Dear Pittsburgh and Philadelphia:
Please keep this series going as long as possible. I don't want to play either of you in the second round. I'd prefer you get knocked around heavily in the first two rounds. My team can and will take care of the Rangers, if we get to round two.
Sincerely, a die hard Devils fan.
In all seriousness, I have loved this Devils team since Zajac came back. While our defense has been a bit suspect as of recent weeks, our forwards lineup is as balanced as any in the NHL - and Deboer is a great coach. I can see us actually making a run in the playoffs for the first time in years, if Marty doesn't die of old age.
Wish we would have unloaded Parise for someone like J. Quick or Corey Schneider. I know, I know, blasphemy, but we're not going to get a damn thing for him when he leaves this summer.
But I don't see Parise sticking around after this season, and to be honest, as solid a player as he is, he isn't some dynamic playmaker who can take over a game like Crosby, Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, etc. He's a fundamentally sound rock who will give you a solid 65-80 points every year, and he's an emotional leader, but he's replaceable. (IE, Zajac on the top line with Kovi and some random guy on the wing wouldn't see that much of a production drop).