Thursday, November 13, 2008
Devils 2 - Rangers 5
My site is still being worked on at SBNation but it should be up soon. That said, I feel I have to give my standard, incredibly-detailed post-game analysis from last night's game where the Devils lost to the New York Rangers, 5-2.
- The first period was pretty good. I'd almost go as far to say that the Devils were controlling the game. The Ranger fans at the Rock were silent save for the one who decided to fight security in Section 232.
- Second period. To quote Vince Lombardi, "What the hell's going on out here!?" This was the worst period the Devils have played all season - even worst then the first period against Buffalo last week. Absolutely awful. The discipline was looser than diarrhea, the defense was a sieve, and the offense was nonexistent as the Devils tend to rely on transition offenses and spent a good chunk of that period making clearances and dumps. How does this happen? How do the Devils leave the Rangers open in space? How do the Devils commit not just one 2 man disadvantage, but two times in the same period? Where was the leadership? The coaching? The focus? The common sense in hockey? In summary, the Devils played like dog vomit and the Rangers were a bucket full of sawdust.
- Third period, got one back only to lose it. Inconsequential in the larger scheme of things.
Needless to say, I was unhappy with the performance after the first. As an aside, I was amazed that the Rangers fans, who claim to be so supportive, didn't make too much of a peep until they scored. I guess being on the road to support your team alone isn't enough - they have to do well to make noise. Contrast this with Devils fans (e.g. Section 232/233, 208, various parts of other sections) who kept cheering them on even when they were awful. If only the Blueshirt-clad fans had prawn sandwiches. Anyway, the only Devils who you could say had a solid game all around was Travis Zajac. But that's rather inconsequential when you embarrass yourself with such a putrid performance at home and the result of the game clearly reflects that. Fair play to the Rangers, they saw a team starting to flounder after a goal against and they pounced on it again and again and again.
I want this Devils team to turn it around ASAP, PDQ and they have a home-and-home with Washington to do it against. They need to shut down their top forwards (Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom - on the same line). With Scott Clemmensen in net again, according to Gulitti, perhaps the rest of the Devils can get the message that Martin Brodeur isn't in net and therefore they need to raise their game instead of hoping Clemmensen raises his game to Brodeurian proportions. But I want to see some fire on the ice. I want to see a desire that screams, "Damn it, we are winning this game and there is nothing you foolish fools can foolishly do to stop us!" I want to see some hustle, smart play, and finish to go with that desire. I want to the see the Devils Hockey we have not seen in the past few weeks.
Labels: 2008-09 Postgame, Devils Issues
# posted by John Fischer @ 5:01 PM 0 comments 
