New Jersey in the Sandwich. Jersey RULES!

Vol III, No. 12

10 pm EDT.  Game six is up and down. Just like a bunch of the last games in this historic Battle of the Hudson. The even steven series continues.

Will NY stave off elimination and repeat their game six performance of 1994? Will the #6 seed be able to regain the lead? Or will this game wind up with multiple OTs?

The suspense is horrible and wonderful at the same time. People say that it is only a game. And yet, there is something more going on.  It's about identity. It's about insecurity. It's about the history of a peninsula sandwiched between two larger states. It's about New Jersey.

Until 1981, the Garden State had no professional sports franchise of its own. Garden Staters rooted for either Philly, New York or the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers. With a population of 8,000,000 it was perhaps the only large state in the nation without its own unique sports identity.

For decades, New York, the Empire State, has had three, count them, three hockey teams plus the Giants, Yankees and Knicks. Pennsylvania has had two hockey teams, two baseball teams, two football teams and one basketball team. In between, New Jersey was starved.

And then along came John McMullen from Montclair, NJ - the town where my family has lived for over 40 years, the town where I skated in high school. McMullen brought a team from Colorado and Kansas City the meadowlands. He imported the first Russian hockey players. His staff found a young, promising goalie. Within 15 years, the New Jersey Devils ascended to the top of hockey, winning the Stanley Cup in 1995.

Today, New York sports fans have a cornucopia of championships from the Yankees and Giants (who play in New Jersey but retain their original NY identity). Pennsylvania fans have gotten used to championships from Penn State, the Penguins and Steelers (and more lately, the Phillies).  New Jersey has had the Devils.

If the Rangers win tonight's game and go on to win one more in two days, New York fans will be delighted to add another championship to one of many.

If the Devils win, New Jersey will have one more victory to add to four previous eastern conference wins. Four. It's a small number. That's the difference.  Many versus four.

New Jersey has only one sports team. The Giants count, but they get to have parades in Manhattan.  The New Jersey Devils are pure Garden State. North of Trenton, there are a whole bunch of New Jerseyites who remain starved for success, and identity. The Big Apple and Ben Franklin's city cast long shadows.

At 10:40pm, game six is headed for overtime. Is this deja vu all over again?  Somebody will win tonight and hockey will continue - either on Sunday night at MSG or next Wednesday at The Rock.

Hockey Rules!

PS The world knows by now. 10:48pm. Adam Henrique scored the game winner at 1:03 of OT. Lundquist let it squeak under him. Henrique has probably sealed rookie of the year honors. THE DEVILS ARE 2012 EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS. They return to the Stanley Cup Finals for the fifth time since 1995. It is a good day for the Garden State.

The Fog of War

Vol III, No. 10

Sportswriters and bloggers normally write opinions either before a game, or explanations after a contest has been settled.  After all, it's impossible to capture the intensity of the moment in words which take time to write, read and interpret.

Tonight, the Battle of the Hudson is being fought.  The score is tied in the third period. The team from the east bank of the Hudson river has a big edge in shots on goal after 43 minutes of play. But the team from the west bank of the Passaic had the edge in goals until the third period. The score is now even. Why?  It's a tale of two netminders. An old man, versus "The King".

King (but not LA) Henrik Lundquist is having, shall we say, not the best of nights. He has faced 15 shots and three have gotten behind him. That's a GAA of 3.00 and a save% of 0.800.

In contrast, Martin Brodeur is facing a bigger onslaught - 24 shots on goal. He too has let three get by, including an early third period wrist shot by Marian Gaborik. It was one of those things, a weak goal that surprised even Gaborik.

Over the past five games, the Devils and Rangers have evenly split 14 periods in shots on goal. The Devils have outshot New York by a mere 4 shots over 15 periods of play. But that includes a lopsided game #3 with a 14 shot edge - a game which New Jersey lost to the Blueshirts in front of a home crowd.

It was enough to make Zach Parise so frustrated that he refused to speak to the press, the first time all season long that the captain could not collect himself for the obligatory post-game interviews.

This is even steven hockey at its best. Goalies are making the difference. Lundquist kept the Rangers in game #3 and Brodeur is keeping his team in the fight at tonight's game in New York. So what else is new?

No matter who wins tonight, the series returns to Newark on Friday.  The Prince of Wales Trophy will be in the building with a 50/50 chance of being awarded that evening to whoever wins tonight's contest. The hockey cognoscenti continue to favor top seed New York over the #6 seed Devils.

Meanwhile, #8 seed Western Conference champion Los Angeles, with a 12 - 2 record this playoff season, is patiently waiting for the first game of the Stanley Cup finals to begin next Wednesday - either on the east bank of the Hudson river, or the west bank of the Passaic River.

Hockey Rules!

P.S. Post game wrap-up. Devils came out on top. Ryan Carter scored number 4 late in the fourth period. Lundquist just could not keep the Devils out, with only 12 saves on the night. New Jersey capped it off with an empty net goal by Zach Parise at 19:40. 

The Devils now lead the series three games to two. It was a story of netminding. Brodeur produced a consistent performance, not perfect, but good enough. Not bad for an old guy who is supposed to be over the hill. Tonight, "Marty's Better".

LA Royalty

Vol III,  No. 9

With a dramatic early morning OT win over the Phoenix Coyotes, the Los Angeles Kings playoff record over the last three rounds is 12 - 2. They are the 2012 Western Conference Champions.  LA now now owns the Clarence Campbell Cup. 

Going into tonight's game, Kings netminder Jonathan Quick had an astounding 1.46 GAA and a save% of 0.948.  Tonight's stats of 3 goals allowed on 41 shots will water down Quick's numbers a little bit, but not by much.

For the Stanley Cup finals, Los Angeles will travel east after several days' rest. They will play next Wednesday night in either Madison Square Garden, or at "The Rock" in Newark NJ.

Can any team in hockey beat the Kings' hot hand?  In two weeks, the hockey world will know. 

Meanwhile, the Battle of the Hudson is now at high pitch with rivals New York and New Jersey knotted at 2 - 2.  Even their coaches are yelling at each other. Game 5 returns to the Garden in about 18 hours.

Hockey Rules!

Deranged Hits - Devils Even the ECF Series

Vol III, No. 8

Brandon Prust suspended for an elbow in Game 3.  Mike Rupp with 14 penalty minutes in Game 4. The Rangers itching for a fight and taking penalties like crazy in the third period.

Who do the Rangers think they are, the Philadelphia Flyers?

Rupp only hit three Devils as he circled the net, including a shove into his former teammate, Marty Brodeur, right in the crease. Rupp seemed to be acting on orders from John Torterella. Or was it merely a case of frustration?  If you looked at Torts giving instructions on the bench, and who he sent onto the ice, there was a method to the madness.

Meanwhile, at least one team came out to play hockey. Tonight, Zach Parise ended his scoring drought with an assist and two goals. Captain Zach spearheaded a convincing 4 - 1 victory over the Rangers. The Devils controlled three periods of play; the best team came out on top.

The series is now tied at two games apiece in the Eastern Conference Finals. Parise's last goal, an empty netter at 18:31, was created with an assist by #30, Martin Brodeur.

The Blueshirt netminder, Henrik Lundquist, faced 29 shots and let three get past - a save% of 0.897. Marty? His save% was 0.966 and his playoff record is now better than at any time since 2000. The "old man" continues to show his ability to compete at the pinnacle of league play.  

Playoff records are now:

LA Kings 11 - 2

NJ Devils 10 - 6

NY Rangers 10 - 8

Phx Coyotes 9 - 6

One team needs five more games to own the cup. Two need six more games. One needs seven, and has their backs against the wall. The Coyotes had a strong showing on Sunday.  Can they continue to avoid the knockout punch? Tuesday will be the most important game of their entire season and they will play in front of their home crowd.

Hockey Rules!

Hot Goaltending

Vol III, No. 7

Henrik Lundquist has pitched two no hitters in three games.  

During today's matinee game against conference rival New Jersey, he fended off flurries of attacks in the first two periods to keep his team in the game. The Rangers were being outshot 2 or 3 to one by an aggressive Devils team, with a ferocious forecheck that worked so well in the first two playoff rounds.

The peak of Henrik's performance was stoning Ilya Kovalchuk on two breakaways. #17 did not have his best game, taking an early penalty. It was obvious that his composure had been affected, and that's exactly what the Rangers need to do to the opposition's biggest scoring threat.

After two periods of no puck in net, the Devils power play deteriorated. One of the last of five power play opportunities, New Jersey only managed to generate one or two shots on goal.  Over the entire game, Zach Parise was held to only three shots. 

At the start of the third, the Devils look flat footed. Bryce Salvador took a hooking penalty at 2:11 and the Rangers converted with a PPG at 3:19.  

Over the entire game, New Jersey outshot the Rangers 36 - 22. But confronted with Lundquist's hot hand and other shot blocking Rangers, a puck could not find its way into the Ranger net.

Score two for Lundquist and blockey hockey, plus an empty netter in the final two minutes. The Rangers are on top of the Eastern Conference final, two games to one.

Of the four remaining teams, here are the respective records:

LA Kings 11 - 1

NY Rangers 10 - 7

NJ Devils 9 - 6

Phx Coyotes 8 - 6

The eastern conference is still up for grabs, but it is looking more and more like Los Angeles year, even thought they finished 8th in the west. Go figure.

Other hockey news.  Now that Evgeny (Gino) Malkin is not playing for the out-to-pasture Pittsburgh Pengs, he is in Helsinki for the World Championships. Today, his hat trick propelled Russia to a semi-final win over host Finland. The Russians face Slovakia in a final game on Sunday.  Way to go Gino!

19-40

Vol III, No. 6

The Battle of the Hudson is on.  Newark and Manhattan are tied at one game apiece in the Eastern Conference finals.

Two nights ago, the Madison Square Garden crowd chanted "Marty, Marty". Buried in those two words was an attitude that Martin Brodeur was washed up, and could not beat King Henrik. 

After all, on paper Lundquist has the upper hand, 0.937 vs 0.921 Sv%. Which means that over 100 goals, or about 25 games, Brodeur would let in 1.6 more goals.  Big difference, eh?

Well, on Monday night, Lundquist pitched a no hitter, and the Rangers defeated the Devils 3-0 (although one of those goals was scored on an empty net).  So, goalie to goalie, Henrik was +2.

Two nights later, the tables turned. MB30 did not need a shutout (he already has one this playoff season, and of course is the all time leader in playoff shutouts, with 24 under his belt, compared to Patrick Roy with a paltry 23, and King Henrik with only five).  But the Devils prevailed 3-2; the series is now tied after two games in New York. 

The Rangers have now played 16 post-season games, with a W-L record of 9-7. In comparison, the Devils are 9-5, having played two fewer games (or three, if you count the Rangers' triple OT marathon against the Washington Capitals). The Eastern conference is showing its parity and competitiveness, in comparison to the Western Conference. Los Angele's record right now is 10-1, and if playoff games take a toll on bodies, then the Kings have an edge over everyone at this point.

So what's the deal with 1940?  As every Ranger fan knows, that's the year that the Blueshirts defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs, only to wait another 54 years for another Cup, by beating the New Jersey Devils and the Vancouver Canucks.  

To Devils fans, the numbers 19-40 have a different meaning. 19 is the age when Marty Brodeur first played and won a playoff game in Madison Square Garden.

And, tonight, 40 is the age at which Marty has again won a playoff game on Ranger home ice. 

No other goaltender in history has had this remarkable span of playoff success. Patrick Roy won more games, but only played NHL hockey from the age of 20 to 38.  His success came from being part of two dominant teams of the era, the Montreal Canadiens (1985-1995) and the Colorado Avalanche (nee Quebec Nordiques, 1996-2003).

Of course, Marty still has 12 years to go, if he wants to catch the gray panther of hockey, Gordy Howe.  Coming back out of retirement, Howe played with his sons on the Hartford Whalers (now the Carolina Hurricanes) until the ripe age of 52.  In his last year with the Whale, #9 scored 15 goals.  He referred to himself as "poetry in slow motion". 

It is inconceivable that any modern player will be able to reach Howe's longevity and number of games. The game is faster and harder now, and with modern shot-blocking, bodies get hurt more and faster.  Don't get me started on shot blocking - that's a subject for another post.

Two days from now, there will be chants of "Marty, Marty" at the Prudential Rock in Newark. The meaning will be different, coming from fans who have seen #30 play for over two decades.

Here's a guy who can still come up with playoff shutouts and wins.  His team is in the thick of it, again, thanks to a goaltender that New York fans thought was washed up.  All they have to do is look at the record, and at tonight's outcome. MB30 is alive and well.  19-40!

Hockey Rules!

Braden Who?

Vol. III, No. 6

While the last two teams in the West are waiting for the next round, the Eastern Conference is sizzling.

A number 6 seed from the banks of the Passaic River has made it to the conference finals. A number 7 seed has taken the top seed to a 3 - 3 deadlock.  The Washington Capitals forced a game seven tonight, with a convincing performance which dominated the NY Rangers for most of three periods.

As a number 6 seed, the New Jersey Devils should come as no surprise. They finished the regular season with 102 points, fourth in the east. But the Capitals? Washington squeaked into the playoffs with 92 points - lowest in the entire league (along with the Ottawa Senators).

So how did the Caps beat the Stanley Cup champions (number 2 seed) Boston Bruins? And why are they tied with the Rangers? What explains their 7-6 playoff record against the best of the best? The answer is one man and two words. He is Braden Holtby, a rookie 22-year old goaltender phenom.

Holtby has been in the minor leagues since 2005. He was picked 93rd in the 2008 draft fourth round. Since that time, Holtby has played a total of 21 NHL games over two seasons. For most of this year, he backstopped the AHL Hershey Bears with a GAA of 2.61 and a 0.906 save percentage. These are respectable, but not outstanding, stats.

Caps coach Dale Hunter called Holtby up from the minors in early April, when starting goalie Tomas Vokoun aggravated a groin injury. Holtby was number two, behind Michal Neuvirth.  The local press thought that Neuwirth would get the nod for the playoffs. But Hunter saw things differently.

Turns out that Holtby has always had potential. The Caps saw this in his first 14 game season, when he produced a 1.79 GAA. That's more than respectable.

And what has this 22 year old produced in this year's playoffs? Against the top offenses in the league, he has a 0.933 save% and 1.94 GAA. That does not include tonight's performance - one goal allowed on 31 shots. His record after losses is an outstanding 9-0.

Holtby is hot and so are the Caps. Over the last two games, they have won five periods out of six.  Game seven is on Saturday night.  The Broadway Blueshirts have good reason to be nervous. Will the Rangers join the Bruins playing golf in May? In three days, the Eastern Conference finals will be set.  The Devils are waiting.

Hockey Rules!

Nine Years and Counting Down

Vol III, No. 5 (I think)

The number six seed in the NHL Eastern Conference has plowed through two teams seeded #3 and #5.  The final game tonight in Philadelphia capped an impressive performance with four straight wins. 

With a record of 8 - 4, the New Jersey Devils are back in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2003 - the year of their last Stanley Cup. Only one year ago, this was a team that failed to make the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.  The team that showed up for the first part of 2010-2011 was not the same team that has now risen to the top of the Eastern Conference.

And what explains this phenomenal turnaround? It is simple. Devils management (aka Lou Lamoriello) continues to make the right decisions in player acquisition and coaching staff.  Peter DeBoer and Larry Robinson arguably are the best tandem in the NHL. DeBoer is already being considered as Coach of the Year.

Player acquisition?  Consider Johan Hedberg, Ilya Kovalchuk and Marek Zidlicky. Hedberg allowed Martin Brodeur to enter the playoff season rested and in top form.  Zidlicky has added to an already solid defense.  Combine that defense and #30, and the result is a third period save percentage of 0.952 - a stat that is about as good as it gets.  Teams just can't score against NJ in the third period.

And then there is #17, "Kovy". He entered the league and put up stellar figures. But his team (the Atlanta Thrashers, now Winnepeg Jets) was never able to do much in the second season.  Over time, his performance declined.  His defensive abilities were always in doubt.  Even so, the Devs picked him up with a league-shattering contract negotiation that took an entire summer. Even into this year, there were doubters. Was this just another Eric Lindros debacle?

So take a look at the last six months.  Kovy has been the consumate team player.  And although he did not get the game winner tonight (credit another Ilya with that - the Philly goaltender, Ilya Bryzgalov allowed David Clarkson to get the easiest goal of Clarkson's career), Kovy was the difference. He got the game sealer, with a bomb from the blue line that was aimed with pinpoint accuracy. It was a great shot - one of the best that I've seen in a long time. 

So the storyline is this. The Devils are back in the conference finals. Kovy has never been there before. It's why he moved to NJ.  Bring on the winner of that other contest.  It will either be Kovy vs. Ovy, or else a Battle of the Hudson.  Hockey season in New Jersey is not yet over.

DEVILS RULE!

The World's Sport

Vol. III, No. 4

On the Cinqo de Mayo, and as usual, the hockey "world" is focused on The Cup. In today's semi-final Eastern Conference match up, the Washington Capitals fought back from an overtime loss two nights ago, to defeat the New York Rangers and even their series at 2 -2.

But there is a little problem with the use of that term, world. The hockey world is no longer confined to North America.  Hockey has been played in Europe for a long time.  In fact, ice skating is said to have originated in Finland, when the Lapps laced bones on their footware in order to trek across the frozen lakes, thousands of years ago.  And then came the Dutch with silver skates.

So what is this "world"? The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) is now running its annual World Championship in Finland. Canada, the US and many other countries are competing in games which tune up players for the Olympics.

Three years from now, the entire hockey world will truly converge in the Russian Crimea. NHL participation, as ever, is up in the air. Ask Gary Bettman and the NHLPA. The players want it, but the league gives up a lot to accomodate a two week break.

The IIHF and NHL have a working relationship, but have very different roots.  IIHF and the Olympics still retain some amateurism flavors. Game rules also vary, for example on shootouts, IIHF players can repeat in shootout attempts after the first three tries.  This can result in best player vs. best player - a real showcase of talent.

Today, at the IIHF, USA beat Canada 5-4 in OT. The last time USA beat Canada was 2001. The Americans had only beaten the Canadians three times in world play until today.

Is this an answer to last year's loss at the Olympics? If so, it was achieved by a mix of NHLers out of the Stanley Cup playoffs and younger players who are making their marks in the NHL. 

Besides the teams, IIHF competition is different.  The games are more wide open because the rink size is larger.  International rinks are 100 feet wide (30 meters).  North American rinks are 85 feet wide.  In addition, the blue lines are spaced evenly in international play, so that the offensive, neutral and defensive zones are all the same length.  In the NHL, the neutral zone is narrow and allows more obstruction. 

Which style of hockey is better? I prefer a finesse game of skating, stick handling and play making. Decades ago, when the average NHL player was under 6 feet tall, these skills were predominant.  The Montreal Canadians built their dynasty on speed and scoring. Today, the average NHLer is over 6'1" and weighs 204 pounds.  Even with the rule changes of 2005, NHL games are fought on the boards and in the neutral zone. Big bodies get in the way of the puck.

The larger international rink re-creates open play. Injuries are less frequent. It is said that European players cannot play in the NHL until they become acclimated to the rough grinding style experienced on the smaller rink surfaces. North American players can adjust to the IIHF play more easily, since it reflects their typical experience growing up, playing in schools and junior hockey.  Players probably prefer the larger, open, ice.

So why does the "world" not settle on a single rink size surface?  Here in North America, the answer (at the NHL level) is money. A bigger rink reduces the number of seats, and therefore, revenue per game. At lower levels, the cost to expand indoor rink sizes is prohibitive. And, so the world preserves two different styles of hockey.

Take a look at the IIHF championships. There's an app from IIHF for smart phones, 2012 IIHF by Skoda. What's Skoda? A car manufacturer from the Czech Republic, you know, the country that has given us the likes of Hasek, Jagr, Chara, Palffy, Elias, Holik, Stastny and Sykora. The last four are well known to Devils fans - and two are still playing.

Czechs and Devils?  Europeans playing in North America? Canadians playing in the Elite European leagues?  That's what makes hockey the most international sport of all.  In fifty years, soccer may capture North America, but until that happens, ice hockey is truly the world's sport.  

Hockey rules!

Russians, Work and Hockey


Vol III, No. 3

Today, May Day, was International Workers Day, commemorating the Haymarket Massacre/Riot which occurred in Chicago in 1886.

The date became formally recognized at the Second Internationale meeting in Paris in 1891. Despite its American roots, the workers movement quickly became associated with Russia and Communism.

So what's the connection with hockey?

Just one year later, in 1892, Lord Stanley of Preston, Canada's Governor-General, donated the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup as an award for Canada's top-ranking amateur ice hockey club. The cup was awarded for the first time to the Montreal HC in 1893. It  took another 33 years for the National Hockey League to recognize the the cup as its championship trophy.

I doubt that Lord Stanley could ever have envisioned multi-millionaire players skating around in the months of May or June. After all, indoor refrigerated ice rinks were not introduce until the early 1900s.

But here we are, 100 years later, with professional hockey teams spread across the world.  Many players who are not competing in the NHL playoffs are off in Europe for the IIHF world hockey championship.  They can't get enough of a good thing.

There's another connection. Successful hockey is all about work ethic. That is true of other sports too. And when you look at the typical hockey player, whether they come from Canada or the Czech Republic, most come from blue collar backgrounds.  The kid whose dad works in a mill or a mine, is the kid who is out on the ice at the age of five. 

In the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Eastern Conference continues to show the incredible parity among all of its teams.  In the first round, three of the four quarterfinal series went seven games.  In the semis, both contests are tied at 1-1. The Washington Capitals are giving the top seed Rangers a hard time, even with their top gun only on the ice for 14 minutes. And the Devils just spanked the Flyers in Philly, with their top guy out of the lineup.  Ovy and Kovy, where are you?

The other story line today are two misbehaving Nashville Predators. Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn have been scratched for Game 3 because (rumor has it) they were out roaming the bars of Scottdale late Saturday night after curfew. What were these guys thinking?  The chance to compete for the Stanley Cup, and they thumb their nose at the team (and their teammates)!  Hats off to Nashville management for doing the right thing, even if it costs them a game or playoff. 

Now, come to think of it, today was about four Russian hockey players. Ovy, Kovy, Rad and Kosty.  International workers, all of them. Workers of the hockey word, unite!  Observe your curfews. Try to stay healthy.

Spociba!