It took many years for me to get to this point, but I can finally say it, the Rangers are better than the Devils.  This was proven Friday night as Little D and I ventured off on our second trip to the Prudential Center in 30 days to see the Rangers and Devils square off in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.  The Rangers were coming off of a nail biting win at the Garden on Wednesday night, a 4-3 victory riding a Marc Staal goal late in the third period where Marty just looked lazy.

 

I bought these tickets a day before the Garden tickets went on sale, and the funny thing was, it was so easy.  The tickets were Section 121, Row 3.  $65 a piece.  You can’t beat that with a stick.  What’s really amazing is that I got them off of the Devils website.  It just goes to show how much trouble the Devils have selling playoff tickets to their own fans, as you’ll see later.

 

Up 3-1 in the series, I couldn’t be any more comfortable going into this game.  The worst case scenario was that the Devils win and still have to win at the Garden again before coming home.  But I wasn’t having any of that.  We were going to knock them out in Game 5.  After the way Marty had looked in the first 4 games, I had full confidence that we could do this.

 

I could tell it was going to be a good night just by the way the Devils fans were carrying themselves.  There wasn’t that typical, confident “Rangers Suck” attitude emanating from them.  Rather, it was more of an angry, defensive “RANGERS SUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!”  That’s all I needed to know walking in.

 

1)      As usual, park in the business lots in Harrison for free and jump on the PATH.  (Little did I know was that they closed the little dirt path to the PATH for construction, so we had to walk all the way around the block.  This is when I realized that you could also park for free on the street after 5 PM.  Lesson learned.)

2)      First PATH train just pulled away as we walked through the turnstile.  (Missed it by THAT much.)

3)      Even on the PATH, the Blue outnumbered the Red.  (Good sign)

4)      As we were entering the gate, Little D said, “That girl is chugging a gallon of beer.”  (That’s it Devils fans, start drowning your sorrows now.  It’s gonna be that kind of night.)

5)      They gave Little D a “Rock Your Red” rally towel.  They just looked at me and sneered.  (I didn’t want the towel anyway.)

6)      LET’S GO RANGERS!!! Let’s Go Devils!  LET’S GO RANGERS!!! (Like I saw somebody say on Facebook, it’s so nice to have home ice advantage throughout the entire series.)

7)      Well we got there just in time to miss the first three goals of the game because we were waiting on line for chicken fingers.  (The only knock I have on the place is the concession lines are painfully slow.)

8)      But, they do have nice flat screens right there so you can see the whole thing.  (So at least we have that going for us, which is nice.)

9)      1-0 Devils.  (Not a good start)

10)  Right back at ya!  18 seconds later, it’s 1-1 and Marty looks rattled.  (MARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!)

11)  Rangers score again!!!!  (MARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!) 

12)  At that point, I turned to the guy behind me, a Devils fan, and said, “It’s gonna be one of those nights.

13) MARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!  (The best part about this was the one irate Devils fan that flipped out to the point where coherency had abandoned him.)

14)  Just to let you know, DEFCON Buffalo Chicken Fingers are no joke.  (I’m sweatin over here!)

15)  We have great seats, but MAN the steps in the 100 level are steep.  (Do NOT sit there if you plan on drinking heavily.)

16)  By the way, it’s also Mets-Phils tonight, Johan vs Hammels.  (Good sports night, as Mike will be providing me with updates.)

17)  SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  OH OH OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! OH OH OHHHHHHHH!!!!! OH OH OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! OH OH OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! HEY!!! HEY!!!! HEY HEY HEY!!!! HEY!!! HEY!!! HEY HEY HEY!!!  (Yes, I sang that along with Mike on the phone.  Griff even chimed in with a text  3-1 Rangers!)

18)  “Dude, I’m listening to the game on the radio, it’s sounds like it’s at the friggin’ Garden!” ~Mike.  (Like I said before, it’s nice to have home ice advantage throughout the entire series.)

19)  LET’S GO RANGERS!!!!

20)  WE SCORED AGAIN!!!!!!!!  9 shots on goal, 4 goals.  (MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

 

21)  4-1 after 1 period of play.  (So much for my prediction of Overtime for this game.)

22)  Text from Mike: You stay classy Philadelphia.  (This was referring to the situation where Reyes’ head collided with Utley’s knee and the crowd cheered.  There’s no comment needed here from me.  Mike hit it right on the head.  You stay classy, Philadelphia.  Oh wait.  You never were.)

23)  Just got off the phone with Frank, he’s not surprised at the Philly fans’ behavior. 

24)  I’ll say it again, the vendors and ushers at Prudential Center have to be some of the nicest and most personable people in the game. 

25)  Start of the second period, okay, let’s get that clock moving.  (Tick…tick…tick…)

26)  Early in the second, the Devils score on a fluky goal from behind the blue line off of a Rangers defender, off the post, off of Lunqvist’s back and in the net.  4-2.  (At this point, I became nervous, because this is all the Devils needed.)

27)  Penalty on the Rangers.  (Come on, don’t start playing ugly hockey.)

28)  Another penalty and a 5-on-3.  (Why do I have that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that I only felt during September 2007 right now?)

29)  Hennie stands on his head, but….SCORE.  S#@t.  4-3.  (NOT GOOD!!!)

30)  I admit to Mike between the second and third periods that I’m a little nervous.  He gives me an update on the Mets-Phils game.  Johan is dominant, Mets are up 5-1 in the 8th.  His next line put me back in my place.  “When the Mets win, the Rangers win.”  (Which was true for the whole series.  I just hope we can keep that up.)

Not gonna lie, I was nervous

 

31)  Start of the third and the Devils fans come alive with multiple resounding Let’s Go Devils chants.  (For the first time, I was impressed with the Devils fan’s support.)

32)  One good sign is that this period is flying.  There is non-stop action and very few whistles.  (Keep that clock moving.)

33)  Devils are getting chances, but King Henrik is equal to the task.

34)  And then it happened….John Madden gets ever so slightly past Dan Girardi and receives a pass from the red line.  He skates in as Girardi dives, knocks the puck away and takes out Madden’s feet out from under him.  I immediately look to the ref, who emphatically points to center ice.  Penalty shot.  (Oh crap.)

35)  The most exciting play in sports with 7 minutes left in an elimination game in the NHL playoffs.  (Little D is on the edge of her seat.)

36)   

 

37)  That’s all you need to see.  The Devils get their chance and Lunqvist shuts the door.

38)  The Ranger fans are fired up now…..

 

39)  A few minutes later, Ryan Callahan gained instant fan favorite status holding the puck behind the net for 30 to 45 seconds with two Devils on him, pinned against the boards.  (I like this kid.  What an effort.)

40)  Time is running out as Marty heads to the bench with just over 2 minutes left in the Devils’ season.  (Come on!  Hold on!!!!!)

41)  DUBINSKY SCORES!!!!!!!!!!  5-3!!!! WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!! (At this point I actually picked up Little D and spun her around.  I was excited.)

42)  Devils fans walking out in shame….


43) 5…..4…..3….2….1….YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


 
Na na na na HEY HEY HEY GOODBYEEEEE
 

44)  It’s official, the Rangers are better than the Devils!  There!  I said it!

45)  I tried to focus in on the handshake, still one of the best traditions in sports to see what would happen with Brodeur and Avery, but we couldn’t see.  Later on, I found out that Marty didn’t even look at Avery, which I have to say is just poor sportsmanship.  I don’t care what happened between the two of them.  Even the Avalanche and Red Wings shook hands in past series where they had bench clearing brawls.  Martin Brodeur is such a prima Dona.  I don’t want to hear it.  What a little baby.  And he cheated on his wife with her sister.  (You stay classy, Marty.)

46)  Leaving the arena, I saw this….

Three generations of great Ranger goaltending

47)  Once outside, the defensive, angry Devils fans came out.  One started screaming Rangers suck to me, Little D and two other Ranger fans.  At this point I drank my soda and said, “Mmmm, this soda tastes so much better in victory,” to which the Devils fan took umbrage and started to get more agitated.  I then turned around and said, “Dude, you got your three cups, let us have our fun for the night.”  He had nothing.  “Alright, fair enough, you got me.  I don’t have a comeback to that.”  The two Rangers fans walked away laughing as I said, “I know how to defuse a bomb.”  (It’s funny, because it’s true.)

 48)While waiting for the PATH in Penn Station, Little D turned and said, "We should have taken New Jersey Transit to Middletown, (where she's from) that would have been fun."  I replied, "Yeah, but it would have been a bunch of Devils fans, I don't wanna deal with that."  She shook her head and said, "No.  We're classy."

 

So off to Pittsburgh we go.  I think the Rangers have a good shot in this series.  The Pens were lights out in the first round and Malkin and Crosby are nasty, but the Rangers have seen them before and know how to play them.  The keys for the Rangers are to hit Crosby early and often and stay out of the penalty box.  Lunqvist is nasty off of long breaks and the offense has been impressive.  I think if the Rangers can use the Penguins inexperience against them and stay disciplined themselves, look for the Rangers to be celebrating on home ice in a couple weeks.  But what do I know?

 

Little D's Editor's Note: "P.S. a guy the next section over lost his tooth in the seats.  We don't know how and he never found it.  It was the funniest thing ever!" ~Little D.

 

Oh, by the way, the Devils home record in the playoffs in their new building is 0-3.  The Rangers are 3-0 in MSG, Jr.  See you next season, Devils!