Enjoying the Ride | 10 TAKEAWAYS

What a thrill it is to still be covering hockey in late April and May. What a ride too, emotionally. It's like everything comes at you so fast... and I'm not even playing the sport.

Seeing the joy on the Devils faces after the Game 7 win was priceless. I was telling people that the thing I dreaded the most was not necessarily a series loss but the looks on everyone's faces when a season wraps up. So much hard work, and you have to start all over again.

But not this year, not right now. It's May and we're still talking hockey, we're still playing and it's been a blast and a ride you never want to end.

1.

We're continuing in the post-season in part because of the play of Akira Schmid, who came in and turned everything on its head.

He also became just the second rookie goaltender in NHL history in a Game 7 with a 30-plus save shutout. The last one?

Chico Resch in 1975 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

2.

This shift by Ondrej Palat was just incredible.

I think it might be one that both Adam Fox and Chris Kreider will have nightmares about all off-season. The play, and the ensuing Michael McLeod goal, set in motion the 4-0 shutout in Game 7.

3.

Tomas Tatar has one of the best personalities and he's as competitive as they come. He also has one of the greatest celebrations after scoring a goal… every single goal he celebrates like it's his first NHL goal and it's so intense.

So it was thrilled to see him score in Game 7, because I wanted to get a sense of what that was like. Turns out, he just lets out a massive scream, releasing all kinds of energy.

Have a look for yourself.

4.

In a normal Tatar goal celebration, he doesn't always get that low in a crouch on the ice but it turns out he lost his mouthguard in the whole goal/celebration process and he, at the same time as he was celebrating, was also looking for the mouthguard. At first I thought maybe it was a whole new playoff-type celebration, but nope!

#

5.

Something I'm really looking forward to seeing: former Devil PK Subban is launching his own show called Video: NYR@NJD, Gm7: McLeod nets SHG with a backhand shot that will air on ESPN. The show is produced by Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions and will explore all the diversity, history and traditions the game we all love.

There couldn't be a better person to have those conversations with than PK who has a great sense of the entertainment business, is a good interviewer and of course that vibrant personality.

6.

The Devils social team absolutely hit it out of the ballpark with this amazing burn of the New York Rangers.

Patrick Warburton has been a fantastic team player (you gotta support the team!) in being involved.

This went viral and it more than deserved it.

7.

I was thrilled to see that Nico Hischier was named a finalist for the Selke Trophy. At this rate, with Patrice Bergeron still playing in this league, a nomination is almost as good as a win, because it's almost with certainty that Bergeron will win - it would be his record-breaking sixth victory.

But Bergeron is at the end of his career - perhaps even contemplating retirement - I wonder if Nico will start taking over the way Bergeron has. His name has always crept up in the conversation the last couple of years, but this year Nico took a dramatic step offensively without compromising any of his defensive play, in fact, he got even better there as well.

Bergeron won his first Selke trophy in his eighth NHL season, Nico is in his sixth. The first year Bergeron was named a finalist - that is Top 3 - he won in 2012. He's been nominated for 10 years straight, it's just incredible. I think we'll see Nico on a long stretch for many years in consideration and I think once Bergeron retires, Hischier has a really good shot at multiple Selkes.

"It's pretty exciting stuff seeing my name popping up next to these guys," Hischier said, also noting that his focus is on the playoffs and not an individual award. On his 200-foot play, night in, night out, Hischier said that it's exactly how he wants to play, "I guess I must be doing something right" he added humbly.

"That's my game, that's what I want to do, I grew up watching (Pavel) Datsyuk playing, he was a really good two-way forward, it's just the kind of player I want to be. I take pride in it."

8.

I don't think anyone who has watched Hischier play, even from his early years of playing the game in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is the least bit surprised that he's been named a finalist. It made me think about this quote from several years back, when Andre Tourigny, now the head coach of the Arizona Coyotes, was the head coach of the Halifax Mooseheads when Hischier was playing in the Q:

"I said he would someday win the Selke and be captain of an NHL team. People laughed at me. I'm not sure they're laughing now because it's just a matter of time."

9.

Jack Hughes was named a Lady Byng finalist for his sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct. And it shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

"It's exciting, I didn't take many penalties," Hughes said with a chuckle. He's not wrong. Last season he took a grand total of zero penalties, and just three this season.

I think Lindy Ruff had the best answer as to why he barely takes any penalties:

"You know I think the thing with Jack is that he has the puck most of the time, so it's hard to take penalties when you have it as much as he does," Lindy Ruff quipped, "I think the easy explanation is the way he plays. I think his discipline when he comes back and he's playing in his own end is good, he doesn't take stick infractions, he doesn't use a free hand. I think that's the discipline that he has."

10.

Has Michael McLeod been one of the highlights of the post-season so far? He's played some outstanding hockey game-in, game-out. He scored one of the most important goals of the Devils/Rangers series - the first goal in Game 7 that sent the Devils on their way.

So why is it that his game is so suited for this time of year I asked Lindy Ruff:

"You have to play fearless and he does. You have to be ready to put your body in harm's way a lot of times, which he does. He's the type of player that will get inside and be a top guy in all those categories."