Devils Have What It Takes to Beat Canes
Special teams will play critical role
by: Steve Cangialosi
There was no easy matchup for the Devils in the Stanley Cup Playoffs opening round. Once it became clear that the choice was between Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and the opponent since identified – Carolina – it was pick your poison.
Talent-wise, this is probably the toughest series in the Eastern Conference to handicap. The Devils have a 45-goal scorer in Zach Parise, the Hurricanes a 40-goal producer in Eric Staal. The Devils have the winningest goaltender of all time in Martin Brodeur, while the Canes had arguably the best goaltender for the final third of the NHL season in Cam Ward (28 consecutive starts until the season finale).
A Devils strength all season has been the team's depth. It's why I don't think an older core of players has any impact in the first round. In Parise, Travis Zajac, Jamie Langenbrunner, Patrik Elias, Brian Gionta, Brendan Shanahan and Brian Rolston, New Jersey has a complement of forwards that can at least come close to matching Carolina's firepower, while playing a more disciplined defensive game in the process.
Neither Parise nor Zajac will be nominated for the Selke Trophy and give Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk or Philadelphia's Mike Richards serious competition in that category, but you can't overlook how their defensive game has grown in the past season. Brent Sutter never would have been able to match opponents' top lines with his top line if that wasn't the case. That should play a role in this series.
Emotion will be a factor as well, or more accurately, the x-factor.
The Devils insist that this team has a far different (and stronger) makeup from the one that lasted just five games in the opening round versus the Rangers last season. Parise (a fellow as gentlemanly as they come) even got defensive about the comparison when questioned about it last week saying, "You guys (media) can't see it. Only we can see it from the inside."
I suspect he's right, but the real test of that comes when the Devils face adversity for the first time. They'll be up against that as soon as April 19, should they lose one of the first two games in the best-of-seven at Prudential Center.
New Jersey's penalty killing unit must be better than it was in the final weeks of the regular season. This unit was at its best in mid-season.
I suspect Sutter will use three waves of forwards and split up the recently re-united pairing of John Madden and Jay Pandolfo. They'll continue to play alongside Shanahan in 5-on-5 situations, but it's time to spread the wealth of defensive experience on the PK.
The Canes' Anton Babchuk and Joe Corvo make a dynamite pairing at the point. Matt Cullen, now healthy enough to rejoin Carolina for this series, will also be used in this role. If the Devils lose this battle, they'll lose the series.
It's worth noting, however, that this group has risen to the occasion at proper times this season. Brodeur's injury did not kill the season. To the contrary, almost every player elevated his game to secure an Atlantic Division title in which the cornerstone of the franchise missed 50 games. When Brodeur returned, the team recognized the magnitude of games played as Marty's 552nd win was approaching. Here we are again.
Spotlight time.
Devils in six.
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