The New York Knicks dug themselves a giant hole in their Eastern Conference semi-final playoff series with the Indiana Pacers by losing Game 4 last night in Indianapolis. The Knicks now trail 3 games to 1 in this best of seven games series. In my last blog post I took a look at the Knicks performance in Game 3 and provided some adjustments they needed to make in order to win Game 4.

This blog post will take a similar format by looking at Game 4 and then looking ahead to Game 5, which is tomorrow night at MSG. The Knicks must win Game 5 to stay alive and force a Game 6 on Saturday in Indiana. If they do not find a way to win tomorrow, their season, and those sky high expectations will be over.

What went wrong in Game 4?

The issues with Game 4 for the Knicks were simple, they did not rebound the ball again in their defensive end of the floor, and they did not make enough shots when they had to at critical junctures in this game.

In my last post, I outlined the need for the Knicks to rebound the basketball, and they did not do that well at all in the game last night. I know with the Pacers height advantage they will be hard pressed to get more rebounds than their opponent, but they need to make an effort to not allow the Pacers second chance scoring opportunities.

I wrote that turnovers were going to be critical in this game, and limiting them for the Knicks would be a positive. I also wrote that I would be surprised if the Knicks had another high turnover performance in back to back games. I was right, the Knicks won the turnover battle finishing at +8 for the game last night. Now, I know some fans may not care about the turnover situation because the Knicks still lost the game, but allow me to frame that in a different perspective. Imagine the scenario of the Knicks being minus 4 in turnovers, this game would have been a complete blowout win for Indiana. That type of dominant win would have really tipped the balance of the series to Indiana going into tomorrow night’s Game 5. In this case, the Knicks winning the turnover battle kept the final score respectable and let the Pacers know that they are really going to have a huge task on their hands to win Game 5 at Madison Square Garden.

Shot Selection

I knew that shot selection was going to be critical in this game, however, the critical point to make here is that I think the Knicks improved their shot selection overall from Game 3 to Game 4: the problem was the shots they took did not go in the basket. These missed shots are an obviously huge problem. I like how J.R. Smith has taken the responsibility here telling the media today that it is his fault for the team being down in this series. I respect a player for taking it on the chin, and while he is a big part of the problem the Knicks find themselves in at this point, he is not the only one to blame. The whole team is not playing well offensively. How do these problems get fixed?

Adjustments for Game 5

1. better ball movement – the Knicks have to pass the ball better and get back to the team that won 50+ regular season games

2. More motion on the offense – the men without the ball have to move around more and make the Pacers work on the defensive end. That will create more open shots which are high quality.

3. Less isolation plays – they have to limit the number of iso – plays for Anthony and Smith in their offense but those two guys need to score more for them to win this series but I think changing other elements will allow for better offensive production than isolation plays at this point.

4. More aggressive play on offense – attack the rim. I wrote this prior to Game 4 and the Knicks did not do much of this at all which surprised me. They need to use Felton differently and attack the rim to create better scoring chances. They also need to use more pick and roll as well as ball screens to be more effective against the Pacers.

5. Adjust their defensive plan: initially the plan for the Knicks defensively was to collapse the paint and clog those lanes and that area of the floor because the Pacers were not known to be a good perimeter shooting team. In this series so far, the Pacers have hurt the Knicks with hitting open 3 point shots from the perimeter. The Knicks have to adjust and deny the perimeter shot and let the Pacers try and beat them by forcing the ball inside to Hibbert (who was 2 for 8 last night from the field) or David West. An idea on limiting the 3 point shooting is to take a similar approach to how the Spurs limited Stephen Curry of the Warriors in their series. They constantly rotate an extra defender so that if the Warriors set a pick or a screen for Curry, another Spurs defender slides over and guards against the clean look from 3 point range.

6. The rotation – the Knicks should look at redistribution of minutes and play guys like Prigioni, Copeland, and Novak more to get legitimate 3 point shooting threats on the floor, which will also open up the floor for Carmelo and J.R. Smith to find better scoring opportunities attacking the basket.

Garden Party in Game 5?

I think the Knicks have a chance to win Game 5 and hang in this series if they implement some of these adjustments to their strategy in this series. It is going to be an intense night at MSG, and I hope it will not be the last time that “The World’s Most Famous Arena” will be hosting a Knicks playoff game. I hope the Knicks can push this at least to a Game 7, but we will have to watch and hope that will happen.

The New York Knicks dropped Game 3 of their Eastern Conference Semi-Final series with the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night, and now trail the best of seven series 2 games to 1. The Knicks now face a “must win” or as their players have called it a “gut check” game tomorrow night in Indianapolis.

This post on “Frank’s Forum” will look at the issues from Game 3 and what I view, as a long time fan of the Knicks, as the adjustments that should be made for Game 4 tomorrow night.

Game 3: A Look Back

In order to move forward, sometimes you need to look back, and the lackluster effort the Knicks provided in Game 3 is one that they would probably just assume forget. However, they did some things that are concerning that merit some review here.

First, the Knicks did not get any rebounds in their defensive end of the floor. The Pacers would miss a shot and then get the offensive rebound and get second chance opportunities to score. I understand that the Pacers have a bigger lineup especially in the frontcourt, and the Knicks are playing their small lineup rather than playing two big players, but the Knicks have to clean this up in Game 4.

Next, the Knicks had a good defensive game plan overall in Game 3 because the Pacers shot 35% from the floor in the game. It was all the Pacers active work on the boards getting offensive rebounds and extra possessions that made the difference in the game.

Then, the Knicks uncharacteristically turned the ball over more than they usually do in Game 3, they appeared sloppy in certain possessions, and the Pacers took advantage of those turnovers. Entering Game 3, the Knicks had the lowest turnovers per game average in the NBA, so it was very strange to see them turn the ball over in the manner that they did on Saturday night. I would be surprised if they had consecutive games of high turnovers.

The other issue was shot selection, the story around the Knicks today at practice was the comments made by Tyson Chandler after the game, I will paraphrase: the Knicks are too selfish with the ball offensively. While he was clearly frustrated after a loss, and should have maybe kept those comments inside until they had a team meeting; I tend to agree with Chandler.

I am a huge Carmelo Anthony fan, he is my favorite player, but I do tend to criticize the Knicks for running too many isolation plays for him and for J.R. Smith. I understand that Carmelo’s role is to score, but if other guys have open looks, I would rather see him pass the ball to an open shooter with a clean look.  Now, J.R. Smith is an entirely different situation, he has played very inconsistently in this recent stretch of games and has not looked right since missing the game in the Boston series where he was suspended for elbowing Jason Terry.

The Knicks shot selection in Game 3 was very erratic, and very different from their normal game plan and offensive strategy. It was one of the reasons they lost that night in Indiana. Smith is hoisting shots from deep 3 point range, Jason Kidd is taking bad shots, and Anthony was forcing shots from all over the floor.

Finally, the Knicks got eaten alive by Hibbert in the paint in Game 3, it is my understanding watching the post game coverage on MSG Network, that the Knicks intended to trap Hibbert, but they were never in the right position defensively to trap him and help Chandler.

Game 4: A look ahead and adjustments needed

The Knicks need to make adjustments for Game 4 tomorrow including:

1. Getting rebounds in their defensive end of the floor and not allowing the Pacers second chance shots and extra possessions
2. They have to move the ball and pass it cleaner and limit turnovers
3. The Knicks have to push the ball and get run outs when they can and take advantage of the Pacers bigger, slower players by getting out on fast breaks
4. The Knicks have to be more aggressive offensively, they have to use Felton more effectively driving the ball to the rim and then kicking to open shooters or Felton scoring the ball, they need to use the pick and roll and screen and roll much more in Game 4.
5. The Knicks have to use better shot selection in order to win tomorrow night – less isolation plays for Anthony and Smith – and use their strengths more effectively.
6. The Knicks have to limit Hibbert and either trap him or rotate another big player on the frontline to help Chandler especially early in the game to try and take Hibbert out of the flow of the game.

If the Knicks can make some of these adjustments they should win Game 4 and get back to New York with the series even when they host Game 5 at Madison Square Garden. If not, and they trail this series going to Game 5, they will have much worse problems ahead.

The competitive analysis is a very valuable component of the marketing strategy for any small business. The major barrier to market penetration for a small business is their respective competition. The competitive analysis accomplishes that very simple function: to analyze your competition in your marketplace.

This article will draw upon my previous experience in marketing and business development across a range of industries. In a couple of different stops in the course of my marketing career I was called upon to develop a competitive analysis. I have also crafted the competitive analysis as part of a larger business plan.

Furthermore, my experience also includes identifying the competitive advantage for a few different companies and crafting that advantage into a marketing strategy to develop new business.

Studying your competitors – gathering key data

The first step in the compilation of the competitive analysis is to identify and study your competition. That process can include studying their respective web site, researching the background of the company and the key executives, and searching the web for any recent news about each competitor.

Some other companies I have worked with look into the financial information available for a given competitor, but in a small business setting this information is very often not disclosed to the public, so I do not think it would apply in many situations.

Then, identify the strengths and weakness of your competitors, one by one, and enter that information into a chart or an Excel spreadsheet. This way you can review the information and determine whether the competitor has a distinct advantage over your small business.

Conversely, you can also identify through your research, the advantage that you have over your competitors in the marketplace. Once you have identified that advantage, you can proceed with developing the strategy that will provide the best opportunity for capturing potential new business.

Barriers to prevent competition and common weaknesses

In my experience, I have worked with companies and designed documents that in the planning stages they would all mention the barriers to preventing competition in your market. However, in today’s rapidly changing world, I am not sure how many barriers really could block a competitor from entering a particular business market.

Some of those potential barriers could be if it is a niche market and the level of specialization is too intricate for a potential start up business to enter the space. They would have a lack of qualified personnel to attract and hire with knowledge of the market. I have experience working in a niche market, where I observed that situation with new smaller companies trying to break into the market.

If the product you are producing in the market has particular methods or processes which your company has obtained patents for, then that could be a potential barrier to a new player in the market. In the same way, we have seen products improved from the original patented version, so I am not sure how prohibitive that barrier potentially can be to a competitor.

I could see, depending on the business and the industry it operates within, that the startup costs could be a potential barrier to the formation of another competitor, or could affect the potency of that competitor to have an impact on the market.

The opposite is also true, if the market is too crowded with competition that could be a barrier for a new company weighing whether to enter the mix, with a high amount of competition it may not make sense for a new company to pursue market entry.

Some of the common weaknesses of companies are: their reputation, their customer service performance, their marketing program, the quality of their product, the quality control of their product, and the management of their company.

What are you competing for?

Some companies compete for dollars, others compete for market share, but in small business you are competing for your own survival.

Your small business is competing everyday for the same projects or business opportunities as your respective competitors for the ability to grow the business and gain another precious commodity: a stellar reputation.

In order to fully analyze your business versus your competitors business, you have to have a very strong knowledge of your competitor’s strategy for business development. In my experience, in each role I have had in my career, I have studied the way the competition does business in the marketplace.

Some companies focus on competing on price and will do anything, including diminishing the quality of their product or service to try and grow business through price slashing methods. This is a critical factor for your business to understand and also compose a strategy to deal with this type of competitor. This is especially true if you are not willing to diminish your product’s quality to solely compete on price.

Other competitors will focus on a different growth strategy such as having great technical staff which can “custom build” a product or service to suit the needs of the customers in your marketplace. In short, you have to know each competitors particular competitive advantage and come up with a strategy to offset it.

Identify the Key Weakness of your Competitor

The knowledge of your competition also must include knowing their respective key weakness. Each company has a particular weakness that you must be aware of as you market your product or service in a competitive business environment. I worked for a company in the medical field where we knew that our product had a better formulary status than their product. Therefore, our product was available to the patient at a better price.

It is incumbent upon your small business to learn the key weakness of the companies in your market and to determine ways to interject that into the competitive business environment. However, I caution you that in my experience, I never liked “bashing the competition” I do not think it works and I also do not think the customers like bashing the competition. So it has to be used subtly and in a rather diplomatic manner to be utilized correctly.

Key Customer Motivation Point

It is also very important to know your customers and their key motivation point. If your company does not understand the motivation for your customers, it can lose a significant amount of potential business.

I worked for a company where we knew that the key customer motivation point was price. We tried to compete in some product lines, and in other product lines we made the decision that we would not diminish the quality of our product to compete in certain segments of the marketplace. Your company would have to weigh the costs of developing an alternative product line from scratch versus how much business you could bring in from that particular market segment. You will find sometimes it does not make sense to “be all things to all people”.

Your company must have an identified Competitive Advantage for each product line or market where you have a position within. It must be very concise and succinct and it can be incorporated into your business plan, your marketing plan, and also be featured in sales presentations to potential customers.

In order to completely understand your Competitive Advantage, it will take a long look internally into your business. It needs to be an honest assessment in order to be an effective tool to implement within your marketing operation. This can be difficult for some companies to do, so you may need to consider hiring an outside consultant on a per diem basis to come in and review your operation to complete the Competitive Advantage process.

Key Costs of the product or service in your markets

Another part of the competitive analysis is to understand the key costs of the product or service in your markets.   You must know the entire picture surrounding any outside factors which may affect the costs of your product or service. This may include commodity products that may be affected by ingredients that may come in from other countries. The currency exchange rates could affect the key costs of the ingredients in your product.

Your company must be able to adapt to these changing conditions in order to keep the costs of your product or service within reasonable boundaries.

Summing It All Up

The marketing strategy for competitive advantage should be a comprehensive look into your business and that of the competition in your market. It should take into account the areas in which I mentioned earlier in this article. Your company needs to understand how your competition works relative to their pricing, distribution, and how they promote their business or products.

The competitive analysis for your company can be done well if it is a concerted effort to put together a complete review of the competitors in your marketplace. I hope that this article will help you in this endeavor.

The NHL recently announced that they have realigned the league into a new format to group their franchises in a more geographically logical manner. This new organization of the league changes the number of divisions from six divisions to four divisions, two in each conference.

The Eastern Conference will have two divisions with eight teams in each division. The Western Conference also will have two divisions, with seven teams in each division. The obvious first point of difference is that the East will have two more teams than the West will have, 16 to 14.

However, the league will keep the playoff spots fixed at 16 with eight teams in each conference making the playoffs. This creates a scenario where the teams in the Western Conference will have an easier path to the playoffs with fewer teams in their respective conference.  This is a key point which has been made on sites such as espn.com, cbssports.com, nbcsports.com, and the Bleacher Report site.

The Details

The realignment plan passed by both the NHL Board of Governors and the players union is organized in the following conference and divisional format:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division: NY Rangers, NY Islanders, NJ Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Carolina Hurricanes.

Central Division: Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers.

Western Conference

Midwest Division: Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild, Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, and Dallas Stars.

Pacific Division: Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks, L.A. Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and Phoenix Coyotes.

Changes and their Effects

The immediate changes are obvious, the Winnipeg Jets move to the Western Conference (they were in the East due to the relocation of the team from Atlanta) so that makes sense. The Detroit Red Wings and the Columbus Blue Jackets move from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference, which both teams have been lobbying for years to switch conferences. It was very hard for the fans of those two teams to watch nearly every road game being played in a different time zone.

The way the playoff teams are selected is different also. In the new realigned format, the top three teams in each division get into the playoffs and then the remaining playoff positions in each conference go to the teams with the next best records in succession. This format means that one division could send up to five teams to the playoffs. In that scenario, all five teams would be reasonably close geographically. That could produce later round playoff series which have only regional appeal, not broad based national appeal, which could hurt TV ratings.

Effect on Rivalries

The effect on rivalries from this new realigned NHL is an issue with two distinct camps. The first camp believes that the breakup of the Original Six rivalry between Chicago and Detroit is a big mistake, and that the new format puts teams together in the same division with no real history between them. They believe that the realignment plan ruins the rivalries in the NHL.

The other camp believes that the new format will increase the rivalries due to the geographic closeness of most of the teams in the new 4 division format. This camp also believes that having five of the Original Six teams now in the East and playing against each other more often will increase those rivalries.

My view is somewhere in between these two camps. On the one hand, I think the Western Conference has some issues with building rivalries; and has more risk as far as selling tickets at the gate for some undesirable matchups than the East does at this point. I also believe that Chicago is the lone really good draw for a box office in the new Midwest division.

The Winnipeg franchise has no real history with anyone out in the Western Conference, though many insiders believe that the NHL is going to push a Winnipeg vs. Minnesota Wild rivalry in the future. I could see some of the Canadian teams in the west really developing some strong, competitive rivalries between them in the future.

In the east, I think that the move of Detroit is a great decision; I have been waiting for the NHL to do this for a long time. The Red Wings against teams such as Montreal, the Rangers, and the Boston Bruins are going to be very good games. The move of Columbus is going to be strange because they have always been in the west since joining the league, and it is going to be weird for fans in the east to see the Blue Jackets more often.

Another big potential issue being widely reported by sports media outlets is that the owners of both Florida franchises are not happy about being placed in the “Central” division. The travel costs associated for just the games played within their own division alone is going to be rather costly, to state nothing of the games against the teams in the west.

The Eastern Conference rivalries are going to be great between: the Rangers and the Capitals, the Devils and the Hurricanes. They have several geographic rivalries which will work well for them.

I also think that each team visiting every other arena in the league is a very positive development for hockey. It will be great for the fans in other markets out west to see Sidney Crosby and some of the other stars that they did not have the opportunity to see every year in the old format.

Expansion and the potential impact on this plan

It is no secret that the biggest issue in the lockout between the NHL players and owners was solely about money, and the subsequent split of the revenue pie. The rumors flying at the time were that the NHL was quietly testing the waters of expansion in order to generate more revenue for the “pie”.

The NHL is the fourth sport of the “Big 4”, but where the NHL is much different than the other leagues is it has a large presence in Canada, with very successful franchises up north as well. So, where other major American sports are not considering expansion based on the state of the economy, the NHL has an advantage with the option for Canadian expansion.

The league would probably expand by two teams to make it a 32 team league. The markets that are connected most often with expansion are Quebec City and Markham (or some other suburb of Toronto). The NHL has waited a long time to add a second team to Toronto, which is the largest hockey market in the world. The Quebec City bid for a team is strengthened by the fact that the government there approved, and is currently constructing a brand new arena in the hopes of getting an expansion or relocated NHL team.

The revenue injection from two additional teams plus their expansion fees would provide a big boost to the financial health of some of the established small market teams in the league.

However, that creates some problems with the new system because if both teams are added in eastern Canada, then the Eastern Conference would have 18 teams. So the league would have to potentially move teams back to the Western Conference to balance out the league and the scheduling.

Then, you have the whole mess which is the Phoenix Coyotes situation, and that ownership limbo that has been going on for over 4 years now. That franchise could get purchased and relocated as well, which creates a problem for the league and this new realignment program, if the team is moved somewhere in the east.

I read on CBS Sports.com today that a new potential ownership group is meeting with the NHL about buying and keeping the team in Phoenix. Unfortunately, the league has so many interested parties that cannot get the City of Glendale to provide them with a decent lease agreement on the arena. The team is losing money, and the arena lease deal is the key to getting that team back to a point where it can at least achieve break even status.

In the end, I think that the NHL realignment plan makes sense: from a geographic standpoint, to a TV ratings perspective, and for the fans of this wonderful sport. I look forward to seeing each team in the league at least twice per season, and I think the new rivalries will be fun to watch as well. I hope that the hockey fans out there, both casual and die hard, enjoyed this article and gained some useful information. I hope you enjoy the NHL Playoffs.

The past two games for the New Jersey Devils over the weekend really encapsulated what was right and wrong with this team. I will begin with the victory over the Panthers on Saturday, continue with the terrible loss yesterday to the arch rival Rangers, and conclude with where the team is headed going into next season.

Saturday versus the Panthers

The game at The Rock on Saturday afternoon against the Panthers contained many of the elements that the Devils lacked during their horrible losing streak. The Devils scored goals, moved the puck well, controlled the neutral zone, crashed the net, and created plays out of the forecheck.

The team got off to a slow start, as it has done frequently this season, but obviously they gained momentum as the game went on. They were aggressive on the ice which I thought was lacking during long stretches of this abbreviated season. I think they need that edge in order to win close games against good teams, and I was hoping they would carry that aggressive edge to MSG to play the Rangers.

The concerns I had coming out of the Florida game were the fact that the Panthers had abundant open ice space in the 1^st period which lead to a number of scoring opportunities. At that time, I thought if the Devils repeat that against the Rangers, they would be in trouble (we see how that played out). The other issue I had with the game on Saturday was the way the Devils handled the puck in their own end of the ice. More than a few times, they were sloppy with the puck in those areas, which as we fellow hockey fans know, leads to turnovers in our own end and a scoring chance for the opponent.

Overall, I was happy they got the win at home and seemed to break out of the scoring drought.

Sunday versus the Rangers

After a disastrous 1^st period at MSG, which included the Devils taking too many penalties, and making a number of mistakes against a Rangers team that needed the win, I thought they settled down in the 2^nd period.

However, I must mention the terrible job done by the referees in this game, I have friends who are Rangers fans calling me today saying that the referees made some terrible calls in the game! The penalty on D’Agostini for holding the stick was a terrible call, as he is falling in a dazed state after that vicious hit he took on the boards. The officiating of the game was totally lopsided and completely influenced the outcome of this game.

The Devils did not forecheck well, and they over passed or over rotated the puck. They needed to put more shots on goal against Lundquist and they did not do so. Their spacing on the ice was a mess for large stretches of this game. In one sequence though, in the 2^nd period, they were spaced out better and created some solid scoring chance, but could not convert them.

Brodeur was screened on 2 goals, and the other goal, the first goal by Callahan went in off the skate of Brodeur and into the net. The Pyatt goal was the result of a bad turnover by the Devils defense, which I was concerned about in the Florida game the day before, the way they were sloppy handling the puck in their end.

One of the bright spots for the Devils came right after that goal in the 2^nd period, where Zajac just missed a goal on a great chance. That rush started on a great pass by Zidlicky to create that scoring opportunity.

In the 3^rd period, the other Callahan goal was the back breaker. It came again after a series of bad penalties called by the referee, but also was a direct result of very good passing by the Rangers. The Devils also over pursued that play to a large degree, and Brodeur was out of position to prevent that goal.

In the end, the Loktionov goal was nice, but too little too late for New Jersey, and the Devils will miss playoffs after that magical run last season. The Devils just never got the pace in this game, and they could not create odd man rushes which really limited their ability to score on Lundquist.

Looking ahead to next season

Now, the Devils and Lou Lamoriello have to make some important roster decisions in the summer off season. First, the Patrick Elias situation will be the topic we will all blog about, whether or not he gets an offer or tests the market remains to be seen. I can think of nothing worse than Elias in a Rangers or Flyers or Bruins uniform. I think he has played well enough to warrant playing his whole career for the Devils.

Next, we have the Clarkson and Zubrus situations that will be the other sub plots of the summer. All I know is I do not want to see Clarkson playing for Toronto. I hope both he and Zubrus will be back.

Finally, the goaltending situation, I think Brodeur still has something left in the tank. This season showed that he may need more time off to stay fresh.  I believe the Devils need to cut ties with Hedburg and either acquire a goalie from outside the organization or look to promote one from within their system. Unfortunately, this is what we fellow Devils fans are writing about today, now that the playoff dreams are over.

The importance of utilizing demographic research to market your products or services cannot be understated. In the rapidly changing world we are living in currently, it is important for your business to constantly be looking for new ideas or innovations.

The ability to be successful in a product launch stems from the demographic research done in the early stages of product development. If this research is done thoroughly and correctly, then the product has a good chance at success. However, if the research is not done thoroughly and is not executed properly, your company has a much greater chance at launching a product or service which will fail in the marketplace.

I will draw upon my experience doing demographic marketing research for two different companies in my career. I will share advice on the design of the survey for the product test, and also what particular problem areas to avoid.

Demographics – An introduction

The demographic breakdown for research of products or services is divided into groups or categories as follows:

• Kids
• Tweens
• Young Adults
• 18 – 24
• 24-36
• Gen X
• Baby Boomers
• Senior Citizens (0ver 70 years old)

There is some cross over between the 24-36 and the Generation X category (people born between 1965 and 1980) ; and there is also the term Generation Y which can describe people without precise dates (born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s).

Each generation has particular attributes and opinions which drive their purchasing behavior which I will cover later in this article.

The Product Survey or Test – A critical aspect in this process

The product survey or test is critical to your success or failure in the area of demographic research.  The wording of the questions is very important, and should be geared toward your audience. A product survey for a kids’ product has to be written on their level in order to be understood properly.

The design and layout of the survey is also very important. You may decide to be very traditional in the layout of a product for senior citizens; yet bold and using bright colors and text for the product geared to Tweens or Young Adults.

The questions must be written with the design to elicit the response your company is seeking. If you are trying to get an opinion of how your product compares to the competition, then the questions need to reflect that end point. If your survey is to determine new options or ideas for product line extensions on an existing product line, then your survey must have some open ended questions to draw out those ideas.

In addition, the setting for your product test is very important as well. Your company will get different responses based on whether you have the test group come into your office, or if you hold the test at a neutral site. In my experience, the respondents will be generally more nervous in your offices than at a neutral location such as the supermarket, the mall, or a hotel conference room.

The same attribute goes for children, if you are testing a product geared toward children or teens, then conducting the test at their respective school versus your company offices or a hotel will give you much different responses. I have worked on numerous campaigns for products geared toward children and young adults and it is always a good general rule of thumb to conduct the test at their school, if possible.

The location of the tests can impact demographics as well. In the U.S. our tastes and opinions are also shaped by where we are from within this diverse nation. That was very true in the case of the Coca-Cola Company when they rolled out “New Coke” which was found to be very sweet in other parts of the country and eventually was a product launch disaster for one of the world’s largest companies.

Upon internal review of the product launch process, it was revealed that Coke only test marketed the product in the South particularly in the Dallas market, where Dr. Pepper is a very popular drink, and Southerners tend to like very sweet beverages. It did very well in those markets, but not in other parts of the country.

This is a good case study to show that if you are launching a nationwide product, or you are launching a regional product – it is always important to get several test markets involved. Then your company should closely analyze that data when it comes back to determine the correct course of action prior to the full launch.

In the event your company is conducting research for a product or service which is geared toward young people or teenagers; the use of social media to deliver the survey or product test should be utilized. Young people utilize social media for everything they do, and this would show that your company understands that and can deliver products which relate to these age groups.

Brief Summary of Key Attributes by Demographic Type

Here is a brief summary of the key attributes each demographic group seeks from the products or services they use in general terms:

• Kids – to sell products to children you should have bright packaging and use characters and bright colors. You must also appeal to the parents since they make the purchasing decision. So your product marketing should also feature a benefit that parents will see as valuable.
• Tweens – the product needs to be hip and new. It needs to be innovative and you have the knowledge that this group purchases products and services with their own money. They have a lot of disposable income made from summer or part –time jobs. Your product has to appeal to them at their level.
• Young adults – the product has to have an “edge” the marketing has to reflect that perception. It has to provide something new in order to succeed.
• The 18-24 demo – the product or service must deliver immediately. This demographic seeks immediate results, if the product does not feature any element of immediate benefit, it will not be successful. This also is the most coveted demographic for product sales, TV ratings etc…due to the high amounts of disposable income in this age group coupled with their tendency to spend that income more freely than the other groups.
• The 24-36 demographic age group – the product or service must have a value added component. It should be innovative, but most importantly the delivery of value or perceived value is the most important component to their purchasing behaviors.
• Generation X – very similar to previous group, this generation of American consumer wants a good value for the money they will spend on a product or service. The point of difference between this set and the 18-24 demo is that the product also must be of high quality to have the best chance for success. The level of quality is not an issue at all with some of the other demographics, but in this group it needs to be a focal point of your marketing strategy.
• Baby Boomers – this generation responds to two key factors: they are generally more cost conscious than the other demographic groups. So the price point of your product or service is a key issue with this group of consumers. The other key driver is nostalgia – if your product or service can provide them with a feeling or emotion from their younger days , it will have a greater opportunity for success.
• Senior Citizens – this group is very traditional and prefers low cost products or services, so your company had better be flexible on price point here to compete. The marketing campaign would be very direct but also very “buttoned up” it should have more neutral color schemes and be very traditional in its approach in order to successfully market a product to this demographic of American consumer.

The Results – What is next?

In my past experience, once I received the results of the product survey or product testing, I moved the process into the next stage: data entry and data analysis.

I would first populate the data in an Excel spread sheet. I would also separate the popular ideas based on the results of the survey.

Next, I would determine the feasibility of these popular ideas. In the event that I had one or more ideas that were realistically feasible for potential new product line extensions or new product names; I would then determine the marketability of these names or concepts.

Then, I would look at the sample size of the product trial. If it was 100 people, I would then put together a proposal to gain approval for a test of 250 people. If it was a 500 person sample size audience, then I would seek an increase for the next round of tests to be 800 to 1,000 people.

I would also look at the way the test was conducted and if I received feedback on the survey from the members of the test sample group. If that feedback provided me with credible information about the execution of the test, I did then amend the format of the next round of tests accordingly.

Sometimes the popular ideas or trending data resulting from particularly large product trial tests would then help us to amend or develop a new marketing strategy than our original direction. This could even include changing the overall marketing plan for the company, so it is important to be nimble and capable of change to address changing market conditions.

I worked at a company that would do a product test on one type of product, and we would get ideas from the results for new concepts in other product lines based on consumer feedback.

It is also important to look at the current trends and analyze the feasibility of trying a new product in an innovative way to see if it works. For instance, Mountain Dew is a very popular drink with the 18-24 demographic could you take that type of citrus flavor and make a gum that tastes like Mountain Dew, or an energy supplement that tastes like Mountain Dew?

In the end, your company has to budget accordingly for promotional materials, test samples or products, and determine the venue and the staffing for the tests (convenience store, grocery store, movie theater, mall, school ..etc) but if you can pull together the right survey and the samples of product you  will be successful. The demographic research component of marketing products is essential to the success of your company. I hope you found this article useful in determining the future goals of your company in marketing new products or services.

Upon entering some poetry contests recently, I have received some great feedback on my work. When I started “Frank’s Forum”, one of the major themes was poetry. I recently published an article on Sonnet forms for young writers as the “jumping off” point for the poetry theme. Now I will provide a selection of my poetry which has received some great critical feedback in various forums and contests.

I hope you enjoy the poetry I have decided to share.

“Over The Bridge”

The sunlight pierces the water’s surface;
The river moves slowly to the Bay.
These days I think of my purpose;
I wonder if I will find my way.
The sun glares through my windshield
As I cross over the bridge in my car
I wonder how it’ll be when the traffic will yield
My car moves ahead, my thoughts are far
Away from here in another place.
I cross over the bridge into a new realm;
Where I can think in my own space
When things in life can totally overwhelm
I drive further, turn down a road.
To stop, rest, my thoughts to unload.

“Pushing Away”

I try to do it, but it’s hard;
To forget, to move ahead
To push away the memories, to discard;
They stick around my mind instead.

The memories of The Shore I knew;
Changed so dramatically by this storm.
The place where my sisters and I grew;
These special times so distant, so warm.

Replaced by images of destruction;
Whole towns, beach clubs, anything in its path.
I try to push these thoughts away, obstruction
Forces them back – memories of Sandy’s horrid wrath.

Maybe their will come a time, a day;
Where I can finally push this all away.

“A Perfect Sky”

A perfect sky so clear and blue
Makes me think of times with you.
Days we would spend in bliss;
Those days, now I truly miss.
Before our lives got tough;
But still today our love is enough.
To get through times we feel weak
And all of our prospects are bleak.
We will continue to make our way
Until we awake on a brighter day.
A day with a bright blue sky;
A day like this one and others gone by.
A day where our dreams come true;
I know I can get there with you.

“Drifting”

Trapped between asleep and awake
Time I wish would forsake
As I lay here alone with a racing mind
The peace of sleep I wish to find
I drift along, the hour is late
Try to relax and to meditate
Nothing works. I continue to drift
I wish the anxiety would lift;
So I could get some much needed rest.
I wish their was someone to suggest;
What I could do to find peace.
To make my late night thoughts cease
The Sun is starting to rise
I rub my tired bloodshot eyes
No rest for me again this night
Tomorrow will be another fight

“Heavy”

My eyes are heavy and tired;
But it’s still only mid-afternoon.
If I have coffee I’ll be wired
The evening will come soon.
My legs are heavy from the walk I took;
Through this small town on this Spring day.
Their were people everywhere you’d look
Out to enjoy it in their own way.
My heart is heavy from my own guilt;
Of all the things I’ve neglected.
In recent years, high walls I’ve built;
The needs of others I’ve deflected.
My mind is heavy with uncertainty;
How will I know which path to take?
I don’t know where to go or how to be
I reflect on bad choices I make.
My soul is heavy from regret;
Choices I should have made, one decision
Could have changed it all, would have set
Me on a new path, but I’m stuck in derision.
Heavy is the weight of a failed man
I have to develop a new plan.

“Beautiful Goodbye”

We stood in the driveway
As the car pulled in
I didn’t know what to say
I didn’t know how to begin
All I could do was sigh
Rushing around to get ready
I didn’t want to make you cry
We just held each other steady
We both knew the stakes
I had a job I needed to do
Right now my heart breaks
Because I have to leave you
Being apart is tough to learn
Each night, for you, I yearn

“As I Sit Here”

Birds fly by my window;
In the breeze I can see a flag blow.
It is quiet except for the hum of the AC;
To cool the space around me.
As I sit here, someone starves;
While another, a turkey he carves.
As I sit here, someone lives on the street;
While another has 30,000 square feet.
As I sit here comfortable and alone;
Somewhere villagers fear a predator drone.
As I sit here, afraid to fail;
Someone else is wrongly put in jail.
As I sit here in my clean clothes;
Dirty, ragged shirts are all someone else knows.
As I sit here and quietly pray;
Someone else was murdered today.
As I sit here watching baseballs’ star player get mobbed;
Someone else finds their home is robbed.
As I sit here pictures of my loving family shown;
Somewhere a veteran ponders suicide alone.
As I sit here trying to find my way
I realize I just wasted another day.
Birds fly by my window;
In the breeze I see a flag blow.

“Morning Mirror”

The glass doors of the art gallery;
Reflect my presence there.
The boats head toward the bowery;
Humidity and the smell of the sea fills the air.
The gallery space is quiet and dark;
I walk and stand by the river.
In the distance I hear a dog bark;
This time of the morning peace does deliver.
I’m able to think about the day ahead;
A bird flies quickly past me.
Most people are still in bed
The reflection of the bird I can see
Moving down the river in the distance.
It is such a calm, beautiful instance;
It is my morning mirror –
It helps me to see clearer.

“All I Saw”

As far as I could see
Piled high, deep, and wide
It goes on and on continually
On one side of the road to the other side
Rubble, wood, glass, a rocking chair
All that remains from the storm
It just seems all so unfair
I watch as the flies swarm
On a pile of moldy, spoiled food
Lives shattered and broken
The town is battered and crude
I see a neighbor, no words are spoken
We both know what’s at stake
All I saw that day, each day since
Is a town that all will forsake
A place where you’ll have to convince
Others to live there, to return
I wonder when we’ll learn
All I saw was garbage and sand
In a place that was once bright and grand.

”January Wind”

The nightfall brought cold air
I’m sitting inside where it’s warm
My wife worked late, which isn’t fair
Here in Central Jersey we’re bracing for a storm
I wait for her safe return
The January wind rattles the house
I check the oven, make sure dinner doesn’t burn
As I wait for the arrival of my spouse
The January wind gusts with power
Our love, I begin to contemplate
I hope she gets here within the hour
The time with her I appreciate
The door opens with great force
My wife enters shivering and windblown
I greet her with a look of remorse
I tell her I love her more than anything known
To mankind. She smiles through messy hair
I pour tea into her favorite cup
I tell her to sit in the kitchen chair
She says, “I love you too, go get the ketchup”
We laugh as the cold wind outside will blow
Right now our love is all we know

“Fridays Were Fun”

Remember back in high school;
Planning for Friday night was cool.
Whether a party, the movies, or a date
For Friday night I couldn’t wait.
In college too you would grind –
Through classes until Friday you’d find
The guys at a frat party or bar
Now those memories seem so far
Back in another time,
Now it seems so sublime.
Fridays were fun back then
Now, it’s like “remember when”
We went to the City for the night;
You met the guys watched a game or a fight.
Now Friday is just another day
We go about it in the same way.
We bring work home with us;
We don’t make plans or a big fuss.
Maybe that’s the way it goes;
Or maybe we’ll change, who knows?
I cherish the few hours with my wife;
We’ll see where Fridays take us in our life.

“Glory Be”

Glory be the Father, The Son
The Holy Spirit – Blessed Trinity
His love for us has just begun.
His love will live for infinity.
He created the Earth and the Moon
He created the glorious Heaven;
But nobody wants to get there soon.
Jesus took bread with no leaven
He blessed and broke it for all
He took the cup of wine – “My Blood”
He carried the cross, three times to fall.
His death, sorrow over the world did flood
Victory over sin and death, we believe
Eternal life through Christ we receive.

“Unfortunate Fame”

Where I grew up was a calm place;
Now you can’t see its’ face.
Fear was distant, very far
Then a hurricane came and made a scar;
On the entire length of Shore.
Which once was clean and pure
We now have unfortunate fame
And remain part of the media’s game
Many people I know got scared
Wondering how they or relatives fared
One thing I can discern
Is my wife and I will not return

The images are everywhere we look
Someone will write a book
Unfortunate fame for the wrong reasons.
We’ll move ahead through the seasons.

This was written after the Newtown school shooting tragedy – in light of the terrible events in Boston yesterday I felt compelled to share this poem:

“Will It End”

Will it end – this tragedy, this pain?
Just when I think it will
Something happens, so horrible, so shrill
I listen to others complain

Will it end? Children killed in school
By a deranged man for no reason
Right in the middle of the holiday season
Will it end? A husband drowns his wife in a pool

Will it end? This disrespect for life
Will the next generation bring change
The next wave of criminals is born
A world filled with chaos and strife
Will it end? Will it rearrange?
Will societal morals continue to be torn?

“Watching Birds Fly”

They move together across the sky;
In perfect unison, it’s a large flock.
I sit there watching birds fly
The overcast sky, the rain will sock
Them as they head where they’re going;
If they don’t get there first.
We’ve all watched birds without knowing.
All that flapping they should die of thirst!
Amazing animals, birds, resilient
Flying together so high in the sky
Some birds have colors so brilliant
I wonder where they go, watching birds fly.

My days have been busy, they fly by
My nights are hectic, trying to write
It’s good to slow things down, or at least try
I think of that while the birds pass from sight.

“Empty House”

I drive down the old familiar street
I pull my car over close to the curb
The house looked good, prim and neat
A typical home in an New Jersey suburb
The basketball hoop still up in the driveway
It was where I spent many a day
The house was empty and dark
My memories, warm and bright, the contrast stark
Though the owner will be back here in a while
I came here infrequently, think of the past
Back when you thought those days would last
I remember my sisters’ laugh, Moms’ smile
Now it’s gone, changed, life is different
I long for those days, wonder where they went

“All That Remains”

A few crates against a garage wall;
Some clothes in a blue suitcase.
My life feels like it took a big fall;
The weeks are like a frantic race.
All that remains after the flood
Is some crates, books, and our love.
We have that and our family, our blood;
That support and faith in God above.
All that remains is a desk and a dresser
Our home is gone – much of what’s in it gone too.
That doesn’t make me love you any lesser;
That doesn’t make our love any less true.
We have a few things in a basement
We have to live with your Mom & Dad.
Our best days still ahead, still unspent;
So smile for me, baby, don’t be sad.
All that remains after this disaster
Are days ahead filled with laughter.

I hope you enjoyed these poems and I will have more in the weeks and months to come. Thanks for taking the time to read my work.

Copyright Frank J. Maduri 2013 all rights reserved

A small business, like any other business, needs to efficiently manage the projects they are working on for their respective customer base. Please allow me to preface this article by stating that the type of project management I will be focusing upon in this article is not Information Technology (I.T.) based project management.

This article will focus on marketing and business development project management, and I will draw upon my over 14 years of professional experience in these two areas to share best practices I have utilized in my career.

The key to effectively managing projects which develop business for your company is the ability to be nimble and flexible. The fast-paced business world changes rapidly, and your small business has to be able to adjust and adapt to this changing landscape in order to survive.

The first step – Project Entry

Every company whether it is large, medium, or a small business; each one has a system for managing their work. The entry of a project into this system is a critical first step in this process. In order to be efficient in turning out projects the entry process must be:

1. Concise – the project synopsis must be short yet detailed and precise
2. Action oriented – the project must clearly relate the action(s) needed
3. Past work – the project should always reference related previous work in order to help efficiency and save precious work hours to maximize sales

In my experience, I always used the project synopsis to provide my colleagues with the most critical information. It was written as directly and clearly as possible to eliminate potential misunderstandings or ambiguity.  My projects were very action oriented and clearly demonstrated the action needed and by which individuals where needed to bring the project to a successful closure.

I also made it a habit to reference past projects and past work done either for that same customer, or for a related business objective. I would refer to the project number and the outcome of the project to assist my colleagues in providing a baseline for their work.

Workflow Organization

I found in my experience, the best way to organize your workflow on the projects within the system was via Excel. I would set up Excel spreadsheets for pending projects, new projects, and closed projects (usually backed up 4-6 weeks) and would track the status of each project by updating the Excel sheets with new information.

Then, at points where I was juggling several projects all within tight deadlines, I would print hard copies of the projects and the Excel sheets. I would separate them in piles in the categories I listed above, and file new information by attaching it to each project. I found that this method helped me to see the whole picture more clearly by having hard copies in front of me. It has to work for you and your respective business, but this method usually helped me to not miss an important detail or deadline.

Priority System – Why your business should have one

In several businesses which I have worked with in the past, a priority system was implemented to help with managing projects for business development. Some companies divided and categorized their customers as: “A”, “B”, or “C” with type “A” customers being the top priority for incoming projects. Other companies used a number system to rank their customers: 1,2,3,4. Obviously, group 1 would be the top priority customer category, and group 4 would be a low priority customer or low priority business opportunity.

In this system, when a project is entered, the priority for attention would go from the top accounts down to the “type B” or “type C” accounts. This enables a division of labor and resources which is clear to all those involved in your company to manage the projects in the system effectively.

In my experience, I had several points where I was managing projects for several top tier customer accounts, or “Type A” accounts and each project had a deadline in the same two or three day window. Those types of days are stressful and hectic, but in order to cut through the potential chaos, the priority system can still work.

In the case of having several top priority projects due all at once, then you must come together as a team and discuss the projects. The account manager, the project manager, the head of marketing and any other key personnel need to meet to weigh the business opportunity versus the cost of the project to your company. This is like a “sub level” to the priority system that will help to address multiple projects with tight deadlines. This type of team communication and communication with your customers can really help in those difficult days of growing pains for your small business.

The Weekly Report – simple yet effective

I have worked with a few different companies that did not have a weekly report as part of their project management function; until I arrived there and made the suggestion to implement one.

The weekly report for project management is a simple function yet a very effective component to your business operation. In setting one up, I would use a template and send the report out on Friday every week via email to all the key personnel appropriate within a given organization.

The report detailed all the projects which were scheduled to be due for completion during the following week. It listed: the project name, project number, the customer account name, the due date, current status, and action needed.

This report allowed all the key personnel, and myself to see the work we had ahead of us for the upcoming week, and allowed for any feedback or objections to be made known ahead of the project due date.

It is a simple function to implement into your business and I worked for two companies that found this report so helpful to their project management, that they implemented it across the board for their respective businesses.

Summing Up

In summary, the role of project management for your incoming business opportunities is very important to the health of your company. This article listed only some of the suggested ways you could improve project management within your business.

A small business with limited manpower will need to place an emphasis on project management best practices in order to efficiently respond to business opportunities. These tips will help to streamline your activity and help your business save time and money from wasting resources in an undefined project management environment.

The New York Knicks clinched their first Atlantic Division title in 20 years last night with their exciting victory over the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden. I know I was elated being a life long fan of this team, and I can remember the last division title win ; it was a long time ago.

Carmelo Anthony continued his run as a scoring machine putting in another big scoring night, with 36 points. Both J.R. Smith and Chris Copeland added 17 points each off the bench, and the Knicks winning streak extends to 13 straight games.

When I think about where this team was after my blog post about the West Coast trip (and that was a debacle) the fact that they have not lost since they closed that road trip with a win at Utah, is remarkable. The injuries along the way should have derailed this Knicks team, and it has done nothing to slow down their march to the division title.

However, while I am excited at the Knicks playoff potential, I am not ready to jump into the camp of fans out there who believe this team can defeat the Miami Heat. The Knicks have to win a couple of series in the playoffs first before we can even address the Miami Heat matchup. While I will concede that Miami has some injuries and issues; the Knicks have injuries and issues as well at this point.

INJURY ISSUES

The key injuries to be concerned with as a Knicks fan at this point are: Kenyon Martin, Tyson Chandler, and Amare Stoudemire. The issue with Martin is the timing of the injury is very poor in that 2 – 4 weeks at this point in the season (only 5 games remaining) is a big problem. Those minutes are going to have to be filled by another bench player, and we have to hope he returns closer to 2 weeks than 4.

The Chandler injury is bad because you are dealing with the neck, which is always a touchy injury because neck injuries can be balky and take a long time to get back to normal. While nobody would question the toughness of Chandler, I would rather rest him now and have him at top form in the playoffs. I know some Knicks fans feel that we should remind Coach Woodson of that fact: it is not about winning 53 or 54 games, the goal has and will remain much bigger than regular season records. The Knicks are in this to win a NBA Championship for a fan base that has been waiting for 40 years in the largest city and media market in the league.

AMARE – will he return? – The two camps and my perspective

The Stoudemire injury has two distinct camps when you talk about the media and the fan base. The first camp believes that Stoudemire is not important to the team and its success and that he clogs up the offense when he is on the floor. The second camp believes that he is a valuable asset to the team when given a specific role and provides a much needed front court presence where the Knicks have a void at this point.

My personal feelings as a fan of this team for many years falls somewhere in between the two camps when it comes to Amare, but leans more towards the second camp. I feel Amare is a very talented player and can be lethal in the pick and roll against teams that struggle to defend against it. I will always have an affinity to Amare for being the first star caliber player to come to the Knicks and really put the team on its current course. The Knicks without Amare would not have swung the deal for Carmelo Anthony and would not be where they are in the standings today. I also love Amare’s style of play on the offensive end when he is in a groove. He provides something to the front court that is lacking without his presence in the lineup.

CONCLUSION – EXPECTATIONS

Well, Knicks fans, we have 5 games left before we start the playoffs, and the Knicks are in pretty good shape, now we have to hope for these injured players to return to the lineup. The Knicks at full strength are going to be a tough matchup for anyone in the playoffs. It is an exciting time to see if they can deliver on the expectations the media and fan base have for this team.

The New Jersey Devils began this lockout abbreviated season with a very strong showing. Then, after the injury to goaltender Martin Brodeur (which I covered in a previous blog post) the team tumbled through a very tough stretch of losses.

When Brodeur finally returned to the lineup, the Devils got dealt another setback: their star forward, Ilya Kovalchuk, went down with an injury. So the team has been limping through some of their recent games, most recently losing a heartbreaker to Boston by a score of 1-0.

Missing the Playoffs?

The Devils currently sit in 9^th place in the East and after 37 games they are 15-13-9 with 39 points. They are tied with their arch rival, the New York Rangers, who also have 39 points. The New York Islanders sit in 7^th place with 40 points.

Meanwhile, right behind the Devils sit the Winnipeg Jets with 38 points and the rival Philadelphia Flyers with 37 points. So, it is a crowded group of teams vying for a few precious playoff positions as we hit the stretch run for the season. The Devils have 11 games remaining before the regular season ends on April 27^th, and they have to start winning some games.

Now, I know that previous statement seems obvious to even casual sports fans, but it is easier said than done. The last games on this stretch are all important for the Devils, but the next 5 games are really critical. Here is their upcoming schedule:

vs. Toronto (home game)

@Buffalo

vs. Boston (home)

vs. Ottawa (home)

@ Toronto

The fact that 3 of the next 5 games are at home will help the Devils, but they have struggled in every game recently, whether home or on the road. These games are going to be tough, Toronto has 44 points in 6th place currently and is playing well. Boston and Ottawa are both solid, playoff caliber type teams, with strong goaltending.

However, the silver lining here is how well the Devils played in their last game against Boston. They had some quality scoring chances and played on the road in a tough environment. So I take some hope from that game that they will get this turned around.

Outlook and Cause for Concern

The outlook is still good for this Devils team to make the playoffs, but they will need contributions from players such as Clarkson, Zajac, Carter, Gionta, and Salvador to get there. Hopefully, Kovalchuk can return to provide the leadership and scoring punch that  they will need in the intensity of the playoffs.

However, there is cause for concern for myself and other Devils fans. The run in the playoffs, if we make it, could be very short lived. In my opinion, the Devils are not able to match up well against Pittsburgh or Montreal in the first round of the playoffs. The Devils would have to win enough games to get to 6^th place to obtain a more favorable playoff matchup with the Washington Capitals, who should hold on and win their division, the Southeast Division.  The matchup with the Capitals would be a legitimate opportunity for the Devils to advance in the playoffs.

One thing is certain: the Devils are running out of time to turn this season around and they need to take action quickly in order to be able to defend their Eastern Conference title in the playoffs this season.