If you’re a fan of the New Jersey Devils, please don’t tell me there wasn’t a time in the last few months where you’ve said the following: “Marty is done.” I know I am guilty of it — and many of my fellow Devils-fan friends are, too.
And yet, here we stand, a month-and-a-half into the season, and Martin Brodeur has once again shut up ever single solitary critic of his by simply putting on another stellar season in what has otherwise been maybe not so stellar.
It’s very unfortunate that in Cory Schneider, the Devils have one of the best young goalies. And yet, the guy has just one win — and the offensive support he’s gotten has been non-existent. In fact, in most games he’s played, he’s played well enough to be a star of the game, and he has certainly done his part to win.
Call it some really bad misfortune.
But Marty. Marty. You’ve got to be kidding here.
His record: 6-3-2. Two shutouts. Ordinary, you say. OK. But we cannot forget: This man is 41 years old! Forty-one! And perhaps even more ironic, the best two players on this team this year are both that age.
There’s no question Jaromir Jagr has been the best offensive players all season long. And Marty’s been the best in net.
I don’t want to get too deep here, save to say that we’re witnessing another magical season from Martin Brodeur. It doesn’t matter if he’s 19 or 41, whenever he puts on a uniform and pads and grabs a helmet and a stick, anything special could happen.
And folks, given that number of 41, there won’t me too many more magical moments or memories from Marty when he eventually decides to hang it up.
So for now, continue to enjoy this ride. No one — myself included — ever expected to get to see this. What we are seeing is the best of all time showing why he’s the best of all time.
And all the while, he’s supposedly the new backup.
If that’s the case, excuse me if I am giddy every time my backup goalie plays. Because no one — and I mean no one — has or ever will do it better.
We may never truly realize just how lucky we’ve been since 1992.
And you can take that to the bank with you, so-called King. Maybe one day you’ll be half the goalie Marty is. Yet until then, we welcome you to sit back and watch how it should be done.
