7:36 PM: Alright, so I’m gonna go get something to drink, then start my 2MA overtime shift, updating the ZUBBIECOUNTER four times over. See everyone soon!

7:34 PM: Final statline:
Zubrus - four goals
Elias - three asists, eleven points in the last five games
Salmela - two assists
Leach earns his first NHL point with an assist
Rupp notches his first goal of the year
Gionta has scored in four consecutive games

7:32 PM: And that’s the game! 7-3 Devils - save for a harrowing couple of minutes late in the second, a very well played game all-around.

7:30 PM: One minute remaining in this splendid game.

7:28 PM: Lost in the ZubbieMadness is the fact that Elias currently sits with three assists, adding to his insane point totals in the last five games.

7:26 PM: Anssi Salmela with a pretty blatent trip and the ‘Ning head to the power play.

7:35 PM: ZUBBIE AGAIN! Holy ZUBBIECOUNTERMELTDOWN BATMAN! 7-3 Devils, FOUR goals for Zubrus!

7:21 PM: Not much going on right now. Probably a good thing, my heart can only take so much.

7:19 PM: I’ll take Tampa’s use of Ole! by Bouncing Souls as a good sign for us. Because I liked Ole! as our goal song, I don’t care what anyone else says.

7:15 PM: My goodness, this game oughtta be like 10-3 right now. Elias with a wide open net, can’t get much on the shot and Ramo gloves it down.

7:11 PM: ‘nother Clarkaround try, nothing doing. Man the ZUBBIECOUNTER is gonna be back in full force tonight.

7:09 PM: ZUBTRICK! ZUBTRICK! ZUBTRICK!!! Beautiful breakaway backhand and DAINIUS ZUBRUS HAS SCORED A HAT TRICK!!

7:06 PM: Oh jebus. Langenbrunner with a rather wide open net, sends it high.

7:02 PM: We’re not looking good this period. Luckily, however, neither are the ‘Ning.

6:59 PM: Okay, we’re back for the third period. Again, we’re pretending the last seven minutes of the second period were a terrible nightmare and nothing more. Let’s get it on.

6:42 PM: Okay, end of the second period. I’m willing to act like the last seven minutes didn’t happen if the Devils are as well. Let’s just keep in mind that it’s still a two goal lead going into the third period. I’ll be back then.

6:40 PM: I miss Kolzig.

6:37 PM: Another goal would be REAL nice right now. I liked Tampa Bay as a place better when the building was silent.

6:35 PM: …who scores on it. 5-3 Devils. Uhm…this ain’t good.

6:34 PM: Pando! That was not kosher! Pando breaks up the breakaway, but not in the usual Devils manner, and now it’s a penalty shot for Malone.

6:31 PM: Oh dear. St. Louis with a goal on the 4-on-4 and now it’s 5-2. Okay guys, that’s enough feeling bad for Tampa now…

6:30 PM: Devils penalty now, Zajac for interference. Sigh. Four-on-four now. for about a minute and twenty.

6:29 PM: Hey, penalty on the Bolts. Good deal! Too many men on the ice.

6:28 PM: Damn. Radim Vrbata taps one in and it’s 5-1 Devils. Oh well.

6:23 PM: We’ve still got over seven minutes to go in the second. Gionta’s goal is his sixth on the year and makes it four straight games that he’s potted a puck.

6:21 PM: 5-0 DEVILS! Beautiful screen by Zubrus and Gionta gets the goal. Kari Ramo is now in net for the ‘Ning, as the red n’ black have chased Olie the Goalie.
6:19 PM: Clemmensen with a couple of good saves. Actually, our D looks real good tonight too. We just look good all around. Weird, huh?

6:17 PM: Salvador goes to the box for hooking. He feels shame.

6:15 PM: Couple of nice stops by Clemmensen. I’m rather impressed with Clemmer’s play since Marty’s injury. But his amazing play almost makes me sad, because I feel terrible for Kevin Weekes. However, I’ll take a non-sucky Clemmer over a sucky Clemmer any day.

6:12 PM: Penalty kill’t.

6:10 PM:Devils PK hits the ice as Colin White (who got an assist on the second Zubbie goal) goes off for tripping.

6:07 PM: Oh. My. God. ZUBBIE AGAIN! Zubrus fights the puck past the pads of Kolzig and it’s 4-0 Devils. ZUBBIECOUNTER is working overtime today.

6:03 PM: Zubbie! ZUBBIE! CRAP I DON’T HAVE THE COUNTER READY! 3-0 Devils and the World-Famous ZUBBIECOUNTER will notch up one more when this game has ended!

6:02 PM: They’re reviewing it, though it’s pretty clearly no goal.

6:01 PM: Oh myyyy some beautiful passing on the PP but Kolzig stones Zajac with his stick. Good looking power play so far.

5:59 PM: Devils remain on the power play to begin this period.

5:58 PM: We’re back y’all. Second period, underway.

5:42 PM: And a very good first period is in the books, Devils lead 2-0. See you in seventeen.

5:39 PM: Devils hit the power play, holding on…a Bolt. Less than a minute left in period #1.

5:38 PM: BIG save by Kolzig on Langenbrunner.

5:36 PM: Whoo! Clemmensen makes a wicked save on a deflection, play comes up to the other end. Clarkson draws a penalty, passes to Salmela who threatens to shoot multiple times but dumps it off to Leach, who passes to Parise coming off the bench. Parise with the blast and it’s 2-0 Devils! A beautiful play from beginning to end.

5:33 PM: I think Clarkson just tried a Clarkaround without even having the puck on his stick…

5:27 PM: Clarkaround try! Missed entirely. You keep trying though Clarkie. Someday…Someday…

5:25 PM: Big blasts from the defense by Martin and Salvador. We almost look like we’re on a power play right now. It’s kind of weird, seeing a team not called the Devils play like we usually do.

5:23 PM: Ten minutes in, and not much interesting going on since Rupp’s goal. A nice chance for Zubrus/Elias, but the pass was not on target, so nothing doing there.

5:21 PM: Bryce Salvador is a defensive BEAST. To think, we got this guy for Cam Janssen. I love-ed Cam Janssen, but…man did we ever win on that trade.

5:19 PM: I would LiveCap a game that MSG+ seems to have issues with broadcasting. Eesh. All is well now though. I think

5:17 PM: Scott Clemmensen’s been wearing 35 this year, but the back of his helmet still says 40. This amuses me for some reason, that he hasn’t bothered to get it re-painted.

5:14 PM: Third jersey rant time: If you’re gonna go with writing out your name, write out YOUR TEAM’S NAME! NOT SOME LAME NICKNAME! I’m looking at you, “Bolts” and “Sens”. Thankfully we’ll never have to see a third jersey that says “Devs” on it.

5:11 PM: Holy crap Mike Rupp scores! Deflects a shot/pass from Anssi Salmela five-hole through Kolzig. Beautiful tip. 1-0 Devils.

5:09 PM: Puck meets ice and we’re underway. Olaf Kolzig’s in net for the ‘Ning.

5:07 PM: Oh, and Jay Leach is up to replace Mottau. Yippie.

5:02 PM: To get us all up to date: Mottau’s suspended for tonight’s game as well as Wednesday’s. Madden remains out with a sore foot. Clemmensen’s in net after Weekes posted the win Friday. The Lightning’s third jersey is muy ugly. We good? We good.

4:43 PM: Devils take on the ‘Ning, 5 PM eastern. Stick with us!

Damn.. I just did this a day ago :p (it’s not like anyone had much to say about it… guess it’s hard to comment when they WIN eh?)… pretty darn good win against a lesser team (I told you there is a lot more suck in the East then the Devils… amazing how people can’t see past the wise-ass, and see there is HOCKEY TRUTH in there too, I get that alot in my section because GOD FORBID my goal at a hockey game is ENJOY MYSELF right??)

Sadly I’m kinda short on pre-game banter… it takes more then 24 hours to re-charge pre-game wackiness… the cigar girls were sick of me and I only got one free soda for my lap motivation… ah well, least no one did Batman songs… or that weird moment…”Hey I’m a friend of Lynn’s… errr we like broke up in Feburary” (awwkkkwwwaaaarrrrddddddddddddd)… so anyway this game was fun… sooo

the Good:
– The Crowd was into it (a few too many people here for my like) and I don’t hate the Islanders… in fact.. I feel nothing but apathy for them and like I said when they came into our row and they booed them… Hey I’ve BEEN to their building… I’d come here too!!!
– the offense has COME TO LIFE (Lord knows how), but it’s good to see Elias and Clarkson and Salvador and Martin (2 games in a row) getting on the damn scoreboard!
– ZACH PARISE… OMMMMMGGGGGG… AAHHHHHH!!!! THREE ASSISTSSSSSSSS!!! (ok you need to be near 209 for that one :p)
– Langenbrunner also with the 3 helpers, he’s very quietly FIXING shit!
– Weekes was solid and nice to see him off mothballs… didn’t make any big saves but with the Islanders you shouldn’t have to!
– the Devils are starting to dominate play in chunks and entire periods of play… maybe this team is “getting Sutter hockey” (or the damn coach is figuring out his team!)
– MIKE MOTTAU 3:16 SAYS I JUST LINDROS-ED YOUR ASS!! WHAT A HIT!! (and ensusing fight, again proving how flamingly homosexual the instaigator rule is)
– Brian Gionta… short guy… shorter goal (had to do it once)… again good to see him come to life with Elias and Zubrus
– that 5 on 3 was the most hilarious thing I think I’ve ever seen…. the whole damn team was collapsed to under the faceoff dot… shot shot miss shot shot miss… Parise missed the layup… but Witt lost his stick making that kick save (I swear the Islanders D had more saves then the goalie), then Langenbrunner damn near breaks the other D-s shin with that bomb… and FINALLY Martin finished it off in a near 2:00 of comic gold!!!
– Paul Martin had SIX SHOTS… and it’s no coincidence this team got going with the best defenseman on the team starting to look borderline all-star out there!

the Bad:
– How the hell come we could never support Brodeur with all this offense on the stiff Islanders?
– no Madden… and Barry Tallackson… blah.. nice story but now they need a linemate with heart problems to finish off the combo of him and Mike Rupp (if you think that was improper you missed my baby seals jokes in 209 tonight!)
– Rupp/Pandolfo/Clarkson?? EEEEPPPPP… that needs to change!
– that pitiful attempt at the wave from 208 to about 212 all 3rd period…. LAME!!! I even got texted about it like it was my damn fault people suck in 213 and beyond!
– Petr Vrana ON THE PP!?!?!? (and still 4:04 of ice time *sigh*)

Well err… that sucked :p

(I really could end it there… but I have some steam to blow off :p)

–Though some of the good stuff… it was funny how the arena staff missed my lapping ways on Sunday… not enough to give me any free stuff mind you… but still nice to feel the love and get cheered on a little!! (don’t ever try to do laps after the hockey outing of your life the night before, hell it carried over and I made a stupid crazy kick save on Becky’s water bottle when she fumbled in 209!)
– the first period was AMAZING… hungry, attacking… controlling…*ulp* dominating….
then the intermission hit… I dunno if the Rangers got their legs or they have AN ACTUAL LEADER in that clubhouse (or a coach with a clue)… but they got some penalty calls (and really TWO 5 on 3’s in ONE period… CMON REFS), but those two power play goals in a row KILLED it….
– Travis Zajac played a DAMN good game too ya know… that will get passed up in the frenzy
– and here’s where it comes down to COACHING…
1. White and Oduya out killing the ENTIRE penalty… I know I went TWICE to Mindy “why aren’t they changing” when they had chances to…. YOU CAN NOT KILL A FIVE ON THREE WITH THE SAME THREE GUYS ON THE ICE… they are called line changes… USE THEM!! (asshole!!)
2. yes the second goal Weekes let in was bad (GET USED TO IT folks… he’s not Brodeur and he’s let in PLENTY of his share of them too)… BUT CALL TIME THE FAROOQ OUT AND SETTLE YOUR TEAM DOWN… then again… he’d just yell at them.. it’s all he knows…and he doesn’t.. and game over goal soon follows….
3. YOUR DEFENSE PLAYS LIKE TIRED EXHAUSTED SWEATY ASS AND YOU BLAME IT ON WEEKES AND PULL HIM?? That’s bullshit… you tip toe around broken glass when he shits the bed in a game, and you’re burning out ALL your key players in NOVEMBER… no wonder any important guy on this team IS HURT… but it’s ok… keep benching Vrana, that’ll show them!!!!

– it’s also horrifying to me that Section 209 is already staring to break down a WEEK after #30 was hurt (and nice to know HE cares enough to be hanging out at a random rink in Montclair watching girls hockey games, and yes I have proof of this :p)
– oh yeah… Ranger fans… amazing how you pop up now (one thing we DO need to give ol’Derek credit for… he only shows up when his team sucks)… congratulations… you beat an AHL team tonight for the most… have a cookie!!!!
– and oh yeah.. Langenbrunner sucked again and a trash goal in garbage time doesn’t fix that or his abyss-fulled 22 minutes!
– and as mad as I am for this… (at least I didn’t stumble out of the building and wobble to a train to go play hockey tonight *whistles*)… I still stayed and yes I still had a good time with friends in 209… and it might come to a point where it’s more about that then the games… least for now… but we’ll still be there… and like Mr. Goomba says… all you can do …. is get out of your seat.. stand up… and yell … LET’S GO DEVILS (even though you are wincing knowing the Ovenchicken is coming!)

– I was also jokingly told I might get the call to be a goalie on this team soon… god could you imagine that after the ripping I’ve done on players and teams over the last 13 years??? They’d stand aside and let me see 8700 slapshots to the face!!!

(I reserve the right to add more to this as it comes to me :p)

Before I start… for everyone I keep bumping into telling me stuff about this here… please keep it up… I am a complete whore and will totally pander to my audience… even if they sit in the wrong corner of the building

Anyway… just a reminder to those who don’t remember my CRASHER line days….I don’t do shootouts… I don’t acknowledge them… I am only grateful that they get me to my car faster… so I saw and left a bit annoyed at 3-3 tie, and I usually get to my car in enough time to hear the winner of the skills competition… so keep that in mind here (and yes I know he scored in the shootout.. I’m still blasting him tonight :p)

– Was a strange night for me… since I’ve been a fan of this team since 1993… I’ve really only, truly known ONE top goalie on this team and it’s #30 (on his back and please NO MORE on the mask)… and it’s going to be BIZARRE for a while to accept the AGE OF WEEKES… I don’t know how anyone else feels about this
– My pre-game laps are taking a life of their own now.. a dead arena got me 14 laps (yes that’s 3 1/2 miles folks)… and now people are getting into it… least the staff is… hey there was more staff then fans there… a few of them almost joined me… and the highlight (well besides the new cigar girl who replaces… well my favorite… who 14 times asked me if I wanted a cigar, not seeing how counter-productive that is to 14 laps around the concourse!)…. was also the City Girll people seeing me at about lap 12 and yelling YOU NEED THIS and throwing me a soda like a marathon runner… that’s just awesome stuff!

now.. on to the game stuffs…

– Pandolfo-Madden-Elias… oddly enough I tried this combo in NHL 09 this morning not knowing… and hell it worked there too…Elias has taken a step back yes… but he can hang with these guys and adds enough offense to make these guys dangerous again (hence the Pando goal.. more on that to come)
– Tampa is a BAD team folks… with all the offense.. LAST on the pp?? Wow the coaching of Melrose… cmon he took the job so he can pat young boys in the fanny (I even heard he’s so scared of Newark he moved the team outside the city… man up you greasy-goat-lover…. I annoyed two old people dropping Farooq-Bombs about Melrose… ah well!!)… and not to mention it would have been NICE to see the Devils D get more invovled since Tampa’s idea of defense is THROW ALL FIVE GUYS AROUND THE GOALIE AND HOPE ONE OF THEM GETS IT…Melrose may not make it till new year.. so we need to play them soon and often!! (I feel bad for Mike Smith… he deserves better then this group of stiffs in front of him!)
– God Jamie Langnebrunner was BAD tonight (yes he scored in the non-hockey part of the hockey game…. that’s as effective being a rookie and scoring a goal in Sutter’s eyes)… I think I even began calling his shot the LOGO-BUSTER… but it never actually got over the pads…
– Vrana: 7:31, Bergfors: 4:20… Langenbrunner: 21:10.. Least Elias, Madden, Salvador, Mottau and Oduya earned their obsence ice times tonight, Oduy in particular… he was the only D with some drive tonight (Salvador was good… the ppg by St Louis was being Langenbrunner was the Rated R-Tard who couldn’t cover EITHER point or get back to help in front)
– David Clarkson’s goal very well could be THE most important goal scored by a Devil this year… you can see it on the bench… you could feel it in the crowd… it kinda gave you the feeling.. YES WEEKES WE CAN!!!!
– Elias with a BEAUTY on the power play too… that was old school 2000 looking Elias there… we need more please Patrik!!!
– Pandolfo’s goal while HUGE was a comedy of defensive errors we are so used to seeing out of Brookbank (can we get Mark Fraser the hell up here please??)
– Colin White is our top offensive defenseman… like REALLY…oy!
– Gionta and Zubrus… were the awesome again tonight…TRADE THEM RIGHT NOW 1111!!!1111!!!! (yes that IS sarcasm :p)
– Kevin Weekes was again a hundred stars tonight the one thing we need not worry about on this team is goaltending (well until Clemmensen plays a game… but knowing this team Weekes will play every second till number 30 takes his cast off and leaves 209!)
– Crowd was kinda sterile tonight… but I guess we are getting used to #1 being #1
– all in all a gutty gritty effort to get to the skills competition… but here comes Detroit now… oy vey!!!

(and on a programming note… I do not go to home games on Football Sundays, my bartenders would find and hunt me down… so my next lovely thoughts will be for the Ranger game next week… and since I am whoring away again… anyone need a ticket for Nov 20 vs Florida?? I gots ones for sale!!!)