Here’s a scenario few probably pictured going into the season: the New Jersey Devils will host the Los Angeles Kings to kick off the 2012 Stanley Cup finals. Adam Henrique scored his second Game 7 overtime series-clinching goal to give the Devils a 3-2 OT victory against the New York Rangers, taking the Eastern Conference finals 4-2.
Let’s get to the talking points.
- So, is Zach Parise going to be a Devil for life or what? (Come on, you thought about it, too.)
- Brad Richards had a golden opportunity for a 3-2 goal with a bunch of open net to shoot at and instead fired it into Martin Brodeur’s chest in the third period. Will that missed chance haunt Richards and the Rangers?
- The Devils coughed up a 3-0 and 2-0 lead in the last two games but ultimately won both. Is that a sign that New York was worn out or just that New Jersey was better when it mattered?
- What, if any, changes do the Rangers need to make during this off-season?
- Let’s move on for a second: what are the Devils’ chances against the Kings? It should be an aggressive and exciting series - and likely the biggest test for Brodeur in quite some time.