re: Hockey/NHL Blogs and Websites

Sure, the Devils are in playoff contention, propped up by their eight (!) shootout wins, points that wouldn't have existed five years ago, and won't exist in the playoffs. Teams that rely on shootout wins or OT losses to pad their point total are bad bets for continued success. But, yes, the Devils could make the playoffs and be quickly eliminated.

then, in the offseason, their best player, Zach Parise is going to get traded. He's publicly asking for a trade and this just in, the Devils are broke. They will trade him for spare parts to save cash, as they are hemmoraging money. As soon as Brodeur retires, the bottom officially falls out and the Devils tumble from mediocre to lousy.

They are in a precarious place right now, and the future looks real dim. The Devils' golden age is about to end, and like most golden ages, it will likely end badly.

And they do play a plodding, clutch and grab brand of hockey that almost ruined the NHL. So there's that, too. Look, I hate the Rangers and nothing ticks me off more than the fact I can't chant "1940!" anymore. But if I moved to NYC and had to choose between the Devils and the Rangers, that's no choice at all. The team that symbolized the Dead Puck Era that is about to go bankrupt or the young, exciting team that plays in a famous building?

tough call there.