A look into game 3 for New Jersey; will the Devils pay their due?

by Brandt Corbin

 

    As the New Jersey Devils were completing their series victory over the arch rivals New York Rangers, some experts were saying the Devils where much like the Kings. “Big and Strong" they were claiming, I found it somewhat comical. Physically lets compare Alexei Ponikarovsky to Dwight King? Ask the Kings on how much “Poni” paid the price for the team last year? I’m not saying the Devils don’t have heavy and gritty players, because they do in guys like David Clarkson and Danius Zubrus; but the list is not long and plentiful like it is for the Kings.

Best fourth lines going at it?

    If I were the Kings coming into the finals, the battle of the fourth line would have made me a little bit nervous. The Devils have a quicker more skilled fourth line led by Ryan Carter & Stephen Gionta, and they are just as nasty compared to the Kings fourth line. When it’s all said and done, the Devils coaching staff could argue the fact that their fourth line has been much better than the third line.

Parise and Kovi must show up

    In game one, it was the Kings top line that won it for LA. Game two, Mike Richards and his linemates were the biggest factors in the win. This cannot be said in regards to the Devils and their better players. Devils captain Zach Parise is –4 and pointless in the last three games of the playoffs. Then you have Ilya Kovalchuk; where to start with the skilled Russian? You would assume being in the finals battling for the Stanley Cup, he’d be somewhat interested in playing? He’s only 4 wins away from silencing his critics. But instead he’s again not back checking, one hand stick checks. In game 2 he had Drew Doughty all lined up for a hit; but at the second laid up. Like the other players from Russia; he’s more concerned about his Olympic and World Championship Gold Medals than he is about a Stanley Cup Ring.

Keys going into game 3 are as follows

    Some how, some way.... the Devils need to score first and get a lead. Around 65% of the time the Kings have led during the course of the games in the 2012 playoffs, 30% of the time they’ve been tied; that means less than 5% of the time they’ve trailed.

    The Devils must make for of an effort to crash the net and make Jonathan Quick life a nightmare. Just like the Devils fans reminded the referees anytime the Kings crossed the line, it will be the other way around for games 3 & 4. New Jersey must get as many pucks on net as possible, that with the traffic will be key factors to them even having a chance to score.

    Looking at the playoffs stats; they’re somewhat shocking. Parise, Kovalchuk, Zajac & Elias are a combined –16. They need more production from Elias (4 goals & 7 points), Ponikarovsky (1 goal & 7 points) & Hendrique (3 goals). You need more than 2 goals in a game to even have a chance against the Kings.

    But, the fact of the matter is this. Neither the Devils nor the Kings have played their best hockey so far. That for the Devils is not good news, as they must win 4 out of 5 games, three of which will be at the Staples Center.