This is a sign of a team being rebuilt on the fly. For the first time in years, the Devils went into the playoffs with four rookies in the lineup, and two of them among their six defensemen.
In the playoffs, where blunders are fatal, the Devils are risking multiples of the most common of them all – rookie mistakes.
“There are no more excuses, especially when you play with Claude Lemieux,” said Scott Gomez, the likely rookie of the year. “He told me ‘I expect you to do well. Those rookie mistakes? I don’t take that.’ “
Gomez, John Madden and defensemen Brian Rafalski and Colin White, entered last night’s playoff opener against the Panthers without the heavy baggage toted by the Devil veterans.
They had not been part of any of the last two first-round exits, the 1997 second-round loss to the Rangers, or their failure to make the playoffs in 1996.
But they were being asked to help end that stretch of futility. They were already feeling the pressure. Devils coach Larry (4-4) Robinson recalled his first playoffs.
“I was scared stiff and I’m sure they will be, too,” said Robinson, who won the Cup as a rookie in 1973, and holds the record of 20 straight seasons in the playoffs.
“Any rookie that comes in has been involved at some point in playoffs. They’re not coming in totally blind. The one thing they’re not used to is that there’s a lot of press around them. Once the game starts, the extra adrenaline and atmosphere will make it fun.”
They were ready to get their playoff debuts over.
“Another sleepless night and there were two already,” said Madden, who tied the NHL rookie record with six shorthanded goals this season.
Rafalski was expected to face a heavy dose of Florida superstar Pavel Bure, which would be enough to unnerve any vet.
“I’ll be a little nervous, but I’ll try not to do anything I haven’t done all year,” Rafalski said. “I’ll see how I feel, and whatever I see, I’ll try to do whatever I can.”
White had only 21 NHL games before cracking the playoff lineup, and he knew how he’d feel.
“Nervous, but hopefully it won’t last too long,” White said. “I’ll get a couple of bumps in and forget about it.
“I just want to play my game, move the puck quick and keep it out of our end as much as possible.”
Scott Stevens, Rafalski’s partner, said the rookies were the least of the Devils’ worries.
“We’ve had them all year except for Colin White. They’re still rookies but they have a full season under their belts,” Stevens said. “I feel really confident with our rookies.]
“I don’t think we have to worry about them. I think it’s more that the veterans do. That’s more important.”
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Game 2 is Sunday night at Meadowlands … Panther coach Terry Murray told Peter Worrell to skip yesterday’s optional morning skate, to avoid rehashing being sticked by Scott Niedermayer.
“I didn’t want Peter to say any more, to stay at the hotel and get ready for the game,” Murray said.
Niedermayer returns from his 10-game suspension Sunday.
.Devils were 4-4 in last eight home playoff games … Panthers hadn’t been to playoffs since 1997, losing in five in the first round after going to the finals in 1996 … .Jason Arnott scored the Devils’ final three goals of the regular season.