SCF Game 6: Trying To Survive One More Time

Game 6 and I can promise you that I am EXTREMELY nervous about this game. When the Devils went down 3-0 to the Kings, I pretty much got to the point where I was becoming OK with losing but now that the Devils have staved off elimination twice, I am now at the point where I am not ok with losing this series. We’ve been able to win 2 straight games to make this a series and the Kings HAVE to be going into this game tonight looking at it as a must win. The last thing the Kings want to do is lose tonight and board a plane for NJ so you have to imagine that the Kings are going to come out flying.

When it comes to facing the most pressure heading into game 6, you can make an argument for both teams and I am not sure which would win the argument. LA can lose tonight but that means a cross country trip and a Game 7 on Wednesday where anything can happen and a little more doubt planted in their heads . NJ can’t lose or it’s over. So which team is facing the most pressure?

NJ did a great job at surviving on Saturday night and did a great job at capitalizing on the opportunities that LA is handing them, which are few. Parise scores on a mishandle by Quick and Salvador puts a puck in the net after patiently waiting for an opening, something he has mastered this postseason. Now they head to LA and will have to survive again. Expect a rocking house, a desperate Kings team and a team that is probably going to kick up the physicality a notch or two.

LA hasn’t faced much adversity in these playoffs this season so it will be interesting to see how they respond tonight. In my opinion, the Kings haven’t played the hardest of teams (maybe Vancouver is the exception) to get to the finals where NJ knocked off Philly and NY who were both very high on the list of contenders.

The goal is simple to understand… Get this series back to NJ but like I said, I am nervous!! We’ve watched enough hockey, we know what we need to do tonight in order to win. I don’t need to spell it out here but the one thing we absolutely must not do is take 20 minutes off to start the game like we did on Saturday. Not showing up to begin the game is just playing with fire.

CBC Hockey Night in Canada Game 5 Opening..

And finally….

I hope the players have their heads screwed on right. The media, who handed LA the cup after a 3-0 start seems to have switched sides and look to be handing the cup to the Devils. It’s not that simple and hopefully we are focused on tonight and tonight only, not what winning tonight would mean.