The Rite of Spring

[Cujo]

Fun little tidbit: This year's Stanley Cup champ will automatically be the lowest-seeded team to ever win it

The Devils were also a 6-seed when they won it all in 2000, right?

[habsfan1]

Well, let the 2 week Marty-geddon begin.

All Brodeur all the time- the most high-profile 40 year old since Favre.

Didn't the team say that they are not going to re-sign him for the 2012-13 season?

[JQK]

So... what i miss?

[Quillz]

Well, the Devils are going to win the Stanley Cup. The Kings will get a game at best.

Oh well, at least I can say I got to watch my team in the SCF.

Fun little tidbit: This year's Stanley Cup champ will automatically be the lowest-seeded team to ever win it

The Devils were also a 6-seed when they won it all in 2000, right?

No. The Devils were "only" a #4 seed back in 2000 when they won it. They actually won it as a #5 seed when they swept the Red Wings back in 1995.

No seed below #5 has ever won the Stanley Cup. This series is guaranteed to crown either the #6 seed or the #8 seed.

[The_Admiral]

Just realized the Devils denied us another Darryl Sutter vs. John Tortorella matchup in the Final.

Last time the Rangers went to the Final, there was a lockout. Last time Tortorella and Sutter coached the teams in the Final, there was an even longer lockout. The New Jersey Devils just may have saved us from the NHL imploding forever. We can no longer Fehr the worst!

Devils have a very good team, one with legitimate hockey talent this time, and they'll match up quite well with the Kings, but I've gotta go with the Kings on this one.

So the Rangers went 10-10 in the playoffs. That's a dubious achievement. I had a feeling that team was never as good as advertised. All they ever did was lie in front of shots.

[ninersdd]

LA in 6 is my pick.

[Still MIGHTY]

Devils in 6.

[sportsfan0518]

I have to wonder, how the hell did the Florida Panthers come within a goal of taking down the Devils?

I was thinking that same thing after I reminisced about this postseason. They beat the Rangers and the Fylers convincingly, but I think the Devils were just sick of Florida and just wanted to survive.

Go Devils...cannot bear to be a fan of the oldest team with 0 Cups (which would be Blues if LA wins)I liked how they handled the Prince of Wales trophy. They are celebrating it with a team photo, but not touching it since they have more work to do.

I loved that too, it showed that this is not our goal and we have to get to that goal before we go nuts.

[Quillz]

Neither the Devils nor Kings touched the conference trophies, IIRC. I guess both felt the same way: it's nice, but not the goal.

[cameroncrazie07]

Wow I really still can't believe it's over. I thought this team had that instinct to win it all this year but it just shows you how a few bad goals can kill a team in the playoffs. Anyways congrats to the Devils, I can't say they were the better team this year but they just played better for a few games. Well it is what it is, and not to sound like a troll here but I can safely say I (along with most of the United States) won't watch a second of the Finals. It simply doesn't really interest me at all.

[njmeadowlanders]

Well, at least the Mets won tonight...

[Quillz]

Wow I really still can't believe it's over. I thought this team had that instinct to win it all this year but it just shows you how a few bad goals can kill a team in the playoffs. Anyways congrats to the Devils, I can't say they were the better team this year but they just played better for a few games. Well it is what it is, and not to sound like a troll here but I can safely say I (along with most of the United States) won't watch a second of the Finals. It simply doesn't really interest me at all.

How's the viewership for the Stanley Cup Finals these days, anyway? I thought last year's had pretty good viewership.

The Kings actually have a pretty big following, as do the Devils. And both are within large media markets, so I think there should be some pretty good ratings, especially the NBC games.

[CS85]

Devils/Kings? What else is on.

[cameroncrazie07]

Wow I really still can't believe it's over. I thought this team had that instinct to win it all this year but it just shows you how a few bad goals can kill a team in the playoffs. Anyways congrats to the Devils, I can't say they were the better team this year but they just played better for a few games. Well it is what it is, and not to sound like a troll here but I can safely say I (along with most of the United States) won't watch a second of the Finals. It simply doesn't really interest me at all.

How's the viewership for the Stanley Cup Finals these days, anyway? I thought last year's had pretty good viewership.

The Kings actually have a pretty big following, as do the Devils. And both are within large media markets, so I think there should be some pretty good ratings, especially the NBC games.

My link

Hmm Devils were 24th in the league this year in attendance I wouldn't exactly call that having a "big following". Trust me I've seen Devils games where the arena's half empty.

And the last 2 years Finals have had great ratings because last year you had Vancouver and Boston, two teams with HUGE followings, and in 2010 you had Chicago and Philly another two with huge fan bases.

Not to mention the fact that they are going to be playing 2 games in 8 days (gives people more time to forget about it) and will be going up against (most likely) Heat-Celtics and Spurs-Thunder, I highly doubt this years finals gets any high ratings at all.

Don't get me wrong I'm very happy for the Devils and what they've done this postseason but I just don't think many people will watch their finals matchup with LA.

[Unocal]

Rangers/Kings would have been terrific.

New Jersey? They're the equivalent of the 2009 Orlando Magic, when they spoiled a Kobe/LeBron Finals everyone outside of Florida wanted.

[dfwabel]

Wow I really still can't believe it's over. I thought this team had that instinct to win it all this year but it just shows you how a few bad goals can kill a team in the playoffs. Anyways congrats to the Devils, I can't say they were the better team this year but they just played better for a few games. Well it is what it is, and not to sound like a troll here but I can safely say I (along with most of the United States) won't watch a second of the Finals. It simply doesn't really interest me at all.

How's the viewership for the Stanley Cup Finals these days, anyway? I thought last year's had pretty good viewership.

Sports Media Watch

For the fourth time in five games on NBCSN, the Devils/Rangers series suffered a decline from last year. Game 5 of the Devils/Rangers NHL Eastern Conference final drew 1.428 million viewers on NBC Sports Network Wednesday night, down 6% from Lightning/Bruins Game 5 on a Monday night last year (1.516M), and down 11% from Canadiens/Flyers Game 5 in 2010 (1.595M). Wednesday?s game ranks as the most-viewed of the series on cable (Game 3 aired on the NBC broadcast network). All four games on NBCSN have suffered declines from last year.

Locally, Game 5 drew a 6.47 rating in New York, the highest rating ever for an NHL game on NBCSN in the market.

[CS85]

Just to give the Devils some credit, that 2nd goal was one of the most textbook perfect power play goals I've ever seen.

[evanmaldonado]

If a team wins the Stanley Cup and nobody's around to care, did it really happen?

Seriously who out there ever said "hey, I think a Devils-Kings final would be awesome!" I would've rather seen a Florida-Phoenix final than this in all honesty. I've never been least excited for a Cup finals in my life.

What a bad goal to end it on. I bet you pretty soon we're gonna start hearing a lot of Lundqvist choking in big games as his post season record in terms of wins isn't exactly stellar.

Oh well. I still love hockey. I'll still watch the games I can. Go Kings I guess.

LA in 5. Please please save us and somebody sweep though

[Unocal]

Does anybody outside of New Jersey care about the Devils?

I get a 2007 Ottawa feel from them- outside the local area, is anybody REALLY clamoring for them to win it all?

[Quillz]

Does anybody outside of New Jersey care about the Devils?

I get a 2007 Ottawa feel from them- outside the local area, is anybody REALLY clamoring for them to win it all?

Sure, there are plenty of anti-Kings people. Especially Ducks fans in Anaheim and elsewhere throughout California, they hate the Kings and therefore want the Devils to win.

I'd imagine there are those who also dislike any Sun Belt teams for one reason or another, and thus want a "true" team to win it all.