The Devils you say!
Just two words are all you need to know about the New Jersey Devils: Martin Brodeur.
Two words, one name.
The greatest goalie in NHL history, surpassing St. Patrick of Roy. The only goalie besides Ron Hextall to score goals in NHL regular season and playoff games.
Brodeur is, without question, one of the biggest obstacles the Flyers have faced since he entered the league full time in the 1993-94 season. Since playing four games in 1991-92, his NHL goals against average for a single season has never been higher than 2.45. He is 103-84 all-time in the playoffs with 24 shutouts, a 2.01 goals against average and a .901 save percentage.
Veteran Flyers who have played against Brodeur have succumbed to his abilities. Rookies have played against him for the first time this season after marveling at him during their formative years.
And now, the biggest obstacle for the Flyers as they host the Devils in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinals is Brodeur — who will celebrate his 40th birthday by trying to win Game 4 on May 6. Game 1 is today at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Some people believe that Brodeur has slipped a step in his greatness, but Brodeur at 85 percent is better than most goalies at 100 percent. His numbers show he isn't slipping, as does his double overtime win in Game 7 against Florida. When the jackpot is at its highest, Brodeur finds a way to earn the winning hand.
He is not the only capable player on the team, but the former All-World player is like the Rolling Stones. Despite being at an advanced age (Jaromir Jagr is slightly older), Brodeur is always capable of creating a No. 1 hit.
He is unflappable. After getting pulled in the 4-3 loss to Florida in Game 3 of the opening round series, he bounced back with his record-setting 24th career playoff shutout.
Despite going 1-3 in the season series against the Flyers this season, Brodeur has been on. He had a 2.26 GAA and a .905 save percentage against the Flyers while collecting 31 wins in the regular season with a 2.41 GAA and a .908 save percentage. He gave up 17 goals in the series win over Florida, including two wins in double overtime.
But the Flyers have been able to solve him lately, as evidenced this season and in the last two playoff meetings between the clubs. The Flyers lost to the Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals in both 1995 and 2000, but beat them in the quarterfinals in 2004 and 2010. The playoff series between the teams is tied 2-2, and the Flyers hold a 13-12 edge in playoff wins.
And while most of the media focus will be on Brodeur and his Mick Jagger-like longevity between the pipes, the Devils are more than just a goaltender covering a net as Flyers fans can recall from the days of Claude Lemieux and Scott Stevenson. You can never take a Devils team for granted, not since the day when Wayne Gretzky called the team "Mickey Mouse" in the early 1990s.
"They're a very tough team to play against,'' Flyers winger Jakob Voracek said. "A grinder team, they play very good defense and a lot of skill on the top lines. [Patrik] Elias, [Ilya] Kovalchuk, they're pretty dangerous players.''
Elias, like Brodeur, has been a Flyer killer, and tallied 78 points this season. Kovalchuk had his best year as a Devil with 37 goals and 46 assists for 83 points. The top line of Kovalchuk, Zach Parise and Travis Zajac is formidable, and just a tad less lethal than when Pittsburgh put Sidney Crosby and Hart Trophy finalist Evgeni Malkin on the same line in the opening round series against the Flyers. Parise had 31 goals and 38 assists.
After a double overtime win Thursday night, the Devils got an added day of rest when the NHL gave the Flyers-Devils series a Sunday start. The Flyers haven't played since eliminating the Penguins last Sunday, so Game 1 should provide an entertaining look at the effects of a layoff versus the effects of moving on with more limited, but more reasonable rest.
The Flyers can't afford the slow starts they had in the win over the Penguins. Those games were an offensive slugfest; the Devils series figures to be more defense-oriented, and the Flyers must be ready for that challenge.
"It falls on some of the older guys in this locker room," Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn said, "and how we prepare is a reflection of how we practice. That's a focus and a thing where we have leaders in this room to make sure we are ready."
Said the Flyers Danny Briere, who had five goals in the Penguins series: "It was a tough, physical series against Pittsburgh, and to have a week off, it gives everyone a chance to recuperate. I think it's more important than staying on a roll at this time."
The Flyers are expected to have defenseman Nicklas Grossmann in the lineup after an elbow to the head by Malkin gave him a concussion in Game 4 and knocked him out of the series.
There are many factors that will determine this series, from special teams to line matchups to goalie play. The Flyers still have an unknown in goalie Ilya Bryzgalov based on his erratic play, but the Devils can rest solidly behind the drum-beat steady play of Brodeur, no matter his age.
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3 KEYS TO THE SERIES
(1) Start fast. The Flyers fell behind Pittsburgh 3-0, 2-0 and 1-0 in the first three games of their opening round series. Coming back against the Devils will be a stiffer challenge.
(2) Goalies. Ilya Bryzgalov vs. Martin Brodeur. Bryz went 3-0 against the Devils with a 0.29 GAA and .987 save percentage during the regular season. Brodeur went 1-3 against the Flyers with a 2.26 GAA. That wins most games.
(3) Special teams. The Flyers were on a roll with the power play against the Penguins and need to find a way to beat the traditionally solid penalty killing units of the Devils.
Prediction: The Flyers have the right mix of veterans and youth playing at a high level. With James van Riemsdyk back in the lineup and a week of solid practice behind him, he could be the difference maker. Flyers in 6.
