, if he and Leblond were dressed to play it would give the other forwards more time to rest. Furthermore, in Leblond we lost our fighter that could have given the team a bigger boost of energy, which they definitely needed. Lastly, the refs, in my opinion made some questionable calls and then didn’t call on a few obvious ones on the Pens. The calls aren’t what killed us, but it did add more problems.

Now, with the negative aside, I think that the Devils played really well considering what I’ve already mentioned. Of course, I’m unhappy with some of the players’ performance but I know that all of this can all be worked on. It’s only the beginning of the season, its better that it’s happening now than it is later in the season. I’m not trying to make excuses for New Jersey; they have a few issues they need to address. Such as our Cap situation, defense, and our power play. The last has been a problem that has carried over from last season that I’m hoping will be fixed soon. It’s frustrating to watch them lose but I believe it’s not going to be a long-term problem.

My Three Stars of the Game:

Third Star: Brent Johnson, he played better than Fleury could even dream of.

Second Star: Martin Brodeur, I think he played really well considered he had no defensive help.

First Star: Patrik Elias scored a brilliant goal off the face off at 8:20 in the third period. This goal I believed sparked hope in the players as well as the fans. I’m really loving the Patrik-Arnott combination. It’s clear these two are magic together.

What the team needs most from us fans right now is support. Booing, shit talking, and complaining are not going to help the situation. Our team is already drained mentally and physically; do we need to add to it? What are we, Flyers fans? We can talk all day about what we think needs to be done. Bottom line is we’re not in that locker room or on the ice. So, none of us know what the right decision for them is right now. I say that we just need to stay loyal to our team and hope for the best. They are the Devils for crying out loud. It’s not as if we’re cheering for the Islanders or something (who had a great win today against the Rags). Good things are going to happen for us. Rod Pelly has stepped up his game, we have moved PL3 to waivers, and I have no doubt that Volchenkov will be back soon.

Devils vs. Rangers Preseason 9/23/10

The Devils lose in OT, 4-3 in last night’s game. It was an upsetting loss for me, because it was the second game I’ve seen but the first game I had been to of the season. I know that these are the preseason games and the points don’t matter but it’s hard to take in another loss this early. I’m still recovering from last season’s losing streak. Luckily, for me, my sister has got me tickets to this Saturday (Thank you!) and I’m hoping that there will be a better outcome for that.

On the other hand, the Devils top line Zach Parise-Travis Zajac- Ilya Kovalchuk was astonishing. Each player had a goal. You could feel the tension in MSG when these three hit the ice. Their movements were harmonious, fast, and well executed.  I can’t wait to see when the rest of our lines are finalized and see what this team can really do at the start of the regular season.

In my opinion, our rookies and prospects didn’t seem to fully connect with one another. They were also kind of sloppy but I’ll give some of the blame to the new ice at MSG, but still. Moreover, I thought it was a poor decision not to use our top line on the ice for our first penalty kill where Marian Gaborik scored a power play goal at 6:43. Another moment that I really thought was a poor decision was in OT where Rod Pelly boarded Mike Sauer. I think it probably gave more energy to the Rangers to score the next goal as well as prevent us from getting a game win.

Even though I’m a die-hard Devils fan, there is something about being in Madison Square Garden. I love The Rock, but since MSG has so much New York history I can’t hate the place.  I may be a New Jersey fan but when they play “New York, New York” at MSG, my heart swells with pride. Despite the disgruntled fans with their “Fatso, get off the ice!” and “Kovalsuck!” ramblings, it was amazing being at MSG. Although we lost, at the end of the day I was able to be there to see hockey played between my favorite rivalry and even though we take home a loss, it was still an awesome experience.

My Three Stars of the Game:
Third Star: Travis Zajac has an amazing goal at 13:11 in the first period. When Kovalchuk passed the puck back, I was afraid that it would be a turnover to the Rangers, but there Travis was at the right time and put the puck in the back of the neck. It was a great way to answer Gaborik’s goal.

Second Star: Ilya Kovalchuk, besides his amazing goal at 12:14 in the second period, I just think he’s an amazing player. I love the fact that he wanted to be our team and how determined he is to do better each game.

First Star: He will probably always be my first star generally because Zach Parise is the reason I love hockey and is everything in hockey that I love. He’s a well-rounded player with so much heart that I just can’t help but love watching him play. Parise left last night’s game with one goal at 18:14 in the third period as well as two assists. What really surprised me last night, although it’s not much of a surprise is just how fast he skates. One second he’ll be at the opposite end of the rink, and before I know it he’s right in front of the Ranger goalie.

Even MSG recognized his skill in this game by making him the second star of the night.
Here are some other players that I thought did an amazing job, but didn’t make my star list:
Marian Gaborik: Even though I generally don’t like him, he had two impressive goals in last night’s game.

Alexander Frolov, he had a heart stopping unassisted goal at 5:15 in the second period.


Here are some pictures I took from last night's game:

I'll write to all of you again soon, night!