Instead of recapping yesterday’s game, which was either an utter disaster or an extra-satisfying rout depending on which side you were rooting for, I’ll just give an overview of the experience of yesterday’s game since I was one of the 50000 plus that went.  I wasn’t going to go for the longest time to this game – mainly because I didn’t feel like spending all day going to and from Yankee Stadium and half the day sitting in the cold and whatever other weather took place with an anticipated pro-Ranger crowd.  Of course I finally caved and went, mainly because you can’t guarantee me the Devils will get another one of these games, at least not anytime soon.  Plus I had to try at least once to brave the cold and see how I did with it.  And lastly, just from a pure Devil perspective this was a big game yesterday…maybe not a playoff game the way NBC tried to sell it as, but certainly a pivotal four-point swing game.

With all that in mind I set off Sunday, feeling mostly prepared other than my conspicuous lack of facial covering.  I tried to remedy that by finding a ski mask but after a snowy Saturday (and perhaps because of the two outdoor NHL games in this area) there were no ski masks to be found at either Dick’s or Sports Authority on route 10, and the Livingston Mall’s Modells was still closed at 10 AM so I had to bypass that store and the search for facial covering.  I felt pretty well prepared on the whole though, bulking up with an undershirt, long-sleeved shirt and Devils sweater underneath my Devils lacket.  I wore two pairs of pants – sweatpants underneath my jeans, and two pairs of socks as well.  With my cotton Devils hat and scarf (which I wound up not using anyway) in tow, I was all set to go to the train station and wound up meeting with an older couple I frequently talk with at games.  They were relieved when I told them the game wasn’t actually starting at 12:30 since they’d planned to take the earlier train but missed it due to forgetting their tickets.  It is kind of a misnomer for the advertisements to say the game starts at 12:30 when it’s in fact the pregame show that starts at 12:30 along with warmups…thankfully I realized that and didn’t go in super early myself.

After getting to Penn Station, the three of us took the 2 train up to 149th street before hopping on the 4 for one stop with me correctly predicting that the 4 would be a sardine can from my experience going to Yankee games.  Their suggested way of going from the 2 to the 4 was better than my usual way of taking the 1/2/3 one stop and then the 7 one stop before getting to the 4 for the majority of the ride though, so that was at least one good thing that came out of going to the city yesterday.  I wasn’t checking my phone, but while on the 2 we heard about the impending delay due to ‘sun glare’.  That wouldn’t happen even in a baseball game.  Funny thing is my first impression was that the sun glare was causing the ice to melt (with the tarp going on over the field) but that wasn’t the case.  At first the NHL said the game would be delayed at least a half hour and possibly more, then did an about face and started warmups twenty minutes after the initial scheduled time.  A bait-and-switch Henrik Lundqvist later alluded to when he said he was napping after being told of the initial delay then a little out of it after he had to wake up suddenly.

Whatever aggravations the brief delay caused the players or the fans who were already at the stadium, it was a boon to me since I had time to go with my friends to McDonald’s across the street from the stadium and still make it in time for warmups to begin.  I’d initially planned not to eat there, having a big breakfast but with the delay and how late the game would end I figured I didn’t want to go till after 6 not eating at all.   After a quick burger/fries/drink lunch I got inside the arena in time for the tail end of the Jersey Boys’ pregame performance.   Once warmups started I stayed in my seat for at least ten minutes before walking around a bit.  Much to my surprise, I thought my row was in the extreme back of 106 (I thought it would be a couple rows from the back) so at least standing wouldn’t be an issue.  Being just two seats from the aisle, I was also free to go in and out of the section pretty much without having to crawl over a million people.  It turned out that the first intermission was a fiasco though, with not even standing room available in the concourse since fan traffic was that congested.  Bathroom lines even in the pregame were long as a couple of the stalls but eventually I found a non-filled one and it turned out I was pretty much done with moving around during the game.  I’d initially planned to visit some people I knew in the bleachers and the upper level during the game but with the inability to move at all during the first intermission I had to pass on seeing anyone else yesterday.

Although yesterday wasn’t THE Winter Classic, the NHL did their best to put on the same type of production with the pregame entertainment of the Jersey Boys and first intermission of Southside Johnny and the Jukes, as well as all the pomp and circumstance of introducing the teams onto the ice.  Having the snow logos of the Devils and Rangers with the fresh show from Saturday on the ground was a nice touch, along with the fireworks, flyover and Kevin Clark introducing the Devils’ lineup.  Unfortunately as the game started I found my view wasn’t entirely perfect – above picture during warmups as evidence.  I was back far enough to see the whole rink…but with my vantage point at almost ice level still I couldn’t see the puck and thus know where the play even was.  At least the crowd itself was fairly split, maybe even slightly tilted toward the Devils early which I suppose makes sense in a way since outdoor games are more rare for us than they are for Ranger fans.

Despite not having the ski mask I wanted, I was pretty much fine during the first period with no breeze – or at least if there was one, I didn’t feel it from below the overhang.  Things looked great for a time on the ice, with the Devils jumping to a 3-1 lead after two goals from Patrik Elias and one from Travis Zajac though you could feel the momentum shift when Martin Brodeur gave up a soft goal to Marc Staal – who for some reason seems to chip in with goals against us every season.  I don’t want to hear about the change of direction on the shot either, it was a 5 MPH floater that was around icelevel throughout, it should not have beaten Marty low through the legs period.  Even up 3-2 after twenty minutes it felt like we were behind.  I had the feeling even then (much like Lundqvist had about himself) that Marty might be getting himself pulled in a tie game a la the ’12 playoffs against Florida in a similar situation.

Two things happened in the second period I did not expect, one it got about ten degrees colder (or so it seemed to me) and started to snow flurry through the entire period.  And the second was that the Devils just flat out quit on the game.  Jaromir Jagr admitted as much after.  That was a non-competitive NHL effort and usually that doesn’t happen with a Pete DeBoer team.  We had seven shots in the second period but I demand to see video evidence of them.  With the Devils shooting towards my end I didn’t see much action by me the entire period.  As goal after goal went by Marty I was alternatly annoyed and saddened.  He had the Brett Favre look like I’m too old to be out in this freezing weather.  And where I’ll agree with Derek is I don’t want to hear from Marty about deflections and crazy bounces, or from Brodeur’s defenders on that either.  He’s done as a starting goalie in the NHL, or at least he should be done as starting goalie on the Devils.  Through his last fourteen starts he has a GAA of 3 and a save percentage of .882.  That’s fourteen starts over a two-month stretch while Cory Schnieder‘s fifth in the league in save percentage and second in the league in GAA (.927 and 1.86 respectively).  If there was any doubt remaining there can be no doubt left now…the Devils must ride Schnieder for at least 75-80% of the starts the rest of the way if they want to have any shot of making the playoffs.  Maybe more if neccesary.  I’m not second-guessing giving Marty this game, which he did earn as a lifetime service award but DeBoer really needs to leave no doubt that it’s Cory’s cage now.  When the head coach has quotes like ‘save percentage is misleading’ that alarms me.  No it isn’t, not when there’s a clear difference in save percentage and play between two guys on the same team.

After not one, not two, not three but four Ranger goals in the second period I was thoroughly disgusted with the team, getting colder and more paranoid about the snow falling.  Fearing a messy drive home, I peaced out early and left after the sixth goal.  In spite of a train snafu going back (I wound up reboarding the 4 train at 149th street) I did manage to make it back to Penn Station in time to catch the 4:11 train back to NJ.  That should have been the end of my odyssey, with only a program and a souvenir shirt as reminders of a total no-show outdoor game.  Getting back to South Orange before 5 I went to start my car…and it wouldn’t start.  And worse, my phone stopped working in the cold too, despite having around 20% battery left.  After walking around for ten minutes trying to figure out where and how to get help I finally asked a couple of firemen for assistance.  And one of them did bring a battery charger, but that didn’t work either. So with their help I was able to call the police, who gave me a number for a local towing company.  Finally the driver got there but his booster cables didn’t work either.  After a good number of attempts I had to give up and have him tow it…but he talked me into trying one more time, and miracle of miracles it started.  Irony of ironies I wound up getting home around the same time I would have had I stayed for the entire game and had a working car.  On the one hand it just piled more crap onto a mostly lousy day but on the other hand I’m glad I didn’t get a win marred by something like that.

Would I do it again?  If by it you mean sit out in the cold to watch a sporting event…yes, though it won’t be a hockey game.  Pretty much the only way I’d go out in that type of cold again for a game is if the football Jets ever found themselves in an AFC Championship game at home.  In spite of everything that happened I’m glad I did it once though.  Probably I would have toughed out the third period and stayed for the finish if not for the snow and worrying about my drive home, though I did partially have the feeling of screw this, if they’re not going to compete then I’m outta here during the second intermission.  Of course it was a lot less crowded in the concourse on the way out, though plenty of fans besides me made their exit at that point, even Ranger fans.  I wanted to drive to the stadium to save some time, but ultimately decided against it which was a good thing since there was apparently major traffic getting in.  Maybe another time I’ll try it.  At least yesterday wasn’t as traumatic as my first visit to the new Yankee Stadium – known to Met fans as the Luis Castillo popup fiasco.  Ironically the cold, which was my biggest worry at different times turned out to be the least of my concerns although by the end of the second period I was also regretting not having boots as my feet got cold in spite of the double layer of socks.  I taped the game with my DVD recorder but am not sure I have the heart to watch it again, even with Doc Emrick broadcasting.  I will eventually get around to reading the game program though.