Wed 2 May 2007
*DISCLAIMER*: Everyone tune up your sarcasm meters and suck on some salt. Hear me out, here.
I can’t take it anymore. I just can’t stomach this kind of hockey in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This is not the New Jersey Devils team that we watched during the regular season. Tonight’s game was nothing short of nauseating to watch.Â
As far as Game 4 is concerned, my particular gripe is with Colin White and Captain Patrik Elias, who seems to have never figured out how to unlock the safety control on his stick that will allow him to actually shoot the damn puck. Don’t throw that “Emery has been great” garbage at me. It’s disgusting. ‘Rayzor’ gives up a 9,000-foot rebound on EVERY shot that New Jersey takes, yet there is not a forward to be found within 15 feet of his crease. It’s an Ottawa blessing that the Devils offense is so laid back.  Patrik Elias has a wonderful opportunity from just inside the hashmarks with Emery scrambling to get back to his feet, and he forces a pass to a completely covered Scott Gomez. Unreal.  You better start hanging out with Paul Martin, Patrik, he could show you a thing or two. Oh, and that crafty little stop, pull-up, wrist-shot move… lame. It doesn’t work. Just ask Jeff Friesen.
Colin White’s “ho-hum, I have all day” mentality has gotten old and gotten old quick. He nonchalantly carries the puck around his zone, gets knocked off the play, and then the self-control goes out the window and he takes a stupid penalty.  How many times has that happened? I can’t count that high. Good thing we locked this guy up long-term.Â
I’m not going to start venting about Martin Brodeur. The guy has kept us alive obviously a lot longer than the team should be, but Marty, you better start caring about those horrid goals that are finding their way through you. Seriously, hug the post, man. Another one of those and our season is over. If this is how the playoffs are going to look with you playing seventy-two million minutes a season, then I think a change is in order.
The envelope is open, but the winner hasn’t been announced just yet. It’s going to take 3 solid, textbook New Jersey Devils hockey games to win this series. Of course I have the faith, but please forgive me if it’s dwindling rapidly.
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May 2nd, 2007 at 9:34 pm
Colin White is poopy.
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Very poopy. Him and Elias have been wretched during the playoffs. When you have someone with experience like White being out played but a rookie like Greene, or Matvichuk, who only got in one game this season, and Elias is being out played by Zajac and Parise (who are better then all of the first liners, IMO), you know there’s a big problem. Lou may be the best GM ever, but he sure isn’t coaching material.
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:57 pm
I pretty sure they devils are done. Yes sadly they are. Im upset but come to relize that the devils have hardly have no O and no Scott Stevens fallow up. Oh and as for a Gomez fan hes might be gone next year. Caps are deff taking him so Alex-O has a playmaker. SO 5mill maby for Karyia or a good O replacement that can play his role
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:20 pm
At this point, I’d help Gomer pack his bags with his $5 mil that he doesn’t deserve. It’s sad, though, that Clarkson was the only intense player out there. Pathetic.
May 3rd, 2007 at 11:26 am
Do the devils actually watch tapes of the games? How many times do you need to see the “Great” Ray Emery let out a huge rebound before you get someone there to get a shot. Then when players are there, it goes through their legs. That’s unacceptable.
May 3rd, 2007 at 12:10 pm
i think gomer and gio are bouncing next season. lou should get back sykora since apparently elias only wants to perform w/fellow russians
May 3rd, 2007 at 8:07 pm
Very hard to be optimistic at this point. I’m a diehard Devs fan but found myself fast-forwarding through the painful stretches just to get it over with. And the painful stretches seem to be increasing game-by-game.
Who knows? Unfortunately, the turn-around last series came when it was 2-2. Now it’s 3-1. Gotta take it game-by-game and we aint out yet, but it’s not looking so hot.
May 3rd, 2007 at 8:32 pm
Elias is Czech not Russian, but anyway as much as I would Love it Sykora will probably never be back. I think that Lou learned his lesson with the Almo situation not to bring back 3mil dollar players for the sake of nostalgia. All season I had this thought in My head that the Dev’s have been missing something that will take them to the cup, but I can’t put My finger on what it is maybe it’s Stevens being gone or maybe it is Nieder being gone I don’t know but ever since Patty got the C He started focusing so much on title that He stopped playing like the Excellent dynamic player that We have become so used to seeing, He is putting way too much pressure on Himself that it’s throwing Him off of His game. and when is the last time that anyone can remember seeing the Maddog side of Madden? it seems to me that the lifers are bored with the same old same old, they have lost their intensity.Gio is on a 3 yr plan so I don’t think that He is going anywhere anytime soon. It amazes Me because if they would just realize that if they all go back to playing the Dev’s hockey that We have all have become used to seeing over the years there is not a team in this league that can beat them. But this is all just My opinion, and since their season is pretty much over, at least We have the awards show to look forward to and hopefully We will be watching Pando get His well deserved Selke. (and of course We will have that sick feeling in our bellies as We watch OUR Nieder get another Norris, I really miss watching Him skate.)
May 4th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Elias isn’t Russian, he’s Czech. But I can’t see them getting rid of Gionta. They just couldn’t. It would make me too sad. I can see Gomez going, though, if he’s asking for more than he’s getting now. After this season, he’ll be lucky if he can even get that much.