Pre-Game Lowdown: Taking on the Champs & How I Became a Devils Fan
Although it’s early in the season, tonight is undoubtedly going to be the Devil’s biggest test thus far as they face the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins at the Melon Arena. The title the Penguins currently hold is only partially relevant behind the feat of playing them, as they’re a team that backs it and aren’t showing any signs of a cup hangover. Just their core alone featuring the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evengei (did I spell it right?) Malkin, Jordan Staal, and Marc Andre Fleury is intimidating enough, which doesn’t end there since the team contains a solid squad of supporting role players.
Once again, Jacques Lemaire has altered the Devils lineup, however tonight he’s done it both forcibly and on his own. With Mike Mottau out with a hip injury he sustained in the Devil’s last game against the New York Rangers, rookie defenseman Mark Fraser has been removed from the IR and is set to make his season debut. Although Lemaire wouldn’t specify what the defensive pairings would be, it also looks like Matt Halischuk and Andrew Peters are going to be tonight’s healthy scratches with Ilkka Pikkarainen and Pierre Luc-Letourneau Leblond playing.
We should focus on a few aspects of the team as they play the Pens tonight that can provide us with a good indication of the shape they’re in and what to expect in future matches against divisional rivals and the NHL’s elite. On Thursday, Martin Brodeur was liberated from a hex he’s suffered against the Rangers for over two years and is starting to look more like Marty every game. He’s currently 1-2 against division rivals and has been 5-1 since starting 0-2. Tonight, the Devils and Brodeur look to even their record against division rivals and send a message to the rest of the league that they’re more competitive than some are giving them credit for. The Devils are currently undefeated on the road (4-0) and look to lengthen that trend tonight, along with turning their pair of consecutive wins into a small winning streak.
The Devils scored a season high four goals on Thursday with Zach Parise, Travis Zajac, Rob Niedermayer, and David Clarkson all continuing their solid early season play, while rookie Niclas Bergfors netted his first goal of the season. Now that the Devils realized their ability to sufficiently utilize their offensive assets to provide the necessary scoring to win games, tonight will indicate whether we can expect them to redeem last year’s scoring touch or if their prior output was one of a sparing amount of flukes to be seen this season. In addition, since Niclas Bergfors passed the milestone of netting his season’s first, will he start appearing on the scoring sheet more often, or will points end up becoming a struggle? The Penguins won’t make anything easy for the Devils and I’m not saying everything I’ve mentioned will start or happen tonight, rather since the team and certain players passed a few important milestones in their last game, from here on out will show whether they were something to get excited about or if last game’s achievements were powered by mere luck and convenience.
In addition, the Devils will also face former teammate Mike Rupp, whose off to a pretty good start with his new team. Rupp signed a two-year deal with the Penguins on July 1st for about $1.6 million and the change of scenery seems to be doing him good. In ten games, Rupp has two goals, three points, and eighteen penalty minutes. On Tom Gulitti’s Fire and Ice Blog, and in Rich Chere’s game day articles, they both noted Mike Rupp saying he’s enjoying his time in Pittsburgh and how he’s been getting the opportunities to play and engage in game situations with the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evengei Malkin. Rupp also mentioned it’s going to be weird facing his former team and teammates, giving me reason to believe Pittsburgh’s opponents can make Rupp be one of the players that stands out tonight in more ways then one.
Regardless of any outcome between the Devils and Penguins or what transpires during the game, I’ll always have a soft spot for Pittsburgh, because if it hadn’t been for them I probably would have never become a Devils fan. It all started when I was three-years old and my dad took me to Madison Square Garden to watch the Rangers play the Pittsburgh Penguins. So you know, I’m currently the only Devils fan in my household with my dad and brother being avid Ranger fans, while my mom just sits back and watches the three of us bicker at the dinner table. Anyway, when I was at the game, I took a huge liking to the Pittsburgh Penguin’s away uniforms (the old ones) and as a result, started to take a liking to the team. Behind where me and my dad were sitting, there were about two of three guys that were talking about the Devils. I don’t remember what they were exactly saying, but I remember hearing “the Devils” over and over. Now, know when you’re three-years old, your maturing mind is very susceptible to being manipulated into believing what you’re told and hear (remember Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and Tooth Fairy?).
As a result, my three-year old mind came to the conclusion that the Pittsburgh Penguins were actually the Devils (although my dad told me the Rangers were playing the Penguins), and since I loved their uniforms, and became more intrigued when my dad was telling me the team in the black were the bad guys, while the Rangers were the good guys, it was then and there when I declared myself a Devils fan. So, you can imagine how my dad almost drove off the road when he asked me how I liked the game and Rangers and I responded by saying I really liked the Devils. Although there were a few attempts to sway my beliefs, liking the Devils was something I stuck with throughout my life and grew with. Hadn’t my dad taken me to that one game when the Rangers faced the Penguins or if it had been the Rangers Vs any other team, maybe things would have been different.
