An 18-year-old demon was exorcised on the night of May 25, 2012, by 22-year-old Adam Henrique.
Sixty-three seconds into overtime of Game 6 the then-rookie center stuffed a loose puck into a half-empty net to score the Eastern Conference-clinching goal for the Devils. The win over the Rangers was the first time the Hudson River rivals had met in the penultimate playoff series since the 1994 Eastern Conference final — a loss for New Jersey and the second-to-last step of the Rangers’ Cup title.
But after a tumultuous offseason, could Game 6 be the last great moment for one of the NHL’s premier franchises over the last two decades?
»Goaltending
The good news is both Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg re-signed with the Devils over the summer. But it will be incumbent on head coach Pete DeBoer to manage the workload of Brodeur, now 40 years old.
»Defense
The Devils defense corps was solidified at the deadline by the acquisition of Marek Zidlicky. Following the trade, the Devils became a well-rounded team, one that had the ability to jump into the play along with being able to limit scoring chances. Bryce Salvador became a point producer in the playoffs (four goals and 14 points in 24 games) following a regular season in which he tallied only nine points. Mark Fayne and Andy Greene are a strong shutdown pair, while Anton Volchenkov is among the league’s best hitters. Henrik Tallinder missed most of the season with a blood clot in his right leg, but he returned to the team before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final. The organization has high hopes for second-year defenseman Adam Larsson, while Peter Harrold provides depth.
»Offense
It could have been worse. The Devils lost captain Zach Parise to Minnesota this past summer and had to sweat out concerns that Ilya Kovalchuk would spend the rest of the 2012-13 season in the KHL. They just need to get Henrique back from thumb surgery in November — sooner rather than later. Patrik Elias, 34, is still a consistent offensive force (26 goals and 78 points) while David Clarkson set a career high in goals with 30. The fourth line of Ryan Carter-Stephen Gionta-Steve Bernier return intact. DeBoer found the trio to be reliable in the playoffs.
» Coaching and front office
Brodeur said the Game 4 shouting match between DeBoer and John Tortorella was a sign the Devils coach was fully “engaged” in the playoffs. The argument between the coaches was another instance of DeBoer supporting his team, which returned the favor throughout the season. He installed a forechecking attack while keeping the team’s defensive structure in place. There is a reason GM and team president Lou Lamoriello is enshrined in both the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and the Hockey Hall of Fame.
» Prediction
The Devils earned the Eastern Conference sixth seed following a 102-point regular season campaign. Despite not having home-ice advantage, the Devils reached the Stanley Cup final after beating Florida, Philadelphia and the Rangers in a combined 18 games. But the Devils, to quote DeBoer, had to push their emotions to the “red line” in the first three rounds and did not have much in reserve left for the Kings. Too much had to go right for the Devils to reach the final, and it does not seem likely lightning will strike twice. The Devils finish 11th in the East.
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