Not
long into game 6’s overtime, Alexei Ponikarovsky picked up a loose puck
courtesy of an Ilya Kovalchuk rebound. Seeing no immediate play, he circled
back, shielding the puck with his 6’4, 225 lb Ukrainian frame. He arrived at
the half boards, known for their ability to tell players that it is time to
make a decision, and quickly. Ponikarovsky, known as “Pony” by the Devils’
faithful (and Hurricanes’, Kings’, Penguins’ and Leafs’ before then) did what
forwards are trained to do in that situation. No obvious play? Throw it on
goal, preferably low and hard. The clock read 19:05, and Pony did just that.
Eight deceptively long seconds and a desperate multinational net-mouth scramble
later, Adam Henrique poked a puck that was somehow still loose over the red
line, summoning a flashing light and a mob of sweaters of that same color. It
was over. The 2012 Stanley Cup Finals had been set. For the second time in
these playoffs, Adam Henrique had personally punched the Devils’ ticket into
the next round. Exciting to be sure, but it was so much more than that for the
Devils, for their players, staff, and faithful. It wasn’t just the excitement
of being in the Stanley Cup Finals, but the exorcism of a very old, pesky, and
according to some, already exorcised demon. Even a Devil can be tormented by a
demon, and the memories of the Spring of ’94 fall under that very category.
Warning:
The following paragraphs involve this author becoming what many would call a
“homer.” If reading the nostalgic ramblings of a Devils’ homer is not your cup
of tea (and probability dictates that it almost certainly is not), then please
skip said paragraphs, and meet me after the next bold print, with a beer in
hand.
What else is
there to say? By my most unbiased account, the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals
ranks as the best playoff series of all time. To refresh your memory, The
Rangers and Devils had finished with the top two records in the NHL that season
(though the Devils had the 3rd seed due to both teams playing in the
Atlantic Division, which at the time was one of only two). The Rangers were the
far and away favorites, finally bringing Broadway to the top of the NHL after
years of disappointment. The team had brought in an army of cup-winning
veterans, almost recreating the 1980s Edmonton Oilers dynasty. As destiny would
have it, the Rangers would earn a match with their evil, redheaded, younger
stepbrother from just across the Hudson (you know, the one who moves in, tries
to steal all of your toys and attention, but is mostly just annoying?). The
Devils were a surprise, putting 11 years of mediocrity behind them, and icing
one of hockey’s best surprises, led by a team-first mentality, a ferocious
defensive corps led by Scott Stevens, and a rookie goaltender that you just
KNEW was probably going to be a big deal someday, some 22 year old kid named
Martin Brodeur. The Devils manage to steal a Game 5 at MSG, taking a 3-2 lead
in the series. They can go back home to the swamp and finish off the upset.
Instead, Ranger captain Mark Messier guarantees victory, and backs up his
promise with a hat-trick in game 6, now simply known as “The Guarantee.” Game
seven goes back to MSG. The Rangers hang on to a 1-0 lead, but that pesky
redhead ties the game with 7 seconds left in the third. Overtime commences. No
goals are scored. A second overtime commences, and how can you forget the call?
No Devils fan can. Ranger fans use it as their taunt, their battle cry:
“…MATTEAU, MATTEAU, STEPHANE MATTEAU…”
And
so you see, when in 2012, the Devils stole a game 5 in Madison Square Garden,
only to come home with a chance to close out the series in game six, how could
you not think of how eerily similar this was? When Adam Henrique scored that
goal, he erased one of the most painful moments in Devil history. Martin
Brodeur claimed not to have made the connection. How could he not have? He was
a rookie goaltender that year, and I was a rookie Devils fan. I was five years
old, but even then, I understood how important it was that we had a team that
was “New Jersey.” It was not New York and not Philadelphia, and they were good.
So when Matteau scored that goal to sink the Devils, it didn’t matter that the
Devils would win the next year, and two more after that, because that demon was
still there. So when a Devils fan claims that we rewrote history, I don’t take
it lightly, because that memory still hurt, and there was no greater feeling
than when Adam Henrique poked that puck over the thin red line. There was no “Guarantee,”
and no miracle hat-trick this time. The Devils were given a second chance, and
they took it.
The
“homerism” ends here. Feel free to commence reading.
The
easiest assessment to make is that Hollywood could not have written a more
dramatic, emotional ending to that series. You could make that assessment, but
Hollywood may beg to differ. The Devils will be facing the Los Angeles Kings in
the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, to end a playoff season rife with drama and almost
fairytale storylines. So how better to take an early look at the finals than by
looking at our favorite character archetypes from those very stories:
Note the context in which each example is given. It
changes. Do not try to “foil” any of these. It will hurt your head.
The Hero: Adam Henrique, New Jersey
Devils
There
is not too much to be explained here. Henrique is one of two players in the
history of NHL to score two overtime series-ending goals in one playoff season.
The other was Martin Gelinas of the Calgary Flames; he accomplished the feat in
2004. And yet, according to some, what truly makes him a hero is that he is a
“good, hard-working Canadian kid.”
The Villain: Zach Parise, New Jersey
Devils
“But
Chris, if Henrique is a hero, how can Parise be labeled a villain, especially given
his Lady Byng nominations and basically his ‘Captain America’ persona?” Well, I
now refer you to my warning of not attempting to “foil” any of these examples.
Allow me to explain: The Devils have been frequently maligned since they
started achieving success in the mid 90s. “They ruined hockey, they play the
wrong way, they would be nothing without their goaltending, they would be
nothing without their defense, blah blah blah etc.” Well, guess who is back in
the spotlight, and now more maligned than ever? That red-headed stepbrother you
love to hate. And who should you hate most? Who better than Zach Parise, the
epitome of Devil’s hockey, and naturally, their captain and superstar? And for
those of you still trying to foil: Henrique has been quoted as saying he has
learned a lot from Parise as a mentor, so if you want to look at the
“Father-Son” archetype, think of Vader and Luke. One hero, one villain, one
point made.
The Anti-Hero: Dustin Brown, Los Angeles
Kings
Dustin
Brown has led by example for Los Angeles this spring. He hits hard, plays hard,
scores goals, sets up plays, and is no stranger to stirring the pot.
Unfortunately for him and for the hockey world in general, some negative
attention has been drawn to his reputation as a diver. More notably, his
questionable hit on Michal Roszival mere seconds before the Kings would clinch
the West in overtime hung a tangible shadow over what was an impressive
victory, and continued excellence from Brown. Love him or hate him, you can’t
deny that he is a frontrunner for the Conn Smythe, and that is what makes him
the anti-hero.
The Anti-Villain(s): Mike Richards and
Jeff Carter, Los Angeles Kings
This
one is interesting. These two were considered centerpieces to the Philadelphia
Flyers powerhouse that lost the 2010 Stanley Cup Final to Chicago. Seemingly
out of nowhere, both were traded out of Philly on the same day to make room for
Ilya Bryzgalov. Naturally, this raised some eyebrows. Eventually, a story
leaked that linked excessive partying by the duo that led to some locker room
friction, evidently enough to warrant an impromptu changing of the guard on
Broad Street. While these rumors were never confirmed, the story has followed
them to Los Angeles (with a pit stop in Columbus for Jeff Carter). But Los Angeles
fans are seeing what many angry Philadelphia fans already knew. They may party,
but never once has there been cause to suspect that it affects the on-ice
product. The fact that the duo is four wins away from partying with Lord
Stanley’s Cup is all the evidence they (and I) need.
The Wise Elder: Martin Brodeur, New
Jersey Devils
The
wise elder may not be the same man he used to be, but make no mistake. He is
the wise elder for a reason, and still likely has a few tricks up his sleeve.
Is Martin Brodeur the goaltender that he used to be? Probably not, and yet he
has once again backstopped the Devils to the finals, defying his age. Think
Gandalf the Grey, despite pucks and balrogs sharing very little in the way of
ballistic properties.
The Specialist: Ilya Kovalchuk, New
Jersey Devils
In
any decent action movie, you have that guy who just has one job. It may not
even be crucial to the plot of the story, but it is his one job and he does it
better than anyone. For argument’s sake, let’s say that Ilya Kovalchuk is a
“sniper.” A sniper you see in war movies, the kind that kind of goes off on his
own, just “sniping”, while the rest of the unit fights the good fight. In most
of these movies, this “sniper” is forced to take on a more integral role, generally
much more central to the story at hand. Is there a better metaphor for what has
gone on for Ilya Kovalchuk? Once a player whose only task in Atlanta was to
just skate around, shoot and score, while the other 19 guys figured out a way
to win consistently. He came to New Jersey and found that the Devils were not
going to use that approach with him. From being oft-maligned as a “selfish,
lazy (and of course, Russian) superstar,” he has transformed into a true team
player, and a Conn Smythe (and some even suggest a Hart) candidate. But don’t
be fooled. He may be playing a completely different game in the red and black,
but he can still “snipe” with the best of them.
The Quiet Workhorse: Jonathan Quick, Los
Angeles Kings
You
don’t necessarily see this in movies much, but I’m sure we all know someone
like this. He shows up, does his job with the best of them, without complaint,
and consistently well, and goes home without saying much. I am reminded of
Boxer from George Orwell’s Animal Farm. This is Jonathan Quick. He is
notoriously short-spoken and reserved in front of the media, and by gosh if
today’s media day in Newark didn’t exemplify that to a tee. Speaking a hushed
monosyllabic tone from under a baseball cap and a hood (teammate Dustin Penner
claimed he was “channeling his inner Eminem”), Quick made it clear he was here
to stop the puck and not much else. And why should there be much else? He is a
goalie.
The Not-So-Shocking Plot Twist: The
Fourth Lines, Both Teams:
It’s
been echoed like a broken record in a cave, surrounded by bats, who like to
record things and play them over and over, but in the playoffs, first lines
often cancel, and scoring and success can hinge on the your depth, namely at
forward. So it should be the least surprising of all surprises that both the
Kings and Devils have fourth lines that have performed to the point where they
are actually getting attention. One of the biggest “X-factors” of the final
will be how the Devils’ fourth line of Steve Bernier, Stephen Gionta and Ryan
Carter stack up against their west coast mirror of Brad Richardson, Colin
Fraser and Jordan Nolan. The unit that wins this match-up will have a big
impact on this series.
The Man-Made Beast: Anze Kopitar, Los
Angeles Kings
With
all due respect to Mr. Kopitar (whom I included in my early season list of top
ten centers), I could not resist this one. As harsh as it may seem, one
particular fan sign caught my eye in the Kings/Canucks first round series,
placing Kopitar’s team photo next to a zombie with which there was an
unfortunately strong resemblance (I searched, I could not find it). Since
laying an eye on this, I can’t help but see Kopitar as a Shelley-esque
creation, and that is more a testament to his talent than anything else. If
only there was some way to spin this into a compliment, because that is
ultimately what I am trying to do here. Oh, I know! Think of him as a bionic
man. You know, faster, stronger, yadda yadda. You can go with the Six Million Dollar
Man or as I like to go with, Cyborg Barry. He is big, strong, fast, and agile.
He plays a very well-rounded game, but has yet to show much of a mean streak,
although it’s not something I really want to test.
The “Court Jester”: Drew Doughty, Los
Angeles Kings
Drew
Doughty was a Norris Trophy nominee. He is the future of the Los Angeles Kings’
defensive corps, and yet I couldn’t think of a better comparison. A dynamic
first three years in the league saw him create more theatrics than hockey this
Fall with his much-publicized contract holdout (for those of you wondering, he
got his way; the Kings caved). He got his big money contract, and then
proceeded to underperform for much of the regular season. To be fair, it wasn’t
just him, it was many Kings, and he wasn’t bad, but he certainly wasn’t the big
money player the Kings had acquiesced to in contract negotiations. And
honestly, this comparison wouldn’t have been drawn if it wasn’t for his antics
in game 5’s overtime against Phoenix. Granted, the calls were awful, but the
reaction was even worse. As with any good court jester, his heart is in the
right place. I have no doubt that Doughty is a competitor and wants to win as
badly as anybody, and that is evident in the way he has picked up his play
since Darryl Sutter took over the Kings’ bench, especially since the playoffs
started.
The Teacher and the Student: Lou
Lamoriello, New Jersey Devils; Dean Lombardi, Los Angeles Kings:
General
managers rarely come up in these types of discussion, but Dean Lombardi, even
before the playoffs, has made it known that Lou Lamoriello is someone he
considered a mentor in the field, even going as far as to call him for advice
during his days in San Jose (in some cases this resulted in a trade between the
two). Granted, several NHL GMs can say this about Lamoriello, but we get to see
a classic story of the talented, worthy student taking on his teacher.
So
what do I predict? I’m shocked that you would still put stock in this, given
how awful my picks have been all playoffs. These teams have been frequently
referred to as a mirror image, so my first instincts tell me to spot the
difference, which draws me to the goal. Martin Brodeur has been good, but
Jonathan Quick has been the best of the playoffs. Granted, the prognosis looked
awfully similar for New Jersey against the Rangers, and somehow the Devils
managed to find a way to put just enough pucks by Henrik Lundqvist to move on.
Critics have also pointed to the size of the Kings possibly being troubling to
the New Jersey defense, but I see the Kings’ defense facing the identical
problem. I also see that the Devils defense found a way to squeak by Florida, despite
their speed constantly torching the defense. I personally think speed is
tougher to contain than size, especially when you can return it. So, who to
pick. My personal instinct tells me that the NHL playoffs are often the
playground of who gets hot at the right time, and no one is hotter than
Hollywood right now. Look for a Los Angeles team whose name (for once) doesn’t
rhyme with “Bakers” to be parading through downtown Los Angeles in June. Kings in 6.
Stay tuned for some fun facts, armchair GMing by me
and John, and hopefully a live blog or two! And for the record, my prediction
(that I failed to publish to the NZT at any point) for the Eastern Conference
finals was for the Rangers in six. I was wrong, again. With that in mind, I
suggest you all grab a good beer, and watch some even better hockey.
No comments:
Post a Comment