The New Jersey Devils are on a seven-game point streak that includes a current five-game winning streak. All of those five wins have been on home ice at the Prudential Center. Players like Taylor Hall, along with Coach John Hynes, have given shout-outs to the fans for creating that home-ice advantage.
I attended Wednesday night’s victory versus the Detroit Red Wings (I also won the Human Puck Race during the second intermission, but that’s another story) and I believe what the New Jersey Devils players are saying, this team is finally getting a home-ice advantage. The arena was packed and the fans were into the game, reacting to every big hit, scoring chance, and odd-man rush. Of course, the stadium got incredibly loud at every goal that was scored.
I attend the first game after the Christmas break just about every year, and this game had a completely different feel to it. It started the second I got onto the Cranford train station platform. There’s never as many people rocking their New Jersey Devils jerseys getting ready to go to the game as there was this year. You could hear everyone talking amongst themselves about the team. The more hardcore fans were explaining to the more casual fans how the teams been doing and how they’ve been doing it.
Once we made our way to the front of the arena on Championship Plaza the lines were long to get in. Other than the fact that we had to wait outside for a few minutes in the 20 degree weather, I loved what I saw. You could tell it was going to be a packed house.
Now, in years past when I attended this game after the break, the Devils were out of the race already. Going to watch the Devils is always fun no matter where they are in the standings, but there’s nothing like going to a game with a packed arena when you’re atop the standings.
I sat up in section 123, and there were very few empty seats to be seen. Quickly after the first goal was scored I realized I was sitting about five seats away from the guys that start the rebellious “Rock and Roll Part 2” chant. (They must have gotten the vuvuzela horn banned because now they are just yelling the beginning horn part. The dedication is quite impressive.)
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After the game the “Let’s Go Devils!” chants on the train platforms were as loud as I have ever heard them in the past 5 year. I’ve been to at least 25 games in that span and none of them came close. You could hear the excitement in the air surrounding this team. This team has brought the fans back after a tough stretch following the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals. The longer the Devils stay in the race, the more the fans will make the environment around the games as emphatic as they have been on this home stand.
The Prudential Center has become a hard place to play for opposing teams, the fans have been outstanding. It’s a fun atmosphere to be at this time of the year. I’m sure it will keep getting better down the stretch. Let’s keep getting out to support this team as they’ve surprised everybody in the best way possible thus far!