The Devils, however, let us down. Bad turnovers and sloppy play killed them. Of course, Olaf Kolzig making 43 saves didn't help at all. It was a shame that Brodeur wasn't playing, but at the same time nice to see Clemmensen make only his second NHL start. He certainly didn't disappoint: two of the goals were off turnovers that he had no prayer on. And damn, his pads are bright as hell.

These playoffs ruled. Devils kicked ass. Giguere was a worthy adversary, and a deserving winner of the Conn Smythe. Congrats Ducks on an excellent series.

We're the Champions! WHOOOOOOHOOO!!!

And who is down 0-2 in the West? Could it be...is it possible...it is! Your Champion Detroit Red Wings are *gasp* down 0-2 against the Mighty Ducks! How is this possible? Could it be that CuJo is just not a big game goalie? Your precious Stevie-Y has only a single point, and is -1 so far? Mr. Hull is -2? What's going on?

The fact is, I just don't follow hockey closely enough to be objective and analytical. In the West, I like Detroit, because they are always a powerhouse, and I won't count out the Wild, because Jacques Lemaire (a veritable God Of Hockey) took another young, relatively inexperienced team to the glory of the Cup not long ago. In the end, though, I really don't know. The West is a mystery to me.

The East, on the other hand, I am slightly more qualified to analyze. I'm not going to, though, because I'm going to play the part of the rabid, blind-to-logic, die-hard fan these Playoffs. It's been too long since I've entered the Playoffs with unbridled optimism and complete faith in my team to bring home the Silver Chalice.

This is the year the Devils win their third Cup in eight years.

We're the Devils! You can't stop us! We're the Devils!

The Devils played absolutely stifling hockey. I was reminded of the logjam in the neutral zone created by the 1995 team, when the trap was still somewhat "new" and people were saying it would kill the NHL. The biggest difference was, this time, they had some scoring. John Madden's hat trick is the first I've ever witnessed in person, and even Marty came close on two occasions. The Devils, right now, look as good, if not better, than either of their Cup winning teams. Let's hope it holds through June.

Finally, comments on the MCI Center. I'd visited it before, and actually gotten quite a tour (ice level to backstage to luxury boxes--thanks Aunt Sue!), but I'd never been there for an event of any type. They ain't kidding when they call it the Phone Booth, because the seating areas are steep as hell. Just the same, Amanda and I were in a corner, only about eight or ten rows from the ceiling, and still had great sight lines to the entire rink. I'd be hesitant to see a concert from the upper reaches, and an NBA game from those heights might be a bit rough, but for hockey, it's quite pleasant. I'd love to go back when the Rangers are in town and root for the Caps.

The Devils come into tonight's matchup hotter than hell, having not lost a game in something like their last 13 games. Marty Brodeur makes his first start since the All-Star break (Corey Schwab got the win last night over the Sabres) and Jaromir Jagr plays one game after picking up his 500th goal. Yes, the Capitals are the class of the Southeast Division, but the Devils are the class of the league.

Let's go Devils!

One down, 81 to go. First undefeated NHL team in history, baby! We're the Devils!

1. Curtis Joseph, G (Detroit)
2. Todd Bertuzzi, W (Vancouver)
3. Sergei Gonchar, D (Washington)
4. Alexei Yashin, C (NY Islanders)
5. Olaf Kolzig, G (Washington)
6. Eric Daze, LW (Chicago)
7. Teppo Numinnen, D (Phoenix)
8. Radek Bonk, C (Ottawa)
9. Sami Kapanen, RW (Carolina)
10. Mike Comrie, C (Edmonton)
11. Mark Parrish, RW (NY Islanders)
12. Marian Gaborlik, RW (Minnesota)
13. Zdeno Chara, D (Ottawa)
14. Richard Zednik, RW (Montreal)
15. Greg de Vries, D (Colorado)
16. Jere Lehtinen, RW (Dallas)
17. Martin Skoula, D (Colorado)
18. Brendan Morrison, C (Vancouver)
19. Mike Dunham, G (Nashville)
20. Chris Neil, RW (Ottawa) - Immediately after drafting this guy, someone in my league says "AJ, check the hockey front page of espn.com. You won't like it." He broke his leg yesterday.
21. Kevin Sawyer, LW (Anaheim) - Me after drafting this guy: "Has Sawyer broken anything I should know about?" Another guy in my league: "Only anonymity records."
22. Andy Delmore, D (Nashville)
23. Jan Hrdina, C (Pittsburgh)
24. Christian Berglund, C (New Jersey)

The last guy I drafted, my token Devil for the year, looks like he may wind up making the team and even being a regular. Amazing.

I've spent the last hour or so reading everything I can find regarding NHL lineups this year, and I've nearly exhausted all of it. Considering that I'm also beginning my first keeper league this year, I may be about to screw myself over for the next three-to-five years. Kinda like getting busted for possession, I suppose.

While I don't mean to compare the Hurricanes to the Ottawa teams of the mid-90s, there is no excuse for the Devils losing in the first round this year. The regular season is meaningless; only the playoffs matter. I feel like I'm back in 1996.