Devils vs. Rangers Game 1: Martin Brodeur Unwise to Praise Henrik Lundqvist

New Jersey Devils' veteran goalkeeper Martin Brodeur should know better than to concede anything to his opponents while his team is still fighting for the Stanley Cup, and his praise of New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist isn't good news for his team's chances.

According to NJ.com:

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He praised Henrik Lundqvist as the goalie “who’s been having the unbelievable year.” He called his Rangers counterpart “the top goalie in the NHL right now,” championing him as the likely Vezina Trophy winner, saying, "For me, it’s kind of nice to be able to compete against him. I’ll do my best to match up, but it’s going to be pretty hard."

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Are you serious? He's practically handing the Rangers the victory before the series has even begun. While what he says is undoubtedly true, he shouldn't have voiced it before the series began.

The only way to win in professional sports is through believing in yourself and your teammates. With his words, Brodeur has confessed a disbelief that could reverberate throughout his locker room and cause his teammates to lose confidence in their ability to defeat the Rangers.

Perhaps he is just trying to pull off some kind of reverse psychology on Lundqvist—hoping he'll come into the series overconfident and pleased with himself.

That isn't likely to happen, and Brodeur would have been better off waiting until after the series was over to heap this kind of praise on his opponent.

Lundqvist hasn't ever been in this position before. He isn't going to rest on his laurels and be content with his accomplishments. Like every other pro hockey player, he wants to hoist the Stanley Cup into the air at the end of the Finals, and no amount of praise from Brodeur is going to sway him from that goal.

Brodeur should know better. Never concede anything to your opponent. Ever. 

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