Here are a few thoughts from yours truly after the game:
- You know, an inconvenient time to figure out your school has DirecTV is 7:10 PM gametime. This caused a 30-minute wild goose chase between dorms and various restaurants. We finally found another means of seeing the game towards the end of the first...
- Which is unfortunate, because that seemed to be exactly the time that the Devils offense was flat-out neutered. Give the Rangers credit, they played well, but last year's version of this team... well, it's always easy to say that with our Devils, but this game was there for the taking.
- The Niedermayer line appears to be forechecking, but lacks finish, though Rob got a goal in the first.
- The ZZ Pops line seems to be warming to the task, but was only rewarded with a sweet power play goal from Zajac on a great pass from Parise in the 1st.
- The other two lines seemed kind of jumbled the rest of the way. Rolston and Zubrus showed flashes, but seemed irrelevant at even strength.
- The fourth line is easily the worst this team has iced in quite some time. I am quite worried by the logic that Lou had to reach to give Andrew Peters a 2-year contract.
- I hated losing this game. I hate losing to the Rangers more than I hate commies and dentist visits combined. But I hate losing to a mediocre Rangers team more than any of those things. I can't stand it.