Like many things obvious in retrospect, what’s going on with our cross town rivals was completely foreseeable.
We all have been calling them frauds for years: they would harvest on their PP and good rush scoring, while their elite goalie shut the door on the other end, all while their 5v5 play was suspect. They did that darn retool that had immediate success but it was a fancy house built on a faulty foundation. Their number 1 and 2 picks which is what the team should have been built around, were stifled by the vets in place, which certainly had a hand in their arrested hockey development. The young guys and the vets never peak together, they get close but no cigar, just like the Isles before them.
All that seems so trite and base. But so apparent. Rangers fans damn well saw it too, the ones that could look beyond their fandom.
The Devils number one goal is to not go out and peak like that, getting close, but never even being able to get to the big dance.
I think we are built for sustained success and we will get lots of chances for a bite at the apple.
