Devils End Year of Dread 2019-05-24 “Losing is fun!" Said no one, ever. Safe to say it was a tough year to be a Devils supporter in the EHE. Sure, the 2018-2019 season was one that did come with considerably low expectations for New Jersey. That being said, with 27 wins, 60 points, and 82 games in the books, Devils faithful cant wait to forget about abysmal 2018-2019 season all together. The upcoming EHE Draft is exciting, yet crucial for an organization in the midst of a full-blown rebuild that started last May when Bates first took the reigns. New Jersey owns two 1st Round Lottery Picks that will land somewhere between #1-4, and #1-11 respectively (depending on The EHE Draft Lottery results). The Devils also own a 2nd, two early 3rd`s, a 4th, and 5th round pick for a total of 7 selections in the EHE Draft. New Jersey GM Cole Bates has signalled that the team will be aggressive in Free Agency as the team will have a considerable amount of cap space come Day 1 of the Free Agent Frenzy. “Although expectations were low, the results must improve next season. We owe it to our fans, our players, and our staff. The plan hasn’t changed and our future won’t be comprised, but we expect to make strides for next season.” Said Bates. Devils fans, year one of the rebuild came as expected: With a fist-full of pain. But fear not, it only gets better from here on out. 2018-2019 Team Awards Top Scorer: Mat Barzal - 64 points Top Goal Scorer: Mat Barzal - 29 G Most Valuable Player: Mat Barzal Rookie of the Year: Brandon Montour Top Defenseman: Brandon Montour Top Defensive Forward: Martin Hanzal Best Gentlemanly Conduct: Alex Steen Springfield Thunderbirds Playoff Primer A successful season in Springfield saw the AHL`s Thunderbirds turn a 1-11 start into a 2nd place finish in the North Division with a record of 43-27-6 and 92 points. Springfield is rolling into the postseason having won their final 5 consecutive regular season games. The youth infused Thunrderbirds were lead by 4 high-flying Rookies who lead the way finishing top 4 in team scoring. Casey Mittelstadt (59 Points), followed by Henrik Borgstrom (56 Points), Nick Merkley (53 Points), and Dillon Dube (52 Points). All prospects are expected to be big parts of The Devils moving forward. Veteran Defensemen Brent Regner, Chad Ruhwedal, Adam Pardy, and Carson Soucy all played big minutes while proving to be an integral part of Springfield`s success. In goal, Veteran netminder Jared Coreau was expected to be the starter before Eric Comrie's consistency forced a shared crease. Comrie (.915 SV%, 2.59 GAA) ultimately took the job, earning the start in Springfield's first playoff game against The Senators tomorrow night. The Thunderbirds are slated to play their Division rival Belleville Senators in Round 1 with game one taking place this evening. All bets are off as the two squads were a mere 3 points apart. While The Thunderbirds might have the edge up front, The Senators are loaded on Defense and solid between the pipes. With two closely contested teams, this series is bound to be a battle. 2018-2019 Team Awards Most Valuable Player: Casey Mittelstadt Top Point Scorer: Casey Mittelstadt Top Goal Scorer: Casey Mittelstadt Rookie Of The Year: Casey Mittelstadt Top Defenseman: Brent Regner Top Goalie: Jared Coreau
