Thu 4 Oct 2007
9:57 PM ET: Game over — Devils start the season 0-1. No excuses, Red ‘n Black should have won this game tonight. Lame. Lame, lame, lame. LAME.
9:55 PM ET: Wow. Clarkson is not happy. Barely pushes Kuba into Holmqvist, Gratton flips out and decides to take matters into his own hands. The two lads fight, edge Clarkson.
9:53 PM ET: Prospal with the empty netter. 3-1 Tampa. This game is done. Give the first star to Holmqvist.
9:51 PM ET: Ah, time for the last minute flurry. 1:17 left in the third. Zubrus, I fully expect you to score the game-tying goal right now. Time out, Devils.
9:47 PM ET: Are you kidding me? Johnny Oduya, you are friggen garbage. Good job giving the entire net to Vinny Lecavalier. 2-1 Bolts, under four minutes left in the game.
9:43 PM ET: I want a Zubrus goal, damnit.
JOE SAYS: I’m really disappointed in this team right now. I expected a better effort than this.
9:36 PM ET: Whoa. Marty. Glove. Denied. Beautiful save.
…and now the Devils D starts to break down.
9:33 PM ET: Thank you, FSN replay. I didn’t catch which idiot turned the puck over to Gratton when the Devils were on the man-advantage. Turns out, it was Johnny Oduya. How lovely.
JOSH SAYS: Way to make me sound like a loser. Thanks, Johnny.
9:30 PM ET: The ice in Tampa is poop.
9:28 PM ET: Prospal back in the box on a holding call, let’s see what the Devils can get going on this pee-pee.
9:26 PM ET: Wow…Bergfors just got taken out by Ranger. Boy-oh-boy, hard hit right there.
JOSH SAYS: Poor Niklas. He got picked on pretty bad on that shift.
9:25 PM ET: Looks like the Bolts have life. Marty already called upon to make a solid save.
9:22 PM ET: Third period!
JOSH SAYS: Johnny has had a pretty not-bad-game so far.
9:05 PM ET: Tied at one after two periods of play. Been quite an entertaining game so far, I must say. The third should certainly be interesting.
9:02 PM ET: What an open ice hit! Vishnevski with a huge hit on Richards, yet Jay Pandolfo somehow takes a penalty in the process. I did not see the penalty. Refs are stupid.
8:56 PM ET: Wow, poor Zubbie. Twice now he’s been denied of sure-goals. Alas, that was a solid power play, boys had more than a few good chances.
JOSH SAYS: I’m not used to our power play being, well, good. It’s weird.
8:53 PM ET: Poor Rad Brad. Can’t seem to hold on to a stick tonight. Keeps droppin’ ‘em or breakin’ ‘em. And now we have a Devils pee-pee, Zubrus got it pretty bad from Prospal. He seems to be okay, but note to the kids — keep your sticks low!
8:47 PM ET: Butt. Tampa Bay finally realizes they need to do something to stay in this game, Lecavalier fires a nice wrister past the stick-side of Marty. Game is knotted at one.
JOSH SAYS: Booo.
8:46 PM ET: Holy crap! These here Devils are nuts! I think I might have to change my pants, seriously.
8:44 PM ET: Gratton decides to do something other than take a penalty, Marty denies him with those pretty pads. You suck, Chris Gratton.
Just kidding.
8:42 PM ET: St. Louis and Lecavalier come up with their best chance of the period, still manage to miss the net. Ha-ha. Gionta takes matters into his own hands, Holmqvist forced to make another nice save. Seriously folks, if not for Holmqvist, this game would be like nine ba-gillion-to-nothing.
8:40 PM ET: Uh, David, maybe try being outside the net next time. The goal might count that way. Thanks.
8:40 PM ET: Forechecking is awesome.
8:36 PM ET: This offensive display is quite impressive. Yes, it’s only 1-0, but man, the boys are really throwing some great chances at Holmqvist. Quite frankly, this is almost too much for me to handle!
8:33 PM ET: Zubrus almost knocks one home! Holmqvist with another strong save. I gotta say, I’m totally not used to this…you know, seeing, well, offense.
8:31 PM ET: Game on. Boys start the second with a solid minute on the man advantage.
8:14 PM ET: Oh man! Bergfors with a last second chance, denied by Holmqvist. We’re done with one, folks. Devils up 1-0.
8:12 PM ET: Chris Gratton back to the box again. Keep it up, Gratton. Keep it up. Devils PP.
8:11 PM ET: Andy Greene is looking solid so far, very good to see. Keep it up, Greene. Keep it up.
8:09 PM ET: Whew! Take that, Johan. Marty with another pretty glove save on Tarnasky.
8:07 PM ET: The remarkable chemistry of Zajac and Parise continues. Zach-ey with a nice wrister on Holmqvist, who in return makes a pretty pad save.
8:06 PM ET: Tampa seems to be settling down themselves a bit.
8:03 PM ET: Man, the boys are causing turnovers galore for the Bolts. Theys be dominating right now!
8:02 PM ET: Time out Tampa Bay. Tortorella does not seem too pleased with Red ‘n Black’s forecheck. Poor Torts.
7:56 PM ET: What better to follow up a bee-yu-tee of a goal than a sparkling save by Mr. Vezina? The boys are waking up. Hooray!
7:53 PM ET: Excuse me while I pick my jaw up from the floor. That was a RIDICULOUS play by Zach Parise. Off balance, spin-o-rama, shovels the puck for Gionta to tip in.
Red ‘n Black now up 1-0.
JOSH SAYS: That was…awesome.
JOE SAYS: WOOT!
7:53 PM ET: Torts is bitching already. In other news, the sky is blue.
7:50 PM ET: That was a crappy power play. But that’s okay, Tampa just took another penalty. Take two, anyone?
JOSH SAYS: It would probably be a bad sign on our season if Arron Asham has scored our first goal.
7:48 PM ET: …and now he’s drawn a penalty! Atta-boy Davey! Chris Gratton off for roughing, time for a Devils pee-pee.
7:46 PM ET: And David Clarkson hits the first post of the season!
7:46 PM ET: We’re getting outplayed.
JOSH SAYS: Badly.
7:44 PM ET: Uh, defense?
7:42 PM ET: Zubrus and Brylin on the PK? This going to take some time to get used to, I reckon.
7:40 PM ET: And the first penalty of the season has already been taken by New Jersey, Paul Martin is the lucky lad on quite the questionable call. The Devils are scrambling out the gate, quite nerve racking.
7:39 PM ET: Okay boys, settle down!
7:38 PM ET: Parise, Zajac, and Gionta are our starting three. HERE WE GO!
7:36 PM ET: Ew. I had forgotten how ugly the new Tampa jerseys are. Seriously.
7:30 PM ET: Oh we are a mere minutes away from the start of the season. Excitement. Lot’s of excitement.
JOSH SAYS: Hockey! Hockey, hockey, hockey, hockey, hockey, HOCKEY!
JOE SAYS: Bergfors scores tonight, I’m callin’ it!
October 4th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
i have been waiting a while for tonight
October 4th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
Woo Hoo, it’s almost time
October 4th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
parises assist was awesome…i lovvveeee zubbrusssss…..and assham has a cannon of a slapshot…ooo and elias looks like crap
October 4th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
Pelley looks good, much improved from last yr. It’s hard to get used to the Dev’s playing like this, criss crossing, and pressuring all over the place, Torts doesn’t know what to make of this, judging by the whole panic time out, looks like He will be crying all night. Marty rules and VV is a beast, owwwww I miss Luk on our Team.
October 4th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
Torts is going to need diapers tonight.
October 4th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
did anybody else notice when tampa scored they played rock n roll part2? i thought it was banned thats why we got ole
October 4th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Jay –
It’s up to each team. I believe only the NFL outright banned it. Some NHL arenas still play it.
October 4th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
PHANTOM SLASH
October 4th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
Lecavalier = Devil killer
October 4th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
What the hell happened? All was well then the wheels fell off,who was wearing Elias’s jersey? it could not have been Him, I know that is only one game but geeze,I think He needs to change His hair color already. I kind of liked Johnny oops I mean John, but how about letting Marty worry about one side of the net and how about taking care of the side Marty is not on.WE NEED WHITEY BACK.
October 4th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
Holmqvist kept the bolts in it and the only line that can score for tampa did. Talk about a one line team! Even though the devs lost, they played a different style, that is great. Now they need to score…more then one goal
October 4th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
if you’re going to blame anybody for losing a game, blame the whole team, cause isn’t the saying :”Win as a team, Lose as a team” ?
October 4th, 2007 at 11:34 pm
MadDog –
You know what, the team as a whole looked very good? I was thoroughly entertained by the game tonight, and I’m not really concerned about anything other than the fact that Johnny Oduya seems to have regressed even further yet. Matvichuk really needs to be in the lineup ahead of Oduya, which is sad, because Mattie didn’t look all that good this pre-season either. We need Anger back bad.
October 5th, 2007 at 12:39 am
i should be going to sleep but…..sure the devils now under sutter reign but cmon, where was the D?!!! im still FURIOUS over the wide open Lecavalier goal……..SOMEONE COVER HIM for fukxsakes!!!! pando that puke…its not rocket surgery they have one line!!
October 5th, 2007 at 2:06 am
I am blaming Brylin for the game-winner.
I just fired up the DVR and really watched that play. If it was anyone’s
fault, it was really Brylin’s, sorta. Brylin was skating like he was in mud
and he simply glided back into the NZ when Mottau banged it off the boards.
Had he been skating and lolly-gagging, he would have been able to tip it
away from St. Louis and the Devils have a 2-on-1. Instead, St. Louis and
someone else have a pseudo give-and-go while Brylin is left to take a weak
slap at St. Louis.
Now, I am no hockey coach, but I know that defensemen are not supposed to be
hanging out near the faceoff circle where Lecavs had snuck out to. That’s a
forwards job. I don’t know who was playing where at the time, but Brylin
being left behind in the NZ fucked everyone’s world up on that play.
If you watch, Brylin even throws his hands up as if he knows he screwed up.
October 5th, 2007 at 8:27 am
The offense, or lack there of has me a little nervous. Vinny still has Marty’s number…I guess some things never change.
October 5th, 2007 at 9:54 am
Just wanted to point out that it wasn’t entirely Johnny’s fault in that one goal. Mottau was the one that failed to clear the puck out of the zone and instead passed it right to Lecavalier. I think he needs to actually pick his head up off the ice and look before he passes. Pairing Mottau and Johnny together was a really bad idea.
October 5th, 2007 at 9:57 am
Send Oduya back to the minors. He sucks! Continuing his crap play from the playoffs. Get Matvichuk in there, for Oduya and let’s see what this new kid looks like on Saturday. Mottau can go scratch. At least he didn’t lose his assignments.
October 5th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Vincent Lecavalier is the new Zigmund Palffy.
October 5th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
Lou should have just let Johnny go. I think he was a disgrace last night. Matvichuk should have been in his place.
Zubrus and Marty were impressive, But hats off to Clarkson and Parise. They were the Devil’s finest.