Last night with their backs against the wall, the New Jersey Devils came out and delivered arguably their best game of the playoffs and come out on top 3-2 in overtime. Here are some notes on the big win.
- I've got to hand it to the Devils. It's not always easy to play at your best when your back is up against the wall, and the Devils came out with their best foot forward last night. All throughout the game they carried play and they didn't seem too rattled after they blew their two goal lead. New Jersey knew what they had to do to force Game 7 and they did just that. It was a total team effort and that's what you need this time of year. It obviously helped that their best players (Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise, Travis Zajac, etc.) were their best players. They'll need another effort like this tomorrow if they want to pull out a Game 7 victory.
- Speaking of the game tomorrow, it will be played at 8:30 Eastern Time. The New York Rangers - Ottawa Senators game will begin at 7:00 Eastern Time. The NHL wanted to space out the Game 7's, so that's why the Devils start later than usual.
Now onto game notes...
- Hats off to Travis Zajac. He's been the Devils best player all throughout the series and when needed the most, he stepped up in the biggest way possible. The game was there for the taking last night, and at times it seemed like nobody was going to take it. He grabbed it and ran with it. Good for him, especially after all he went through this year.
His game end stat line: game winning goal, primary assist, 2 shots and 14 of 24 in the faceoff circle in almost 25 minutes of ice. Not bad. Not bad at all.
- Ilya Kovalchuk was outstanding last night. He made a great read in finding open space on the powerplay, driving towards it before the defenders realized it was open and putting the puck in the net to finish it off. He also made that fantastic pass to Zajac, which we have all seen, that set up the game winning goal.
Overall it was a very good effort for him and you could make a case that he was the best player on the ice last night - just when the Devils needed someone to step up. Kovalchuk has never won a playoff series and he wants that to change. He'll do anything to make sure it does. He proved that last night.
- Every time I watch the Devils play I ask myself "where would the Devils be without Marek Zidlicky?" The answer: golfing. I watch him pretty closely and he has easily been the Devils best defenseman down the stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs. He makes great reads with the puck and makes perfect outlet passes out of the zone almost every time. He's been great defensively and he brings some much needed jam to the back end, too.
Lou Lamoriello took a lot of heat from writers around the league, myself not included, for making the move, and it has really paid off.
- Another thing Lamoriello and the Devils have done a great job with: the 4th line. For most of the season due to injuries and lack of personal, the line was not very effective. They were for the most part a liability on the ice and you never knew what to expect when you put them out there. Between calling up Stephen Gionta, claiming Ryan Carter off waivers and giving Steve Bernier a contract, the Devils turned one of the worst 4th lines in the NHL to a very good one. You may not think it means much, but when you can give your 4th line extra shifts to help rest top players without worrying about what the end result will be, you're in good position. It really helps when they can chip in offensively like they have, too.
- Darren Dreger of TSN reported on two different segments that if Martin Brodeur retires, New Jersey could be in talks regarding Roberto Luongo. I'll discuss this in more detail once the season is over, but here's two initial thoughts on this rumor:
1. Martin Brodeur has said he's leaning towards returning, so that would likely kill the rumor off the get go.
2. Luongo's contract is very expensive. If they are able to spend that kind of money, it will be on re-signing Parise.
As I said, I'll talk about this in more detail after the playoffs. In the meantime, carry on with your playoff fever.
New Jersey Devils Blogger • 
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