2007 New Jersey Devils

Even as we say “Congratulations” to the Pittsburgh Penguins, winners of the Eastern Conference Finals, we want to say a big “Thank you” to the New Jersey Devils for the commendable season they had, finishing 2nd in the ruthless Atlantic Division!

The Devils began the season with high hopes as they moved into their new home in Newark’s Prudential Center, under the leadership of new coach Brent Sutter. And the team came through with 99 points and a second-place finish in the Atlantic Division, just behind the Pittsburgh Penguins. The genius goaltending of Martin Brodeur again stood out, winning 44 games with a 92% save percentage. Zach Parise and Patrik Elias also had standout seasons. As always, the New Jersey Devils mounted an intimidating defense that built on their reputation as one of the NHL’s most feared teams. With three Stanley Cup wins since 1995, the Devils remain one of the most imposing threats in the East.

The New Jersey Devils had a pretty great 2006-07 season, winning the Atlantic Division, and the 2007-08 season promises to be better than ever now that they’ve got their new arena, the Prudential Center. With the additions of Vitaly Vishnevski, Arron Asham and Dainius Zubrus both the offense and defense have been strengthened and new coach Brent Sutter breathes new life into the team. With a trip to the playoffs likely, you’ll want to secure your tickets to Prudential Center before you miss your chance to see the New Jersey Devils in action in the 2007-2008 season!

Reaching both the 2005-06 and 2006-07 NHL Playoffs, the New Jersey Devils have plenty of postseason experience. The franchise had previously made it into the tournament 15 times, including every year of play since 1997. The Devils have gone all the way to capture the Stanley Cup three times, most recently in 2002-03. That would not be the outcome this time, however. Even though they swept the New York Rangers aside in the first four games of the tournament, the Devils then managed only one victory against the Carolina Hurricanes.

In 2002-03, the Devils' resurgence to the top of the NHL was remarkable because key elements of their roster were reconsidered after succumbing to the Avalanche in the 2001 Stanley Cup finals. Popular scoring-line players Jason Arnott, Bobby Holik and Petr Sykora were optioned as the team went for a faster forward core.

"I think you enjoy everything immediately," CEO Lou Lamoriello said. "But then you have to put it behind you because you know it's not going to help you in September. Nobody is going to know what you did last year. You kind of allow yourself to get complacent if you sit around thinking about your success too much. But when winning gets old, it's time to get on the beach with a cigar."