I figured this would be a good start to my post research paper/finals blog. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are down to the Conference Finals, out West we're down to the LA Kings & Phoenix Coyotes. No disrespect to those teams but in the New York Metro Area all we care about when it comes to the NHL is Devils-Rangers. For the next two weeks, only a 20 minute train ride will separate the venues and I'm more then sure that NJ Transit trains will be full of Red & Blue Sweaters. In the Area, it's felt like these two teams have been on a collision course for a playoff series all season long. It's no secret that the series is going to come down to Defense and Goaltending so for anyone expecting a Pittsburgh-Philadelphia like scoring series, you'll be disappointed. The Rangers are coming in off 2 exciting series with the 2 lowest seeds in the East, while the Devils went through a "better team" in the Panthers in 7 games and a Flyers team with a hit or miss goalie in 5(if Bryz doesn"t make that mistake Game 5 could have gone either way). They split the Season Series so will it be another 1994 ECF Classic? We'll have to see what goes down and see who sets the tone in Game 1 tonight at MSG.
Tensions are going to be high both on and off the ice. Whether it's with Marty and Hank or between Friends, Co-Workers and in my case Family. For those wondering why a New Jerseyan is rooting for New York's team: I live in Jersey and don't get me wrong I love it here but when it comes to sports, I'm in an Empire State of Mind & it's because of my mom that I'm a Ranger fan. My house is divided between my mom and I (Ranger fans) and my brother and my father (Devil fans). My two closest friends agree & disagree with me: one's a Devil fan & Brandon's a Ranger fan. At the South Amboy Y, Brandon and I have only 1 other Ranger fan Co-Worker. Sayreville is a Devils infested town & (aside from my mother & Brandon) can only think of a few other Ranger fans...my mailman gave me a dirty look today with a Devil towel hanging in his truck, I drive down the street and I hear Rangers suck from my neighbors...it's rough to be a Ranger/Jet/Knick fan in this town, trust me!
I say the Rangers take care of the Devils and lose one road game, my prediction- Rangers in 5. My dad & brother are saying Devils in 6. I respect Marty Brodeur but i think Henrik Lundqvist will outdo him in this series. Marty may be 7-2 all time in the final 2 rounds of the Playoffs but remember he started 0-1 with that Game 7 loss to the Rangers in the 1994 ECF. If this really is the 1994 team reincarnated, we have to get through the Devils to play for Lord Stanley.
Out West I say Coyotes in 6. My dog Max would certainly be happy with that outcome...
due to all the different fandoms in my family besides the Yankees, I decided to declare Max a fan of Dog related teams (Browns, Timberwolves & Coyotes) even though he was adopted blocks away from Prudential Center.
1 more Devil-Ranger related note- a picture of mine from the Devil-Ranger game I went to back in March was published on icethetics.info and the blog portion of sportslogos.net because I tweeted the Devils announcement of the Devils wearing their throwbacks on St. Patrick's Day. http://www.icethetics.info/blog/2012/3/10/going-green-for-a-game.html http://www.sportslogos.net/blog/2012/03/08/logo-links-mar-8-2012-yankees-farm-team-new-name-nhl-st-pattys-day-jerseys/ great publicity for the blog on 2 great websites, so appreciative of Chris & Chris for publishing the picture for their readers.
Anyways...
Go Rangers! follow me on twitter for updates @Mike_Iannaccone (forgot the password for the Blog's twitter...oh well i'll figure it out sooner or later)
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