Series Preview

Two years ago, the Devils swept the over-matched Rangers in the first round of the playoffs. But this time around, it’s the Rangers who hold the edge in virtually every area…

Devils Outlook: The Devils’ success begins with netminder Martin Brodeur, as it has for much of the past 15 years. Arguably the finest netminder in the history of the NHL, Brodeur’s consistency is as impressive as his athleticism and acrobatic ability. But though Brodeur is a huge difference-maker for the Devils, the rest of the lineup does not match up favorably against the Rangers’. The offseason departures of free agents Brian Rafalski (to the Red Wings) and Scott Gomez (to the Rangers) left holes that haven’t really been filled, and unless Patrik Elias and Zach Parise catch fire, this could be a very short series in the Rangers’ favor.

Rangers Outlook: It was a bit of an up-and-down season for the Rangers, who were considered top Cup contenders when the year began. But though they didn’t meet the enormous expectations set for them, they’re trending in the right direction now. Jaromir Jagr played quite well down the stretch, and “Mr. Clutch” Chris Drury is one of the NHL’s top big-game performers. But the biggest keys for the Rangers in this season are Scott Gomez and Henrik Lundqvist. Gomez’s presence on the Rangers (and his absence from the Devils) will be hugely impactful. And if Lundqvist (a Vezina Trophy Finalist in his first two seasons) can match Brodeur save-for-save (or at least come close) the Blueshirts’ superior talent and depth gives them a significant edge.

Prediction: Rangers in Six

Game One
Rangers 4, Devils 1

Why the Rangers Won: There were concerns before this series began that Scott Gomez would not be at 100% after suffering bruised ribs late in the regular season. But Gomez was firing on all cylinders tonight, getting the primary assist on the Blueshirts’ first three goals and flying all over the ice. The Rangers have far superior depth of scoring, and if they continue to put constant pressure on Martin Brodeur and the Devils, could make this a very short series.

Why the Devils Lost: The object of hockey is to score more goals than the opposition, and the Devils’ popgun offense wasn’t enough to make up for a surprisingly pedestrian game from Brodeur. Brian Gionta scored 48 goals while playing alongside Gomez (in 2005-06), but now that Gomez is suiting up for the Rangers, Gionta can no longer be considered an elite-level sniper. Unless Patrik Elias and Zach Parise catch fire in Game Two, the Devils are in very serious trouble.

Key Moment: The most important moments often appear to happen in slow motion, and so it was on Wednesday night. With Michal Rozsival in the penalty box for holding and the game tied at one, Gomez and Ryan Callahan burst into the Devils’ zone on a shorthanded rush. Martin Brodeur mishandled the puck, and as it skipped slowly across his goal crease, Callahan snuck around the net, swatting at the puck and knocking it into the Devils’ goal to give the Blueshirts a lead they would not surrender.

What’s Next: By taking a victory on the road in Game One, the Rangers have put the Devils on their heels. New Jersey was outplayed by a significant margin in the third period, a clear sign that they wore down as the game progressed. Their lack of scoring depth is a huge problem, especially when contrasted against the Rangers’ impressive depth, and the momentum in this series is very decidedly in the Blueshirts’ favor.

Game Two
Rangers 2, Devils 1

Why the Rangers Won: Once again, these teams played even hockey through the first two periods. And once again, the Rangers took control of the game in the third period, scoring two quick goals to take a 2-0 series lead. For most of the past 15 years, the Devils have been characterized by their tight checking and opportunistic play. But though the Rangers are known more for their star power and finesse, these Rangers also boast uncommon tenacity. And by showing that they have the mettle to beat the Devils at their own game, the Rangers have gained a critical psychological edge in the series that should easily extend to Games Three and Four at Madison Square Garden.

Why the Devils Lost: Just as in Game One, a fluky goal led to the Devils’ demise. On Wednesday night, it was Ryan Callahan burying the puck as it skipped across Martin Brodeur’s goal crease. Tonight, it was Jaromir Jagr benefiting when Devils defenseman Colin White crashed into Brodeur, allowing his wrist shot to carom off the netminder’s back and into the goal. And before Brodeur and the Devils were able to recover from the surprising goal, Rangers agitator Sean Avery ripped a shot past Brodeur to double the Blueshirts’ lead.

Key Moment: With the Devils down 2-1 late in the third period, Jamie Langenbrunner was called for a hooking penalty. Ostensibly, because the Devils were shorthanded as a result of the infraction, they couldn’t subsequently be called for icing. But the officials got the call wrong, and instead of chasing the puck deep into the Rangers’ zone, the Devils had to go back to center ice for a faceoff. The Devils’ odds for tying the game were already quite small, and the incorrect icing call iced the game for the Rangers and all but put the official kibosh on the Devils’ Cup hopes.

What’s Next: The Devils need to start scoring some timely goals. Neither Zach Parise nor Patrik Elias have really asserted themselves thus far, and sniper Brian Gionta appears lost without former linemate Scott Gomez (now with the Rangers). There is a fair amount of talent on the Devils’ roster—it’s no accident that New Jersey finished ahead of the Rangers in the standings despite 1-7 against their cross-river rivals—but they are running out of time to assert themselves. And if the Rangers win again in Game Three, this series will quite certainly go their way.

Game Three
Devils 4, Rangers 3 (OT)

Why the Devils Won: For the first time in the series, the Devils’ power play was seriously threatening, their puck movement around the perimeter setting up some very high-quality scoring chances. And although there were still plenty of residual signs of the Devils team that lost Games One and Two at home, there was some meaningful improvement as well. Brian Gionta, a nonfactor in Games One and Two, nearly put the game away with a brilliant wrist shot that rang off the far goal post. And Patrik Elias also showed glimpses of the form that made him one of the NHL’s most feared snipers for much of the past decade. If those two players can start to contribute more in the offensive end, this series will be a lot more even.

Why the Rangers Lost: It would be too easy to say that the Rangers lost because the last bad bounce went the Devils’ way. But in truth, New Jersey’s victory was largely due to the fact that they were able to capitalize on the Rangers’ errors. Patrik Elias scored a huge power play goal in the second period after intercepting a poor clearing attempt by rookie Blueshirts defenseman Marc Staal. And the Rangers’ general lack of discipline—they gave the Devils seven power play opportunities, while getting only three of their own—was no doubt a factor as the game wore on.

Key Moment: It was yet another very close game between these Hudson River Rivals, and in the end, the final break went New Jersey’s way. Just seconds after the Rangers were called for a borderline icing infraction, Devils center John Madden banked the puck off Staal’s skate and past Henrik Lundqvist to give New Jersey a 4-3 overtime victory and pull them to within 2-1 in the series. There were many great moments in this see-saw playoff game, but the Madden goal provided the most lasting impression, saving the Devils’ bacon and turning this into a series.

What’s Next: For the Devils, this win was critical to their playoff survival, for falling behind 3-0 in the series would likely have been their death knell. Meanwhile, the Rangers did plenty right in this game, most notably the implementation of a new technique to distract Martin Brodeur. On a power play in the second period, Blueshirts agitator Sean Avery parked himself in front of Brodeur’s crease and—rather than watching the action—faced Brodeur and provided what must have been an incredibly aggravating screen. Brodeur is without question New Jersey’s most important penalty killer, and using Avery to neutralize him was a unique tactic that could pay huge dividends for the Rangers as this series progresses.

Game Four
Rangers 5, Devils 3

Why the Rangers Won: Though the Devils battled gamely, the Rangers outplayed them in decisive fashion in Game Four. The final score was close, but had the officials not missed two Devils penalties that preceded New Jersey’s third and final goal, it’s quite probable that the final score would have been more lopsided than it was. Martin Brodeur was pushed to his limits in this game, facing 39 shots (many of them from close range). And with the Rangers aggressively crashing the net, Brodeur was knocked off his skates numerous times. But the biggest reason why the Rangers won was because of head coach Tom Renney’s unwavering commitment to the team’s youngsters. After rookie defenseman Marc Staal was directly responsible for two of the Devils’ goals in Game Three (including the game-winning goal that caromed off his skate), Renney might have been expected to reduce Staal’s responsibilities in response. But instead, Staal played an a huge role in the game, rewarding Renney’s confidence (23:30 total ice time, second-most on the Rangers) by firing the winning goal past a screened Brodeur.

Why the Devils Lost: The Devils didn’t really live up to their well-deserved reputation for disciplined play tonight, turning the puck over numerous times while earning numerous trips to the penalty box. Indeed, had the officials made every possible call, the power play differential would have been even more favorable to the Rangers. As it was, the Rangers, got six power play opportunities to the Devils’ three, and the energy expended killing those penalties clearly wore down New Jersey’s defense. Now the Devils head back home for Game Five in a very deep hole, needing three straight wins against a Rangers team brimming with confidence. It’s not looking good.

Key Moment: After a rough Game Three, Staal came back with aplomb, a vision of confidence both with and without the puck in all three zones. And when he scored the game-winning goal, it was sweet redemption for the young rearguard who is rapidly emerging as a cornerstone of the Rangers’ franchise. Few young defensemen in the league have as much upside, and Renney has done a brilliant job of consistently putting Staal in positions to succeed.

What’s Next: The Rangers won Games One and Two in Newark, and they’ll look to make it three straight on Friday night. But they need take care not to be overconfident, for the Devils will surely be looking to repeat their dramatic 2000 comeback, when they rose from the seeming dead and rebounded from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals. But this Devils team is very different than that star-studded group, and with the likes of Vitali Vishnevski chewing up ice time once reserved for Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko, there’s little reason to believe that New Jersey can outplay the faster, better Rangers.

Game Five
Rangers 5, Devils 3

Why the Rangers Won: Without question, the Rangers were the better team in this series, both on paper and on the ice. Despite some very questionable officiating that yielded a disproportionate number of power plays to New Jersey, the Rangers managed to hold on for a 5-3 victory in Game Five to eliminate Martin Brodeur and the Devils from the playoffs. Jaromir Jagr led the way for the Rangers, scoring a goal and two assists while keeping the Devils on their toes all game long. And Henrik Lundqvist was stellar, surrendering three fluky goals but making some absolutely stellar saves in the final period.

Why the Devils Lost: Under first-year head coach Brent Sutter, the Devils are playing a much more aggressive brand of hockey, and with it has come a steep increase in the number of turnovers and sloppy plays. Making matters worse, where ever-steady rearguards like Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, and Ken Daneyko once patrolled New Jersey’s blue line, today those spots are taken by the likes of Vitali Vishnevski and Mike Mottau, a huge step down no matter how it’s rationalized. While the Devils’ lack of offensive firepower has been much lamented this season, GM Lou Lamoriello would be wise to pursue a shutdown defenseman this summer to make life easier for Brodeur.

Key Moment: Just 18 seconds after Brian Gionta opened the scoring in the first period, Rangers rearguard Michal Rozsival responded, burying a shot past Brodeur to even the score. It set the tone for the rest of the game, and no matter how many missed calls went the Devils’ way, the Blueshirts kept their cool and stuck to head coach Tom Renney’s game plan.

What’s Next: The Rangers must now wait to see the results of the other three first round series in the Eastern Conference. In the meanwhile, they get an excellent opportunity to rest and heal in preparation for the next step in their pursuit of Lord Stanley’s Cup. And for Devils GM Lou Lamoriello, it’s time to reevaluate the roster he put together. Clearly short on everything but goaltending and penalty killing, some serious upgrades are going to be needed if New Jersey is to compete for the Cup in 2008-09.