One more win and the New Jersey Devils Devils are in. Their surprise playoff run sits tantalizingly close to playing for the best trophy in sports.
If the Devils beat the New York Rangers tonight in Game 6 to advance to face the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup finals, the list of reasons will be long. Martin Brodeur has been a stabilizing veteran presence in goal. The Devils' health and depth is paying off with contributions coming up and down the lineup. Even though he's clearly fighting through an injury, Ilya Kovalchuk continues to gut out contributions and Zach Parise's leadership has been impeccable.
But if New Jersey can finish off the Rangers tonight or in Game 7 on Sunday, a large share of the credit goes to one person. New Jersey head coach Pete DeBoer.
As it stands now, he has the edge over Rangers coach John Tortorella in the battle behind the bench.
"I don't think there's any question," said one NHL scout. "I would say that very honestly. Pete is out-coaching him ... it may cost [the Rangers] the series."
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Craig Custance
Craig Custance joined ESPN in September 2011 as an NHL reporter for ESPN the Magazine, ESPN Insider and ESPN.com. A graduate of Michigan State University, he lived for nearly a decade in Georgia working for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where he spent time covering the late Atlanta Thrashers. He was the only Thrashers beat writer to get the team to the playoffs.
From 2008-11 he was the national hockey writer for the Sporting News, writing regularly in print and online. A member of the PHWA, he's a proud voter for the major NHL awards and can occasionally defend his selections.
Like hockey, he left Atlanta to return north where he currently lives in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, with his wife Cassie and their three kids.
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