Leaving the Garden behind, we now go to the Rock for tonight's game. Hate the Devils all you want (are we "over" the Stevens deal, yet?), but you definitely have to respect them. This is a consistently tough team to play against, and tonight will be no different.
The Devils are hoping to bounce back from an OT loss to Toronto on Thursday. Martin Brodeur was off that night, so expect him back between the pipes tonight. Defenseman Paul Martin has just returned to the lineup, giving them a lift, and we are all well-acquainted with former Blue Bryce Salvador. With Lemaire back as coach, the fans of the NHL were prepared for the return of NJ Trap hockey. What might come as a shock to some is that NJ has youth and speed on the roster now: the top line features Zach Parise and Travis Zajac, as well as Olympic captain Jamie Langenbrunner. The second line of Patrik Elias, Dainius Zubrus, and some Russian guy, has some zip, too.
These guys can skate, and if we have any hope to extend our "streak" to 2 games in a row, we need to keep up with them. We're going to spend the night running with the Devils.
Runnin' with the Devil / Van Halen
(note: my new toy box includes being able to upload the tune directly to SBN. Clicking on it will launch the audio file in a new tab/window. To hear it on my Blip.fm page, like usual, you can click HERE).
A good summary of the remainder of our season...
I live my life like there's no tommorow
All I've got I had to steal
At least I don't have to beg or borrow
Yes I'm living at a pace that kills
One thing in our favor is that the Devils PP has been cold as of late - 0 in their last 14 opportunities. That plays into our strength, as our PK is among the league leaders (even more so on the road). As long as we take care of business 5-on-5, we'll have a good shot at 2 more points in the standings. The Devils are a solid team, currently 4th in the Eastern Conference and only 1 point behind Pittsburgh for the Atlantic Division lead. They are 5-4-1 in their last 10. Certainly not a pushover, but do-able. You know how to do it guys - get it done.
Further Reading:
Blues vs Devils coverage
(excellent, very thorough game preview at ILWT, BTW)
As always, this is your pregame pre-party. The game begins at 6:00 PM St Louis time. Until then, work out your frustrations with last night's games (EDM, really? .2 seconds? Really?) and dust off your Admiral Ackbar jokes.
Until then, LGB!
-CrossCheckRaise