Yeah, baby, hockey is back. At least, Devils hockey. Have I mentioned that the Devils Rule? Oh, and the Rangers drool? How many years without Playoffs will this season make, Rangers fans? Mwahahahahahahahahahahaha! However, thanks for beating the Flygirls tonight.
The action was great for the games I was flipping to during commercials and intermissions, while watching the Devs kick the snot out of the Pens. Sorry, Dad! Little Gionta with 2. Brylin with 2, and he also started off with the first goal of the game. Poetic for such a stalwart and fan favorite. And Zack Parise, #1 2003 pick, with his first NHL goal. Crosby who?
How about Marty, standing tall. As usual. Is it too early to say Vezina?
Back to the action. Up and down the ice, free flo. Bigger zones is great, too. Lot easier to keep it in the zone from clears. Getting rid of the 2 line pass is a pretty good rule. The obstruction and hooking and stuff aren’t. Ridiculous amounts of penalties, which takes away the continuity of the game. I bet that the penalties go way down and the hooking and stuff goes up, just like it has in previous years, such as 2004, when the NHL tried to tighten it up. Can anyone check? No real big hits yet. Need to see someone blasted. That is hockey.
Great game for the Devils, overall. Once again, we see that Marty is the best, and Lou knows what he is doing. Pens may have been the worst in 2004, but they were expected to do big things with all their acquisitions this year. Yes, it is only one game. But it shows the Devils can, as always, adapt.
Final score, Devils 5, Penguins 1.
Stats: SOG: Devs 42, Pens 33. PP: Devils (2-8), Pens (1-11)
Do you think any of them remember how to play after so long?
They looked pretty good. Not as much freewheeling as I thought there would be, except in the neutral zone.