Let’s Remember the Devils Doing a Bunch of Cool Stuff

I don’t know about many of you, but I was in need of a pick-me-up on this summer Friday. We are squarely in the mid-Auguest desert of the NHL calendar and the world at large is supplying existential dread a few orders of magnitude above where I prefer. So I figured what better way to combat that than to enjoy some highlights the New Jersey Devils doing good and fun things. The current version of the team is not particularly great, but hey, we have a pretty extensive catalog of awesome things from the previous couple decades to draw on, so let’s wade through some of that, instead.

Here we go...

Let’s start this off right:

A thought: Doc Emrick is still the GOAT but it’s a damn shame Gary Thorne isn’t calling big games anymore.

Keeping it in 2000, lets rewind that to 6 games before to Game 7 vs the Flyers. First, Scott Stevens dispatching nemesis Eric Lindros:

Then, Patrik Elias dispatching the rest of the Flyers:

RIP Flyers.

While we’re on the subject of Elias ruining the day of various Devils’ rivals, let’s head to 2006 for one of my favorite Elias goals ever:

Hoo boy that was embarrassing for the Rangers. Good stuff. Let’s keep the train of pretty goals against the Rangers going with one from the 2012 ECF. No, not the one you’re thinking of, but it comes from the same game:

Just a devastating sequence of passes. In a matter of 4 seconds, the puck touches the stick of every Devil on the ice and it’s in the back of the net. Hopefully such things will be possible again in New Jersey soon.

Okay, now lets hop in the wayback machine for a bit for the old heads among us. Some would argue this is the biggest goal in team history and they’d have a decent argument. You know the one:

I was an infant at the time this happened and yet watching this highlight still manages to give me goosebumps. Johnny Mac is probably the Devil with the best argument for number retirement among those not in the rafters. Also, another great Gary Thorne call.

And as long as were in 1988, let’s have an interlude with Jim Schoenfeld:

Apropos of nothing: I had three donuts on Wednesday.

Okay, we’ll head back toward the present, but lets hit some moments in ‘95 and ‘03 first for good measure. First, Neidermayer laying waste to the Red Wings:

Next, I’ll say “Jeff Freisen” and leave it at that:

Playoff hockey is fun. Hope we can experience it again this decade. For now, a pit stop back in the regular season with a couple of comebacks. First, the Leafs really Leaf it, much to the enjoyment of the Devils faithful:

Now lets remember a good thing that happened in 2016-17 (weird, but possible!):

Okay. That’s probably enough for one day.

...

Okay, one more:

Always hits the spot.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane. This post was more or less an excuse for me to spend a few hours sifting through Devils’ highlights, if you’d like to share links from a few more of your own favorites in the comments, have at it.