Gameday: Rangers at Devils

Here we go...

Scratches:

Injured
Stevens - recovering from PCS
Rafalski - broken leg
Schwab - recovering from surgury
Marshall - broken hand
Friesen - pinched nerve

Healthy
Bicek
Brown

That means Larionov, Rasmussen, and Stevenson are dressed... I don't think Parise is in the lineup.

Always fun to gear up for the playoffs by kicking the Rangers' *****... It's a shame we can't personally eliminate them from playoff contention again like last year.

We're wearing our white uniforms? The Rags are wearing their alternate.

No Parise :mad:

Kozlov-Larionov-Stevenson

What is this line supposed to accomplish? You have a talent player, a useless player, and a grit player. Parise would've looked much better than Larionov.

Langenbrunner showing some really good jump here today... hopefully he'll get himself on track.

Disappointed with Rasmussen. He had a great chance in front of the Rangers net, and just fed a weak backhand into the goalies leg pads. Hes got to do more with that.

Disappointed with Rasmussen. He had a great chance in front of the Rangers net, and just fed a weak backhand into the goalies leg pads. Hes got to do more with that.

I'd be disappointed too, but unfortunately you have to expect something from him first....:lol

Note: Love the smilees (about time) :clap:

First period was OK, nothing special though.

I don't expect the Kozlov-Larionov-Stevenson line to last.

BTW, I feel compelled to take part in that auction. Then again, I should really be compelled to finish my Sci-Tech Writing presentation on hockey helmets or any of the other wonderfully fun things I have to do for school. Heh.

GOMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1-0

Gomez with the first goal of the game which sneaks in five hole.

Welcome to HFBoards Parise = The Future!!! Love the callsign. :handclap:

Gotta get you a Parise avatar. :handclap:

Langenbrunner showing some really good jump here today... hopefully he'll get himself on track.

Disappointed with Rasmussen. He had a great chance in front of the Rangers net, and just fed a weak backhand into the goalies leg pads. Hes got to do more with that.

As Ras makes it 2-0.....
:handclap:

I'd be disappointed too, but unfortunately you have to expect something from him first....:lol


:eek:

Rasmussen! :eek:

Erik Rasumussen scores! 5th of the year! 2-0 NJ!

Rasmussen-Hrdina-Langebrunner is working. Hmmm...could Rasmussen be the new Pandolfo?

Lol, The Devils radio dudes just said that The Rangers want to get a shot at the #1 pick to draft Orvackin.

:eek:

Ah crap. They day I rip Rasmussen, he makes me look like an idiot. :o






I hope there are more of these days to come. :banana:

Ah crap. They day I rip Rasmussen, he makes me look like an idiot. :o






I hope there are more of these days to come. :banana:

LMAO. You're loving those smilies eh?

Well take that :pizza:

LMAO. You're loving those smilies eh?

Well take that :pizza:

mmmm... pizza and powerplay... :hockey:

LMAO. You're loving those smilies eh?

Well take that :pizza:

Yes...Yes I am! I spend too much time on my computer... :troll:

:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:
:handclap: :handclap: :handclap: :handclap:

Thanks for taking the stupid penalty Holik...enjoy the golfing.

Wow!!! What is Gomez drinking these days??!? :eek: :cheers:

Wow!!! What is Gomez drinking these days??!? :eek: :cheers:

Obviously he's drinking Awesome Juice™. The drink of Awesomeness.

Obviously he's drinking Awesome Juice™. The drink of Awesomeness.

You mean Lou's Kool Aid?:cheers:

I think that goes without saying.

HOLY SCHNIKES IGOR LARIONOV SCORED!!!

He's been through Gomez's and Elias' cooler, huh?

Damn it. My fantasy was Larionov scoring his only goal of the season in overtime to win game 4 against Detriot in the SCF to complete the sweep.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?

Did that.....just happen? Igor SCORED!? On his SECOND shot of the game!? I'm in shock.

wow 5-0 :eek:

poor poor Rangers... at least we have a chance at Ovechkin.

You can have him. We'll take Parise.
Now somebody get Elias a goal? Please?

A goal yes!

But for Erik Rasmussen, his 2nd of the GAME. Wow.

This is what I get for doubting a Kozlov-Larionov-Rasmussen line...3 goals.

Rasmussen from Hrdina. Hrdina is having a good game.

Hrdina really brings a element of scoring to our 4th line. Put him with people who can puit the puck in the net more frequently and I think he would be dangerous.

I'm beginning to think these would be the ideal playoff lines:

Elias - Gomez - Gionta
Friesen - Larionov - Kozlov
Pandolfo - Madden - Brylin
Rasmussen - Hrdina - Langenbrunner

Stevens - Rafalski
Niedermayer - Martin
White - Giroux

Brodeur
Clemmensen

If Rasmussen gets a hat-trick.....


...and he continues to make me look bad. I should rip players more often. :lol

I'm beginning to think these would be the ideal playoff lines:

Elias - Gomez - Gionta
Friesen - Larionov - Kozlov
Pandolfo - Madden - Brylin
Rasmussen - Hrdina - Langenbrunner

Stevens - Rafalski
Niedermayer - Martin
White - Giroux

Brodeur
Clemmensen

Larionov will not be played over Stevenson.

:devils

Giroux deserves a star tonight... :handclap: He's been very steady. Played the pp very well.

A lot of good things to take away from tonights game, but this is just another victory against a non-playoff team. We still need to prove ourselves against a tougher opponent, and who better than a potential first round opponent in a home&home with home ice advantage and possibly the Atlantic division on the line.

Larionov will not be played over Stevenson.

I don't know about that... But you're probably right. So then,

Friesen - Kozlov - Stevenson

LoL, these new faces are great!!

Nice game for NJ, would have liked to see Elias net one though. :hockey:

Great win! Burns' 500th! Larionov's 1st this season! Brodeur's 11th shutout! Whooooo!

Larionov nets his 1st, yet Yahoo! still labels it as:

New Jersey 3:19, Igor Larionov 0 (Turner Stevenson, Colin White)

:lol


...and btw

NY Rangers interference - 2 min 16:53, B. Holik

CLASSIC!!!


From: h**p://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/boxscore?gid=2004033011

Thanks to TSN I was able to watch the game. NJ was all over them. get win and now the division might be ours! What ever happened to the NYR. Spending alot of money doesn't win you the stanely Cup it can't even buy you a playoff spot! :banana:

Larionov a useless player. Parise would've looked much better than Larionov.


Has Parise won 2 Olympic Gold Medals and 3 Stanley Cups? Is he one of the most respected players in the NHL and a legend? No he's not, quite frankly, Im getting tired of the name Zach Parise......the kid hasn't proven anything yet, and he's never, ever had the experience Larionov has, that in itself will prove to be valuable........Im also tired of everyone on Igor's case....... he's NOT a goal scorer, he's got 10 assists, which isn't bad for a 43 year old who's injuries and lack of playing time have knocked down his point production......plus Gomez's skills have benefitted from Larionov's presence, he's on pace to break his own record of 70 points in a season, it may just be co-incedence, but I believe it isn't, and that Larionov has helped Scotty, infact, Im gonna ask that on the next edition of ESPN chat, to see if my theory makes sense to the analysts. Or if anyone who meets Gomer at SMA can ask him that question I'd be much, much obliged to you. I for one am mad that we signed Z-Par, first of all because he's never played NHLers like a Blake or Hatcher before, 2, because he may have lost his education by signing here, if there is a strike, his developement could be hindered, whatever. All I ask is, stop bashing Igor so much, because, Im sure if everyone on this board told Lou what they think about Larionov, he'd provide the same answer that Ray Ferraro provided for a fan during ESPN chat today: Are you an idiot? Second of all, lets stop hyping Parise so much, I really hope he doesn't succumb to the hype like past "phenoms", Z-Par has proved to be a real distraction.

Has Parise won 2 Olympic Gold Medals and 3 Stanley Cups? Is he one of the most respected players in the NHL and a legend? No he's not, quite frankly, Im getting tired of the name Zach Parise......the kid hasn't proven anything yet, and he's never, ever had the experience Larionov has, that in itself will prove to be valuable........Im also tired of everyone on Igor's case....... he's NOT a goal scorer, he's got 10 assists, which isn't bad for a 43 year old who's injuries and lack of playing time have knocked down his point production......plus Gomez's skills have benefitted from Larionov's presence, he's on pace to break his own record of 70 points in a season, it may just be co-incedence, but I believe it isn't, and that Larionov has helped Scotty, infact, Im gonna ask that on the next edition of ESPN chat, to see if my theory makes sense to the analysts. Or if anyone who meets Gomer at SMA can ask him that question I'd be much, much obliged to you. I for one am mad that we signed Z-Par, first of all because he's never played NHLers like a Blake or Hatcher before, 2, because he may have lost his education by signing here, if there is a strike, his developement could be hindered, whatever. All I ask is, stop bashing Igor so much, because, Im sure if everyone on this board told Lou what they think about Larionov, he'd provide the same answer that Ray Ferraro provided for a fan during ESPN chat today: Second of all, lets stop hyping Parise so much, I really hope he doesn't succumb to the hype like past "phenoms", Z-Par has proved to be a real distraction.

Ugh. Where to begin...

First of all, Parise forfeits his NCAA athletic eligibility by signing, not his academic eligibility. He can still graduate if he so chooses. It's ironic that you mention Blake and Hatcher, as they're both injured and play in the West anyway. Larionov may very well have something to do with Gomez's (re)emergence as a legit first line center, but his lack of production and thinly veiled animosity towards the Devil management and coaches haven't exactly endeared him to a lot of fans.

Parise is the closest thing we have to a franchise player in the system. I, for one, am just as excited about his energy and leadership potential as I am about his on-ice abilities. We don't need him to step in and be a PPG first liner, and none of us expect him to. You'll have to excuse the ignorant among us who are 'distracted' by what will be, at the very least, a glimpse into the future of this team.

Giroux finished with the best plus/minus overall tonight at plus 3.I am pretty sure Giroux was on for all 5 goals. :handclap:

Nice game (especially finally getting Marty's 11th SO) but the Rags basically mailed it in from Rasmussen's first goal tonight. Let's see what happens v. the Bruins this weekend.

Ugh. Where to begin...

First of all, Parise forfeits his NCAA athletic eligibility by signing, not his academic eligibility. He can still graduate if he so chooses. It's ironic that you mention Blake and Hatcher, as they're both injured and play in the West anyway. Larionov may very well have something to do with Gomez's (re)emergence as a legit first line center, but his lack of production and thinly veiled animosity towards the Devil management and coaches haven't exactly endeared him to a lot of fans.

Parise is the closest thing we have to a franchise player in the system. I, for one, am just as excited about his energy and leadership potential as I am about his on-ice abilities. We don't need him to step in and be a PPG first liner, and none of us expect him to. You'll have to excuse the ignorant among us who are 'distracted' by what will be, at the very least, a glimpse into the future of this team.


Well said. Just to reiterate what ICX is saying, (in a nutshell) we're not expecting Parise to put up Nash-like numbers right away. We anticipate a good showing at the least, and hope he can contribute if not in the playoffs, perhaps next season. Larionov has lost favor among Devils fans, and IMO, rightfully so. Walking out in practice, not scoring any goals (except for tonight) and being an occassional scratch doesn't warrant fan support. Its just the way things are. We respect Larionov as to what he has done, but essentially, his days as a premier player are over. I completely understand what you are saying about his experience, and frankly, thats probably the only reason he's still wearing a Devil uni.

Fine, don't like Blake and Hatcher? How about McCabe, Chara, Souray, Kubina, Aucoin, Markov.......all tough defensman......also Igor didn't exactly "walk out" he was asked if he wanted to leave, so he did, I would have too, especially if it was to work out off the ice for better conditioning.......Im sure Parise WILL be great, but until he has proven something, then he's a dead subject for me....I just don't like Igor being written off by so many, it's not every day you get a two time olympic gold medalist and 3 time cup champ in your dressing room......the experience alone should have him playing in the playoffs. Season 2 is crunch time for the man.

T. Albelin 18:32 :bow:
R. Giroux 20:49
D. Hale 16:34
P. Martin 23:33 :eek:
S. Niedermayer 17:35
C. White 21:54

Tough night for Holik. :help:

Faceoff %

Total 6-22 (27%)

6-20 vs Madden pwned!!!!
0-1 vs Kozlov
0-1 vs Gomez


Madden 14-20 (70%)
Kozlov 3-3 (100%)
Gomez 10-16 (63%)

Fine, don't like Blake and Hatcher? How about McCabe, Chara, Souray, Kubina, Aucoin, Markov.......all tough defensman......also Igor didn't exactly "walk out" he was asked if he wanted to leave, so he did, I would have too, especially if it was to work out off the ice for better conditioning.......Im sure Parise WILL be great, but until he has proven something, then he's a dead subject for me....I just don't like Igor being written off by so many, it's not every day you get a two time olympic gold medalist and 3 time cup champ in your dressing room......the experience alone should have him playing in the playoffs. Season 2 is crunch time for the man.

If Parise does indeed see NHL ice this season, he won't be playing against McCabe, Chara and company. Those fellas will be matched up against our top 2 lines, and I hardly think Parise's development will be adversely impacted by playing against 2nd and 3rd pairing NHL d-men.

Even if Parise is matched up against the East's big D guns, it's for the better. Parise won't improve playing against college age prospects or AHL scrubs, otherwise Lou would have left him alone. Given what I've heard about his makeup, he'll use this year as a learning experience rather than an indicator of future success, which is how all of us should be looking at it. He won't see top line minutes, maybe 8 or 9 if he's lucky, and I'll be shocked if he gets playoff ice time at all, but I'd rather see him get a taste of what it's like to be on a legit NHL contender in a playoff atmosphere than have him sit on his ass at UND or toil away in the AHL.

If Parise does indeed see NHL ice this season, he won't be playing against McCabe, Chara and company. Those fellas will be matched up against our top 2 lines, and I hardly think Parise's development will be adversely impacted by playing against 2nd and 3rd pairing NHL d-men.

Even if Parise is matched up against the East's big D guns, it's for the better. Parise won't improve playing against college age prospects or AHL scrubs, otherwise Lou would have left him alone. Given what I've heard about his makeup, he'll use this year as a learning experience rather than an indicator of future success, which is how all of us should be looking at it. He won't see top line minutes, maybe 8 or 9 if he's lucky, and I'll be shocked if he gets playoff ice time at all, but I'd rather see him get a taste of what it's like to be on a legit NHL contender in a playoff atmosphere than have him sit on his ass at UND or toil away in the AHL.

Exactly. Simply having him practice with the team will be good experience for him. No, he isn't going to improve much this year, but letting him get a taste of it is better than letting him take a few months off before reporting to camp in August. This was a good move for both Parise and the Devils. Nobody is saying the guy will play one minute of this season, but he adds depth (albeit inexperienced depth) which is what the playoffs are all about.

So NJ has Boston back to back, and Philly has Montreal, Ottawa and NYI. Man, that division title would be sweet. When is the last time one of Gomez and Elias has been held off the scoresheet? Not counting shutouts? Those two are amazing :clap:

And these new faces rule :gman:

I just don't like Igor being written off by so many, it's not every day you get a two time olympic gold medalist and 3 time cup champ in your dressing room......the experience alone should have him playing in the playoffs. Season 2 is crunch time for the man.
I agree with you on that. Igor Larionov centered one of the greatest units in hockey history for the Soviet National Team and CSKA (Red Army.) He is also coming to the end of fine NHL career, especially fine when considering he couldn't come to North America until about two months before his 30th birthday because of Soviet policy.

He at the very least adds depth at the center position for New Jersey in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Larionov is a proven big game player, NHL playoffs as well as international games.

Dear lord, it's smilie overload...

Dear lord, it's smilie overload... :jump:

I agree with you on that. Igor Larionov centered one of the greatest units in hockey history for the Soviet National Team and CSKA (Red Army.) He is also coming to the end of fine NHL career, especially fine when considering he couldn't come to North America until about two months before his 30th birthday because of Soviet policy.

He at the very least adds depth at the center position for New Jersey in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Larionov is a proven big game player, NHL playoffs as well as international games.

Thank you :) and it's not like he's a selfish player or anything.....

Larionov said: "I didn't even think about it. I don't think it's a big deal to think about goals. The two points were what's important."

Now that's team spirit.......he passes like Gretzky and when he has the puck he's so calm that it drives you crazy, but it's better than being impatient and just throwing the puck away, that leads to give aways which usually lead to goals.....I'd take Larionov anyday in the playoffs, that kind of experience just CAN NOT be matched..........but hey, others and Burns will disagree, so I'll just mutter quietly from now on.

Thank you :)I'd take Larionov anyday in the playoffs, that kind of experience just CAN NOT be matched..........but hey, others and Burns will disagree, so I'll just mutter quietly from now on.

Yeah, that darned Burns. What could he possibly know about hockey or winning in the playoffs. I'm with you, Fanatic! Burns will rue the day he ever benched a 42 year-old offensive sparkplug like Larionov. If you or I would have been coaching, Larionov would have twice the goals he has this year!

Yeah, that darned Burns. What could he possibly know about hockey or winning in the playoffs. I'm with you, Fanatic! Burns will rue the day he ever benched a 42 year-old offensive sparkplug like Larionov. If you or I would have been coaching, Larionov would have twice the goals he has this year!

:lol OMG YOUS THE FUNNIEST!!!!!!!!!! HAAAAAAAAAAAA....... :shakehead, you entirely missed the point, it's not about Larionov scoring, it's about what he brings for the younger guys, the experience in high pressure situations etc.......

I'm hoping Larionov has a great playoff to end his career on a high note and prove almost everyone wrong (even myself). :amazed:

I'm hoping Larionov has a great playoff to end his career on a high note and prove almost everyone wrong (even myself). :amazed:

Not me, I wouldn't be suprised at all.........Larionov is a legend, and Im proud he's a Devil :bow:

Not me, I wouldn't be suprised at all.........Larionov is a legend, and Im proud he's a Devil :bow:



Larionov being a Devil.... :lol :shakehead :banghead: ;)