Todd Cordell: Devils hot start wasn't enough as Briere leads the Flyers to an OT victory

cant wait to see Parise on detroit, great effort from him in game #1.

Nice blog Todd...

If the Devils cannot match the depth of the Flyers, they will be hard pressed to win the series.

Nice blog Todd...

If the Devils cannot match the depth of the Flyers, they will be hard pressed to win the series.
- phi1671

Thank you and you're right. Staying out of the box is the most important thing, IMO.

cant wait to see Parise on detroit, great effort from him in game #1.
- wingz4life

I wouldn't get too carried away just yet. If NJ has the money to re-sign him (real money, not cap), why wouldn't he just stay rather than go to a team that was eliminated from the playoffs before his own?

I wouldn't get too carried away just yet. If NJ has the money to re-sign him (real money, not cap), why wouldn't he just stay rather than go to a team that was eliminated from the playoffs before his own?
- Todd.Cordell

Mr.Cordell, in this new NHL era of parity there is now certainties.
Detroit is seen as a great destination by players, much so over new jersey and up there with Toronto/Chicago/New York.

Parise has said, and of course words carry far less weight then actions,he has said he is a big Datsyuk fan and so on.
I hope Parise decides to join Detroit on July 1 with the boatload of $$$ that will be thrown at him.

Devils need to stay out of the box and win some damn faceoffs in their own zone!
I believe the longer the series goes the worse Sievegalov gets.
Also how do we go from the best PK during the regular season to the worst in the playoffs?!

Mr.Cordell, in this new NHL era of parity there is now certainties.
Detroit is seen as a great destination by players, much so over new jersey and up there with Toronto/Chicago/New York.

Parise has said, and of course words carry far less weight then actions,he has said he is a big Datsyuk fan and so on.
I hope Parise decides to join Detroit on July 1 with the boatload of $$$ that will be thrown at him.
- wingz4life

He and his girlfriend have said they love it in the NJ area. Parise has also said several times his first option is to re-sign with New Jersey. And Travis Zajac, who is considered his best friend, is obviously staying in New Jersey.

Not saying going to Detroit is out of the question, but it sounds like you have already per-ordered your Parise Red Wings jersey.

RE Toronto, why in the world would he leave NJ for there? RE Chicago and New York, they don't have the cap.

Nice blog Todd...

If the Devils cannot match the depth of the Flyers, they will be hard pressed to win the series.
- phi1671

we have the depth. the problem is our 'giroux' is hurt and as effective as shelley, offensively speaking. .. heck even worse than him defensively. imagine if giroux suddenly started playing like.. like.. idk like a 45 year old career minor league player. THATS our problem, not depth. If your biggest weapon disappears, well thats a BIG blow to the team.

i said it last night and i'm saying it again, Kovalchuk should be benched until he heals up. Maybe its an injury that would require surgery, so rest wouldn't help. I'm coming to the point where idk if i'd rather have Tedenby in the lineup over Kovalchuk. He's just really really really bad and hurting us more than helping us.

Briere is an absolute playoff monster.

we have the depth. the problem is our 'giroux' is hurt and as effective as shelley, offensively speaking. .. heck even worse than him defensively. imagine if giroux suddenly started playing like.. like.. idk like a 45 year old career minor league player. THATS our problem, not depth. If your biggest weapon disappears, well thats a BIG blow to the team.

i said it last night and i'm saying it again, Kovalchuk should be benched until he heals up. Maybe its an injury that would require surgery, so rest wouldn't help. I'm coming to the point where idk if i'd rather have Tedenby in the lineup over Kovalchuk. He's just really really really bad and hurting us more than helping us.
- MartysBetter88

So it's not the Devils' defense or goaltending it's because you are missing "your" Giroux? In my opinion if you take out our Giroux and your Giroux the Flyers still have more depth. Also NJ main problem is as good as Broduer played yesterday he still gave up four goals one on which he mis handled a puck behind the net. I hope very much Broduet keeps playing "good".

So it's not the Devils' defense or goaltending it's because you are missing "your" Giroux? In my opinion if you take out our Giroux and your Giroux the Flyers still have more depth. Also NJ main problem is as good as Broduer played yesterday he still gave up four goals one on which he mis handled a puck behind the net. I hope very much Broduet keeps playing "good".
- killercam

You have far more depth than the Devils....By any team in the NHL actually, I envy you

So it's not the Devils' defense or goaltending it's because you are missing "your" Giroux? In my opinion if you take out our Giroux and your Giroux the Flyers still have more depth. Also NJ main problem is as good as Broduer played yesterday he still gave up four goals one on which he mis handled a puck behind the net. I hope very much Broduet keeps playing "good".
- killercam

And it was a one goal game in which Bryzgalov gave up a bunch of softies. Really lopsided.

And it was a one goal game in which Bryzgalov gave up a bunch of softies. Really lopsided.
- Pomegrant

We should pick up Michael Leighton in the offseason

I

And it was a one goal game in which Bryzgalov gave up a bunch of softies. Really lopsided.
- Pomegrant

Who is saying lopsided? Because of Bryzgalov the game was close no argument there. All I'm saying is the Devils don't have depth like the Flyers and Broduer is washed up. I don't see those points as being wrong.

We should pick up Michael Leighton in the offseason
- K-dizzle

Please no don't do that keep Broduer another year.

I
Who is saying lopsided? Because of Bryzgalov the game was close no argument there. All I'm saying is the Devils don't have depth like the Flyers and Broduer is washed up. I don't see those points as being wrong.
- killercam

Brodeur's best days are behind him, but he entered yesterday with a .922 save percentage in the playoffs. That's hardly washed up.

I
Who is saying lopsided? Because of Bryzgalov the game was close no argument there. All I'm saying is the Devils don't have depth like the Flyers and Broduer is washed up. I don't see those points as being wrong.
- killercam

other than the 2nd goal last night you cant say any goalie would have stopped the other goals, no one is saying he is in his prime, we all know he has slowed down, but washed up? i dunno about that, he looked pretty damn impressive yesterday, outplayed bryzgalov

but you guys are stuck with him for another 8 years

other than the 2nd goal last night you cant say any goalie would have stopped the other goals, no one is saying he is in his prime, we all know he has slowed down, but washed up? i dunno about that, he looked pretty damn impressive yesterday, outplayed bryzgalov

but you guys are stuck with him for another 8 years
- dmarsden2988

Bryzgalov fared better against the Devils forwards than Broduer fared against the Flyers forwards who scored four goals as the Devils lost. How did Broduer outplay Bryzgalov?

Brodeur's best days are behind him, but he entered yesterday with a .922 save percentage in the playoffs. That's hardly washed up.
- Todd.Cordell

Washed up is too harsh, I guess. But he is past his prime and I don't think he is going to be a factor in this series. It's a bad match up. He wasn't yesterday. He made two nice saves but gave up four goals and looked awkward on a few other saves.

This was a nice, well-written blog. Pretty objective and straightforward. It's much nicer (and more worthwhile) to read an opposing team's blogger when this is the style instead of constant whining, complaining, & bickering (ala Garth or the Penguins' bloggers). Good stuff, Todd. Although this series may not get to the same level of emotion & hatred that the Flyers-Pens series had, I still look forward to a long, hard-fought series and above all, I hope it stays clean (without all the cheap shots & headhunting that has been seen in previous series). Go Flyers!

PLEASE don't let Philly win it all.

Bryzgalov fared better against the Devils forwards than Broduer fared against the Flyers forwards who scored four goals as the Devils lost. How did Broduer outplay Bryzgalov?
- killercam

Bryzgalov being super duper awesome and the best forward depth in the league could only beat us by one goal... weird.

PLEASE don't let Philly win it all.
- JVince117

y not, they havent won it in a while

Bryzgalov being super duper awesome and the best forward depth in the league could only beat us by one goal... weird.
- rmdevil313

I think I heard someone use that same terminology "This kid is super duper awesome"

probably Milburry.