The 2012 Stanley Cup Finals began tonight at the Prudential Center, with the New Jersey Devils and the Los Angeles Kings. Both teams stacked up well on paper against each other and both teams played an up-tempo, offensive style of game to get this far in the postseason. We didn't see too much of the "offense" from either side, as the game turned out more like a rock fight than a game filled with offensive pressure. The Kings were sloppy, the Devils were far sloppier, and the Devils lost Game 1 in overtime when their second big defensive breakdown resulted in Anze Kopitar getting a huge breakaway on Martin Brodeur. Kopitar showed his backhand long enough for Brodeur to take it, and then Kopitar went forehand to win it 2-1 for the Kings. The result certainly was disappointing.

Yet, I think the real disappointment lies with the Devils' performance. They were just lucky to be in overtime at all with an opportunity to steal the game. The bad ice and the layoff in between their last game and this one certainly had an effect on both teams. However, the Devils have played on this ice before in this postseason it's not like five days is enough to undo what they've done so far in this postseason. It would be one thing if the Devils only suffered in the first period; but they went through long stretches in each of the three periods without a shot on net. The Kings didn't exactly make it rain pucks on New Jersey either; they struggled at times as well. That said, they were more successful tonight, out-shooting the Devils 25-17, out-attempting them in all situations 55-34, and out-doing them at evens with a team Corsi of +16. Getting 25 shots on net in about 68 minutes isn't exactly what I would call good, but was a lot better than what New Jersey could muster up tonight. All they need to be is better than New Jersey now, and they were.

The Devils' offense simply disappeared at times and it's a real shame because it wasn't like Los Angeles was so great. It was real frustrating to see the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk or Adam Henrique throw passes to no one or miss their targets entirely. It was bothersome to see the likes of David Clarkson mishandle an otherwise good pass to kill an attack. It was bewildering to see Zach Parise and Travis Zajac spend far more time defending than attacking. It was infuriating to see the Devils get a rush up ice or an opportunity to get a shot, only to pass the puck away and squander the opportunity. And it's not like those specific players were the only ones, almost all of the skaters were just so, so bad at moving the puck forward tonight.

As a result, the Devils got soundly beaten in possession, shots on net, and attempts. Jonathan Quick really wasn't tested and he was prone to giving up some big rebounds, too. One would think that after a five-shot first period, the Devils would try to make him work a little more. They responded with three in the second, with the first one coming at about the halfway mark - generously given to Parise. Sure, Anton Volchenkov's shot got in thanks to a deflection of Slava Voynov's shoulder, but it was a miracle given how the rest of that second period went. The third period showed a much better effort, including a disallowed goal on Parise for knocking the puck in with his hand. Yet, after that initial surge, the Devils went back to losing pucks in the neutral zone, dumping in pucks to no avail, and struggle to get into the blueline. Credit has to go to the Kings defense for making it difficult, but it seemed to me that the Devils just made a lot of bad decisions going forward and didn't adjust enough.

Simply, this was a bad performance by the Devils. Martin Brodeur did what he could to keep it a game, but he can't score goals or have the Devils perform a successful breakout play. A win in overtime or in the third period on either of the open net opportunities would have been wonderful. Yet, it would have been a stolen victory. The Devils didn't deserve to win this one, and they didn't. Kopitar's game winning goal came from a grave defensive error; but the horrible puck movement and lack of offense doomed the Devils tonight. Peter DeBoer and his players will have plenty to look at and hopefully adjust over the next two days.

For an opposition take on tonight's game, please visit Jewels from the Crown. For more thoughts about the 2-1 overtime loss in Game 1, please continue on after the jump.

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Tonight, the New Jersey Devils will take on the Los Angeles Kings for the right to win the greatest trophy in all of sports: the Stanley Cup. Over the past few days, it's mostly been all about this series here at In Lou We Trust and for good reason: it's for the championship. Both teams earned their way here and both teams have a lot going for themselves. As a result, there's a lot of words and comments already spent, both in our series primer, our series predictions, from selected quotes from Tuesday's Media Day, and, of course, in the comprehensive series preview that also went up on Tuesday. Not to mention that the Game 1 preview went up earlier this morning.

However, in the midst of all of this, it's easy to lose track of what exactly got the Devils to this point in the postseason. The Devils won the Eastern Conference Finals by defeating Our Hated Rivals, the New York Rangers in six games. In that sixth game, the Devils dramatically won 1:03 into overtime as Adam Henrique smacked a loose puck into the net out of a scrum. Adam Henrique's post-regulation heroics knocked Florida out of the playoffs and sent the Devils into the second round. He did it again on May 25 to send the Devils to the Stanley Cup Finals and the Rangers back to wherever they go when they lose.

Cup or no Cup, the goal he scored will be remembered as one of the more important ones in team history. This is not the Devils' first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, but it's only their fifth. It's the first time they did it while knocking down the Rangers a peg. That in of itself carries a lot of weight. As Tom wrote in this post on Monday, Henrique's goal provided more than just an opportunity at a championship, but also closure. Devils fans can properly say that the wraparound goal by some scrubby Ranger in the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals has been avenged. Rangers fans can't bring up 1994 anymore as a criticism of Martin Brodeur or the Devils organization; there is now a response. The pain from those fans who saw what happened back then has more than healed, it's been repaid.

In addition, how Henrique scored the goal is relevant on this upcoming series against Jonathan Quick and the Kings. Like Henrik Lundqvist, Quick has been magnificent in net all season and in the playoffs. He's athletic, agile, and almost always in position to make a stop. The Devils are going to need some good bounces and/or breakdowns in the Kings' coverage to beat him, as with Lundqvist. Throw in the last fact that watching a huge goal scored by New Jersey is always good for an additional pumping up before a game, and I think Henrique's goal is worthy of a closer look. Please set your viewing to wide and continue on after the jump for a breakdown of Adam Henrique's overtime winning goal against the Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

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The Time: 8:00 PM EDT

The Broadcast: TV - NBC, CBC, RDS; Radio - 1130 AM WBBR

The Series: The New Jersey Devils vs. the Los Angeles Kings

The Series Preview: I wrote a comprehensive preview of the Stanley Cup Finals, so please read it if you're looking for details on each team broken down from goaltenders to special teams.

For the opposition's point of view, Robert P at Jewels from the Crown has a three part series preview: Part 1 - Player Usage Charts, Part 2 - Devils Line Matching, Part 3 - Kings Line Matching

The Tickets: The Devils sold all of theirs, so your option is to pay quite a lot for something from the secondary market. I recommend our Tickets section, where SBN Partners TiqIQ can help you find some. Why so much? Because it's the Cup™.

The Goal: The Devils must be willing to adjust and quickly. The Devils and Kings have played similar styles of hockey to get this far in the postseason and they both have quite a lot of talent. Since the Devils will have home ice tonight and on Saturday, they'll get the benefit of the last line change. That hasn't faded Darryl Sutter and his players as the Kings are 8-0 on the road. However, it can become an advantage if Peter DeBoer, his coaching staff, and the Devils players recognize what Los Angeles is doing and try and counter it during the game. I don't think the Devils are going to be very successful just coming straight at LA unless, well, they are. Unlike their last three opponents, the Kings will be well prepared - after all, they do a lot of the same things as New Jersey.

Therefore, the Devils must be ready with Plans B and C when Plan A inevitably falls apart. I'm not saying DeBoer has to mix up the lines like crazy or throw out tactics entirely. I'm just saying that I want to see the Devils account for the Kings' approach to this game, use that last line change to get certain lines out there in match-ups in response to what they've been doing, and make changes before the Kings surge and take the game over. Barring their initial gameplan working wonders, the Devils' willingness to be flexible can make or break them tonight, much less in this series.

For an opposition's take on tonight's game, please go to Jewels from the Crown. For a few more thoughts on tonight's game, please continue on after the jump.

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Before the Stanley Cup Finals begins tomorrow at the Prudential Center, it was time for each team to get prepared on their last day prior to the series. They didn't just have practice, they had to deal with: the media. Yes, today was Media Day and so there all kinds of quotes, quips, and clips of various members of the New Jersey Devils and the Los Angeles Kings out there. In addition, there are good stories put together like this one by former ILWT writer and current SBN-NHL writer Steve Lepore about Martin Brodeur. There are also good story streams like this one at SBN-NY that you can follow.

Now, I wasn't present at today's Media Day due to my day job. Nevertheless, the NHL PR department was gracious enough to send me transcripts from today's press conferences. I figure that it'll be a nice change of pace to have something other than previews and analysis ahead of the series.

For those of you who do want a comprehensive preview of the Stanley Cup Finals, then please check out this series preview I put together earlier today. If you're into listening to podcasts or me tripping over my own thoughts about the upcoming series, then you're in luck as I've done a number of them over the past few days. In addition to my usual work on Talking Red, I was a guest on the recent NHL Numbers podcast to preview the Stanley Cup Finals along with Brent Morris and the Jewels from the Crown people. I've done two shorter appearances: one with on Backseat Sports with Zac and Tully and one with the All the Kings Men podcast, which has yet to go live as of this post. I'll be doing something with Hockey Prospectus that should be up tomorrow. For interesting quotes from various Devils and Kings players and personnel with sparse commentary, please continue on after the jump.

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The New Jersey Devils and the Los Angeles Kings are the champions of their respective conferences and so they will compete against each other for the greatest trophy in all of sports: the Stanley Cup. The Devils won the East after coming from behind to knock out Florida, crushing Philadelphia in five games, and defeating New York in six games. The Kings won the West after slicing through Vancouver, sweeping St. Louis, and pounding Phoenix (seriously). It's easy and wrong to look at their playoff seeding and see #6 vs. #8 as a surprising match-up. Given how the Devils and Kings performed, they truly deserve to get this far.

Needless to say, both teams have been really, really good. For the neutral fan, this looks to be a very entertaining series as both New Jersey and Los Angeles favor an up-tempo pace with a strong forecheck. Both New Jersey and Los Angeles have goaltenders who have been excellent in this postseason. Both New Jersey and Los Angeles have players with loads of skill and others who work hard and have been rewarded for their efforts. Any casual or fans of other teams will enjoy watching the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Finals. For the fans of either the Kings or the Devils, it will be difficult as they should be able to push each other to the proverbial limit.

If you want basic information about the series, such as the schedule or what news sources you should check out, then check out this series primer. If you're interested in predictions and some sort answers about what the ILWT writers think about this series ahead of Game 1, then please read our series prediction post. This is the preview for the entire series. As with the prior series preview posts, I hope to properly convey what you need to know about each team in various aspects of the game. I'll largely be focusing on playoff stats because I think recent form is going to reveal who the top players are more so than what they did during the regular season. Either way, please continue on after the jump for a very detailed and close look at both teams as they prepare to begin 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday.

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In just two days, the New Jersey Devils will host the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Finals. Fans of both teams have every reason to be proud of each franchise; getting to this point of the postseason is always worthy of praise and adoration. That doesn't mean they don't want it all. The players certainly want the Cup. No team gets to the Stanley Cup Finals and says with their play, "Yep, we're here. That's good enough." Saying that both teams will play hard and will attempt whatever it takes to win each game by any means necessary isn't a prediction at all. It's just expected.

The Kings are heading into this series almost exactly as any fan dreams. They went 12-2 against Vancouver (4-1), St. Louis (4-0), and Phoenix (4-1). The former two teams were among the very best in the NHL in 2011-12 and the Kings made them both look second-rate. Phoenix was the weaker of the three opponents, though they had the best performing goaltender - that didn't matter. A fan couldn't ask for more. Speaking of elite goaltenders on opposing teams, the Devils were eventually able to put multiple pucks past the one that started for New York (4-2) to defeat them in six. That earned the Devils the right to play in the Stanley Cup Finals. Prior to that series, they rode the knife's edge and won two straight games beyond regulation to knock Florida out (4-3) and then took the Knife of Possession and metaphorically drove it in real deep into Philadelphia (4-1) in four straight games to eliminate them. The Kings were like an industrial buzzsaw going through lumber. The Devils resembled a manager of a lumber factory, adjusting their plans to get the desired results.

OK, clumsy metaphors aside, the two teams will get it going later this week. This primer post has the schedule and other basic information about the series. As we await the series to start, let's predict what will happen. I asked the other writers the same five questions from the prior prediction posts, including a series prediction. We did at least a pretty good job with our predictions for the Eastern Conference Finals. I hope we'll be just as good in this one. Please continue on after the jump to find out what we think heading into this series.

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The New Jersey Devils have had a successful 2011-12 regular season. Last season, they didn't make the playoffs at all. They've had a horrible head coach and horrible luck to have only nine wins by Christmas 2011. They got a proper head coach and better luck to finish outside of the bottom five; but they were well behind the eighth seed in the East. In 2011-12, the Devils got a new head coach, dealt with injuries, played with a more aggressive forecheck, and had their share of ups, downs, and shootout wins. They finished in fourth place in the Atlantic Division and sixth place in the East. After missing the postseason, the Devils definitively qualified with 102 points in 2011-12. They succeeded.

The Devils have had a successful 2012 playoff run through April and May. They've came from behind to defeat the Florida Panthers in seven games, winning each of the last two must-win games beyond regulation. They withstood a decisive loss in Game 1 to the Philadelphia Flyers and proceeded to swarm all over them in four games to eliminate them in five games. The Devils took on the New York Rangers, Our Hated Rivals, in the Eastern Conference Finals. They responded to getting shutout in two out of the first three games by winning three straight with three or more goals to knock out the Rangers in six games and go to the Stanley Cup Finals. I repeat, the Devils are going to the Stanley Cup Finals. If you ever feel down before Wednesday, that phrase will lift your spirits, at least a little bit.

I don't know about you, but I never expected to say that wonderful statement of reality.

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The New Jersey Devils kicked off the long Memorial Day weekend right with an overtime win in Game 6 to knock out the New York Rangers of the playoffs and go to the Stanley Cup Finals. Therefore, this week's episode of Talking Red is a very happy one. David Sarch, Steve Palumbo of Rant Sports, Tom, and myself got together to discuss both Game 5 and 6, leads, Ryan Callahan's skates, the Devils' fourth line, scratches, the Kings, and beards among other topics. In addition, David talked with Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period about the upcoming Stanley Cup Finals. There's quite a lot to listen to in this week's Talking Red, and fortunately, there's plenty of time to listen to it as Game 1 is on Wednesday.

Big thanks to Dennis for taking the time out of his schedule to talk with David; and thanks go to David for having Tom and I on to talk Devils hockey once again. This episode is 25.99 MB large and 56:47 long. It is directly available here at the TR website; and it can be found at iTunes and Stitcher if you're use either service. You can also listen to a stream of it after the jump of this very post. You can give us your comments and questions to talkingred at gmail dot com, tweet them to @TalkingRed, or just leave them here in the comments of this post. Here's David's description of this episode:

On this week's episode, David is joined by John and Tom from In Lou We Trust and Steve from Rant Sports. They talk about where they were when Adam Henrique scored "that" goal. After they discuss some take away notes from the Conference Finals including the play of Jacob Josefson. In the One Timers section, they speculate who could be coming in or out of the line up and each person picks their favorite member of the 4th line. David then interviews Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period and talk about the Kings and how they match up with the Devils. The episode ends with each person picking their M-V-B of the playoffs so far. Warning, you may be in for a surprise during this section.

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The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (48-28-6, 102 points, #6 in East) vs. the Los Angeles Kings (40-27-15, 95 points, #8 in West)

The Schedule: From NHL.com, here is the series schedule with broadcasting information. Games with a * are only if necessary.

Game 1 - Wednesday, May 30th - 8 PM EDT - New Jersey Devils vs. Los Angeles Kings - NBC, CBC, RDS

Game 2 - Saturday, June 2nd - 8 PM EDT - New Jersey Devils vs. Los Angeles Kings - NBC, CBC, RDS

Game 3 - Monday, June 4th - 8 PM EDT - New Jersey Devils at Los Angeles Kings - NBCSN, CBC, RDS

Game 4 - Wednesday, June 6th - 8 PM EDT - New Jersey Devils at Los Angeles Kings - NBCSN, CBC, RDS

Game 5* - Saturday, June 9th - 8 PM EDT - New Jersey Devils vs. Los Angeles Kings - NBC, CBC, RDS

Game 6* - Monday, June 11th - 8 PM EDT - New Jersey Devils at Los Angeles Kings - NBC, CBC, RDS

Game 7* - Wednesday, June 13th - 8 PM EDT - New Jersey Devils vs. Los Angeles Kings - NBC, CBC, RDS

The Devils will have home ice due to their superior points total from the regular season.

For additional basic information heading into the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, please continue on after the jump.

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They did it.

The New Jersey Devils eliminated the New York Rangers in six games by winning tonight's game 3-2 in overtime. Adam Henrique sealed it by putting in a loose puck that Ilya Kovalchuk jammed through Henrik Lundqvist and got away from Brad Richards. It wasn't the prettiest of plays; but it was certainly beautiful. 1:03 into overtime, the Devils defeated the Rangers for the last time in the 2012 playoffs. Their reward is the Prince of Wales Trophy and the right to play the Los Angeles Kings for the greatest trophy in all of sports, the Stanley Cup.

To think, it almost never happened. Not unlike Game 5, the Devils got off to a great start. The Rangers came to play, but the Devils were able to get pucks in deep and catch the Rangers with numbers on rushes up ice. Lundqvist looked shaky early, fighting off pucks, not getting clean saves, and actually getting beaten by a shot on a 3-on-1 rush that had no pass - the post saved him then. It would be the fourth line to break through with the game's first goal. Steve Bernier led an odd man rush, fed Stephen Gionta for a shot on net, and Ryan Carter put home the rebound. It was a "swarming" like play and it lit up the already energetic crowd. The Devils would continue to attack as they made the most of a tripping minor on Ruslan Fedotenko. During the power play, four of the Devils just kept passing it about on the left side. Eventually, Dainius Zubrus has it at the goal line facing out. At that point, there were eight skaters on that side - leaving one Devil open on the right. That man was Ilya Kovalchuk. Zubrus hit him with a pass and Kovalchuk finished it off with as good of a one-timer you'll ever see. The Devils and Rangers were tied in shots 14-14, but the intensity and the distance in shots were in New Jersey's favor.

From the second period on, the Rangers began to take the game over. Perhaps they were responding to the 2-0 deficit. Perhaps it was because it was a win-or-go-home game for them. Perhaps they felt they did OK in the first and they just had to build on that. Perhaps the two teams swapped jerseys. The Rangers carried the play and pinned the Devils back repeatedly on offense. Given the long change, that meant there were a lot of tired Devils. That may account for the listlessness in trying to get clearances or making unwise decisions in their own end. It also help they didn't get some of the bounces like they did in the first period that led to offensive attacks and defensive stops. The Rangers' hard work paid off when Ryan McDonagh curled around the net and found teammates at the top of the crease. His pass got to Fedotenko and it's an easy goal on Martin Brodeur's flank to make it 2-1. The Rangers would equalize minutes later when a Dan Girardi shot got through traffic and past Brodeur's glove on the ice. The puck took a favorable deflection off Ryan Callahan's skate, which made the shot far more difficult than it seemed. Lucky or not, the Rangers earned a 2-2 score at the end of the period. The Devils were just struggling to get forward and get the kind of shots on Lundqvist that Brodeur faced.

New Jersey's struggles continued in the third period. One would think Peter DeBoer and the coaches made it clear that the Devils needed to get back to their ways in the third period of a 2-2 game that they could clinch. It started off fairly well with a couple of shots, and then it just stayed there until far later in the period. The two teams cancelled each other out along the boards and in the neutral zone; but the Rangers had the better run of play. Brodeur was big, especially on a Brad Richards rebound attempt on a third period power play. Lundqvist did his job in keeping everything out. It was harrowing to watch, and the notion of overtime was just stomach-churning. The Rangers ended regulation up 35-26 in shots and controlled most of the play. The two goal lead in the first period was busted and all the Rangers needed to do was keep up the pace.

The very first shift by the Rangers made it seem that way; but it ultimately turned into nothing. They had looks, they had some favorable bounces, but they didn't get a shot on net. Not one. DeBoer was mixing his lines a bit throughout the game, presumably to get guys going from the second period onward, which is why we saw Ponikarovsky with Henrique and Kovalchuk. Then the Devils gained the zone for the first time, Ponikarovsky flung a shot on net that yielded a short rebound and the jam play was on. The rest, as they say, was history.

Essentially, what I'm saying is that the Rangers were the better team tonight. They knew the stakes of the game and responded accordingly to a 2-0 deficit after the first period. They out-shot the Devils 35-26 in regulation and 35-29 including OT. The Devils looked strong only in the first period and the series winning shift in overtime. The Devils ended up -14 in Corsi and -7 in Fenwick; further proof that the Rangers did far more with the puck at evens more often. However, sport is funny in that the better performing team doesn't necessarily win. Not unlike Game 5, the Devils found a way to win despite the deficits in possession and initiative. And in the playoffs, that's all that matters. As I'm wont to say, deserves doesn't have anything to do with it.

They did it. That's all that matters.

For the opposition's take on this game, please read Bryan Winters' recap at Blueshirt Banter. Please don't mess with them. They didn't mess around here, so don't do it to them. For further thoughts on tonight's win, please continue on after the jump.

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The Time: 8:00 PM EDT

The Broadcast: TV - NBC SN, CBC, RDS; Radio - 1130 AM WBBR

The Series: The New Jersey Devils (3) vs. the New York Rangers (2)

The Previews: Matt E. did the preview for this game, please check it out here if you haven't. For an opposition's point of view, Joe Fortunato has a clear message in his preview at Blueshirt Banter - "Do or die."

The Pre-Game Video: Here's the awesome pre-game video the Devils have been using before playoff games at the Rock. Watch it and get pumped for this one.

The Song for Tonight: Back to the Running Wild. Like against Philadelphia, the Devils have pushed their opponents to the brink. They will fight back. The Devils will be "Riding the Storm" once again. Hopefully, they come out of it with glory.

Gameday Info: There are no lineup changes for the Devils; Tom Gulitti confirmed that this morning at Fire & Ice. The Rangers may make one change. Andrew Gross of Rangers Rants believes that Steve Eminger will be in the lineup in place of Stu Bickel. We shall see.

The Reminder: I know everyone's going to be a bit on edge for this series - myself included. Feelings and emotions will be running high. Still, remember that I and the other users commenting aren't the ones playing this game. There's no need to get salty among ourselves or against any trolls from other places. Seriously, don't feed any trolls and don't troll Blueshirt Banter - sanctions there can be brought over here. To quote Bill S. Preston, Esq., be excellent to each other.

The Band is Awesome: Queen is an awesome band. Here's an example of said awesomeness. That also reminds me of something. Please don't call Henrik Lundqvist "Queen," or some variation thereof. At its core it is a sexist comment by way of stating that being a female is inferior. Moreover, the band is more awesome than Lundqvist ever will be. Such statements won't be tolerated from here on out, so don't be surprised if you get warned for it. Thanks!

One Additional Note: I humbly request that people don't post super-large images and .GIFs. There's going to be a lot of comments tonight. So let's keep the images to a minimum so the post can run smoothly for everyone.

Please use the comments in this post to discuss tonight's game before, during, and after it happens until the recap is up. Please remember the rules at all times. Namely: keep your comments clean, keep them on topic, and keep them legal (For example: nothing is allowed about illegal streams - no links, no discussion, no requests). I will provide the commentary here as well on Twitter with @InLouWeTrust. Go Devils!

For much of the 2011-12 regular season, the New Jersey Devils were decidedly weak on the fourth line. In fact, their bottom two lines struggled until the Devils acquired Alexei Ponikarovsky to bolster the third line. Yet, the Devils' fourth line was just pointless for the vast majority of 2011-12. Eric Boulton and Cam Janssen were swapped onto that unit and on a few occasions were played together in the game game. They added absolutely nothing of value; and head coach Peter DeBoer regularly benched either goon and either double-shifted a forward (usually Ilya Kovalchuk) by the second period or so. Ryan Carter, Brad Mills, Tim Sestito, and Steve Zalewski were featured but if they did anything of value, it happened on another line.

The fourth line performance was minimal at best, and DeBoer commented publicly on the matter on March 1 after a loss to Boston. (Thanks to @crash_land on Twitter for pointing it out)

"When you look at the stats, their fourth line has killed us the last few games we've played them.

"I think we knew that. It's been an issue all year. We juggled guys around hoping to find a fit and hadn't been able to. So Lou (Lamoriello) went out and acquired guys I think fit that role perfectly, so I don't see that as an issue anymore."

The Devils acquired Alexei Ponikarovsky in a trade and brought Steve Bernier up from Albany (AHL) after signing him to an NHL contract.

How much did the Bruins force the Devils into making those kind of moves?

"It's not the sole reason we went and did it. I think Lou and I have been on the same page since day one that you have to be four lines deep in this league to win," DeBoer noted. "Our games against these guys, more than anybody, exposed that."

It took until March 1 for DeBoer to come out with what most fans figured out early in the season: the fourth line was a waste. It took until the last game of the season for us to see the current fourth line of this postseason: Carter, Bernier, and Stephen Gionta. And they've been amazing in their roles. Please continue on after the jump for further discussion about the team's fourth line.

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A few weeks ago, the various hockey writers on SB Nation got together and voted for each of the major NHL player awards for the 2011-12 NHL regular season. Every day, the results have been revealed over at the SB Nation NHL hub. I was one of the voters and in the interest of clarity and something other than fretting about the Eastern Conference Finals, I would like to explain my ballots for each choice. On Tuesday, I revealed my selections for the Vezina and the Norris Trophies. Today, I will do the same for the Lady Byng and Calder Trophies after the jump.

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The New Jersey Devils have pushed the New York Rangers to the brink of elimination by winning a wild 5-3 Game 5 at Madison Square Garden. From a results standpoint, there's a lot to be happy about. However, the actual game itself told a far different tale. The Devils were very fortunate to win. Here's a summary, and it's a long one because, well, this game had a lot going on.

The game started off better for New Jersey than anyone could have expected. Three goals on five shots in the first period. The Devils didn't just build up a 3-0 lead on Henrik Lundqvist; they did it within the first ten minutes of the game. Stephen Gionta put back a rebound on a Mark Fayne shot 2:43 into the first. Patrik Elias got a touch on an Adam Henrique shot that led to a bounce off Artem Anisimov's skate that beat Lundqvist at 4:13. Travis Zajac rushed up ice and got an open shot on Lundqvist that got past him blocker-side at 9:17. Five shots, three goals, and it wasn't even ten minutes into the game. The Devils simply stunned the Rangers faithful that filled the Garden. Luck and skill had the Devils up with an incredible lead on the road. A Devils fan couldn't ask for a better start.

Then the dream slowly turned into a nightmare. Score effects accounted for the Rangers taking more advantage with the puck. However, a turnover by Marek Zidlicky in the neutral zone led to a breakaway for Brandon Prust. Zidlicky dove to try and make a play; Martin Brodeur went for the pokecheck, but the rolling puck got under the arm to make it 3-1. The Devils finished the first slightly ahead in Fenwick and Corsi and out-shot 9-6. It's hard to be mad or unhappy with a 3-1 lead after the first. Yet, the Prust goal gave the Rangers a lifeline and reason for the Devils fans to worry.

The second began with an awful bounce for the Devils. Anisimov wins a puck in the corner and flings it towards the top of the crease. Ryan Callahan crashed the net with Dainius Zubrus and the puck was re-directed off his shin pads past Brodeur. It was utter lucky break, not unlike the Devils' second goal, and the Rangers got a huge lift from it. As the second ran on, it became shockingly clear that the Rangers were doing to the Devils what New Jersey has done to them in the last three games. The Rangers were forechecking hard and succeeding. The Rangers were generating shooting opportunities and many more of them. The Devils were pinned back, struggled to put two passes together, and whatever little offensive opportunities they got, they squandered - especially their two power plays. The scorer generously gave them five shots on net; whereas the Rangers earned their eleven plus a goal post for Callahan on their sole power play. The Rangers looked fresh and fantastic and the Devils looked like they were the team with more mileage on their bodies. The Devils were fortunate to escape the second up 3-2; Devils fans had every reason to freak out. They were in serious danger of blowing a 3-0 lead in the playoffs, on the road, to their most hated rival, and in a pivotal game of the series.

And then the worst possible outcome happened. After an absolutely horrendous no-call for interference that knocked Fayne down away from the play, Martin Brodeur came out to play the puck at the goal line. He made an absolute mess of it. Instead of knocking it hard up the boards or putting it hard behind the net, he just touched it off. The puck trickled outside of the trapezoid, placing him no man's land. Marian Gaborik took it and fired a low, lateral shot. Brodeur gloved it but he was sliding and released his glove - and the puck dropped into the net behind him. Brodeur didn't just give up the equalizer, he did it in the most embarrassing way possible. It was 100% his fault. The feeling of doubt, dread, and doom loomed large as the Rangers went back to attacking and the Devils went back to doing little on offense.

Some how, with about seven or so minutes left, the Devils actually settled the game down for them. They started getting more success with their forechecks. They were getting more stops in the neutral zone. They started getting some more attempts. Peter DeBoer boldly didn't shorten his bench, instead he started mixing up the lines. He gave more ice time to Stephen Gionta - even giving him shifts with Ilya Kovalchuk and Patrik Elias. The gambit worked. Kovalchuk pinned Del Zotto perfectly in the corner, which allowed Gionta to retrieve it. Ryan Carter just came on the ice for his shift and charged the net, blowing past Carl Hagelin. Gionta hit him perfectly and Carter one-timed it in. The Devils scored to make it 4-3. The nightmare was over. It turned out all right in the end.

I don't know about the rest of the fanbase, but I was delirious with excitement when the celebration began. After being out-shot (final: 28-17 Rangers), out-attempted (Devils were -10 in Fenwick and Corsi), out-drawn (Devils won 40% of all faceoffs tonight), out-worked, out-hustled, and simply out-played for the majority of the game, the Devils were leading. And the Devils shut it down with Zach Parise hitting another long-range empty net goal.

Let's be blunt for a change: The Rangers played their best game of this series and the Devils won 5-3. And the heroes of the night were Stephen Gionta and Ryan Carter. I admit I'm still trying to comprehend it, I can't say the Devils did well, I must say they have to be better in their next game, and I will agree that the Rangers' best was simply not enough tonight.

For an opposition point of view, please go visit Blueshirt Banter. For more of my thoughts about this game, please continue on after the jump.

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The Time: 8:00 PM EDT

The Broadcast: TV - NBCSN, CBC, RDS; Radio - 660 AM WFAN

The Series: The New Jersey Devils (2) at the New York Rangers (2)

The Previews: For an opposition's point of view, please check out this post by Joe Fortunato at Blueshirt Banter. For a neutral take, Dirk Hoag did this video for SB Nation summarizing what happened in Game 4 and how that goes into tonight's game.

The Pre-Game Video: Here's the awesome pre-game video the Devils have been using before playoff games at the Rock. Watch it and get pumped for this one.

The Song for Tonight: It's rather impressive that they're still around. I guess NYHC legends Sick of it All really were Built to Last. Here's the title track from their 1989 release, Blood, Sweat & No Tears: "The Blood and the Sweat."

Gameday Info: The Devils didn't practice yesterday. Tom Gulitti confirmed at Fire & Ice this morning that the Devils will use the same lineup from Game 4 tonight. Meanwhile, the Rangers will get Brandon Prust back in action after serving his one game suspension. Andrew Gross reported at Ranger Rants this afternoon that in addition to Prust returning, Brandon Dubinsky should return to the lineup. He hasn't played since March 6, so it's unclear as to how much he will or will not contribute. Also: Stu Bickel will be in the lineup too. Yes, John Tortarella would like to keep giving shifts to Stu Bickel.

The Reminder: I know everyone's going to be a bit on edge for this series - myself included. Feelings and emotions will be running high. Still, remember that I and the other users commenting aren't the ones playing this game. There's no need to get salty among ourselves or against any trolls from other places. Seriously, don't feed any trolls and don't troll Blueshirt Banter - sanctions there can be brought over here. To quote Bill S. Preston, Esq., be excellent to each other.

The Band is Awesome: Queen is an awesome band. Here's an example of said awesomeness.. That also reminds me of something. Please don't call Henrik Lundqvist "Queen," or some variation thereof. At its core it is a sexist comment by way of stating that being a female is inferior. Moreover, the band is more awesome than Lundqvist ever will be. Such statements won't be tolerated from here on out, so don't be surprised if you get warned for it. Thanks!

Please use the comments in this post to discuss tonight's game before, during, and after it happens until the recap is up. Please remember the rules at all times. Namely: keep your comments clean, keep them on topic, and keep them legal (For example: nothing is allowed about illegal streams - no links, no discussion, no requests). I will provide the commentary here as well on Twitter with @InLouWeTrust. Go Devils!

The New Jersey Devils defeated the New York Rangers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals by a score of 4-1. It was the first game of the series where one team built up a multiple-goal lead prior to the third period; and that team was New Jersey. Given that Henrik Lundqvist has been amazing for the Rangers throughout the regular season and in the playoffs, it was real impressive that the Devils were able to get more than one past him relatively early.

Most of the four goals New Jersey scored were pretty simple. The first goal came from the improbably productive Bryce Salvador. His shot from the point stayed low, traveled through traffic, and got deflected off Anton Stralman's skate as the puck dribbled in between Lundqvist's legs. A fortunate occurrence more than anything else. The third goal was simple: Adam Henrique won a faceoff to start the power play, Ilya Kovalchuk hammered a slapshot on net, and Zach Parise put in the rebound. It was a very good effort; also straight-forward. The fourth goal was an empty net goal - a long clearing attempt by Parise that sent the puck rolling towards and then into the net.

The second one, the eventual game winning goal, was the lone score by New Jersey that came off a more substantial play. The goal itself was important. It capitalized on big minute defenseman Ryan McDonagh serving a fighting major. Getting one goal against Lundqvist is a big deal, especially since he has two shutouts in this series already. Zajac's goal established that Lundqvist couldn't just bail out the Rangers and keep things close for a timely goal later on Getting two - and not long after the first one - in Game 4 was massive.

Therefore, I think it's worthy of a goal breakdown. What better way to get excited for Game 5 tonight than to see Dainius Zubrus, Zajac, and Parise take a turnover and turn it into a successful two-on-one play? Please set your viewing to wide and continue on after the jump to see how it all happened and Michael Del Zotto getting torched among other things.

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With two more games completed in the Eastern Conference Finals, the New Jersey Devils podcast Talking Red returns to discuss what's going on with our favorite hockey team. In this episode, David Sarch; former ILWT writer, Puck the Media manager, and general hockey media mastermind Steve Lepore; and myself discuss Game 3 and Game 4 against our hated rivals, the New York Rangers. We talk about how Game 3 was without resorting to the word "frustrating" several times, and the good feeling that came out of Game 4. We also chatted about the TV ratings for this series and the postseason overall, the media coverage of both teams, Peter DeBoer, the current playoff MVP on the Devils, the current best beard on the Devils, and Kevin Smith. There's something for everyone in this one.

Big thanks to Steve for coming on before his big announcement tomorrow morning. Thanks again to David for having me on to talk about the Devils some more. This episode is 45.67 MB large and 49:53 long. It is directly available here at the TR website; and it can be found at iTunes and Stitcher if you're into either service. You can also listen to a stream of it after the jump of this very post. You can give us your comments and questions to talkingred at gmail dot com, tweet them to @TalkingRed, or just leave them here in the comments of this post. Here's David's description of this bonus mid-week show:

On this week's episode, David is joined by John from In Lou We Trust and Steve Lepore of Puck The Media. They break down the highs and lows of Games 3 and 4. After that, David and John discuss how the Devils and the NHL did with their TV ratings, the media's perception of the team, and a certain coach that doesn't love interviews. After that, they answer some listener questions and share stories of Hardware Stores, Sweden, and Kevin Smith.

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Over at the SB Nation NHL hub, the collective bloggers on the network have voted their selections for the various NHL regular season awards for the 2011-12 season. The voting process was simple: name a player for the third, second, and first place. Each vote is valued accordingly and the most amount of points wins. Since I hastily put together a ballot based on a slap-dash amount of research, I figure I should explain my ballots. I missed the first day due to that whole "Game 4" event; but I'll provide an explanation as the awards are announced on the non-game days going forward.

On Monday, SB Nation named Jonathan Quick as their winner of the Vezina trophy, for most outstanding goaltender. Coming in second place was Henrik Lundqvist, current scourage of the Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals. Third place went to Phoenix's Mike Smith. My ballot had all three names but in different order. I went to NHL.com and organized all the goaltenders by even strength save percentage. While Brian Elliot and Jaroslav Halak led the list by far among regular goaltenders, the two Blues netminders split time whereas Quick, Lundqvist, and Smith were clearly their team's starters. Smith led the trio with a 93.6% save percentage and Quick finished just ahead of Lundqvist, though both rounded up to 93.3%. So that's how I voted: Smith, Quick, Lundqvist. All three were excellent for their respective teams, even all the way into the postseason, so I wouldn't necessarily disagree with any disagreement of that order. Or even the possible inclusion of Pekka Rinne.

On Tuesday, SB Nation announced that Shea Weber won their selection for the Norris as the league's most outstanding defenseman. I will admit, I didn't do a good job with my ballot. I didn't even vote for Weber, who was excellent but also didn't really drive the play forward all that well. Granted, Nashville was often defending. I chose the perennial Nicklas Lidstrom third as he had another season of taking on the toughs, playing big minutes, driving the play forward, and generally commanding the play on the ice. I selected Erik Karlsson second because he simply makes things happen when he's on the ice. I don't think he's like Mike Green in that he's all offense and little defense. True, his ridiculous 19 goals and 59 assists made him, well, outstanding. However, he also played a ton of minutes and was second behind Filip Kuba in Corsi Rel QoC, so those weren't easy minutes either. If Karlsson was so poor in his own end, he wouldn't average 25 minutes a game, now would he? I controversially chose Brent Seabrook first. I was the only one to vote for Seabrook. I was enamored by the fact he had the fifth highest Corsi Rel QoC in the league, he had the highest Corsi Rel QoC with a positive on-ice Corsi rate (read: he won his very difficult match-ups), he played a ton of minutes, he put up a respectable amount of points, and he had to be great given that Chicago's blueline beyond him and Duncan Keith isn't impressive. Seabrook had to be excellent and it seems to me that he was. In retrospect, I should have swapped him and Lidstrom, who had a vastly superior on-ice Corsi rate. I also expect plenty of criticism and what-not.

In any case, that's how I voted. In the meantime, feel free to lambast me for my ballots and/or discuss who won the awards. I don't think any Devils will win, but I will say that some Devils players got some votes for some of the awards. You can probably guess at least one of them. You can also use the comments as an open thread for tonight's Western Conference Finals game between Phoenix and Los Angeles. Thank you for reading.

The New Jersey Devils were shutout in Game 1 and Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Rangers. In the former, the Devils struggled to break down the Rangers defense and Henrik Lundqvist. In the latter, the Devils just plain struggled with Lundqvist and only Lundqvist. Tonight, neither were the case as the Devils were able to establish dominance early on, score twice on Lundqvist in the first period, and tacked on a third goal in the third period. An empty net goal confirmed a 4-1 victory and a tied series in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The first period was reminiscent of the first period of Game 3 except the Devils had better luck and better execution on their opportunities. In the first period the Devils swarmed it up with a 12-3 shot advantage prior to a Rangers power play that got them four more shots to make the total count a more respectable looking 12-7. All four lines found some measure of success in terms of possession. The Devils took initiative and seemingly controlled the play. Unlike Game 3, the Devils got a break when a shot by Bryce Salvador found it's way through traffic and in between Lundvist's legs. One fight that took Ryan McDonagh off the ice and less than four minutes later, Zach Parise - who was definitely noticeable tonight - torched Michael Del Zotto to get into space. He beat a sliding Dan Girardi with a pass to a trailing Travis Zajac, who hammered the puck in on Lundqvist's flank. Yes, the Devils created a two-on-one and actually converted on it. That gave them the 2-0 lead and it could have been much more save for special teams. I didn't even think Anton Volchenkov's tripping call on Mike Rupp was all that bad as it could have prevented an opportunity for him. That aside, it was very good period for New Jersey.

This was new territory for this series: a team maintaining a multiple-goal lead outside of the third period. It is because of this lead that we saw the Rangers get more success on offense in the second and third periods. The second period was similar to Game 3's second period in that the game opened up for both sides. Both New Jersey and New York found holes in the neutral zone for offensive opportunities off the rush. The Devils squandered most of them; and the Rangers didn't do too much with them. Nevertheless, the Rangers were able to pin back the Devils defenders (the longer distance to the bench helped) and out-shot the Devils 10-9. However, Martin Brodeur was too good in the crease and the Devils defense cleaned up just about anything loose. The Rangers definitely played like a hockey team after a poor first period; but they were denied a way back on to the scoreboard.

For some reason, the third period just became a mess in terms of discipline. The Rangers were clearly frustrated. While the Rangers were becoming more threatening on offense in the second period, they shot themselves in the foot. Derek Stepan high-sticked Mark Fayne early in the period. The Devils' power play, inconsistent as it has been, struck gold. Adam Henrique won the faceoff, Ilya Kovalchuk unloaded a slapshot on net, and an uncovered Parise jammed in the rebound. Four seconds into the power play, it's 3-0 New Jersey and the Devils faithful at the Rock were delirious in delight.

Now, with 17:19 left to play, one would think the Rangers would try to battle back into the game. The Rangers did that, only instead of battling to score, they just figured on straight up battling. 6:18 into the third period, Mike Rupp was going to get a minor for roughing behind the net and after the whistle, he took a shot at Brodeur before engaging in a scrum. He got tossed and a double-minor, Ryan Carter and Stu Bickel got matching minors for beefing, and the Devils had four minutes to play with. The Devils didn't do much with that four minute power play; and not even when Carl Hagelin made it a 5-on-3 for over a minute with a slashing call. The Devils wasted that and another power play - also thanks to Hagelin - and so the Rangers only get back to 5-on-5 with less than seven minutes to play. Talk about making it hard on yourselves. Ruslan Fedotenko did score on a shot Brodeur should have stopped; but it was only a consolation goal. It was too little, too late even as the Rangers out-shot the Devils 9-3 at evens and 11-9 overall in the third. As the Rangers tried to draw up something late with the extra man, Parise flung a puck down the end of the ice that just rolled into the empty net. That put the Devils up 4-1 and it sealed a 2-2 tie in the series.

Tonight, the Devils wailed on the Rangers in terms of hockey and finally solved Lundqvist. The Rangers' response was to get chippy, to get nasty, and they end up receiving with a trip back to MSG with a loss. I'd call that a decisive result. The opposition point of view at least agrees with the chippiness according to Bryan Winters' recap at Blueshirt Banter. For more thoughts on tonight's win, please continue on after the jump.

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One of the biggest non-calls in Game 3 was a head-shot performed by New York Rangers forward Brandon Prust on New Jersey Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov. Prust clearly got his elbow up high and he struck Volchenkov in the back of the head. The referees decided to let that go, only blowing the whistle to stop play as Volchenkov was lying on the ice from the impact for a few seconds. Devils head coach Peter DeBoer said it was headhunting, as reported by Dave Lozo in this story at NHL.com. Lozo's story has a video of the act; I've included it after the jump in case you missed it on Saturday.

The league has taken another look at the hit and decided it was worthy of additional punishment. Tom Gulitti confirmed at Fire & Ice on Sunday that Prust will be suspended for one game. That means he won't play in Game 4 on Monday. I think this suspension is a fair one. Elbowing someone in the head is absolutely unnecessary and dangerous. It's fortunate that Volchenkov continued to play in Game 3. Given that he practiced on Sunday as per this post on by Gulitti, I think it's fair to say that he'll be fine going forward. That said, the violent act is exactly what the league should try to eliminate from the game. Given that he'll miss an Eastern Conference Finals game, this one-game suspension carries more weight than a one-game suspension in the regular season. So I'm fine with it.

Will the Devils have a better chance in Game 4 now that the Rangers do not have Brandon Prust? I don't think so. Let's be frank, Prust sitting out for a game isn't the same as Giroux sitting a game. Prust has exactly one assist and 17 shots on net in 17 playoff games. According to Behind the Net, his on-ice Corsi rate is -15.82. The Rangers won't miss the minimal offense or his inability to drive the play forward. Prust is a bottom six player; he has averaged 13:08 in this post-season. So his suspension doesn't create a large void in minutes that a call-up or scratched player can't fill in for a game. The Rangers lean on their top two lines anyway. Prust does play regularly on the Rangers' penalty kill, though. He's averaged 1:50 of shorthanded time per game. Given that the Devils' power play has been muddling in two out of their three games against the Rangers, his absence may help out a little bit. Overall, I don't think Game 4 is any easier or more difficult with this news. The Devils still have to solve Henrik Lundqvist, with or without Prust.

I do hope Prust and the rest of the Rangers get the message from this suspension. I'm sure the league explained it to him in simple words that he didn't catch him by his knee. He honestly hit him in the head. Even a missed call on a head-shot does not mean it will be missed after the fact. This is a lesson that even John Tortorella can learn. Based on his comments in this post by Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants, it's clear that Coach Never Scared is too frightened to get his head out of the sand and accept his players have done wrong. Then again, he's had his head in the sand in this entire postseason given Mr. Safe is Death's gameplan apparently "Hope Lundqvist stops almost everything, get bodies down low to help, and get timely goals." Comical, as DeBoer retorted, is a perfect word for it.

Please continue on after the jump for a video of the hit in question and some quick thoughts about the new lines from New Jersey's practice on Sunday. (Update: I've included Shanahan's video explanation from NHL.com)

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The New Jersey Devils lost Game 3 to the New York Rangers by a score of 3-0. That would be the same score that the Devils lost by in Game 1. Like in Game 1, the Rangers got two goals in the third period and tacked on an empty net goal. Unlike Game 1, the Rangers got the first on a power play, a second one a few minutes later, and then sat back knowing they could deflect any attacks by the Devils. They were able to do so because they got rolled over in the first and second periods and still started the third period 0-0 thanks to a man named Henrik Lundqvist and Lady Luck.

The Devils tore through the Rangers with shots all afternoon, out-shooting them in every period. They out-shot them 36-21 in total and 30-17 at even strength. Shooting attempts heavily favored New Jersey, as the Devils were officially counted for 65 attempts compared to the Rangers' 32. In terms of Fenwick and Corsi, it was no contest. The Devils as a team were a +17 in Fenwick (Remember: blocks don't count in Fenwick) and +23 in Corsi. Every single Devils skater was positive in Corsi and only one was negative in Fenwick: Bryce Salvador at -1. The Devils enjoyed the better of possession for the vast majority of the game. They even were the better team on faceoffs by going 34 for 64. The Devils did a lot right in this game and the only reasons why they didn't score was bad luck and Lundqvist stopping the barrage. In a single word: frustrating. If only because I can't think of another, stronger word.

Devils fans have to begrudgingly give all the credit to Lundqvist. He fully earned his shutout today. He saw odd man rushes, and came away with a stop. He had an early breakaway in the second period by Ilya Kovalchuk and he got his body in front of him. He had traffic to deal with and still kept it out. He stopped all kinds of shots; impressively flashing the glove for the ones aimed at his supposed weakspot. Lundqvist was the primary, secondary, and tertiary reason why the Rangers were in this game, as well as being in the Eastern Conference Finals at all. Lundqvist had to be brilliant and he was on everyone from Kovalchuk to the likes of Steve Bernier (he got robbed at the right post in the third, so he stood out). His stops kept the game up for grabs and for a few minutes in the third period the Rangers took it and held on for the final fifteen. Who made that possible? Lundqvist, of course.

I thought the Devils figured him out in Game 2, but upon retrospect the Devils just had better fortune in that one. The three goals were a perfect snipe of the corner by a wide-open Kovalchuk on a power play and two deflections that were favorable for NJ. Today, there would be no such luck. While the Devils created opportunity after opportunity, the finish wasn't there for whatever reason. It all started when Travis Zajac got the puck in the high slot after a forecheck on their first shift. He hammered the shot, but it went wide instead of on net. That should have been a clue that it wasn't New Jersey's day. It was finally cemented when Peter Harrold had a great look down the middle of the ice on a power play, beat Lundqvist, but was denied by the post. It wasn't New Jersey's day. Combined with how impressive Lundqvist was, well, it's just about impossible to win without any goals.

And the Rangers took advantage. Dan Girardi spent most of the afternoon skating about like he was lost in own zone. The Rangers get a faceoff win, it goes right to him, he curls around the coverage and fires a shot against the grain. While Martin Brodeur was cutting off the angle, the shot fit in perfectly inside the post. Less than two minutes later, a puck chips off Kovalchuk's stick, Ryan McDonagh fires a harmless looking shot, and it's re-directed right at the crease by Chris Kreider to make it 2-0. The Rangers were out-played before and after those goals. In general, relying on your goaltender and a surge is a dangerous, seemingly unsustainable approach. Just ask Phoenix, who's not getting that in their Conference Finals. But the Rangers won and so they take back the home ice advantage and the series.

I'm sort of at a loss for words because I'm not sure what I want the Devils to do differently. They did a lot right. They owned in possession. All four lines had good shifts. They forechecked well. They swarmed it up. I only hope the Devils don't freak out and throw away this approach because of Lundqvist or a lack of luck did them in. Special teams needs work; but not the overall gameplan at even strength. It's only 2-1 in the series; so there's a lot of hockey left to be played. If they can beat Lundqvist, then everything may turn out OK. That's a very big if, especially after what transpired this afternoon.

For a happier perspective about this game, you need to read the opposition's blog, Blueshirt Banter. For more thoughts about today's 3-0 loss, please continue on after the jump.

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The Time: 1:00 PM EDT

The Broadcast: TV - NBC, CBC; Radio - 1130 AM WBBR

The Series: The New Jersey Devils (1) at the New York Rangers (1)

The Previews: Kevin did the preview for this game; check it out here if you haven't done so already. For the opposition's point of view, Joe Fortunato has this post over at Blueshirt Banter.

The Pre-Game Video: Here's the awesome pre-game video the Devils have been using before playoff games at the Rock. Watch it and get pumped for this one.

A Song for Today: Cro-Mags - beloved in hardcore, respected by the thrashers. The Age of Quarrel came out in 1986 and it's still regarded as one of the best hardcore and crossover albums ever made. Here's the first track: "We Gotta Know."

Gameday Info: As reported yesterday by Tom Gulitti at Fire & Ice, defenseman Henrik Tallinder and center Jacob Josefson practiced yesterday; but they were lined up with players who were scratched in Game 2. Gulitti confirmed today on Twitter that the Devils will use the same lineup from Wednesday's win. Andrew Gross of Rangers Rants reported yesterday that Brandon Dubinsky skated with the team. But like the Devils', the roster is expected to be the same group used in Game 2. Gross noted that Mike Rupp did line up with Artem Anisimov and Brian Boyle instead of Ruslan Fedotenko in practice. We could see it today; that would make their third line beefier.

The Reminder: I know everyone's going to be a bit on edge for this series - myself included. Feelings and emotions will be running high. Still, remember that I and the other users commenting aren't the ones playing this game. There's no need to get salty among ourselves or against any trolls from other places. Seriously, don't feed any trolls and don't troll Blueshirt Banter - sanctions there can be brought over here. To quote Bill S. Preston, Esq., be excellent to each other.

The Band is Awesome: Queen is an awesome band. Here's an example of said awesomeness. That also reminds me. Please don't call Henrik Lundqvist "Queen," or some variation thereof. At it's core a sexist comment by way of stating that being a female is inferior. Moreover, the band is more awesome than Lundqvist ever will be. Such statements won't be tolerated from here on out, so don't be surprised if you get warned for it. Thanks!

Please use the comments in this post to discuss tonight's game before, during, and after it happens until the recap is up. Please remember the rules at all times. Namely: keep your comments clean, keep them on topic (SPECIAL PLAYOFF RULE: Anything 2012 NHL playoff related is OK.), and keep them legal (For example: nothing is allowed about illegal streams - no links, no discussion, no requests). I will provide the occasional comment from my seat in Section 1 as well as the occasional tweet with @InLouWeTrust. Go Devils!

The New Jersey Devils are in the Eastern Conference Finals and the series is heading back to Newark for games on Saturday and Monday. If you wanted a ticket to either game, then you missed out on buying directly from the team unless A) you're a on a playoff plan, B) you're a season ticket holder and paid for a playoff plan, or C) you got lucky to buy up tickets within the first ten minutes or so they were available.

Fortunately, you still have a shot at going to either game through the secondary market. And you don't even need to leave this site to access it. You may or may not have noticed by now, but there's a "Tickets" link on the menu bar. SB Nation Partners TiqIQ has all kinds of information and price trends on available tickets available very easily. TiqIQ goes through the various secondary market sites to let you know what's out there, where they are, how much they cost, and an easy button to find them. You'll have to shell out a significant amount of money to go to either game; but if you're interested, then this is a good way as any to get inside the Rock on Saturday and Monday.

The fine people at TiqIQ recently informed me that there's a new Facebook application called TiqIQ Connect that you can use to let your friends know if you're going to the game or not and where you're sitting. They also let me know that they are running a Playoff Check-In Contest. If you RSVP for the Devils' playoff games, then you have a shot at getting tickets to the Stanley Cup Finals, should the Devils make it. I presume some of you would be interested in that. Their wording and a big picture link to access the app comes after the jump.

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A new episode of Talking Red, a New Jersey Devils podcast already? In the middle of the week? Yes! This is a bonus show by usual host David Sarch that features TR regular and ILWT writer, Tom Stivali. They recorded this right after the Devils won Game 2 against the Rangers. As such, they discuss the first two games of the series and what lies ahead now that the Eastern Conference Finals has begun.

This bonus episode is 22.17 MB large and 24:13 long. It is directly available here at the TR website; and it can be found at iTunes and Stitcher if you're so inclined. You can also listen to a stream of it after the jump of this very post. You can give us your comments and questions to talkingred at gmail dot com, tweet them to @TalkingRed, or just leave them here in the comments of this post. Here's David's description of this bonus mid-week show:

Since the games are coming at such a quick pace, this week you have a special bonus episode of Talking Red. On this week's episode, David and Tom return to discuss the first two games of the Devils third round playoff match up. They highlight poor ice, poor officiating, bad penalties and some of the positives. After talking about the Devils imposing their style of play and the fourth line making an impact, they look ahead to Game 3 and try and predict if we'll see any changes to the winning formula.

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The New Jersey Devils tied up the Eastern Conference Finals playoff series with the New York Rangers by a score of 3-2 this evening. There were thrills. There were chills. There was even a penalty box door that got stuck and caused an eight minute delay at the World's Most Famous Arena to get it operational. Most of all, there was a result for the good guys. The Devils scored their first goal on Henrik Lundqvist in this series and proceeded to get two more past him in regulation, one in each period. The key on each goal was re-direction.

The first goal was scored by Ilya Kovalchuk on the Devils' second power play of the first period. Yes, the power play looked like a power play in the first period. The puck ended up in the right corner and nearly all attention was paid there with the exception of the point man, Marek Zidlicky, and Kovalchuk, who was on the opposite side. Zach Parise was able to win it back to Zidlicky, who quickly got the puck to Kovalchuk. They flanked all four Rangers skaters, so Kovalchuk had time to skate in, do a fake or two, and fire it just inside the top right corner of the goal over Lundqvist's glove. They re-directed the focus of attack and were rewarded with a score.

The second and third goals bring to mind the more common use of the word. Each were scored on a deflection. Bryce Salvador did a great job to keep the puck in play at the point. A few events later, it bounced to him. He unloaded a low shot that Ryan Carter got a piece of with his stick. The puck traveled upwards and past the glove side of Lundqvist. It tied up the game at two within the final two minutes of the second period. For the third goal, the Devils were again on the attack and Zidlicky pinched in and went down low to keep it going. Adam Henrique moved out to the right point to cover Zidlicky's spot. Salvador gets the puck from Zidlicky after he wheeled around the back end of the zone and fed it to Henrique. Henrique fired a high shot that David Clarkson, standing in front of Lundqvist, got a piece of with the shaft of his stick. The stick was below the cross-bar and the puck angled down and past Lundqvist for the go ahead goal. Two re-directions, two goals, and a win.

While the Devils had the good fortune of two good deflections, they were the better team tonight. They only out-shot the Rangers 27-25, the attempts were heavily in New Jersey's favor at evens given their +11 in Fenwick and their +20 in Corsi. The Devils only were blocked 16 times as opposed to 26 from Game 1; they adjusted in that regard. They took more initiative in the first period and to start in the third period. Even after the Rangers surged in the second period, the Devils battled back to only be out-shot 12-9 after being out-shot 6-0 early on. The Devils threw hits, they made plays, and the "jump" was in everyone. The Devils even were superior on faceoffs, winning 32 out of 59. The Devils deserved this win, even if their equalizer and game winner came from two great bounces.

This isn't to say the Devils could have been better. The Devils took four penalties and three were legitimate, why-would-you-do-that calls. The penalty kill got lit up for two goals. Even though one came off a fluke bounce off the end boards and the other was a deflection by the screening player, it was reminiscent of the Florida series (good first minute, disaster strikes anyway). Some players could have made a bigger impact tonight but didn't. They missed 16 shots, something they can cut down on. Improvements can and should be made for Game 3.

Flaws aside, the Devils did more good than bad tonight. Even if you feel otherwise, they did get what they want: a win. Now home ice is taken away from the Rangers for the time being and the Devils get two days to think about building on what they did tonight. The series has been re-directed to a 1-1 tie. Good job.

For an opposition's perspective on tonight's game, please visit Blueshirt Banter. For more thoughts on tonight's win, please continue on after the jump.

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The Time: 8:00 PM EDT

The Broadcast: TV - NBC Sports Network; CBC; Radio - 1130 AM WBBR

The Series: The New Jersey Devils (0) at the New York Rangers (1)

The Previews: My series preview is right here; for tonight's game, Tom wrote up this preview post. For the opposition's perspective, please visit Blueshirt Banter.

The Pre-Game Video: I can't believe I forgot to link to this in the last Gamethread. Here's the awesome pre-game video the Devils have been using before playoff games at the Rock. Watch it and get pumped for this one.

A Song for Tonight: The (thrash metal) kings of NYC, Anthrax has had a lot of great songs in the 1980s. Here's a classic that even Guitar Hero fans know all about: "Caught in a Mosh."

Gameday Info: The Rangers won't make any lineup changes according to this post by Andrew Gross at Rangers Rants. The Devils, however, will. Tom Gulitti reported at Fire & Ice that based on this morning's skate Peter Harrold is expected to step in for Adam Larsson and the top three forward lines have been modified. In short, Peter DeBoer has gone back to the lineup he used in the Florida series. While DeBoer wouldn't commit to these changes, the players certainly were talking like they'll happen.

The Reminder: I know everyone's going to be a bit on edge for this series - myself included. Feelings and emotions will be running high. Still, remember that I and the other users commenting aren't the ones playing this game. There's no need to get salty among ourselves or against any trolls from other places. Seriously, don't feed any trolls and don't troll Blueshirt Banter - sanctions there can be brought over here. To quote Bill S. Preston, Esq., be excellent to each other.

The Band is Awesome: Queen is an awesome band. Here's an example of said awesomeness. That also reminds me. Please don't call Henrik Lundqvist "Queen," or some variation thereof. At it's core a sexist comment by way of stating that being a female is inferior. Moreover, the band is more awesome than Lundqvist ever will be. Such statements won't be tolerated from here on out, so don't be surprised if you get warned for it. Thanks!

Please use the comments in this post to discuss tonight's game before, during, and after it happens until the recap is up. Please remember the rules at all times. Namely: keep your comments clean, keep them on topic (SPECIAL PLAYOFF RULE: Anything 2012 NHL playoff related is OK.), and keep them legal (For example: nothing is allowed about illegal streams - no links, no discussion, no requests). I will provide commentary here and as well as on Twitter with @InLouWeTrust. Go Devils!

No matter how you slice it, it can't be denied that New York Rangers starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist did very well in Game 1. After all, he stopped all 21 shots that the New Jersey Devils fired at him in a 3-0 win. He cut off the angle to make himself look big; he reacted very quickly within the crease; and there weren't a lot of loose pucks around him. Lundqvist did his job. While there's a lot of hockey left to be played in this series, Game 1 proved that Lundqvist will continue to be a big reason why the Rangers are where they are and why they can keep going ahead.

Since Lundqvist shutout the Devils in Game 1, it stands to reason that the first step for New Jersey in Game 2 will be to score a goal. Of course, that's a lot easier said than done. Lundqvist isn't some third-stringer getting hot, some inconsistent goaltender playing well for the time being, or an under-the-radar goaltending tandem with good numbers. He's one of the best goaltenders in the world right now. Coming off a shutout, one question looms large: How can he be beaten?

In an attempt to find some good suggestions on how, I looked at the last two series the Rangers went through in the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. They both went to seven games. Sure, they won against the Ottawa Senators and the Washington Capitals, but they lost three games each to both teams. While almost every game was close; Lundqvist certainly wasn't perfect in each and every game. Lundqvist allowed a total of 25 goals in those 14 games. While I'm not going to throw up a giant list of every goal against, I think I found some common threads that the Devils should look for themselves in Game 2 and beyond. Please continue on after the jump for what I found along with video examples of Lundqvist getting scored on.

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After six days of rest, I think it's easy to say this was not at all the kind of performance the New Jersey Devils were hoping to have. Tonight, they kicked off the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers; and it ended with a 3-0 loss.

All three goals came in the third period. The first came within the first minute; the second came on a power play twelve minutes into the period; and the third was an empty net goal that sealed the game off with about minute and a half left. While the Rangers were getting offensive success, the Devils struggled to get pucks to the net. They only had one shot on net in between the first two Rangers goal. It was a great shot by Ilya Kovalchuk, but it was also impressively stopped by a sliding Henrik Lundqvist. One shot in between scores isn't going to cut it. Neither will four shots in the third period isn't going to cut it.

What makes the result so frustrating was that the Devils did do well in the second period. They played about the same with the Rangers in the first period; out-shot by two but even in attempts. The Devils were able to get their forecheck going and take advantage of some tired-looking Ranger defenders. Yet, Lundqvist seemed to be everywhere and got a piece of everything that came his way. And that was cut down by the number of blue-shirted players sliding, kneeling, or standing right in shooting lanes to get a block. The attempts were in New Jersey's favor. They had their chances. But it all ended with nothing on the scoreboard. The Rangers clearly were rejuvenated by the second intermission and the early score definitely lifted their spirits to clamp down on New Jersey.

The final totals in shots are 21-28 in favor of New York. At even strength, it was 14-18 in favor of New York. The Devils finished -4 in Fenwick after being at +5 after the second period. Their Corsi was much higher at +7 (a drop from +12), and I believe we're going to continue to see this disparity. Corsi counts blocks, Fenwick doesn't; and the Devils were out-blocked 21-10 at evens. In total, the Devils were blocked 26 times. Yes, they were blocked by Rangers more often than Lundqvist made saves. It's hard to win that way; and it's down right hard to watch at times. 3-0 losses are usually that way.

That all said, I wouldn't get too upset right away. 3-0 losses to a hated rival never feel good. I get that. However, this was Game 1. A loss here is not that big of a deal, provided that they get a result in Game 2. Ask the Flyers about that if you're not sure. There's a lot of hockey left to be played. There will be adjustments - I hope.

In any case, please visit Blueshirt Banter for the opposition's perspective on this game. I have a few more specific thoughts about this game after the jump.

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The Time: 8:00 PM EDT

The Broadcast: TV - NBC Sports Network; CBC; Radio - 1130 AM WBBR

The Series: The New Jersey Devils at the New York Rangers

The Previews: My series preview is right here and my preview for this specific game is right here. For the opposition's perspective, please visit Blueshirt Banter.

A Song for Tonight: Hailing from Astoria, Leeway was notable among many NY bands for their excellent mix of thrash metal and hardcore - something we call crossover thrash. This is a classic example of their sound: from the 1989 album Born to Expire: "Enforcer."

Gameday Info: Per Tom Gulitti at Fire & Ice, the Devils are expected to use the same lineup from Game 5 against Philadelphia. Over at Rangers Rants, Andrew Gross reported that the Rangers are also expected to use the same lineup from their last game. Also: Gross notes that John Tortorella - in his usual manner - doesn't believe that winning two straight series in seven games will be an issue.

The Reminder: I know everyone's going to be a bit on edge for this one - myself included. Feelings and emotions will be running high. Still, remember that I and the other users commenting aren't the ones playing this game. There's no need to get salty among ourselves or against any trolls from other places. Seriously, don't feed any trolls and don't troll Blueshirt Banter - sanctions there can be brought over here. To quote Bill S. Preston, Esq., be excellent to each other.

The Band is Awesome: Queen is an awesome band. Here's an example of said awesomeness. That also reminds me. Please don't call Henrik Lundqvist "Queen," or some variation thereof. At it's core a sexist comment by way of stating that being a female is inferior. Moreover, the band is more awesome than Lundqvist ever will be. Such statements won't be tolerated from here on out, so don't be surprised if you get warned for it. Thanks!

Please use the comments in this post to discuss tonight's game before, during, and after it happens until the recap is up. Please remember the rules at all times. Namely: keep your comments clean, keep them on topic (SPECIAL PLAYOFF RULE: Anything 2012 NHL playoff related is OK.), and keep them legal (For example: nothing is allowed about illegal streams - no links, no discussion, no requests). I will provide commentary here and as well as on Twitter with @InLouWeTrust. Go Devils!

The Time: 8:00 PM EDT

The Broadcast: TV - NBC Sports Network; CBC; Radio - 1130 AM WBBR

The Series: The New Jersey Devils at the New York Rangers

The Series Preview: Here's the series preview I put together on Sunday prior to this series. For an in-depth look at both teams, please go check it out. This preview will be lighter and focus on the news heading into this game.

The TiqIQ Link: The Devils sold out their home games, but the secondary market does have tickets available. However, it's not going to be cheap. Still, go check out this link from TiqIQ if you want to check it out all the same.

The Game Specific Goal: Stay calm, stay calm, and above all else, stay calm. Based on this post by Tom Gulitti, it seems the Devils aren't exactly averse to any fights happening in this series. I really hope they don't get into that. For one, it's a hockey game - fights and post-whistle scrums aren't going to win it. For another, the Devils got an edge over the Flyers by playing from whistle to whistle. The Devils have enough to deal with between a defensively minded Rangers team and an excellent goaltender in Henrik Lundqvist. The series is already a hated rivalry. Most of all, if the Devils want to have a chance in this series, then they need to either win tonight or Wednesday's game. There's no need for beef. Therefore, the Devils should make a point of it to avoid it and try to play their game tonight.

For an opposition's perspective, please visit Blueshirt Banter. For a few more thoughts on today's game, please continue on after the jump.

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