[LeBrun]_Devils have all the look of a team that’s going to be in the mix for several years. Lots to be excited about if you’re a Devils fan.
Devils have all the look of a team that’s going to be in the mix for several years. Lots to be excited about if you’re a Devils fan.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 12, 2023
by Devil_Dane
8 Comments
If someone told me in September that the Devils would have 112 points and knock out the Rangers in the first round, there is no way I would believe that to be possible. This was an incredible season.
As someone who has been watching the Devils since the mid 90’s this team has the potential to be just a good if not better than the dynasty from the 90’s-03. The entire team needed to feel what it was like to lose and get dominated pretty much by a better team to light a fire for next year. These losses are the necessary experience to win championships.
There has already been a lot said, both pros and cons and I agree with both. There are clearly players that don’t have what it takes for playoff hockey, should be interesting who stays and who goes. But I do think Akira is the real deal. He only played around 20 games in his first regular season and gets thrown in to the middle of a playoff series and gets two shutouts! The nail in the coffin was him not starting game 4. I think he needs to be the starter next year and let him and the rest of the squad get experience.
Ultimately, you can tell from the players and post games that a lot of these guys have some serious heart and drive, and with a few changes and the sting of losing this series will benefit them in the long run.
Hell of a season, it’s been so much fun for the first time since 2012. See you all next October!
This is incredibly exciting, there’s a lot to look forward for sure. And not that I expect a repeat of history but the core guys from 1995-2003 can help guide these young Devils.
In 1994 rookie goalie Marty Brodeur helped the Devils reach the conf final. And in 1995 the Devils won the Cup, Marty was only 22. Niedermayer was 21, along with a young Guerin and Holik, Rolston, and of course soon to arrive would be Brylin, Elias, Sykora, and Arnott replacing Guerin.
With a season of experience and success under their belts the 2023 Devils are going to be even better come 2024. If we have found our goalie in Schmid then the sky is the limit for the young squad with some great veterans surrounding them. The organization has done a great job building from within, and is in good position to add the 1-2 more pieces to get this team deeper into the playoffs.
The window is open and feels like it will be for a long time.
We easily could have fallen to the rangers without a fight. We’d be saying what a missed opportunity it was for the boys to get the experience they need. Instead they fought and got further than anyone expected. Big win for the boys and it’ll only make them better and hungrier. This team thrives with a chip on their shoulder
This team hasn’t been competitive since I was in high school. HIGH SCHOOL. I’m so happy that life has come full circle and after an insane 11 years (lifewise and Devils-wise), I can settle in at the end of the day and watch the boys play some exciting hockey.
In Fitz we trust!
I can’t imagine any Devils fan seeing this season as anything but a huge, huge success across the board. Sure, this result was disappointing (are you kidding me Siegs) but overall… what a season.
I don’t think anyone (on here at least) thinks that they were going to slide back into the doldrums after this season; the disappointment comes from the facts that a) its over for them and no Devils for 5 months, b) only one close loss and getting blown out too many times and c) being contenders is not guaranteed, you have to treat each run like it could be the last. We look at the roster and think “yeah, they’ll be right up there for the next while, but that could easily change. Other teams could get better, the Devils could lose key pieces, prospects could not pan out, etc.