He held most of the Devils scoring records until a guy name Elias came along, and if Zach Parise stays with this team for the foreseeable future, it’s hard to imagine any MacLean/Elias numbers standing for very long.

I remember watching him blow out his knee right before the ’91-92 season in a pre-season game against the Islanders. He could have sniffed 50 goals in that lost season, and I think his subsequent NHL total would have eclipsed 500. He never matched his pre-injury numbers, but seemed to get back to a similar level when then-coach Jacques Lemaire put him in a defensive role that left Mac wanting.

Scott Stevens and John MacLean with the Stanley Cup in 1995.

I remember watching a game on TV and MacLean actually stated, matter-of-factly, that he wanted out of town. About a week later, he was playing for the San Jose Sharks. Some Devils fans begrudge him for signing with the Rangers, but what do you expect from the guy? He spent the entirety of his adult life in this area, and if I were in his shoes, I’d probably do the same thing. Why uproot your family over a rivalry? It was nice to see him come back into the fold, so to speak, as an assistant.

#15 MACLEAN was the first name and number on the back of my old Christmas tree jersey. It was the also the name and number on my first red and black sweater. And now the guy who came off the bench and brought the Devils their first taste of real success is the captain of the ship, steering this hockey club from behind the bench.

As a fan, unless Scotty Bowman or Mike Babcock is named coach, guys who have found success like its under the couch with loose change and lint, there is no sure thing. So who knows how Johnny Mac will do? Although, its better to see a fresh face behind the bench than say, I don’t know, Michel Therrien. MacLean has paid his dues, and now is his chance to shine.

Maybe his nose for the net during his playing days will rub off on his new charges.

Maybe in another 25 years, I can have a conversation with someone and talk, not about that 1988 April night when Johnny on the Spot was born, but the night Coach Mac brought the Devils back to the Stanley Cup.

Long distance Devils fans...

Love this brick!

Ouch. I hope they get a free replacement for this faux pas.

No idea what this could mean, which is what makes it so great.

When I found the Hardhats' brick, I knew I had to include it here. Its fun to have notable fans.

Jersey's Team brings people together.

Timon is a Rangers fan...

Great way to immortalize yourself in team history.

Someone cue the music from The Jeffersons

If only the team read this magic formula six weeks ago...

To the person who purchased this brick, please explain yourself.

I see no better note to end on than that. If I ever got one of these bricks, it would definitely say “I BLEED RED.”

WTF

LOL

Those are the first two things, in that order, that come to mind after yet another first round exit for the Devils.  What the f***? This playoff series was like ripping duct tape off your eyelids: quick and painful.  And I can’t help but laugh out loud, out of disbelief more than anything.  Ilya Kovalchuk. Zach Parise. Patrik Elias. Jamie Langenbrunner. Travis Zajac. Martin Brodeur.  I’m going back to WTF now.

Three years ago, the Devils were disgraced by the Rangers in five games, arguably the only team they didn’t want to face in the first round, since Jersey was 1-7 against New York that year, the lone win coming in the shootout, which doesn’t help anyone in the playoffs.

Last year, in a strange twist of fate, the Devils could have played Pittsburgh, Philadelphia or Carolina, but they beat the Hurricanes on the last day of the season – barely – when Carolina played their back-up, and supposedly lost in order to face the Devils, who they had dominated all year, going 3-1.  It feels like yesterday the Devils choked that Game 7 away.

And now this.  Losing to a team that was one shootout goal away from NOT EVEN MAKING THE PLAYOFFS.  The one team that dominated the Devils all season.  The one team that New Jersey didn’t want to play in the first round.

Three years in a row the Devils have been the higher seed.  Three years in a row they drew the one opponent in that year’s playoffs that owned them in the regular season.  Three years in a row they packed their bags for the summer on home ice.  The Rangers was embarrassing because it was the Rangers.  Carolina was embarrassing because of how epic the collapse was.  This is embarrassing because its a rival with a third string goalie who played like Patrick Roy and Dominic Hasek if they were conjoined twins.

For each of the last three years, the Devils couldn’t have drawn a worse team to play in the first round if the 1984 Soviet National team showed up at 165 Mulberry Street.  I think The Rock is cursed.

A few weeks back, a small garage was torn out from Edison Place. What's next in the development of what is arguably the most lucrative area in Newark (across the street from Prudential Center)?

Brick City Bar & Grill has been a gold mine since its inception in early 2009.

On the other side of the gaping hole in Edison Place is this abandoned building. You don't even need an imagination or finance degree to surmise that restaurant/retail space directly across from the arena box office would be a cash cow.

We're fast approaching two years since two derelict buildings were razed where this empty space across from the Rock resides.

The immediate area around the Rock is teeming with possibilities, as more holes in the walls become holes in the ground.  The question is, when will they get filled?

The New Jersey Devils already knew what a talented hockey player Zach Parise is. Now the rest of the world is getting the memo.

On Sunday evening with 24 seconds left in the gold medal game between Team USA and Team Canada, Parise propelled Team USA from a guaranteed lose and sent them into overtime by firing in a much-needed goal.

The game then went into overtime with both teams rapidly sending the puck back and forth in an attempt to win the gold. Unfortunately, it appeared that the United States began to tire near the end.

Soon after, Team Canada took advantage and scored the winning goal off of US goalie Ryan Miller.

Regardless of the defeat, the 25 year-old Minnesota native, who has been a mainstay on the Devils roster since he came up with the team in 2005, was very impressive.

This season with the Devils, Parise has scored 28 goals and accumulated 61 points. His 28 goals are good for ninth amongst all NHL players.

While Sunday’s game may not have been the “Miracle on the Ice”, it certainly established Zach Parise as one of the top players on the global hockey scene. It is important to note that Parise and his teammates did not go home empty handed as the USA team was awarded the Silver Medal.

The Devils have the chance to make their own miracle as they push to make a run at the Stanley Cup after a nearly two week long break from the ice. The team returns to action this Tuesday when they begin a road trip against the Sharks.

It is not until next Wednesday (March 10th) does the team return to the Rock to take on the New York Rangers.

He may have been born in Quebec, Canada, but he will forever be known as one of Jersey’s boys.

Tonight at the Prudential Center, here in Newark, Brodeur will make another attempt at etching his name in NHL history by trying to shatter the career shutouts record that he currently holds with Terry Sawchuk.

He will do so against the Florida Panthers, who are currently in fourth place in the Southeast division. In the net for the Panthers will be a familiar face, Scott Clemmensen, a fan favorite, who spent much of last season filling in for an injured Brodeur.

News that Brodeur is close to breaking another record is certainly nothing new. He has long been regarded the linchpin of some of the greatest Devils teams, including the 1995, 2000 and 2003 Stanley Cup championship teams.

Brodeur, who is playing his third season in Newark after playing the majority of his career in East Rutherford, has wasted no time making history. Last season at the Rock, Brodeur became the winningest goalie in the history of the game when he recorded a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

While a shutout tonight would be historic, it would also be very significant for the team as a whole.

The Devils, who currently sit in third place in the league, trail only the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference and hope that a win tonight will help propel them higher up in the standings.

For a look at every save ever recorded by Brodeur (all 103 of them) check out this cool feature at the official website of the New Jersey Devils.

Tickets for tonight’s game are still available at many price levels over at Ticketmaster.com. Available tickets start at just $35, which is a small price to pay when you consider the potential magnitude of the game.

If you can’t make it out tonight for the game, fret not, the game will be televised live and in HD on MSG Plus.

This Thursday take time out of your day to head down to the Prudential Center and see CANstruction.

CANstruction is not your typical art exhibition. There is no paint, no canvas, or photography… only cans of food.  CANstruction is a competition among local architects, engineers, and students to design and build giant themed structures made entirely from full cans of food. Following the exhibits, the structures built of cans are dismantled and all of the canned food is donated to charity.

The CANstruction exhibit is a national event sponsored by the American Institute of Architects which will be hosted this year at the Prudential Center. And guess what the theme is…  The New Jersey Devils, Prudential Center, the City of Newark, and Hockey.

 I feel like this is not something you get to experience everyday. Unfortunately, the construction is not open to the public. (What a shame, right!)  It will however, be still up Saturday evening for the game. Devil’s supporters and art fans, you’ll have to buy a ticket to see this in person. As for the rest of you… No worries- check Friday morning for a follow up exclusive by yours truly.

Now’s your chance to capitalize on the two things you love most of all: Jersey’s Team and getting drunk.

All summer, I’ve followed along a thread about a potential opening night bar crawl at njdevs.com, occasionally offering a suggestion here or there, and now, through the efforts of fellow njdevs poster, DaneykoisGod, the bar crawl is on for this Saturday.

All you have to do to be a part of this is show up at the Blue Comet Bar by 1:30 PM.  You’ll meet with other Devils fans at this shady bar located on the ground floor of Penn Station.

From there, the crimson crowd heads over to MmmBello’s, then deeper into the Ironbound at Sagres before swinging back towards the Rock for a few towers at Hell’s Kitchen, and officially christening Stadium Sports Bar and Grill, before finally ending at Arena Lounge, a block away from Prudential Center.

I’m sad to say I won’t be attending myself as I have plans, but I hope this is a successful fan-initiation that catches on (thus this post), with more bar-hopping throughout the season.  This is actually the second Devils bar crawl, the last one being on St. Patrick’s Day, and we all know what an awesome night that was.  So, bottom’s up!

Click here for the itinerary.

6. NJ Devil spending an hour climbing into a dunk tank, dropping, and doing it all over again. Luckily for the poor guy that toils in the costume, the tank was filled with plastic balls and not water.

5. Seeing coach Jacques Lemaire back in red and black after all these years. Surreal. Weird. Yet it feels so right. Welcome home, Jacques!

4. The food! Okay, so it wasn’t kobe beef burgers and Louisiana ribs, but burgers, dogs, pulled pork, corn on the cob, watermelon… The right idea and good execution, especially since the weather threw a curveball and moved the event indoors. I was skeptical how the Devils were going to pull it all off, but I think everyone there agreed that the BBQ was actually better inside the arena than if it were outdoors. (I’m also relieved the players weren’t our official BBQ hosts. I don’t know why I thought they might be, but I trust Andy Greene behind a grill about as much as I trust him at the blue line with 30 seconds to go in a one-goal game. Sorry, Andy!)

3. Affable David Clarkson. Girls think he’s cute. Guys like his spirit. He’ll give anyone and everyone the time of day, and maybe even the watch off his wrist. He’s the man. Randy McKay2K.

2. Brendan Shanahan’s hair. We should sign it to a separate contract and have it center the second line between Elias and Rolston. It’s an amazing quaff.

One of these men has the hair of a superhero. The other wears tights in broad daylight. Long live the Shan of Steel!

1. Three newbies, goalie Yann Danis and defensemen Cory Murphy and Rob Davison were in attendance. Admittedly, I only recognized Danis, and collectively, they got a bunch of quizzical looks from fans who knew they were players (the team all wore black polos with a Devils logo over the left breast) but not sure which ones. Some woman walked up to them and asked, “Do you guys speak English?” Mind you, they were audibly speaking English amongst themselves for at least ten minutes. Danis answered in perfect English, “Yes, I do. and quite well, actually.” Welcome to Newark, Yann.

For photos, visit the Devils’ website here.

One poster on the NJDevs.com fan forum hopes to call it Steely Dano (if you don’t get the reference, you’ve already read too much), and the story heading on the Devils website referred to it as the “Man of Steel,” a pun that just might stick. Most of the other names and comparisons being thrown out by fans are metal-related and oozing of sci-fi geekery.

The actual hockey player statue

Iron Man

Megatron, from the Transformers

Rock'Em Sock'Em Robots

The Silver Surfer

The Iron Giant

The most common comparison has been to Tron...

Whatever the unofficial name of the hockey player statue becomes, whether you love it or hate it, it all boils down to a Devils Facebook wall post from fan Gerald Doherty: “That thing should have a 4 on the back of it, with another statue lying on it’s ass in front of it.” Every Devils fan would smile and agree with that.

For photos of the statue, go here.