Devils and Rangers Series Comes Down to the Wire | NOTEBOOK

Well, it all comes down to this.
A Game 7 between two bitter rivals, win or go home.
The Devils have been through plenty this year and tomorrow night they will host the do-or-die game against the Rangers in their First Round series. It has been a series of emotions, of momentum swings as the pendulum swung back and forth with little notice. After Saturday's Game 6 loss the Devils were back at their home arena preparing for Game 7. Only a few players skated in the optional practice, but everyone was on hand for meetings as they work through their tactics for tomorrow night's winner-take-all matchup.
This group has risen to all kinds of challenges this season, often passing with flying colors. Now, they're facing their biggest one yet.
"You've got to use it as a great opportunity to be at your best," veteran Erik Haula said today, "it's a big platform, it's a big game. It's the biggest game of the season and Game 7's they're magnified always, because one team keeps going and one team goes home. I just think it's a great opportunity for everybody to show what they've got (...) You have to embrace it and you have to be ready to accept the challenge."
"You can look at we were able to deal with emotions after 0-2, when it looked like and people thought we were kind of dead and gone after those two (losses)," head coach Lindy Ruff said, "To turn it around, win three in a row, we lose a game. I look at it we won three out of four and now we've got to go out and win one game."
"We're confident in our group," Ryan Graves added, "I'm not losing sleep that I think that we're in over our heads or anything like that. We're a really good hockey team that if we play our game, we'll win."
Check out the Devils Notebook to see more commentary from the team heading into Monday's big game!

No Doubt

Ahead of Game 7, there is an unwavering confidence in one another built throughout the 82-game regular season and the first six games of this First Round. It is, and always has been, about the team mentality and camaraderie that has carried this group through the rigors of the season. Their belief in one another has been paramount to their success, whether it's managing the highs of a 13-game win streak, the lows of losing streaks, and the uncertainty of injuries, they've been in this battle together.
And it all comes down to this.
"I would say there's no doubt in the locker room," veteran Erik Haula said, "We're confident in our game. We're confident in our ability to play our best game in Game 7. And we're confident that will be enough.
"This series has been great for our group," he added, "we've talked about it. We have vocal guys, we're in this together, we're going through it together. We've gotten better with it, we've taken huge steps and now it's another one. It's Game 7, the building will be buzzing, we're looking forward to the opportunity to put our best game out there and I like our chances if we're able to do that."
"We believe in the group," head coach Lindy Ruff said, "we look at this as an awesome step for our team and our group to take."

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Game 3

Haula harkened back to Game 3 as a big learning curve that could serve this young group well in Game 7. It was the 2-1 overtime victory game that started a run of three straight victories. The emotional rollercoaster of being down 0-2 in the series, needing to win that game to start a turnaround of the series and just how close it was in the end is something that Haula, with ample playoff experience to his name, feels will be a big benefit heading into Game 7.
"I go back to that Game 3, the steps we were able to take, the way we won that game, I think we grew a lot as a team," Haula imparted, "It's a different story line if we win that game 5-nothing. (The Rangers) played one of their better games in Game 3, and that was a tight battle, a tough game and we needed to give everything we had to win that game. That' skind of how it's going to be tomorrow, everything is going to be just magnified. We talked about it today, every little thing is going to be a big thing and we need everyone to play their best game and I'm sure we will."
Head coach Lindy Ruff liked that example of Game 3 and also made reference to the game against the Colorado Avalanche early in the season, and beating the visiting Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche 1-0.
"We answered that test, we're going to have to answer the test again," Ruff said, "It's another test for our group. You have to relax, you're going to have to breath and you're going to have to make plays. The plays are going to be there, this is going to be the ability to understand the situation we're in, grab a hold of it, but still have the vision and the smarts to make the plays that are there."

What We Play For

No one is pretending that Game 7 is going to be a walk in the park. It's going to be tough, there will be an emotional grind and there will be swings in momentum. But it's all part of the fun at the end of the day. Speaking with Haula, John Marino and Ryan Graves today, all who have played in at least one Game 7 in their careers, all expressed the excitment of the moment you feel as Game 7 starts and that fine line on enjoying the moment, having fun with it and the focus required to get the job done. These are fun moments to be a part of in the course of a career.
"It's one of the most exciting things in hockey," Ryan Graves said. "It's something very cool in sports where you have a winner take all game and especially when it's a rivalry like the New York/Jersey one. It will be cool. I'm looking forward to it."
Graves last played in a Game 7 when in the bubble with Colorado. The Avalanche lost in Game 7 overtime to the Dallas Stars, a crushing defeat, but a trough of experience and knowledge.
"You just have to find a way to try to make plays through the stress, manage your emotions," Graves said, "You want to try and enjoy it but you want to be able to do the same thing you've done all year. At the end of the day, it's the same game you've played for all 82 games this season, but things get amplified, things get a little bit harder to make that play, to stay in that moment. You just have to find ways to continue to make plays, find effort to make the right play at the right time, try to be solid and mentally focused."

"Every little play is going to make that difference, especially in a Game 7 situation" said John Marino who played in a seven game series against the Rangers last season while with the Pittsburgh Penguins. "It's a special moment for everyone. You want to enjoy it, you want to have fun with it. I mean, how many people get to say they get to play in Game 7 games. You want to go out there and play as hard as you can, give it your all."

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