"Everything is tickety-boo" for Game 5

When Devils coach Brent Sutter walked into the room for the media availability this morning at the team hotel, I asked him how he was doing and he replied, "Everything is tickety-boo".

I was pretty sure that meant, "Everything is good", but just to be sure I did an internet search (I wasn't sure how to spell it either) and it turns out I was correct.

The definition on Dictionary.com reads: "adjective Chiefly British Informal. fine; OK  [Origin: 1935–40; perh. expressive alter. of the phrase that's the ticket] "

With that settled, it's on to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals tonight at Prudential Center with the Rangers leading three games to one and looking to wrap up the series with one more victory.

You don't need a dictionary or a Google search to figure out the challenge facing the Devils. Only 20 teams in NHL history have come back from a 3-1 series deficit to win.

"We know where we're at, where we stand," Sutter said. "If you're every going to trust, this is where the trust comes in as far as coaches and players, players to each other. Everyone just do their jobs."

The Devils came back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2000 Eastern Confernence Finals, but have been down 3-1 in a series each of their last three seasons (Philadelphia, Carolina and Ottawa) and were knocked out in Game 5 all three times.

"The only thing that matters is one game right now," said Sutter, who played for the 1987 Islanders team that came back from 3-1 down to beat the Washington Capitals in a first-round series that ended with Pat LaFontaine's quadruple OT goal. "We just have to focus in on this one game and take care of this one game."

Only six players remain from the 2000 Devils' team that came back to beat the Flyers and went on to win the Stanley Cup -- John Madden, Jay Pandolfo, Sergei Brlyin, Patrik Elias, Colin White and Martin Brodeur.

"Back then, it was taking it one step at a time," Madden said. "I know it's a cliche and you've heard it 1000 times, but you can't worry about Sunday (Game 6) if you don't take care of today. You've got to play with desperation because there's no tomorrow for us if we don't win tonight."

Although I didn't see Brian Gionta (sore side) or Mike Rupp (back/hip tightness), Sutter said both would play tonight and he would make no lineup changes.

The Rangers held an optional skate this morning, but 18 players took part. Rookie defenseman Marc Staal, who sat out practice Thursday because of sore foot, was among those who skated and said he was "OK to play."

**Last night's movie for Brodeur and Co. was "The Ruins". "It was terrible," Brodeur said. "There were vines growing inside of people."

When I said they might have been better off staying at the hotel last night, Brodeur replied, "That's what we were thinking."

Brodeur is hoping the playoff run continues with "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" opening today and a few other promising movies soon to follow.

**From watching some games last night, I'd be willing to bet that the officials have received word from the NHL to start calling goaltender interference more tightly after seeing Brodeur knocked down a couple of times on Wednesday. Viktor Kozlov got called for one in the Philadelphia game when he got hit into Martin Biron (really bad call) and there was one in the Dallas-Anaheim game on Nicklas Hagman that negated a goal in which Hagman barely touched Jean-Sebastien Giguere. There was legit call on Teemu Selanne later in the game.

Comments

[Morgan]

Regarding the goalie running, I think you will see a crackdown on goalies getting hit from here on in. The NHL is trying to float past the goalies the notion of shrinking their equipment again, and there will be mighty stiff resistance to this idea if goalies are gettig run over left and right.

[Hard Hat Nick #3]

Hey TG, do we know who the Refs will be for tonight's game?

[Danofan355]

oh yeah...call more goalie interference...that's terrific. Except that Hagman barely touched Giguere and Kozlov was PUSHED from behind. The officiating for all the games is AWFUL. Maybe the officials need to go back to school.

[Elias26]

Careful, the NHL might start putting 1 ref per person out there.

[Pat D'Amico]

Hey TG, you should bring up the fact that they've been calling goal tending interference lately to Sutter since he has made it obvious that we will be taking the puck hard to the net.

[tyler]

I saw the call on Kozlov and it was a joke. He got hit by a Flyers defenseman and knocked into Biron.

I'm not a big fan of the way Marty "embellishes" things when anyone gets near him. I didn't necessarily agree with the diving call the other game, but he does tend to flop around any time he gets touched.

I can see it now.....the officials are on notice and the Devils are finally going to go hard into Henrik's crease. I can see them ending up in the penalty box. :(

[RJ Arditti]

regardless of whether or not they are calling it closer around the crease, the Devils need to get in the Queens space, and make sure he feels their prescence throughout the game. This would be the best way to knock him off his game and get a few more of those precious rebounds, and actually HAVE someone at the front of the net to make him pay for giving them up. Go Devils tonight... I don;t have tickets tonight unfortuntatly but i will be screaming my head off at the TV tonight i am sure

[Falcone]

How about a chant of "Princess Lundquist" Just like people chant "Marty"

We should chant "Princess"

[dougiebrown]

Pretty warm day out there today, TG. Have to think the ice will be even worse than usual.

[TG]

The referees tonight are Kerry Fraser and Dan Marouelli. The linesmen are Brad Lazarowich and Derek Nansen (the same as Game 4).

By the way, no Arlette tonight for the anthem. It's Milena Govich of Law and Order fame.

[Mikedeadworks]

NO ARLETTE!?! lol. They might think she brought them bad luck in the first 2 games or she is sick. Either way, as Chico would put it, "Milena Govich... hubba hubba!"

Lets Go Devs.

[RJ Arditti]

interesting choice for the national anthem, someone who is famous for acting in a show about Sex crimes in NYC... i wonder when Avery will make his appearance as a busted "john" on the show?

In all seriousness though, Sutter is right all that there is left is tonight... play for tonight and you get to play again sunday. if they don;t play well tonight, i guess alot of Tee times will be booked for saturday and sunday. I still think they CAN do it, they just have to go out and actually DO IT! and i think everyone thats really down on Gionta should give him a chance if we can finally land a Center that can get him the puck the way Gomer and even Rafalski used to.
LETS GO DEVILS!!!! put the princess back on the bench come the second period and send the rangers fans out of the rock!

[HBK27]

Any connection between Milena Govich & the Devils or NHL in general?

Not that I'm complaining at all...just curious.

[wkmaier]

The refs also missed 2 high sticking calls on the Phlyers last night. I mean, the Caps players were gushing blood!

[RJ Arditti]

Oh and i have something i was thinking about the other day... why call Henrik the king? i don;t think you can be called a king until you have a crown personally, and in the NHL Henrik while being a good goalie in this league has never won ANYTHING, hence i don;t think its right to call him the king. In fact if anyone should be called a king it should be Marty, as he has a couple of Vezina "crowns" and 3 of Lord Stanley's "Crowns" to his credit. so how about Prince Henrik, or Princess

[Steve Lepore]

Coincidentally enough, Ms. Govich also played Lou's eventual prostitute girlfriend Candy on Denis Leary's Rescue Me.

[Ranger]

Lol yea Marty is a king.King of diving whining little B**ches.

[cj241]

NO ARLETTE?!?!? What am I supposed to yell now??

[RJ Arditti]

Come talk to me when Henrik actually wins SOMETHING in the NHL, cause to date he hasn;t won anything, no Calder, No Vezina, and NO CUP RING.

[JJ]

I don't understand why it's so hard for the refs to figure out how to call or not call goalie interference. When it's what Jagr did or what Parise did (chopping the stick) then it's interference, when a player is checked into the goalie, it's not. I'd love to see what the actual rule says because it's not that complicated. I know these guys have a tough job and can't see everything but come on, this is where the action is at THE GOAL!!!! It's not like you'd be looking somewhere else when the puck is near the net.

[RJ Arditti]

no response to that i suppose... typical

[RJ Arditti]

LOL Henriks entrance music should be Metallica's "king nothing"

[jules]

If Sutter says things are tickety-boo, then that's fine by me!

[tyler]

cj, I guess you'll have to yell "Milena"

This is from NHL.com:

In all cases in which an attacking player initiates other than incidental contact with a goalkeeper, whether or not the goalkeeper is inside or outside the goal crease, and whether or not a goal is scored, the offensive player will receive a penalty (minor or major, as the Referee deems appropriate). See also Rule 47(c) -- Charging).
(NOTE 1) In exercising his judgment under subsections (a) and (b) above, the Referee should give more significant consideration to the degree and nature of the contact with the goalkeeper than to the exact location of the goalkeeper at the time of the contact.

(NOTE 2) If an attacking player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by a defending player so as to cause him to come into contact with the goalkeeper, such contact will not be deemed to be contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact.

(NOTE 3) A goalkeeper is not "fair game" just because he is outside the goal crease. The appropriate penalty should be assessed in every case where an attacking player makes unnecessary contact with the goalkeeper. However, incidental contact will be permitted when the goalkeeper is in the act of playing the puck outside his goal crease provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such unnecessary contact.

and also:

An attacking player who, in the judgment of the Referee, initiates contact with the goalkeeper, whether inside or outside the crease, in a fashion that would otherwise warrant a penalty, will be assessed an appropriate penalty (minor or major and/or game misconduct) and will be subject to additional sanctions as appropriate pursuant to Rule 33A -- Supplementary Discipline.
(NOTE 1) For purposes of this rule, "contact", whether incidental or otherwise, shall mean any contact that is made between or among a goalkeeper and attacking player(s), whether by means of a stick or any part of the body.

[JJ]

Well gee, that clears things up. SO WHY CAN'T THEY FIGURE THIS OUT AND MAKE THE RIGHT CALLS??? I hope last night's bad calls aren't a sign that it's not a pendulum swing the other way now.

RJ - it's NY media hype that has put Lundqvist on a pedestal. He's very good but he's over-rated. Richter was better. There are at least 4 current goalies in the West who I think are better that don't get the accolades that he gets. Giguere is probably a good one to one comparison because of their similar styles and the gigunda size pads both of them wear but Lundie has yet to steal a series let alone get to the finals. Can't wait to see what pad shrinkage will do to these guys numbers vs. the supposedly "over the hill" Brodeur's next year. That said, neither of these guys has really distinguished themselves in any of these games. The Devils couldn't score on ANYONE the last 15-20 games of the season and the D has been sloppy for longer than that. Have to come out hard and pissed off tonight and beat the daylights out of the Rangers physically. I want to see bodies flying. Finally of course Marty just has to steal one to get the team's confidence back (like he did vs. Philly in 2000). Just send it to game 6 and the pressure is on the Rangers and then anything can happen.