Biggest Game in Franchise History: Devils Edition

[Blackjack]

no assist for marty

New Jersey Devils at Philadelphia Flyers Box Score — June 11, 1995 | Hockey-Reference.com

Haha yeah, I wondered that. I think in the video the announcer (Gary Clement?) said the goal was unassisted when they dropped the puck at center ice. Brodeur didn't play it with his stick but he did direct it with his blocker. I guess you don't get a point for that.

 

[Ripshot 43]

Hockey would’ve died in NJ without the 95 Cup win. The state of hockey in NJ was so invigorated by that playoff run and finals sweep I don’t see how you choose any game over Game 4 of the 95 Finals.

 

[New Jersey]

My vote has to go to 6/24/95.

On my first birthday, my biggest present ended up being the Stanley Cup that saved hockey in New Jersey.

 

[billingtons ghost]

My vote has to go to 6/24/95.

On my first birthday, my biggest present ended up being the Stanley Cup that saved hockey in New Jersey.

I took my best friend to that game and we sat in the upper deck. It was his 25th birthday.

I knew the Devils would win it, so I decided not to take my girlfriend (who had been to about every game with me throughout the playoffs up until that point). She was hella-pissed.

Girlfriends come and go... broke up with her later that year. My buddy ended up being my best man years later and we still talk every few days so... Score one for me in the 'correct decision' book.

Good birthday ya got there.

 

[Scooooooooooooot]

for my personal health and well being it's Game 6 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, I was 20 at the time and was on a hockey team with equal amount of devils, rangers and flyers fans so that playoff run took off years of my life.

 

[CHIP72]

In chronological order:

Wins:
*1988 regular season finale vs Chicago
*1995 Eastern Conference Finals Game 5
*1995 Stanley Cup Finals Game 4 clincher
*2000 Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 (ironically, this game may have been even bigger as a negative in Flyers history than a positive in Devils history)
*2000 Stanley Cup Finals Game 6 clincher
*2003 Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 clincher
*2012 Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 clincher

Losses:
*1994 Eastern Conference Finals Game 7
*2001 Stanley Cup Finals Game 7

All of the games except the 1994 game have already been mentioned, so let me add a few thoughts about that game and series. IMO, though the Devils lost to the hated Rangers (who broke their 54 year Stanley Cup championship drought a couple weeks later), it was the greatest playoff series in NHL history, one so good a book has been written about it (by a Devils fan to boot!). Even more importantly, even though the Devils lost, in many ways that series and season established the Devils as one of the best franchises in the league, and established the Devils as a legitimate franchise in New Jersey. People didn't expect the Devils to win that series against the Rangers, who had A LOT more to lose than the Devils did, and when the Devils played their Manhattan rivals, who had the best record in the NHL that year, so evenly for 7 games, it validated the step forward the Devils took during the regular season that year (they finished with the second-best record in the NHL behind the Rangers). What happened in 1995, when the Devils had an indifferent regular season but got themselves geared up for the playoffs and then had their great playoff run, really had its context set by what happened in 1994. I'm not sure 1995 happens without what happened in 1994. Game 7 of the 1994 ECF was a heartbreaker at the time, but especially in retrospect it was definitely more of a beginning than an ending, the beginning of the Devils' run as one of the elite NHL franchises over the next decade.

 

[Devil made me do it]

Three moments stand out for me:

1) Arnott's OT goal against Dallas (watched it from my bedroom floor at 1:30 AM)
2) Friesen's goal against Ottawa (heard it on the radio while riding my bike)
3) Henrique's goal against the Rags (which regretably I did not see or hear live because of personal obligations)

 

[AfroThunder396]

As someone who completely missed the 80's, was a wee lad in the 90's, and has my earliest memories of hockey coming in 2000, I think my biggest moments for ME, PERSONALLY, AS A FAN are:

1.) Arnott scores in double OT vs Dallas in Game 6 (my mom didn't let me stay up to watch this, I saw it in the paper the next morning)
2.) Devils beat Ducks 3-0 in Game 7
3.) Henrique, it's over
4.) 552
5.) Friesen scores against Ottawa in Game 7
6.) Zajac scores in double OT to beat the Panthers in Game 6
7.) Gionta scores vs MTL to win the division in 2006
8.) Devils clinch playoff spot in 2018

 

[New Jersey]

6.) Zajac scores in double OT to beat the Panthers in Game 6

Being in attendance for that one, I don't think I've ever gone from sheer nervous wreck due to the scramble in front of Marty not 15 seconds before that goal to pure ecstasy/relief that quickly.

 

[Wingman77]

In chronological order:

Wins:
*1988 regular season finale vs Chicago
*1995 Eastern Conference Finals Game 5
*1995 Stanley Cup Finals Game 4 clincher
*2000 Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 (ironically, this game may have been even bigger as a negative in Flyers history than a positive in Devils history)
*2000 Stanley Cup Finals Game 6 clincher
*2003 Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 clincher
*2012 Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 clincher

Losses:
*1994 Eastern Conference Finals Game 7
*2001 Stanley Cup Finals Game 7

All of the games except the 1994 game have already been mentioned, so let me add a few thoughts about that game and series. IMO, though the Devils lost to the hated Rangers (who broke their 54 year Stanley Cup championship drought a couple weeks later), it was the greatest playoff series in NHL history, one so good a book has been written about it (by a Devils fan to boot!). Even more importantly, even though the Devils lost, in many ways that series and season established the Devils as one of the best franchises in the league, and established the Devils as a legitimate franchise in New Jersey. People didn't expect the Devils to win that series against the Rangers, who had A LOT more to lose than the Devils did, and when the Devils played their Manhattan rivals, who had the best record in the NHL that year, so evenly for 7 games, it validated the step forward the Devils took during the regular season that year (they finished with the second-best record in the NHL behind the Rangers). What happened in 1995, when the Devils had an indifferent regular season but got themselves geared up for the playoffs and then had their great playoff run, really had its context set by what happened in 1994. I'm not sure 1995 happens without what happened in 1994. Game 7 of the 1994 ECF was a heartbreaker at the time, but especially in retrospect it was definitely more of a beginning than an ending, the beginning of the Devils' run as one of the elite NHL franchises over the next decade.

The 2000 ECF can also have another game added to the list, however in the loss column, that being game 4 which spurred the infamous garbage can kick from Larry Robinson, ultimately helping turn that series around and get things back on track the rest of the way on the road to the eventual cup.