Tonight, the New Jersey Devils play the New York Rangers in a winner-take-all game 7 at the Prudential Center.
There is only so much technical analysis worth wading into at this point, so I’ll leave that to the pundits and journalists as they brandish their predictions, lineups, and what needs to go right for either team to be victorious.
No, the post today will be mostly emotional. Because that’s what a game 7 is all about. Who’s got the most heart? Who wants it more? Who will put their head down, and drag their team through the mud?
You know, I’ve been a diehard New Jersey Devils fan for as long as I can really remember.
Some of my earliest memories as a kid were watching the mighty mid-90’s and early 00’s Devils teams stoically frustrate teams with their impenetrable defense and goaltending.
In high school, I had the opportunity to play for the state championship on Prudential Center ice twice.
Before those games, Lou Lamoriello and the Devils would host a luncheon for the teams who had made it that far. He would harp on work ethic, and what it meant to be part of a championship team.
Really, in those years, they were the class of the league… although not everyone cared to admit it. Four trips to the final, and three Stanley Cups in a span of 9 seasons.
I didn’t know it then, but I have often thought to myself as I’ve aged in the subsequent years, were those the best years of my life as a New Jersey Devils fan?
If you consider the ineptitudes and failures of so many other sports franchises for long stretches of time, it’s reasonable to think that even if I live another 70 years (at which point, I’d be 100), the Devils may never win 3 cups in 9 years again.
They say youth is wasted on the young. That may ring true in the case of my fandom with the NJD.
After the 2010 season, and three consecutive first round exits for the Devils, NJ missed the playoffs in 2011 for the first time since 1996 and only the 2nd time in 21 seasons.
The Devils would go on to lose in the 2012 Final to the LA Kings, but in 2010 it felt a little like the Devils were entering a new era, and the string of dominance was fading.
Nearly all of the players from the cup teams had retired, except for our greatest ever player, Martin Brodeur. But our legend was in the twilight years of his career. Our architect Lou Lamoriello was being questioned, and playoffs were no longer a surety each season.
Like all great things in sports, there is always an ending.
The years that followed were probably the worst in franchise history since the “Mickey Mouse” years.
And that feeling of doubt crept in – surely, I’ll never see the dominance I saw from this franchise again. Look how difficult it is to rebuild!
But then the 2022-2023 season came along…
And the Devils broke all of their prior season team records. The current team boasts two #1 overall picks, neither of which are playing below their expectations. The Devils finished 3rd in the entire league, while still boasting the 4th best prospect system in the league.
RARELY, IF EVER in sports, does a franchise simultaneously possess dominance in the present tense and further upside in the short-to-intermediate future.
The next Devils Stanley Cup teams, if they are to ascend that mountain, are likely to feature many of the names on our current roster, along with a few others that are waiting in the wingtips – like Luke Hughes & Simon Nemec.
It’s a great time to be a Devils fan again. The last time I had this much fun being a fan, I was quite literally a different person in a different period of life.
I think that’s why I’m so nervous and anxiety-riddled about tonight – I don’t want this fun to end. It’s been too long.
I know the team is poised for tremendous success for the next decade, but I don’t want to wait another six months for a new season to start.
I want to fucking see this team win now.
You know, Devils fans don’t exactly have it the easiest.
We’re a misfit fan base. We’re the ugly cousin of the two NHL teams in New York City. We go through stretches without designated beat reporters. We broadcast on a network named after our biggest rivals home arena.
People love to hate on New Jersey nationally. We were once called a “Mickey Mouse” organization by the greatest player of all time. Hell, we’ve got two football teams that play in this state but refuse to be referenced as a “New Jersey” team.
So, yeah, we love the one fucking team that has had our back over the years. The one team that has proudly worn NJ as their logo since 1982.
This is our team.
And the team across the Hudson, they get all the respect despite being the epitome of historical ineptitude. They even get to claim a ton of north Jersey residents as fans, despite there being an NJ team to root for.
Fuck ’em.
Forget the analytics.
Forget the matchups.
Forget the promise of tomorrow.
Before game one, I previewed the series by comparing the goaltending, defense, and forwards from both teams.
Things have mostly come true so far.
Shesterkin has been otherworldly, but Schmid has stolen us a game or two.
Our defense has been as good, if not better, and Severson-Bahl has provided more upside than Mikkola-Schneider for the Rangers.
The one thing we’re waiting for is some of our top scorers to break out.
Nico. Timo. Bratt.
Time for the big boys to show up on the scoresheet tonight.
Assume it’s NJD vs Everybody, including the refs, and keep the noses clean – stay out of the box. Keep the Rangers powerplay on the bench, and you’ve got a great opportunity to win this game.
Let’s start believing again that the best years of this franchise are not behind us.
One game. Worth everything.
I believe. Do you?
Devils in 7. Let’s. Go. Devils.
Word Of The Devil 