Hurricanes-Devils: New Jersey Loses in Quarterfinals

With two minutes left to go in game seven of their quarterfinal battle with Carolina, the Devils looked like they were in control.

However, as the clock hit the 1:20 mark, things began to go down the toilet when Pitkanen passed it to Jokinen to tie up the score at 3-3.

Then everything came crashing down when Eric Staal was able to streak towards the goals after a pass from La Rose with 32 seconds left to win the game and the series, 4-3.

I personally was jubilant over the Devil's newest choke. Not only will my favorite team (the Bruins) be able to play the much easier Canes (when compared to the Penguins), but this may also put a rest to the constant praising of "Marty" by people here in Jersey. Marty has been pretty much canonized by Devils fans.

While I do agree that he is one of the top three goalies of all-time, he is not worthy of the level of praise that Devils fans and the NHL give him. (No one is.)

Brodeur has been an excellent goalie on a team that has practically invented and played the most conservative style of hockey ever created: the neutral zone trap. This style of play made me hate watching hockey in the beginning of the century. Brodeur was bound to set records in such an ideal situation for a goalie. 

The extent to which the Devils protect Marty was epitomized in game four of the series. After the Devils' offense saved a poor performance by the defense, they were just a second away from going into overtime with all the momentum in the world. But, Marty seemed to float way too far from the goal, and knocked into Jokinen well outside the crease, allowing the goal to get past him.

After the goal, Brodeur got up and calmly got a drink from his water bottle, thinking that time had expired and the goal did not count. Marty did not start throwing a fit until after the goal was confirmed. The Devils announcer quickly jumped to Brodeur's aid, and stated that Marty would not have reacted the way he did if there wasn't any interference.

Every other hockey analyst said that there was no interference, beside the ones that work at MSG. This is just one of many reasons why I have a great dislike for the amount of praise that Marty receives.

Now, if Brodeur had accomplished all of this in a Bruins jersey, I will admit that I probably would name my first-born son "Marty."