Parise is dominant at receiving pucks, probably the best player in the world at it. He will hit, he has speed and he has this aura around him that you know when he's on the ice, something big is going to happen against your team. I just hope that the Kings defense is ready, since Zach will be very hungry for pucks. Nevermind Zach, all of the Devils forwards, except maybe Elias and Sykora are engined to play this way. Their pinching defense can also trap you in your own end for long periods of time. I am worried about Doughty and Voynov and how they'll do under this kind of pressure. They made Dan Girardi (solid as a rock) make some absolutely brutal mistakes out there.
2. New Jersey Forward Size, Skill, Hustle
Kovalchuk is an immoveable object at 6 ft 3 240 lbs. Zubrus is another big, fast guy who can just eat up the puck. Elias is a bit of a perimiter player, but he is great at making plays behind the net. Henrique, Zajac both have size, smarts, offensive talent and elite defensive awareness, when they are on the ice, expect limited scoring chances for your team on Brodeur. The Devils 4th line literally won the team games in the 3rd round. They are an unusual combination of smarts (Gionta), size (Bernier) and grit (Carter), they always created great scoring chances whenever they were on the ice. They have the most balanced forward corps in the league.
3. NJ Special Teams
NJ is guaranteed to have great scoring chances on every penalty kill they have. It's a high risk, high reward type system, but more often than not, they find a way to kill it. If NJ's powerplay wakes up, Kings are in trouble. They made a great passing play on the Kovalchuk goal that made it 2-0 in game 6. I am very worried about the lack of production from the Kings PP and this is where I think Simon Gagne should play, even if it's 4th line minutes.
4. Martin Brodeur's Hunger at a 4th Title
I've skimmed through the thread and Brodeur has been very underrated. He is a top 15 goalie in the league and has been in this position 4 previous times, winning it 3 times. He has outperformed every goalie up to date in the series he's played in and has kept the Devils in games. That's all they need him to do. He is like Eli Manning; not elite per say, but finds a way to get it done.
Devils are greater than the sum of their parts. Way better than Phoenix. Kings will have a fight on their hands. They need to continue the "win 1 period at a time" philosophy, and keep the energy level high. Do that, and they'll be fine.
This is going to be the toughest series imo. Kings need to come out hard and be the road warriors they were in the past three series. Winning in NJ will be key.
Doc: "Now lets head down to Pierre in between the benches"
Pierre: "Oh boy Doc, what a match up we have here. Michael Richards of the LA Kings is a great leader. From Kenora, Ontario and played his junior hockey for the Kitchener Rangers. And Doc I don't know if you heard me the first 100 times but his coach in Kitchener was PETER DeBoer! Doc, did you comprehend that? Peter DeBoer was his junior coach..........oh boy this is a great match up here.
Doc: "Well thanks for the update Pierre"
Pierre: "No Problem Doc, and by the way I love the way Willie Mitchell handles his long stick. What a long stick he has Doc! Back to you and Eddie O.........."
I've skimmed through the thread and Brodeur has been very underrated. He is a top 15 goalie in the league and has been in this position 4 previous times, winning it 3 times. He has outperformed every goalie up to date in the series he's played in and has kept the Devils in games. That's all they need him to do. He is like Eli Manning; not elite per say, but finds a way to get it done.
Among goalies that started at least 30 games this year, Brodeur was 30th in SV%. He may find a way to turn back the clock for a few days and steal this series, but he's not a top 15 goalie anymore.
This is going to be the toughest series imo. Kings need to come out hard and be the road warriors they were in the past three series. Winning in NJ will be key.
As it should be when you're in the Finals battling for the Stanley Cup. The Kings should expect this to be their toughest match up yet, as should the Devils. The Kings can't take guys like Parise, Kovalchuk, Elias, Zajac, etc. lightly, nor should the Devils with Kopitar, Brown, Richards, Doughty, etc.
This is going to be a physically grueling battle and the Kings have to hit the Devils hard and often. They need to prevent tape to tape passes from New Jersey's D to their offense as often as possible. The Devils don't have much size or mobility on the blueline, so the Kings forecheckers have to attack them aggressively and keep crowding the net and making Brodeur's life uncomfortable, just as they have done so with Luongo, Elliott and Smith.
While it would be nice for the PP unit to improve ever so slightly, it is also imperative for the Kings PK to shut down the Devils PP. They have to take advantage of the Devils usage and reliance of Kovalchuk on the point. He's a forward playing the blueline, which could give the Kings PK unit an advantage that they could expose.
While it would be nice for the PP unit to improve ever so slightly, it is also imperative for the Kings PK to shut down the Devils PP. They have to take advantage of the Devils usage and reliance of Kovalchuk on the point. He's a forward playing the blueline, which could give the Kings PK unit an advantage that they could expose.
Especially considering Kovy is a step slow according to Devils fans. You have to be aggressive with him and possibly force a turnover that can lead to a rush the other way. Shutdown Kovy on the PP and you basically shutdown his goalscoring completely since 5 of his 7 goals in the playoffs came on the PP.
Look, even I think the Kings are the favorites. In fact I'll take the Kings to win in 6 games.
But there are so many of you taking the Kings in a SWEEP or 5 games?
I seriously dont just "think", but I "know", that many of you are taking the Devils WAY too lightly. It's like the Flyers series all over again.
OFFENSE
Frankly, IMO, the Devils offense is substantially better than the Kings offense, yet from these boards it seems that the Kings fans believe that the Kings offense is substantially better than the Devils offense. I think you're wrong.
I REALLY think you're wrong once the 4th-line takes the ice. In fact, the Devils 4th-line has been a once-per-generation difference maker. IMO, Torts' big mistake was line-matching the Devils 4th-line, whereas I think DeBoer "mind ****ed" him by intentionally matching the Devils 4th-line against the Rangers 1st-line".
DEFENSE
This scares me. I think the Kings have a MASSIVE advantage versus the Devils on defense. Both squads are relatively inexperienced, but IMO, LA is much better defensively (even defensively, but majorly offensively), and this is a potential problem for the Devils, because they've generally been better than their opponents on Offense. If you believe in "teamwork", however, the Devils are the ultimate example of teamwork.
GOAL
Henrik Lundqvist is going to win the Vezina Trophy. He shouldn't.
Jonathan Quick has better statistics on objective analysis. But it is what it is and we all know that's what's going to happen. Nobody wants to admit this, but goaltending experience is ABSOLUTELY HUGE when you get to this level.
Quick might be MONEY. Quick might SUCK. The truth?
We simply have no idea. The other truth? We know Brodeur IS $$$$. So while Quick at this point is likely a better goalie than Brodeur? The savvy GM would take Marty over JQ in a heartbeat, and that's a fact!
My predictions
Devils in 6 (won in 7)
Flyers in 6 (lost in 5) Oops (thankfully!)
Devils in 6 (won in 6)
Kings in 6 (?)
Last edited by BenedictGomez: 05-26-2012 at 01:55 AM.
Look, even I think the Kings are the favorites. In fact I'll take the Kings to win in 6 games.
But there are so many of you taking the Kings in a SWEEP or 5 games?
I seriously dont just "think", but I "know", that many of you are taking the Devils WAY too lightly. It's like the Flyers series all over again.
OFFENSE
Frankly, IMO, the Devils offense is substantially better than the Kings offense, yet from these boards it seems that the Kings fans believe that the Kings offense is substantially better than the Devils offense. I think you're wrong.
I REALLY think you're wrong once the 4th-line takes the ice. In fact, the Devils 4th-line has been a once-per-generation difference maker. IMO, Torts' big mistake was line-matching the Devils 4th-line, whereas I think DeBoer "mind ****ed" him by intentionally matching the Devils 4th-line against the Rangers 1st-line".
DEFENSE
This scares me. I think the Kings have a MASSIVE advantage versus the Devils on defense. Both squads are relatively inexperienced, but IMO, LA is much better defensively (even defensively, but majorly offensively), and this is a potential problem for the Devils, because they've generally been better than their opponents on Offense. If you believe in "teamwork", however, the Devils are the ultimate example of teamwork.
GOAL
Henrik Lundqvist is going to win the Vezina Trophy. He shouldn't.
Jonathan Quick has better statistics on objective analysis. But it is what it is and we all know that's what's going to happen. Nobody wants to admit this, but goaltending experience is ABSOLUTELY HUGE when you get to this level.
Quick might be MONEY. Quick might SUCK. The truth?
We simply have no idea. The other truth? We know Brodeur IS $$$$. So while Quick at this point is likely a better goalie than Brodeur? The savvy GM would take Marty over JQ in a heartbeat, and that's a fact!
My predictions
Devils in 6 (won in 7)
Flyers in 6 (lost in 5) Oops (thankfully!)
Devils in 6 (won in 6)
Kings in 6 (?)
I agree with basically everything you said except "the Devils offense is substantially better than the Kings offense". To me it's more like the Devils PP is substantially better than the Kings PP, and that's the difference. 5 on 5, I don't believe they are that different, with perhaps the Kings having an ever so slight advantage.
Look, even I think the Kings are the favorites. In fact I'll take the Kings to win in 6 games.
But there are so many of you taking the Kings in a SWEEP or 5 games?
I seriously dont just "think", but I "know", that many of you are taking the Devils WAY too lightly. It's like the Flyers series all over again.
I wouldn't take it too seriously. I doubt most Kings fans, especially those who have followed the team for a long time really believe it would be sweep or in 5. I think most would agree that the Devils will be LA's toughest opponent thus far and it's a series that could go either way.
Devils are a great team and deserve to be where they are. No one is taking them lightly.
The Poll Map on ESPN is pretty amazing, it kind of looks like the electoral map from the 1984 Presidential Election.
Kind of scares me how big a favorite the Kings are seen by hockey fans and Vegas alike.
Still can't believe we're in the finals.
They just need to ignore all that crap and not fall for their own hype and keep doing what they're doing. This looks like a focused and determined group and I think Sutter has them all on the same page. This team finally has an identity that was missing during the Terry Murray era.
Look, even I think the Kings are the favorites. In fact I'll take the Kings to win in 6 games.
But there are so many of you taking the Kings in a SWEEP or 5 games?
I seriously dont just "think", but I "know", that many of you are taking the Devils WAY too lightly. It's like the Flyers series all over again.
You need to relax a bit, in this thread there were only a couple of people who predicted a sweep or five games. The majority of us are giving the Devils respect.
With that said, the Kings have only lost two games all post season against teams that the vast majority expected to move on. So you can't blame some Kings fans for having confidence in the team.
He will be by far the most dynamic and difficult matchup the Kings will have faced in these playoffs, even at 80%.
Got to try our best to make sure either Doughty/Scuds or Mitchell/Voynov pairing are out there against him and not the Greene/AMart pairing. Still like our chances in this series.
Especially considering Kovy is a step slow according to Devils fans. You have to be aggressive with him and possibly force a turnover that can lead to a rush the other way. Shutdown Kovy on the PP and you basically shutdown his goalscoring completely since 5 of his 7 goals in the playoffs came on the PP.
Exactly, he's not going to have that quick step with an injury, you have to have a guy like richards completely on him and poke the puck loose for a break away or a 2 on 1. Their point is their double edged sword, lethal but massive liability.
