Top 10 Video Special - Devils moments in the Stanley Cup Finals

There's been a lot of down time between the Conference Finals and the Stanley Cup Finals.  I decided that now would be a good time to put together the 19th installment of my Top 10 Video Specials series.  I recently counted down the 10 greatest moments in Devils' Eastern Conference Finals history, and now I'll count down the 10 greatest moments in Devils' Stanley Cup Finals history.


#10 - Sykora snipes

With the Devils down in the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals, 2-1, and tied 2-2 late in the third period of Game 4, Petr Sykora made sure that they wouldn't need overtime and that the series would be tied heading back to Colorado.  The Devils ended up winning Games 4 and 5, but couldn't manage a fourth win in the series to win a third Stanley Cup championship at the time.

#9 - Stevens levels Kariya

The Mighty Ducks were on their way to winning Game 6 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals, but Scott Stevens knew he had to send a message before heading back to New Jersey for Game 7.  He found his opportunity when Paul Kariya was skating through center ice...with his head down.

#8 - Dano puts the Devils on top

The 2000 Stanley Cup Finals weren't remembered for having a lot of goals, but Game 1 did.  This is Ken Daneyko's goal that put the Devils on top, and they never looked back.

Top 10 Video Special - Devils moments in the Eastern Conference Finals

As we continue to wait for the start of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals between the Devils and...someone, I decided to take my ten favorite Devils moments from their six previous Conference Finals appearances and put together the 18th edition of the DGA Top 10 Video Special.


#10 - "Have another doughnut"

The Devils were in the midst of their first ever playoff appearance in the spring of 1988.  After barely making the playoffs on the regular season's final day, the Devils won two rounds and found themselves in the Conference Finals against the Boston Bruins.  Game 3 didn't go so well for the Devils, but this is still one of the most memorable moments in franchise history, courtesy of Jim Schoenfeld.

#9 - "We're the DEVILS!!!"

This moment didn't occur on the ice, but it's a famous moment nonetheless.  During the 1994 Conference Finals, Seinfeld featured Elaine's boyfriend David Puddy decked out in Devils gear, and he properly ticked off his Ranger fan friends.

#8 - Claude Lemieux's 43728th goal of the series

Well, I exaggerated a bit, but Claude Lemieux had arguably the best single playoff season of any Devil in history.  With the Devils and Flyers tied in the series and Game 5 late in the third period, Lemieux beat Ron Hextall five-hole.  A Devil beat a Flyers goalie five-hole...I guess some things never change.

Top 10 Video Special - The 10 Greatest Individual Seasons in Devils History

Ilya Kovalchuk's unbelievable season thus far got me thinking about Devils of the past.  Sure, we all know that no Devil has ever reached 50 goals or 100 points in a single season, but what about the greatest individual seasons that have occured?  I put together a list of my Top 10, with a small sample of their excellence from either that season or a season close to it.  Here's what I came up with.  It's the 16th DGA Top 10 Special in the history of DGA.


#10 - KIRK MULLER: 1987-88 (80 games, 37 goals, 57 assists, 94 points, 114 penalty minutes)

Before Zach Parise, the Devils had another American-born captain that wore #9.  Kirk Muller registered a career-high 94 points in 1987-88 (which is also Parise's career-high in points to date), and helped lead the Devils to their first-ever playoff birth in the spring of 1988.

#9 - JOHN MACLEAN: 1989-90 (80 games, 41 goals, 38 assists, 79 points, 11 game-winning goals)

1989-90 wasn't MacLean's best offensive season, although it was his second of three consecutive 40-goal seasons.  But having used Muller's 1987-88 season, I needed an excuse to show MacLean's goal that sent the Devils to the playoffs for the first time in 1988.  Also, MacLean set the Devils record with 11 game-winning goals in 1989-90.  Since I couldn't find a goal from that season, enjoy this one.

#8 - SCOTT GOMEZ: 2005-06 (82 games, 33 goals, 51 assists, 84 points, 244 shots on goal)

Although 2005-06 will be remembered for Brian Gionta's epic season, it's fair to say that Gio doesn't score 48 goals without the help of his center, Scott Gomez.  This was the prime of the EGG line, and coming out of the lockout, it was the line that carried the Devils through a 15-game winning streak at the end of the regular season and past the Rangers in round 1 of the playoffs.  Also, this is proof that Scott Gomez hasn't always been useless.