Devil’s Top Ten Moments of the Decade

I tried to get this up before last night but here it is nonetheless. With the arrival of the new year also brings the beginning of a new decade. You can say the New Jersey Devils have endured a decade with lots of upside and success, and still look strong as they trek into 2010. It’s been a decade of successes, failures, ups, downs, memorable, and forgettable moments. Having said that, let me share what I believe are the top ten moments of the decade for the New Jersey Devils…

10. Sweeping the Rangers…While this wasn’t necessarily as notarized around the league, it was a great personal moment for the Devils and their fans. In the 2006 Eastern Conference Quarter Finals, the Devils would open up their playoff campaign against the rival New York Rangers. Aside from achieving victory in the form of a four game sweep and defeating the Rangers the first time ever in the post season after three previous match ups, it was some of the best hockey I ever saw any Devils team play in the fact they were virtually dominant in every aspect. Although the Devils went on to be eliminated by the future Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, and would lose to the Rangers in the opening round of the playoffs two years later, the present memories of that playoff series should be something Devils fans will recall for a long time.

9. Returning from the lockout…I still have the ticket from the Devil’s opening night game, their first one in two years. Every team’s opening night on Wednesday, October 5th, 2005 should be an instant memory of theirs and their fans. Being the first game after a treacherous and torturous lockout that canceled the 2004-2005 season, everyone inside the building (then Continental Airlines Arena) did not care who was playing or who rooted for who, rather there was a nondiscriminatory commonality amongst every attendant for a desire to see the game of hockey played. Aside from an exhilarating 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, it was an eventful night. Everyone present or watching from home received the privilege of seeing the great Mario Lemieux play and watched two young stars play in their first NHL games and make an impact for their respective teams in Sidney Crosby and Zach Parise.

8. Brodeur breaking the shutout record…I was happy when Marty broke the record, but didn’t experience the joy I felt when he became the winningest goaltender of all time because last year I realized a broken record ultimately bares no meaning if it can’t help your team achieve the ultimate goal. I’ll boldly say this is another notch in Marty’s record column he’s deservingly obtained and might as well complete everything he’s currently capable of breaking or setting. Many have reason to believe Brodeur is holding an unbreakable record, a statement, whose time challenges and the rivals it brings will be faced soon as Brodeur decides to call it a career. Until then, it’ll be an honor to watch Brodeur extend a record that went unaltered for almost four decades to marks that might indeed never be reached by any goaltender again.

7. Retiring No. 3…Like the Ranger sweep, this one has more personal meaning to Devils fans. No. 3 belonged to long time Devil Ken Daneyko, who was with the team since day one, until they won their third and most recent Stanley Cup in 2003. Known as “Mr. Devil”, Ken Daneyko was a long time fan favorite and gave the Devils his best night in and out. Like Colin White said, he wasn’t the best shooter or stick handler, but his qualities as a leader and team player would make any organization want him. Daneyko helped the Devils get to where they are now and remains with the organization. While he wasn’t a Stevens or Niedermayer type defenseman, he had a presence that was and is still hard to replace.

6. First game at the Prudential Center…On October 27th, 2007, the New Jersey Devils concluded a nine game road trip, set up due to delays in the finalization of construction of their new arena. The Devils were set to make their franchise debut in their new home, the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey in front of a sold out crowd, and haven’t looked back since. Despite losing 4-1 to the Ottawa Senators, the night was a historical turning point in the organization’s history and in Devils hockey, culture, and a home that assured they will stay in New Jersey for some time.

5. Retiring No. 4…No offense to Daneyko, but when a franchise immortalizes its first number, you have to do it right. Scott Stevens played with the Devils for fourteen years and was captain for thirteen. He played on all three Stanley Cup teams and a huge role in the successes of the organization throughout the past two decades. Known for his dominant and game changing physical play, many render Stevens as the most feared hitter to play the game. After playing a hall of fame worthy career, the ascension of his number to the rafters is the perfect completion to Scott Stevens’ decorated career and time with the Devils.

4. The 2003 Stanley Cup…This will surely go down as one of the most exhilarating and bazaar playoff series the Devils were ever in. After going up 2-0 against the underdog Anaheim Mighty Ducks, the Devils seemed to have their third Stanley Cup in their grasp. Anaheim hadn’t even scored a goal on them. After the next two games, the series returned to Jersey tied up, during which some pretty questionable and unusual occurrences transpired such as the goal Brodeur literally watched slide in. It took a game seven to determine the 2003 Stanley Cup champions, and dare I say, a game in which the Devils simply dominated, resulting in a symbolic 3-0 turnout.

3. Brodeur breaking the wins record…Aside from being one of the greatest moments of the decade for the Devils, I’m all for considering this one of the greatest moments in franchise history. It seemed as if it was set it up to be done in perfect fashion. He ties the record in Montreal, his hometown with the great Patrick Roy in attendance, and then goes on to break the record in Newark on St. Patrick’s day. Having said that, March 17th, may as well be called St. Marty’s day from here on out at the Prudential Center. What makes this record more special is how is was broken twice in the same decade (Patrick Roy initially broke the wins record in 2002).

2. 2000 Eastern Conference Finals comeback…This has to be one of the most memorable playoff match ups a Devils fan could recall. After game four, the Devils were down 3-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers and on the brink of elimination. People around the league were starting to anticipate a Flyers/Stars Stanley Cup Final series, acting as if the Devils had already been eliminated. It’s unclear what sparked the Devils, but in astounding fashion, they rallied to tie the series and went on to clinch their franchise’s second Eastern Conference championship in a torturously close game seven away from home. What happened to the Devils in that conference final perfectly defines a real team and how a real team unites to get through the toughest and most discouraging of obstacles on their way to the ultimate prize.

1. 2000 Stanley Cup…What separates this championship from the one in 2003? And why do I put this moment on top of the decade’s all time list? To start, the 2000 team was perhaps the greatest team that was ever assembled. Second, it was the Devil’s first return to the Stanley Cup Finals, let alone championship since 1995. Between 1995 and 2000, the Devils achieved respectable success in the regular season (save 1996), and consecutive early round upsets in the playoffs. When they won in 2000, it proved the Devils were still a team that was able to legitimately compete and win and proved their miraculous 1995 run, known to some critics as “half a cup” was more than just a fluke they like to dismiss it as.

I also want to send my congratulations out to Patrik Elias for making the Czech Olympic team and for being named the team’s captain. Props of course on Brodeur’s expected making of Team Canada, and to Jamie Langenbrunner, Zach Parise, and Paul Martin for making Team USA.

Team USA definitely has a new younger and much different look to it. It’ll be weird not seeing guys like Modano, Tkachuk, Guerin, and Chelios represent this year and while I must say I think the overall squad is pretty suspect, I know they were chosen for a reason and I’m confident they won’t disappoint. Miracles have happened before.