New Jersey
5 lucky situations that led to deep New Jersey Devils playoff runs
The New Jersey Devils have a very successful past. They have three Stanley Cups to their name, which doesn’t sound like a ton when considering they have a 40+ year history, but only two franchises have more since 1990: the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Devils have amazing runs in 1995, 2000, and 2003 to win the ultimate prize in sports. They also had fun, yet ultimately disappointing, runs in 1988, 1994, 2001, and 2012.
The Devils always seemed to find a way to overachieve once they found their footing in the late 80s, and now we’re seeing a similar glimmer in the eye of the Devils. They are built on young talent, and we’ve seen what can happen when a team lets that young talent prospect. The Devils made all the right moves under the Lou Lamoriello regime (at least it appeared that way then), and it led to more rings since 1990 than every single team in the Philadelphia or New York markets combined.
However, to get there, the Devils needed a little luck some years and a ton of luck in others. When were the Devils the luckiest?
We start with the Devils very first playoff run ever. We are only taking moments or opportunities that happened within the postseason, so the Devils win in overtime to beat the Chicago Blackhawks on the last game of the season, putting them ahead of the Penguins and Rangers to take the final playoff spot, doesn’t count. However, they went into the playoffs as a massive underdog.
It appeared the Devils built a ton of momentum from that final playoff race to get into the show. They ended up going from a franchise with no series wins or even playoff appearances to its name to taking the Boston Bruins to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. None of it happens if they don’t get past the New York Islanders in the first round.
The Devils ended up fending off the former dynasty, but it came down to the final seconds of the series. With 10 seconds left, the Devils took a faceoff in the offensive zone, thinking the series was all but done. Then, Islanders star Pat LaFontaine tried to do the impossible.
After already scoring an overtime game-winner in the series, he went coast to coast, beating all five Devils skaters trying to hold onto a one-goal lead, but it was Sean Burke who ultimately stopped LaFontaine as the buzzer sounded. If he scores, the Devils likely can’t recover with a young team in Game 7, and who knows what the future holds.
New Jersey
N.J. group demands review of Trenton immigration arrest operation at auto shop
U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-Mercer, said in a statement on Facebook that she has been briefed about the incident and her office is monitoring the situation.
Pazmino said her organization is calling on members of the community to come together.
“Brown and Black immigrant communities and nonimmigrant communities are welcome, and should be uniting against this force,” she said.
She is also calling on local officials to assist relatives of those taken into custody.
“We need to support families affected by these kidnappings, with mutual aid, donations and anything else you think will help each other,” Pazmino said.
A woman identified as Andrea, while holding her 1-year-old daughter, Genesis, tearfully spoke in Spanish about the anguish she feels and her fears about the future without her husband Christian, one of the men taken into custody. A friend, who translated her word into English, said Christian was a good and honest man.
“If he used to see a neighbor carrying something heavy, he would run to help them. If a friend needed a favor, he didn’t ask, he just did it,” she said.
She said “his daughter was his whole world. He would wake up to her and give her kisses every morning. He would play with her after a long day at work. He loved us and protected us. He didn’t do anything wrong, so why was he taken?”
The Rev. Erich Kussman, St. Bartholomew’s pastor, said the entire Lutheran Church stands with the family.
“Anything you need, you can come to us. I want you to know that. I will stand with you, and we will do what we can to protect you, because that’s the call of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said.
“Standing with ICE is antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ, hands down,” he added. “Fifty-one times the scriptures tell us to welcome the immigrant and foreigner as one of our own. If you’re not living true to that gospel, the words of Christ himself, you are not a Christian, no matter what you claim to be.”
With immigration enforcement activity on the rise in New Jersey, lawmakers have proposed several bills to expand protections for immigrant communities. One measure called the “Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered Act” would allow individuals to file a lawsuit against ICE agents who violate their constitutional rights.
Another proposed bill would require any business that operates a private prison or detention facility in the state to pay a tax equal to 50% of the taxpayer’s gross receipts derived from the operation of the facility during the previous year. The bill also stipulates all revenues generated would go to an “immigration protection fund.”
Recently proposed legislation would prohibit ICE agents from ever holding a public job in the Garden State, and New Jersey U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim are proposing legislation to prevent new funding for the Department of Homeland Security from being used to purchase a warehouse in Roxbury, New Jersey.
Requests for comment from ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service were not immediately returned.
New Jersey
Spring’s coming; Sunny, warm Saturday and significant warm-up ahead NJ
A brief respite from cold weather is ahead of New Jersey this weekend, before temperatures continue to rise late next week, according to the National Weather Service.
Saturday, Feb. 28 will be sunny across the Garden State, and temperatures will be comfortable, reaching the high 40s and low 50s.
Then, a brief artic cold front is expected to move into the region late on Saturday night, bringing temps to low 30’s and some scattered snow showers on Sunday, especially in North Jersey.
During the week, a couple low pressure systems are in the NWS forecast. Little snow if any is expected from these systems, especially in the late week, when a significant warm-up is expected.
Asbury Park and Monmouth County weekend weather forecast
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 45.
Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.
Sunday: Partly sunny and a chance of snow before 1 p.m. The high should be near 39. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 22.
Wildwoods and Atlantic County weather forecast
Saturday: Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 56.
Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.
Sunday: Partly sunny and a slight chance of rain before 1 p.m. The high should be near 44. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19.
Newark and Essex County weather forecast
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.
Saturday night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 32.
Sunday: Cloudy and scattered snow showers before 1 p.m. Then gradual clearing of skies, with a high near 39. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 17.
Juan Carlos Castillo is a New Jersey-based trending reporter for the USA Today Network. Find him on Twitter at _JCCastillo.
New Jersey
Winning numbers drawn in Thursday’s New Jersey Pick 6 Double Play
The winning numbers in Thursday’s drawing of the “New Jersey Pick 6 Double Play” game were:
8, 23, 29, 34, 43, 45
(eight, twenty-three, twenty-nine, thirty-four, forty-three, forty-five)
For more lottery results, go to Jackpot.com | Order Lottery Tickets
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