Former NHL forward and NBC Sports studio analyst Keith Jones talks Devils-Kings Stanley Cup finals and Rangers offseason with The Post’s Justin Terranova.
Q: Why do you think the Devils could give the Kings more trouble than the teams they rolled through in the Western Conference?
A: The Kings really do have some outstanding structure to their game and throughout their lineup. The one team that gave the Devils the most trouble is the Panthers and they didn’t really have any structure, they just played. The fact that the Kings do have structure is something the Devils can take advantage of because they are such a disciplined team.
Q: What’s the biggest change you see in the Devils under first-year coach Pete DeBoer?
A: The aggressiveness. As great as they were in winning those Stanley Cups, there were times where they were not that interesting. Always difficult to play against, but there wasn’t a lot of excitement around the team. To me, there has been all year with this style of play and DeBoer deserves a lot of credit for that. And it’s not easy to overhaul a system that they’ve played for 15-17 years. They are now an entertaining hockey team.
Q: What does it say to you that Martin Brodeur is in the Stanley Cup finals at the age of 40?
A: He gets every aspect of being a goaltender in the NHL. The physical side has always been there with his play, but the mind has been stronger than any goaltender I’ve ever seen, and I played with Patrick Roy in Colorado. He had the same type of mind, but Brodeur has done it for so much longer that, to me, he’s the best that ever played.
Q: Do the Rangers need to make significant changes in the offseason to be back as a Stanley Cup contender?
A: No, I wouldn’t change a whole lot. I just think they got tired, wasted a lot of time getting rid of the Senators and the Capitals gave them everything they can handle. They really just need to close out games better, and missing a little bit of that killer instinct. Not one thing stands out at me, they just ran into a Devils team that wasn’t going to be stopped.
Q: Do you think this playoff experience will help them next year?
A: There’s no question about it. They’ve played more big games than anyone has this year. I would not tweak a whole lot with that team, they’ll be right back at it next year and a threat in the East.
the Kings, the Devils, Stanley Cup finals, Martin Brodeur, NHL ebook download, NHL, Stanley Cup, Rangers offseason, Keith Jones
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