Devils Struggling
This past weekend for the Devils was an important one. With a game on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs and a game against the Buffalo Sabres, being able to get at least three out of a possible four points was paramount considering where the team is in the Eastern Conference standings. Well, the Devils fell flat this weekend, only picking up one out of four points. I went to the game on Saturday against the Leafs. That game was INFURIATING! The Devils could never get any sustained pressure in Toronto's zone. Both of Toronto's goals weren't even good; one was a randomly deflected shot from the point, and the other was a garbage goal that the Devils couldn't clear. The Devils' defense was HORRIBLE that game, Marek Zidlicky in particular. Thank God he's a free agent after this season. I never want to see him in a Devils uniform ever again. The guy can never hold the blue line on the powerplay without Kovalchuk next to him. He's terrible in the defensive zone as well, constantly out of position leaving opponents with wide open shooting lanes. Zidlicky is always good for at least one game-changing stupid penalty a game too. I also wish that you had the option to decline a powerplay, because the Devils have one of the worst powerplays I have ever seen. They're better off shorthanded; I'm serious. My friend I went to the game with didn't believe me when I said that. Then he saw them get a couple great opportunities down a man. Point proven. The Devils dropped that game 2-1.
Yesterday, the Devils were in Buffalo to play the Sabres. The Sabres took that game by a score of 3-2 in a shootout. The Devils did not deserve to lose that game. The forechecking by New Jersey was reminiscent of what brought the team to within two games of winning the Stanley Cup last year. There were several times where the Devils had sustained pressure in Buffalo's zone for over a minute with one shift in particular lasting 2:16. Usually when that happens, you win. There were chances that should have been goals that just wouldn't go in for them. It's been that kind of year for the team outside of about the first month of the season. It's at the point now where the Devils and their fans have to hope that the teams in front of them (Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, New York Islanders) start sliding backwards. That's going to be the only way the Devils make the playoffs at this point. Otherwise, the Devils will be hoping they win the draft lottery for their home draft (June 30th at Prudential Center).
Hunter-Reay Rebounds
Sunday was also the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama for the Izod IndyCar Series. Alabama? Yes, Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. It's a great 2.38-mile road course that always produces some great racing. I'm very happy that it will be on the IndyCar schedule until at least 2016. Ryan Hunter-Reay took the win after dominating most of the day. Scott Dixon was once again runner-up. Since the series started going to Barber Motorsports Park in 2010, Dixon has finished second every time. He's got to be just sick of it. Helio Castroneves finished 3rd after some late-race strategy put him on the wrong set of tires and cost him the lead. Charlie Kimball had a fantastic run, running up near the front all day and came home in 4th. Will Power, a two-time winner at Barber Motorsports Park, got shuffled back in the beginning of the race due to a poor start. He fought back all day and ended up rounding out the top-five. After two races, Castroneves has a nine-point lead in the standing over Dixon. Hunter-Reay moves up to third after a dismal opening race at St. Petersburg. His Andretti Autosport teammates, Marco Andretti and James Hinchcliffe (winner of the opening race at St. Pete), are fourth and fifth in the standings. Next race is in two weeks on the streets of Long Beach, California.
Who Cuts Down The Nets Tonight?
I must admit that I don't watch much basketball, college or pro. So this "preview" of tonight's NCAA Men's Basketball championship preview is going to be fairly brief. Simply put, I think Louisville will be cutting down the nets when tonight is over. They're playing for Kevin Ware. I think that will take them all the way to the promised land. They were down by double-digits against Witchita State and it looked like that was the end of the road for the Cardinals. They ended up rallying back for the win. I don't see how they lose. Michigan is a great team. They were at or near the top of the polls for most of the year, so they won't go down without a fight. Tonight's game should be a great one!
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