Realistic Playoff Expectations?

Who here thinks our boys have a legitimate chance of making a run at the cup? I think we are going to surprise a lot of people and if our defense and goaltending comes through we can win our 4th. Devils are 26-9-4 since Elias has returned and that is a scary record if I'm an opposing team. Out of those 13 losses 9 have come against teams that are not in the position to make the playoffs. I'm pretty excited to see what this team can do I think they can take any of the top 8 in a 7 game series.

Opinions?

im not going to have any expectations, because when we won in 2003 i didnt have any either, and look how that turned out

Yea, my expectations are low. But I would love to start with beating the Rangers in round 1 (Assuming we play them) and we'll go from there...

If the defense gels like they've been the past couple of weeks and Marty avoids the occasional mental lapses, they can go very far. Scoring depth woudn't hurt, but NJ can grind it out better than most.

The achilles heal for the Devils has always been the first round. We get past the first round and Marty is on his game like he's playing now, we can make it to the conference final then anything can happen at that point like it did in 2003.

Here is how I see the seeds breaking down:

1. Carolina
2. Ottawa
3. NY Rangers
4. Buffalo
5. New Jersey
6. Philadelphia
7. Montreal
8. Tampa Bay

Round 1
(1) Carolina beats (8) Tampa Bay, 4-2
(7) Montreal beats (2) Ottawa, 4-2
(3) NY Rangers beat (6) Philadelphia, 4-3
(5) New Jersey beats (4) Buffalo, 4-1

After that, not so sure.

Here is how I see the seeds breaking down:

1. Carolina
2. Ottawa
3. NY Rangers
4. Buffalo
5. New Jersey
6. Philadelphia
7. Montreal
8. Tampa Bay

Round 1
(1) Carolina beats (8) Tampa Bay, 4-2
(7) Montreal beats (2) Ottawa, 4-2
(3) NY Rangers beat (6) Philadelphia, 4-3
(5) New Jersey beats (4) Buffalo, 4-1

After that, not so sure.

I would love it if the Flyers/Rangers went 7 games. I hope they beat the **** out of each other in the process. In all fairness, I do not see the Devils beating Buffalo in 5 games. I do think NJ wins the series but it would go atleast 6. Buffalo is better then a 1-4 team in the postseason.

They will win the Cup while sweeping every series!

(I'm a fan, I don't have to be realistic)

They will win the Cup while sweeping every series!

(I'm a fan, I don't have to be realistic)

:biglaugh:

Haven't the Devils been the best team in the East since getting Elias back? I see no reason why this team could not go deep into the playoffs if they stay healthy and marty isn't fatigued.

If they bench Klee= Stanley Cup Finals
If Klee plays=1st round exit.

I dont know why but I have good feeling about this playoffs. I think we can do it again.

I dont know why but I have good feeling about this playoffs. I think we can do it again.

I don't think the Devils will go down easily in the first round, the last couple of times that happened the team was burnt out from the previous long post-season. We'll make some noise and if we do get knocked out it will in some epic 7 game gut-wrenching blow-your-brains-out loss (see 1998-99).

Looks like it's gonna be a match-up with NYR, Philly or Buffalo....With the way the Devils have been playing lately, I don't think anyone is unbeatable....Anything can happen in the playoffs, and though this isn't the strongest Devils team we've had over the years, it's still one that can do some serious damage come playoff time.......

Once again the Devils are a completely different beast like each other incarnation of the Stanley Cup Winning Devils.

95 was veteran laden club, 2000 was the old guard and many new faces getting it done. 2003 was a very tight group that played hard and manufactured wins. The Devs have lost two defensive stalwarts, but have a defensive core that matches up with anyother team in the conference sans Ottawa. The Top line or Parise - Gomez - Gionta has freed up Elias to work with Brylin and Langenbrunner which gives us the best top 2 line combo we've had since 2000 (Elias-Arnott-Sykora + Mogilny-Gomez-Lemieux) Pandolfo-Madden-Marshall can match up with any top line and play them pretty tough, minimizing chances. Rasmussen-Wiemer-Jannsen are a good disruptor line that can change the flow of the game by banging some bodies.

And Martin Brodeur has had probably his best year as a pro. Anyone who says that he can't play w/o Stevens and Niedermayer should keep themselves quiet from now on.... His GAA might have gone up but he has been the reason the Devils found their collective stride and he might be able to dazzle some more in the postseason.

I think this is a very dangerous group of players. The leadership is still there, the core belief in their system is still solid, Marty Brodeur is the best goalie in the game. They might fall short in the first round or the stanley cup final, but this team will not be outworked or overplayed. By mid-season this team was dead and buried and they came back, I wouldn't want to have to play them right now.

Realistic or Not...

If you're a Devil fan the ONLY expectation is playing for the Silver Chalice in June.