Marty’s Better: For 20 years, nobody has been better than Martin Brodeur with the Devils. This is his moment.

“Nothing lasts forever even cold November Rain.”-Axl Rose, Guns ‘N Roses

In sports, no athlete lasts forever. The same way our favorite bands don’t. In a year where Derek Jeter is retiring with the Yankees, Martin Brodeur is about to take the ice for likely the final time for the Devils.

Since being drafted by GM Lou Lamoriello in 1990, it’s the only team he’s known. Once a 22-year old rookie who led the franchise to the Eastern Conference Final in ’94, he went on to become one of the greatest goalies in NHL history. After falling in gut wrenching fashion to the Hudson rival Rangers, Brodeur and company won the first of three Stanley Cups in an emphatic sweep of the Red Wings.

As it turned out, it was only the beginning for a prideful man from Montreal whose father Denis was a former goaltender turned photographer. If only Calgary had known better than to swap picks with New Jersey. Instead, they traded up and selected Trevor Kidd. The rest is history. Soon turning 42, Brodeur is a living legend. A three-time Cup winner (’95, ’00, ’03) who’s won four Vezinas, Olympic gold and been named a First Team All-Star three times, Brodeur is the all-time leader in wins (687) and shutouts (124). For at least one more time, Marty gets to add to that legend in the Devils’ final game against Boston at Prudential Center.

It’s sure to be emotional for both player and fans who grew up idolizing him. This is a truly special athlete that comes around once in a lifetime. Even though I’ve been on the opposite side of a great rivalry, it’s easy to admire what Brodeur has done. I might not have always agreed with his commentary but the man is a champion. Even in the twilight of his career, he outplayed opposite number 30 Henrik Lundqvist at age 40 to get the Devils to a fifth Cup Final in ’12. They fell short against the Kings but not due to Marty, who was stellar helping extend a series his team trailed 3-0 to Game Six before LA finally closed it out.

In an era where Lundqvist is lauded for consistency winning 30-or-more in eight of his first nine seasons, he’s never reached 40. Something Brodeur has done eight times over an illustrious 20-year career. Even in the shootout induced post-lockout era, it’s hard for a goalie to win 40. That makes the ’06-07 season when he won 48 seem impossible. All he did was go 48-23-7 posting a 2.18 goals-against-average with a .922 save percentage and 12 shutouts. Marty played 78 games. His durability is one of the remarkable aspects. For so long, the Devils didn’t need a backup. It was only a few years ago he won 45 games in 77 games posting similar numbers (2.24 GAA .916 9 SHO).

What’s made him special is his uncanny ability to rise to the occasion. By ’11-12, he was no longer invincible with a few injuries sidelining him. Pete DeBoer played Johan Hedberg, who did a solid job in relief. But once he was healthy, Brodeur again proved why he’s one of the all-time best. At a time when most looked at the Devils as an afterthought, he backstopped them past the Panthers, Flyers and Rangers avenging the ’94 Conference Final. At 40 years young, he finished that run 14-9 with a 2.12 GAA, .917 save percentage with one shutout. How many goalies can last this long and still deliver in the clutch? Not even childhood idol Patrick Roy stuck around forever.

Fast forward a couple of years and Brodeur isn’t what he once was. It happens. The body wears down and their reflexes are not the same. Think of the stressful position he’s played with relative easy due to a stand up style that relies more on challenging shooters rather than a classic butterfly. Sure. The statistics show a player in sharp decline. His save percentage has dropped off. Entering today’s match, he is at .901 yet has still won 18 games with a 2.52 GAA and three shutouts.

In a year where it was expected that Cory Schneider would be handed over the reigns, DeBoer has given Brodeur his fair share of starts. Something that hasn’t sat well with Hasan or other Devils supporters. When you compare their numbers, there’s no doubt Schneider is better. In his first year with the club, he finished 16-15-12 with a 1.97 GAA, .921 save percentage and three shutouts over 45 games. It’s true that Marty hasn’t made the decision easy by voicing his displeasure over not playing. You don’t become a star by having no ego. He’s a competitor and wants to still play.

What really turned fans against him was his criticism of Lamoriello on not doing enough to bring back Zach Parise. The former captain departed following the 2012 run back home to Minnesota where he is playing with childhood friend Ryan Suter. It’s not like he made the decision right away. The Wild blew him out of the water. I’m not sure what more could’ve been done. What complicated matters was Ilya Kovalchuk ‘retiring’ back to Russia to play in the KHL last summer.

It’s next to impossible to recover from losing your top two scorers. Another living legend Jaromir Jagr was recently named Team MVP for a tremendous season posting 24 goals and 65 points. His scoring dried up but anyone who watched closely knows he’s still been their best player generating chances. They just haven’t gone in. Throw in injuries to Adam Henrique and Ryane Clowe and it’s no wonder they fell short of the playoffs. That along with their shootout woes doomed them.

Brodeur’s recent commentary that the Devils settled for mediocrity was the final straw. Hasan already detailed that in another post. There’s no sense in rehashing it. I have my own observations but will refrain from commenting. Even now, Marty still believes he can play. That along with the trade deadline controversy which nearly saw him move to the Wild is why today will be his final game as a Devil. From an outsider perspective, it’s hard to fathom Brodeur in another jersey. On an emotional day that also includes popular Devils color analyst Chico Resch revealing that at 65, he’s hanging up the microphone after today, it’s sure to be memorable.

Even if you’re not a Devil fan, it’s the end of an era. Having gotten to work behind the scenes on the home telecasts back in ’00-01, I can say with certainty that both Brodeur and Resch are classy people. Of course, more so Chico who once credited me on air for a hat trick stat I mentioned before air for a Thrashers/Devils game. Sure. He’s a homer. But a lovable one who bleeds red and black. What’s wrong with that? I’ve seen quite a few Ranger fans taking shots. Have they not seen what our broadcast has become? We love Sam Rosen for the same reason. That’s part of the job of being a home team announcer.

For Devils fans, this is their moment. They should forget about their frustration for a day. One final send off for a guy who’s the all-time greatest Devil. Let the “Mar—ty, Mar—ty, Mar—ty!” chants rain down once more. Even I know it. Marty’s Better!