newjerseynewsroom.com

BY SAM HITCHCOCK

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

COMMENTARY

Like a good movie or book, an NHL team’s run to its conference finals is an ever-changing narrative. As more events in the story’s plot unfold, characters take certain courses of action or use language that reflects how we perceive them as personalities. They might be moving towards a great fall, ascending towards success, or they could be growing complacent and suggesting they are getting more reclusive and introverted.

On December 20, 2011 the Rangers and Devils had their first meeting. Marian Gaborik had two goals in the game and was dominant, Travis Zajac had his first goal of the season, and Sean Avery was a healthy scratch. Also, Devils defenseman Henrik Tallinder did not play because he had back spasms.

In five months, a lot has changed. The first half of the season, in the lead up to the Winter Classic, Gaborik was at his best. For the Devils, Zajac’s return from Achilles injury was short-lived when his second departure to the injury reserve lasted until there were seven games remaining in the regular season. And Avery got cut from the Rangers for good. Tallinder, who was in the Devils top-six, suffered a season-ending blood clot, which provoked General Manager Lou Lamoriello to acquire Marek Zidlicky.

Their December loss to the Rangers put the Devils at a middling 18-14-1, which is boosted when considering they had won six of their last seven going into the game, overcoming a very sluggish start to the season.

The Rangers were a dynamic and steady force all season, just missing out on the league’s best record and obtaining the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. But 60-plus games later, the Devils are meeting the Rangers in a series that will determine the Eastern Conference representative for the Stanley Cup.

Many experts are picking the Devils to advance, largely because they have had the less grueling road through two rounds and absolutely embarrassed Philadelphia. The rationale being used: it is better to get hot later in the season than earlier. Let’s run through the offense, defense, and goaltending matchup and find a winner.

DEVILS OFFENSE:

In small windows of the regular season and postseason, the Devils showed that when they play a tenacious forecheck, commit to the backcheck, and cycle the puck and then attack, they can beat anyone. Their forwards can grind opponents’ defensemen, and control zone possession. This forces the other team’s forwards to play and expend energy in their own end.

Kovy-Zajac-Ponik: The Devils came into the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in the East, but after watching Zajac return at the end of the season and play 12 strong games in the postseason, his absence during nearly the entire regular season is much more noticeable.

The biggest statistic that jumps out is that he is leading the Devils in the playoffs with five goals, and his fresh legs are very noticeable. But his impressive 58.4% Faceoff Percentage cannot be emphasized enough. The Devils struggled mightily this season with faceoffs, and gaining puck possession off the draw in the offensive and defensive zone is crucial.

Kovy was not himself in Game 1 of the second round, and then he admirably sat in Game 2 because he was doing more harm than good. For Games 3, 4, and 5, he was absolutely electric. All season in this column I have been advocating for Kovy getting his due; he brings an offensive dimension to this team that is more dangerous than any other forward remaining in the playoffs (this purposefully includes Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards, Mike Richards, Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, Shane Doan, Radim Vrbata).

Gaborik and Vrbata might have a more dangerous shot, Brad Richards might be as good a passer, and Kopitar and Brown might be better defensively -- but no player can dictate play with the puck like Kovy. What got lost in Alexei Ponikarovsky’s game-winner in Game 3 against Philly was how outstanding Kovy’s stretch-pass was that opened up the scoring chance. He is not just a sniper, but a playmaker who makes every one he plays with better. And when you factor in his minutes, and his underrated play in the defensive end against Philly, he is outstanding.

Parise-Elias-Clarkson: Parise was very good during the regular season. He played with the energy of a pinball, bouncing around and using as much energy as he could for his team. But he ramped up his game a few extra gears in the Flyers series. His speed was deadly against the Flyers on the forecheck, taking the body and forcing turnovers when the Flyers made clearing attempts.

With Elias and Clarkson as linemates, the trio wore down Philly’s D. They fought along the wall and in the corners, cycled and looked for that opportunity where they could push the puck towards the net and one of them could fire it in. Elias and Clarkson, both players with skill-sets who perfectly complement Parise, were also major impact players. The Flyers always seemed to falter when they swarmed the offensive zone during a line change. This line brought great speed, but also mixed in that hard hitting that really took its toll on Philly.