In as strange an ending as you'll ever see, Scott Gomez' shootout goal was the difference in a 3-2 triumph for the Devils over the Senators at Scotiabank Place Tuesday night. Desperate for a win, New Jersey was forced into overtime when Dany Heatley redirected a Brian Pothier wrist shot through traffic for his second of the night to tie it with just 31 seconds left in regulation.
In OT, the Sens pressed hard for the winner but couldn't beat a rejuvenated Martin Brodeur. Making his 33rd start in the last 34 games, he bounced back from allowing four goals against Toronto by making 36 saves, including stopping all six Ottawa shots in the extra session to force a shootout.
In it, both Brodeur and Sens' rookie netminder Ray Emery weren't beaten cleanly. After the first four shooters misfired, the Devils' final shooter Gomez went to the backhand and put the puck into Emery's pads. Near the goal line, Emery looked to have the puck underneath but backed into the net. Referees Marc Joannette and Michael McGeough ruled that Gomez scored due to Emery's momentum carrying the puck over the line. After a lengthy video review, they upheld it putting the Devils ahead with one shooter left. When Brodeur padded away Daniel Alfredsson's five-hole try, he pumped his stick and had given his team a much needed jolt to pickup his first win in five starts since March 16 against Pittsburgh.
After losing three of four, the Devils have won two of their last three. It was a big two points for them because they kept pace with Montreal, who shutout the Islanders 2-0. It also moved them five points clear of ninth place Atlanta.
With 10 games remaining, the Devils, Canadiens and Lightning are locked in a three-way tie for sixth. If the season ended today, Tampa Bay would finish sixth due to two more wins. The Devils would be seventh due to holding a 2-0 edge against Montreal. They'll meet twice more at The Bell Centre before the season concludes.
In the final regular season meeting against Ottawa, the Devils were sharper than Sunday night against Toronto. Paying closer attention to detail and clearing the front of the net, they held a 12-7 shots edge in the first period. Both teams were also energized by a memorable scrap between Cam Janssen and Brian McGrattan just 3:03 in. Though Janssen drew an instigator, the Devils killed it off to set the tone.
Ottawa was awarded the next two power plays. On the third one, the tide would turn when John Madden tallied shorthanded. Entering play, Ottawa led the league with 22 shorthanded goals compared to the Devils' two, which ranked dead last. None of that mattered when Madden picked Alfredsson's pocket at the point and broke in and beat Emery on a backhand deke through the legs to give the Devils the lead at 13:26. It was his first SHG of the season.
After a scoreless second period, each team traded goals 2:33 apart. First, Ottawa tied it on a Heatley power play goal 3:41 into the third for his 41st. But less than three minutes later, Brian Gionta reached a milestone when he became the sixth Devil to ever score 40 in a season. On the power play, the Devils' sniper was the beneficiary of an errant Andrej Mezsaros clear, which caromed right to him for a quick one-timer upstairs. Gionta needs just six more goals to match Pat Verbeek's franchise mark of 46, set back in 1987-88.
Gionta also came close to putting them up two but only a sprawling save by Emery prevented number 41. It proved to be huge when Heatley cashed in late with the Ottawa goalie pulled for an extra attacker.
Notes: After being a healthy scratch the last two games, Devils defenseman Brad Lukowich returned to the lineup in place of Tommy Albelin. ... Brodeur's win was his 436th, moving him within one of Jacques Plante for fourth on the all-time career list. ... Already without Zdeno Chara (hand), Anton Volchenkov (concussion), Mike Fisher (ankle), Dominik Hasek (groin) and Martin Havlat (shoulder), the Senators lost defenseman Chris Phillips after the first period when he twisted his left knee in a battle with Parise. ... Alfredsson picked up his 400th career assist. ... Devils (36-27-9, 81 pts) host Sabres (44-21-6, 94 pts) Thursday night.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Leafs Burn Devils Again
If the Devils fail to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since '95-96, they'll look back on this one. A thorn in their side all season, the Maple Leafs defeated the Devils 4-3 at the Continental Airlines Arena Sunday night.
Entering their third game in four nights, the Leafs had struggled badly in back-to-back losses to Montreal being outscored 11-3. None of that mattered against their favorite opponent. Remarkably, the win allowed Toronto to sweep the season series. They entered play 12th in the East with 70 points trailing eighth seeded Montreal by seven points and the seventh place Devils by nine. The victory kept their slim playoff hopes alive.
Fresh off their emotional 4-2 win over Boston Friday on Ken Daneyko Night, the Devils came out with some early pressure on Toronto but couldn't beat journeyman third stringer Jean-Sebastien Aubin. Making his first start of the season, the former Pen stifled the Devils and gave his team a chance to find its legs in their second consecutive game. He set the tone with two strong saves on Zach Parise.
Continuing to come at the Leafs in waves, the Devils second line buzzed but couldn't beat Aubin. When Toronto worked the puck out of their zone, it trapped them at the end of their shift leading directly to the game's first goal. Chad Kilger slid the puck by Brian Rafalski for a two-on-one and was the recipient of a give-and-go with Darcy Tucker for a mini-breakaway. In on Martin Brodeur, Kilger snapped a quick wrister five-hole at 8:34 to put the Leafs up 1-0.
The goal rejuvenated the Leafs. Aggressively forechecking, they forced the Devils into several sloppy turnovers and nearly went ahead two but Brodeur denied Kilger, Matt Stajan and Kyle Wellwood. He also got help from a goalpost on Stajan's shorthanded bid. Shortly after, the Devils would draw even when Erik Rasmussen rebounded Sergei Brylin's wide shot for his first power play tally of the season at 17:42. It was his first goal in seven games.
But the momentum was shortlived when Wellwood converted at the goalmouth just 54 seconds later to put the Leafs back ahead 2-1. Outworking Ken Klee for the puck, Wellwood maneuvered and fired a wrister upstairs. Tucker notched the lone assist for his second point of the night.
After being outshot 17-10 in the first, the Devils outshot the Leafs 11-7 in the second but Aubin stopped them in their tracks. Unfortunately, Brodeur wasn't sharp when Mats Sundin's slapshot surprised him through the legs to give Toronto a two-goal lead at 15:53. Taking a feed from Ian White on the right wing, Sundin ripped his 20th through Colin White's screen past Brodeur.
Down two, the desperate Devils mounted a furious assault in the third which netted some early results to get within one. With Brodeur catching the Leafs in a change, he made a perfect two-line pass to Scott Gomez who fed a streaking Brian Gionta. Gionta's wrist shot with traffic in front rebounded off Aubin right to Gomez, who blistered his 26th past Aubin to cut it to 3-2 only 2:24 in. Brodeur was credited with his second assist in three games.
The Devils pressed hard for the equalizer but Aubin wasn't forthcoming. When Stajan beat Brodeur five-hole on another two-on-one with 8:12 remaining, the Leafs once again led by two. But thanks to some undisciplined Toronto penalties, the Devils cut it to one again when Patrik Elias deflected home his ninth from Gomez on a five-on-three with 3:37 to go.
Still on the power play, they had a golden opportunity to tie it when Luke Richardson was whistled for boarding Parise leading to another two-man advantage. Their best chance to tie it was when Jamie Langenbrunner had a wide open net but one-timed the puck off the outside of the post. Gionta also came close on a stuff-in try but Tomas Kaberle cleared it away in the nick of time.
Aubin finished with 38 saves including stopping 15 of 17 in a frantic third to give the Leafs a much needed win.
Notes: Combined with Montreal's 6-5 win at Pittsburgh, the Devils and Canadiens are tied for the final playoff spot with 79 points with 11 games left. Ninth place Atlanta trails each by three points with the same amount of games to go. ... Returning from a night off after 31 straight starts, Brodeur finished with 26 saves to drop his fourth decision in a row. He has allowed 10 goals in his last two starts and three goals-or-more in four of the last six. ... With an assist, Parise extended his point streak to three straight (2-1-3). ... With a two-point effort, Gomez has two goals and five assists in the last three contests. ... Devil defenseman Brad Lukowich was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game. ... Devils (35-27-9, 79 pts) travel to first in the East Ottawa (48-16-6, 102 pts) for the final regular season meeting of the season.
Entering their third game in four nights, the Leafs had struggled badly in back-to-back losses to Montreal being outscored 11-3. None of that mattered against their favorite opponent. Remarkably, the win allowed Toronto to sweep the season series. They entered play 12th in the East with 70 points trailing eighth seeded Montreal by seven points and the seventh place Devils by nine. The victory kept their slim playoff hopes alive.
Fresh off their emotional 4-2 win over Boston Friday on Ken Daneyko Night, the Devils came out with some early pressure on Toronto but couldn't beat journeyman third stringer Jean-Sebastien Aubin. Making his first start of the season, the former Pen stifled the Devils and gave his team a chance to find its legs in their second consecutive game. He set the tone with two strong saves on Zach Parise.
Continuing to come at the Leafs in waves, the Devils second line buzzed but couldn't beat Aubin. When Toronto worked the puck out of their zone, it trapped them at the end of their shift leading directly to the game's first goal. Chad Kilger slid the puck by Brian Rafalski for a two-on-one and was the recipient of a give-and-go with Darcy Tucker for a mini-breakaway. In on Martin Brodeur, Kilger snapped a quick wrister five-hole at 8:34 to put the Leafs up 1-0.
The goal rejuvenated the Leafs. Aggressively forechecking, they forced the Devils into several sloppy turnovers and nearly went ahead two but Brodeur denied Kilger, Matt Stajan and Kyle Wellwood. He also got help from a goalpost on Stajan's shorthanded bid. Shortly after, the Devils would draw even when Erik Rasmussen rebounded Sergei Brylin's wide shot for his first power play tally of the season at 17:42. It was his first goal in seven games.
But the momentum was shortlived when Wellwood converted at the goalmouth just 54 seconds later to put the Leafs back ahead 2-1. Outworking Ken Klee for the puck, Wellwood maneuvered and fired a wrister upstairs. Tucker notched the lone assist for his second point of the night.
After being outshot 17-10 in the first, the Devils outshot the Leafs 11-7 in the second but Aubin stopped them in their tracks. Unfortunately, Brodeur wasn't sharp when Mats Sundin's slapshot surprised him through the legs to give Toronto a two-goal lead at 15:53. Taking a feed from Ian White on the right wing, Sundin ripped his 20th through Colin White's screen past Brodeur.
Down two, the desperate Devils mounted a furious assault in the third which netted some early results to get within one. With Brodeur catching the Leafs in a change, he made a perfect two-line pass to Scott Gomez who fed a streaking Brian Gionta. Gionta's wrist shot with traffic in front rebounded off Aubin right to Gomez, who blistered his 26th past Aubin to cut it to 3-2 only 2:24 in. Brodeur was credited with his second assist in three games.
The Devils pressed hard for the equalizer but Aubin wasn't forthcoming. When Stajan beat Brodeur five-hole on another two-on-one with 8:12 remaining, the Leafs once again led by two. But thanks to some undisciplined Toronto penalties, the Devils cut it to one again when Patrik Elias deflected home his ninth from Gomez on a five-on-three with 3:37 to go.
Still on the power play, they had a golden opportunity to tie it when Luke Richardson was whistled for boarding Parise leading to another two-man advantage. Their best chance to tie it was when Jamie Langenbrunner had a wide open net but one-timed the puck off the outside of the post. Gionta also came close on a stuff-in try but Tomas Kaberle cleared it away in the nick of time.
Aubin finished with 38 saves including stopping 15 of 17 in a frantic third to give the Leafs a much needed win.
Notes: Combined with Montreal's 6-5 win at Pittsburgh, the Devils and Canadiens are tied for the final playoff spot with 79 points with 11 games left. Ninth place Atlanta trails each by three points with the same amount of games to go. ... Returning from a night off after 31 straight starts, Brodeur finished with 26 saves to drop his fourth decision in a row. He has allowed 10 goals in his last two starts and three goals-or-more in four of the last six. ... With an assist, Parise extended his point streak to three straight (2-1-3). ... With a two-point effort, Gomez has two goals and five assists in the last three contests. ... Devil defenseman Brad Lukowich was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game. ... Devils (35-27-9, 79 pts) travel to first in the East Ottawa (48-16-6, 102 pts) for the final regular season meeting of the season.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Lightning Outshoot Rangers For Victory
Maybe it was fitting. After how both the Rangers and Lightning took turns dominating play, the final regular season meeting went to a shootout. For the Rangers who a night earlier dropped a 3-2 shootout at Florida, it was a bad omen again- this time falling to the Lightning 4-3 at St. Pete Times Forum Saturday.
"It's disappointing not to win one or both games," Ranger defenseman Jason Strudwick told the AP. "When you leave it into overtime and shootouts, anything can happen so we have to clean up our act a little bit in the early periods."
The loss was their third straight and put them in a virtual tie for first in the Atlantic due to the Flyers' 6-3 win over Ottawa. Both have 90 points with 11 games remaining including two head-to-head meetings which could ultimately decide who wins the division and earns home ice for the first round of the playoffs.
Early on, the Blueshirts controlled play and took advantage of two Tampa penalties to take a two-goal lead. The first tally came from Petr Sykora, who one-timed his 21st past John Grahame at 11:57. It was his 13th goal as a Ranger. Martin Straka and Sandis Ozolinsh notched assists.
With left wing Martin Rucinsky out a month due to a broken left index finger suffered Friday night via an undetected Jay Bouwmeester slash, the Rangers recalled Alexandre Giroux from Hartford. Making his NHL debut on the fourth line, the rookie drew a hooking penalty on Pavel Kubina late to setup the Rangers' second goal.
On a nifty passing play, another rookie Petr Prucha connected on the power play for his 28th. After Jaromir Jagr worked the puck down low to Michael Nylander, Nylander threaded the needle to an open Prucha who one-timed the puck over Grahame for a two-goal lead at 18:04.
But the Rangers couldn't stand prosperity. Just 34 seconds later, Martin St. Louis surprised Henrik Lundqvist when he rebounded home a Brad Richards shot for his 24th to slice the lead in half before the period concluded.
At the start of the second period though, that's when the Rangers' MVP Jagr continued his torrid scoring pace to put them up 3-1. Only 30 seconds in, he one-timed a Prucha centering feed into an open side for his league-leading 51st goal and 107th point of the season. It moved Jagr to within one goal of tying Adam Graves' franchise mark of 52 set in '93-94. He also needs just two more points to match Jean Ratelle's franchise mark of 109 set back in 1971-72.
"I think everyone feels honored to be part of it," Ranger coach Tom Renney said. "Jaromir comes to work every day and displays what you could only hope for in a player like that, with his work habits and the way he treats his teammates and the respect he shows the organization and the coaching staff."
Just when they seemed to have the Lightning on the ropes, Fredrik Modin's wrister from inside the blueline snuck past Lundqvist to cut it to one at 3:13. Brad Richards and Cory Sarich added assists.
Once again though, the game changed when Ruslan Fedotenko's clearing attempt went over the glass for a Delay of Game infraction. Not long after, it looked like the Rangers had scored their third PPG of the contest. When Sykora one-timed a puck under Grahame, the red light came on and initially, it was 4-2 Rangers. But not so fast. Referees Mike Hasenfratz and Dean Warren decided to go upstairs for a lengthy review. Several replays couldn't conclusively determine whether the puck crossed the line.
The wiped out goal was a huge momentum swing. Afterwards, a reenergized Lightning started outworking the suddenly dejected Rangers. Activating their defensemen, they began swarming the Rangers in bunches and keeping pucks in for long stretches. The strategy eventually resulted in the tying goal when Ryan Craig deflected a Sarich blast by Lundqvist to tie it at 11:15.
From that point, the Rangers were on their heels and fortunate to get a point for the second consecutive night. Relying on a sharper Lundqvist (10 third period saves), they scratched and clawed their way to overtime. In it, they ran into trouble when Tom Poti took a holding penalty. But the Lightning couldn't beat Lundqvist, forcing a shootout.
After Jagr, Vincent Lecavalier and Sykora were stopped, Richards was the difference by deking Lundqvist to the forehand. When Grahame stuffed Nylander's backhand stuff-in try, Tampa Bay moved two points ahead of the Devils for sixth in the East.
Notes: Making his fifth start in six and sixth in the last eight, Lundqvist finished with 31 saves. Showing some signs of slowing down, he's allowed three goals-or-more in four of his past six starts including eight in the past two losses. ... Grahame stopped 20 of 23 shots. ... Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle left the game in the first period, suffering a right ankle injury after beating out Steve Rucchin for an icing. ... With two points, Jagr extended his point streak to eight straight (8-7-15). ... Nylander has 14 points (4-10-14) during a current seven-game point streak. ... Ranger defenseman Darius Kasparaitis sat out his third straight with a groin injury. The Rangers are 0-1-2 without him. ... Rangers (39-20-12, 90 pts) return home to host Buffalo (44-21-5, 93 pts) Monday.
"It's disappointing not to win one or both games," Ranger defenseman Jason Strudwick told the AP. "When you leave it into overtime and shootouts, anything can happen so we have to clean up our act a little bit in the early periods."
The loss was their third straight and put them in a virtual tie for first in the Atlantic due to the Flyers' 6-3 win over Ottawa. Both have 90 points with 11 games remaining including two head-to-head meetings which could ultimately decide who wins the division and earns home ice for the first round of the playoffs.
Early on, the Blueshirts controlled play and took advantage of two Tampa penalties to take a two-goal lead. The first tally came from Petr Sykora, who one-timed his 21st past John Grahame at 11:57. It was his 13th goal as a Ranger. Martin Straka and Sandis Ozolinsh notched assists.
With left wing Martin Rucinsky out a month due to a broken left index finger suffered Friday night via an undetected Jay Bouwmeester slash, the Rangers recalled Alexandre Giroux from Hartford. Making his NHL debut on the fourth line, the rookie drew a hooking penalty on Pavel Kubina late to setup the Rangers' second goal.
On a nifty passing play, another rookie Petr Prucha connected on the power play for his 28th. After Jaromir Jagr worked the puck down low to Michael Nylander, Nylander threaded the needle to an open Prucha who one-timed the puck over Grahame for a two-goal lead at 18:04.
But the Rangers couldn't stand prosperity. Just 34 seconds later, Martin St. Louis surprised Henrik Lundqvist when he rebounded home a Brad Richards shot for his 24th to slice the lead in half before the period concluded.
At the start of the second period though, that's when the Rangers' MVP Jagr continued his torrid scoring pace to put them up 3-1. Only 30 seconds in, he one-timed a Prucha centering feed into an open side for his league-leading 51st goal and 107th point of the season. It moved Jagr to within one goal of tying Adam Graves' franchise mark of 52 set in '93-94. He also needs just two more points to match Jean Ratelle's franchise mark of 109 set back in 1971-72.
"I think everyone feels honored to be part of it," Ranger coach Tom Renney said. "Jaromir comes to work every day and displays what you could only hope for in a player like that, with his work habits and the way he treats his teammates and the respect he shows the organization and the coaching staff."
Just when they seemed to have the Lightning on the ropes, Fredrik Modin's wrister from inside the blueline snuck past Lundqvist to cut it to one at 3:13. Brad Richards and Cory Sarich added assists.
Once again though, the game changed when Ruslan Fedotenko's clearing attempt went over the glass for a Delay of Game infraction. Not long after, it looked like the Rangers had scored their third PPG of the contest. When Sykora one-timed a puck under Grahame, the red light came on and initially, it was 4-2 Rangers. But not so fast. Referees Mike Hasenfratz and Dean Warren decided to go upstairs for a lengthy review. Several replays couldn't conclusively determine whether the puck crossed the line.
The wiped out goal was a huge momentum swing. Afterwards, a reenergized Lightning started outworking the suddenly dejected Rangers. Activating their defensemen, they began swarming the Rangers in bunches and keeping pucks in for long stretches. The strategy eventually resulted in the tying goal when Ryan Craig deflected a Sarich blast by Lundqvist to tie it at 11:15.
From that point, the Rangers were on their heels and fortunate to get a point for the second consecutive night. Relying on a sharper Lundqvist (10 third period saves), they scratched and clawed their way to overtime. In it, they ran into trouble when Tom Poti took a holding penalty. But the Lightning couldn't beat Lundqvist, forcing a shootout.
After Jagr, Vincent Lecavalier and Sykora were stopped, Richards was the difference by deking Lundqvist to the forehand. When Grahame stuffed Nylander's backhand stuff-in try, Tampa Bay moved two points ahead of the Devils for sixth in the East.
Notes: Making his fifth start in six and sixth in the last eight, Lundqvist finished with 31 saves. Showing some signs of slowing down, he's allowed three goals-or-more in four of his past six starts including eight in the past two losses. ... Grahame stopped 20 of 23 shots. ... Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle left the game in the first period, suffering a right ankle injury after beating out Steve Rucchin for an icing. ... With two points, Jagr extended his point streak to eight straight (8-7-15). ... Nylander has 14 points (4-10-14) during a current seven-game point streak. ... Ranger defenseman Darius Kasparaitis sat out his third straight with a groin injury. The Rangers are 0-1-2 without him. ... Rangers (39-20-12, 90 pts) return home to host Buffalo (44-21-5, 93 pts) Monday.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Devils Give Daneyko Night To Remember
Maybe the Devils should retire more numbers. Seven weeks after posting a convincing 3-0 win during Scott Stevens Night, they turned back the clock and got a much needed boost from seeing Ken Daneyko's No. 3 go up to the rafters. After an emotional ceremony which lasted 41 minutes, the Devils defeated the Bruins 4-2 in front of a packed house at Continental Airlines Arena Friday night.
Inspired by a riveting speech which lasted 12 minutes by the man known to many as Mr. Devil, the Devils fed off the energy and jumped on Boston from the game's first shift. It was only fitting that Scott Gomez would score the first goal 44 seconds into the game a night removed from suffering a cornea abrasion in a stinging loss at Atlanta. Daneyko, who played his entire 20-year career with the Devils must've appreciated it. The franchise leader in games (1,283) and penalty minutes (over 2,500) was known for having four teeth knocked out and suiting up the next game over a decade ago.
When Brian Gionta scored a power play goal for his team-leading 39th off a Gomez faceoff win at 3:41, the rejuvenated Devils led by two.
Rookie Zach Parise scored for the second consecutive game to put them up three 11:31 into the second to chase Boston starter Andrew Raycroft. The '03-04 Calder winner allowed three goals on just 15 shots.
With the Devils firmly in control, the only question was whether backup goalie Scott Clemmensen would get the shutout. Making his first start since a 6-3 loss at Pittsburgh December 29, 2005, the former BC star was solid in making 25 saves. His shutout bid was broken up by Glen Murray with 54 seconds left in the second to cut it to 3-1.
But Paul Martin's fluke PPG from 120 feet out fooled Tim Thomas to restore order at 7:32. Brad Isbister tallied in the final minute for Boston to conclude the scoring.
It was Clemmensen's third win of the season. Ironically, his last one also came against Boston in a 5-4 shootout way back on October 29, 2005.
The win halted a three-game losing streak and moved the Devils into a sixth place tie with Tampa Bay. Both have 79 points with 12 games remaining. The victory also put them three points up on eighth place Atlanta and four ahead of ninth place Montreal.
What will be remembered most though is how the Devils honored one of their own. Emceed by FSNY broadcaster Mike "Doc" Emrick, they showed a two-minute video tribute highlighting Daneyko's career from start to finish. Included were images of Daneyko as an 18-year-old rookie, a shot of him missing four teeth, him scoring a big goal against the Stars in Game One of the 2000 Cup Finals along with holding the Cup in '95, '00 and '03. And finally celebrating his final victory with the fans.
After the tribute, the Devil organization showered Daneyko with luxurious gifts ranging from a driving iron to a brand new 2006 pickup truck. When current team owner Jeff Vanderbeek presented a crystal memento commemorating the special occasion, he nearly dropped it before hanging on. Never shy about dropping a one-liner, he sarcastically remarked, "That pretty well summed my career: fumbled it, but made a great recovery."
When he finally stepped up to the microphone, he was given a five-minute standing ovation. The popular Devil warrior reflected back on how as a kid he dreamed of making it to the NHL. He recalled the day his dream came true but pointed out that when informed that the Devils drafted him back in 1982, he had no idea where New Jersey was, drawing laughter from the capacity crowd.
"It didn't matter because I would have run 3,000 miles from Edmonton just to get an opportunity to play," he said.
During his well thought out speech, he was rained down with chants of "Dan-O, Dan-O" and "Lace'em up Dan-O."
He made sure to thank everyone including GM/Coach Lou Lamoriello, former coaches and teammates, late Devils owner John McMullen, family, fans and even trainers and dentists. Daneyko choked up when he spoke of McMullen. The former owner supported him during his battle with alcohol in 1997.
Daneyko also spoke of how the team overcame early struggles to become a playoff contender. He thanked former teammate and current Devils assistant John MacLean for getting them in the playoffs for the first time in 1988. MacLean's overtime winner at Chicago was the turning point for the Devils.
"I knew in my heart that one day we would turn it around and we'd do something special here."
As a three-time Stanley Cup winner who went out on top in his final game against Anaheim three years ago, it was a storybook finish to his career.
Before No. 3 went up, Martin Brodeur and Sergei Brylin had one more surprise. The only two active players left from all three Cup winners gave him his home jersey to put on one final time. Before his wife, two children, parents along with his brother and two sisters, Daneyko watched as his number took its proper place next to Stevens' No. 4.
It was a night he won't soon forget.
Inspired by a riveting speech which lasted 12 minutes by the man known to many as Mr. Devil, the Devils fed off the energy and jumped on Boston from the game's first shift. It was only fitting that Scott Gomez would score the first goal 44 seconds into the game a night removed from suffering a cornea abrasion in a stinging loss at Atlanta. Daneyko, who played his entire 20-year career with the Devils must've appreciated it. The franchise leader in games (1,283) and penalty minutes (over 2,500) was known for having four teeth knocked out and suiting up the next game over a decade ago.
When Brian Gionta scored a power play goal for his team-leading 39th off a Gomez faceoff win at 3:41, the rejuvenated Devils led by two.
Rookie Zach Parise scored for the second consecutive game to put them up three 11:31 into the second to chase Boston starter Andrew Raycroft. The '03-04 Calder winner allowed three goals on just 15 shots.
With the Devils firmly in control, the only question was whether backup goalie Scott Clemmensen would get the shutout. Making his first start since a 6-3 loss at Pittsburgh December 29, 2005, the former BC star was solid in making 25 saves. His shutout bid was broken up by Glen Murray with 54 seconds left in the second to cut it to 3-1.
But Paul Martin's fluke PPG from 120 feet out fooled Tim Thomas to restore order at 7:32. Brad Isbister tallied in the final minute for Boston to conclude the scoring.
It was Clemmensen's third win of the season. Ironically, his last one also came against Boston in a 5-4 shootout way back on October 29, 2005.
The win halted a three-game losing streak and moved the Devils into a sixth place tie with Tampa Bay. Both have 79 points with 12 games remaining. The victory also put them three points up on eighth place Atlanta and four ahead of ninth place Montreal.
What will be remembered most though is how the Devils honored one of their own. Emceed by FSNY broadcaster Mike "Doc" Emrick, they showed a two-minute video tribute highlighting Daneyko's career from start to finish. Included were images of Daneyko as an 18-year-old rookie, a shot of him missing four teeth, him scoring a big goal against the Stars in Game One of the 2000 Cup Finals along with holding the Cup in '95, '00 and '03. And finally celebrating his final victory with the fans.
After the tribute, the Devil organization showered Daneyko with luxurious gifts ranging from a driving iron to a brand new 2006 pickup truck. When current team owner Jeff Vanderbeek presented a crystal memento commemorating the special occasion, he nearly dropped it before hanging on. Never shy about dropping a one-liner, he sarcastically remarked, "That pretty well summed my career: fumbled it, but made a great recovery."
When he finally stepped up to the microphone, he was given a five-minute standing ovation. The popular Devil warrior reflected back on how as a kid he dreamed of making it to the NHL. He recalled the day his dream came true but pointed out that when informed that the Devils drafted him back in 1982, he had no idea where New Jersey was, drawing laughter from the capacity crowd.
"It didn't matter because I would have run 3,000 miles from Edmonton just to get an opportunity to play," he said.
During his well thought out speech, he was rained down with chants of "Dan-O, Dan-O" and "Lace'em up Dan-O."
He made sure to thank everyone including GM/Coach Lou Lamoriello, former coaches and teammates, late Devils owner John McMullen, family, fans and even trainers and dentists. Daneyko choked up when he spoke of McMullen. The former owner supported him during his battle with alcohol in 1997.
Daneyko also spoke of how the team overcame early struggles to become a playoff contender. He thanked former teammate and current Devils assistant John MacLean for getting them in the playoffs for the first time in 1988. MacLean's overtime winner at Chicago was the turning point for the Devils.
"I knew in my heart that one day we would turn it around and we'd do something special here."
As a three-time Stanley Cup winner who went out on top in his final game against Anaheim three years ago, it was a storybook finish to his career.
Before No. 3 went up, Martin Brodeur and Sergei Brylin had one more surprise. The only two active players left from all three Cup winners gave him his home jersey to put on one final time. Before his wife, two children, parents along with his brother and two sisters, Daneyko watched as his number took its proper place next to Stevens' No. 4.
It was a night he won't soon forget.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Non Call Allows Thrashers To Shock Devils In OT
It shouldn't have gotten to this point. Not when the Devils had a 4-1 lead with 15:00 to go before ending their two-game losing streak. But somehow, they allowed the Thrashers to score four unanswered goals to trail with 2:01 left before their most reliable scorer Brian Gionta forced overtime with his 38th with 1:02 remaining to at least salvage a point.
That's when a screwjob of epic proportions took place to cost the Devils any shot of a crucial extra point in an ever tightening playoff race. With Scott Gomez in a race for a loose puck behind the net, Atlanta defenseman Niclas Havelid's followthrough made contact with Gomez' right eye knocking him to the ice. While Gomez struggled to his feet, Peter Bondra backhanded home an Andy Sutton rebound 1:03 into OT, sending the Devils to the shocking 6-5 defeat at Philips Arena Thursday night.
Somehow, no call was made for a high stick. Not even a whistle to halt play with Gomez hurt. After the game, the Devils' termed his injury a cornea abrasion. He was wearing an eyepatch to take further precaution and his status isn't known for tonight's home game against Boston.
Despite mild protests at the bench after the outcome, nobody made excuses for the crushing loss which gave Atlanta their 76th point to pull within one of the seventh seeded Devils.
"The wheels fell apart," Martin Brodeur, who was beaten six times on 30 shots told the AP. It was the third time in his last six starts that he allowed six goals. "They beat us on the rebound. We had a 4-1 lead, so we have no one else to blame."
"We let them back into the game by losing our poise and putting them on the power play," GM/Coach Lou Lamoriello said.
Combined with sixth place Tampa Bay coming back to beat Washington 4-3 in OT and ninth place Montreal defeating Toronto 5-1, nothing went right for the Devils. They are only two points ahead of the Canadiens and desperately need a win against the Bruins on Ken Daneyko Night. The 20-year career Devil will see his Number 3 go up to the rafters and take its rightful place next to Scott Stevens' Number 4, which was retired on February 3rd. That night, the Devils played like three-time Stanley Cup champions in shutting out Carolina 3-0. They'll look for a similar result to get back on track.
For the first two periods, things were going well. On the strength of two power play goals by Patrik Elias and Jamie Langenbrunner plus a four-on-four goal by Brad Lukowich (first as Devil) sandwiched around a Marian Hossa PPG, they took a 3-1 lead to the locker room.
When rookie Zach Parise rebounded home a Gomez shot for his ninth 2:41 into the third, the Devils had scored more than three goals for the first time in 13 games since a 7-4 triumph over Tampa Bay on February 7. On the play, Brodeur picked up his first assist of the season.
But the wheels started to fall off when Jason Wiemer's instigator led to a Bobby Holik power play tally 3:14 later to slice the lead to two. Suddenly with their home arena alive, the Thrashers drew even closer when Ilya Kovalchuk rebounded a Slava Kozlov shot for his 44th to cut it to 4-3 with 11:00 remaining.
When Kozlov retrieved a puck and stuffed in a rebound which Brodeur and his teammates believed he had frozen, remarkably the game was tied with 3:07 left. Disaster nearly struck when only 1:06 later, Patrik Stefan rebounded a Marian Hossa shot off a post into a vacant net to give Atlanta its first lead. But a Gionta slapper off the rush saved the Devils from the ultimate embarrassment.
Notes: In as wild a game as there's been this season, both Brodeur and Atlanta netminder Kari Lehtonen notched assists. Lehtonen finished with 36 saves to help the Thrashers sweep the four-game series from the Devils. However, New Jersey picked up a point on an OT loss though which could prove vital. ... Replaced by enforcer Cam Janssen, Viktor Kozlov was a healthy scratch for the third time in the last four games. ... After making 31 straight starts, Brodeur is expected to rest while backup Scott Clemmensen gets the nod tonight for Devils (34-26-9, 77 pts) against Boston (27-31-12, 66 pts). ... Ceremonies for Ken Daneyko Night begin at 7:30 PM.
That's when a screwjob of epic proportions took place to cost the Devils any shot of a crucial extra point in an ever tightening playoff race. With Scott Gomez in a race for a loose puck behind the net, Atlanta defenseman Niclas Havelid's followthrough made contact with Gomez' right eye knocking him to the ice. While Gomez struggled to his feet, Peter Bondra backhanded home an Andy Sutton rebound 1:03 into OT, sending the Devils to the shocking 6-5 defeat at Philips Arena Thursday night.
Somehow, no call was made for a high stick. Not even a whistle to halt play with Gomez hurt. After the game, the Devils' termed his injury a cornea abrasion. He was wearing an eyepatch to take further precaution and his status isn't known for tonight's home game against Boston.
Despite mild protests at the bench after the outcome, nobody made excuses for the crushing loss which gave Atlanta their 76th point to pull within one of the seventh seeded Devils.
"The wheels fell apart," Martin Brodeur, who was beaten six times on 30 shots told the AP. It was the third time in his last six starts that he allowed six goals. "They beat us on the rebound. We had a 4-1 lead, so we have no one else to blame."
"We let them back into the game by losing our poise and putting them on the power play," GM/Coach Lou Lamoriello said.
Combined with sixth place Tampa Bay coming back to beat Washington 4-3 in OT and ninth place Montreal defeating Toronto 5-1, nothing went right for the Devils. They are only two points ahead of the Canadiens and desperately need a win against the Bruins on Ken Daneyko Night. The 20-year career Devil will see his Number 3 go up to the rafters and take its rightful place next to Scott Stevens' Number 4, which was retired on February 3rd. That night, the Devils played like three-time Stanley Cup champions in shutting out Carolina 3-0. They'll look for a similar result to get back on track.
For the first two periods, things were going well. On the strength of two power play goals by Patrik Elias and Jamie Langenbrunner plus a four-on-four goal by Brad Lukowich (first as Devil) sandwiched around a Marian Hossa PPG, they took a 3-1 lead to the locker room.
When rookie Zach Parise rebounded home a Gomez shot for his ninth 2:41 into the third, the Devils had scored more than three goals for the first time in 13 games since a 7-4 triumph over Tampa Bay on February 7. On the play, Brodeur picked up his first assist of the season.
But the wheels started to fall off when Jason Wiemer's instigator led to a Bobby Holik power play tally 3:14 later to slice the lead to two. Suddenly with their home arena alive, the Thrashers drew even closer when Ilya Kovalchuk rebounded a Slava Kozlov shot for his 44th to cut it to 4-3 with 11:00 remaining.
When Kozlov retrieved a puck and stuffed in a rebound which Brodeur and his teammates believed he had frozen, remarkably the game was tied with 3:07 left. Disaster nearly struck when only 1:06 later, Patrik Stefan rebounded a Marian Hossa shot off a post into a vacant net to give Atlanta its first lead. But a Gionta slapper off the rush saved the Devils from the ultimate embarrassment.
Notes: In as wild a game as there's been this season, both Brodeur and Atlanta netminder Kari Lehtonen notched assists. Lehtonen finished with 36 saves to help the Thrashers sweep the four-game series from the Devils. However, New Jersey picked up a point on an OT loss though which could prove vital. ... Replaced by enforcer Cam Janssen, Viktor Kozlov was a healthy scratch for the third time in the last four games. ... After making 31 straight starts, Brodeur is expected to rest while backup Scott Clemmensen gets the nod tonight for Devils (34-26-9, 77 pts) against Boston (27-31-12, 66 pts). ... Ceremonies for Ken Daneyko Night begin at 7:30 PM.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Flyers Send Devils To Second Straight Loss
It's getting down to desperate times for the Devils. Having scored just six goals in their last four, GM/Coach Lou Lamoriello opted to break up the EGG line in an attempt to create more offense. Splitting up his best combo, Lamoriello reunited rookie Zach Parise with Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta while moving Patrik Elias to a second line with Sergei Brylin and recently scratched Viktor Kozlov.
With Kozlov back after missing the last two games, Cam Janssen sat out while Grant Marshall slid down to the fourth line with Erik Rasmussen and Jason Wiemer. The one line which remained intact was the checking line of Jay Pandolfo, John Madden and Jamie Langenbrunner.
Though they played with more vigor and had plenty of chances to comeback from two goals down against the Flyers, it wasn't enough in a 2-1 loss Tuesday night at Wachovia Center. Antero Niittymaki made 21 saves and Peter Forsberg had a goal and assist to put the Flyers two points behind the Atlantic Division-leading Rangers with a pivotal game at MSG tonight.
Meanwhile, the slumping Devils have lost four of five and now are separated by just three points from ninth place Montreal, who fell to the Isles 3-1. While that took place, the suddenly sizzling Thrashers rallied from two goals down to win 5-4 in a shootout over Boston, jumping past Montreal and pulling within two points of the seventh place Devils. It makes their next game at Atlanta Thursday even more vital with only 14 games remaining while the Thrashers have one less game left.
The Devils got off to another slow start when Mike Knuble and Forsberg combined to setup Simon Gagne for his 40th of the season just 1:49 in, making it the fifth consecutive game an opponent scored first.
On a power play, the Flyers nearly went up two but Forsberg's backhand sailed through the crease and Petr Nedved's wrister drew iron. Late in the period, a Denis Gauthier elbow to Jay Pandolfo's back went undetected drawing the ire of the Devils. Especially Martin Brodeur. With a questionable call going against his team earlier, Brodeur's protests were understandable.
When Gionta was whistled for back-to-back penalties in the second, the Flyers increased their lead to two when Forsberg stuffed in a loose puck at the doorstep for his 18th at 6:54 from Knuble and Freddy Meyer IV. On a broken play, Meyer's point shot deflected off Knuble right to Forsberg for the tap-in.
From that point on, New Jersey carried the play to the Flyers and had several glorious chances to cut the margin in half but were stoned by Niittymaki. On one shift, he denied Parise twice and robbed Gionta on the doorstep.
After Brodeur made a key stop on Donald Brashear, Niitymaki came up with his best save of the night on Pandolfo. After stopping a Pandolfo backhand, the rookie goalie made a glove save on a Pandolfo rebound from in close to keep his team ahead 2-0 entering the third.
"He played great," Pandolfo told the AP. "He was the difference."
But after they outshot the Flyers 11-8 in the second, they kept coming and finally got back in the game when leading scorer Brian Gionta tallied his 37th to make it 2-1 at 3:55. Setup by Paul Martin, Gionta walked in and beat Niittymaki with a low wrist shot.
Though they continued to get the better chances, they forced Niittymaki to make just five more saves. Awarded a power play with 3:43 remaining, the Devils only got a harmless wrister from Elias from the outside which was easily gloved by Niittymaki with 3:07 left. Summing up a frustrating night, it was the last chance they had.
"You just keep working," Lamoriello said. "You can't look back. I'm not worried about them pressing offensively. We know what we have to do."
They better do it soon.
Notes: In 16:45 of ice-time playing with Gomez and Gionta, Parise finished with a game high seven shots and a plus-one rating. ... In his 30th consecutive start, Brodeur turned aside 19 of 21 shots. ... Devils were 0-for-4 on the power play. ... Wearing a brace, Forsberg returned after missing Saturday's game against Atlanta with a mildy sprained knee. ... Gagne became the first Flyer to score 40 since John LeClair did it in '99-00. ... Flyers defeated the Devils for fifth straight time at home. ... Devils (34-26-8, 76 pts), are at Atlanta (34-29-6, 74 pts) Thursday for the final regular season meeting this season. Devils are 0-2-1 thus far.
With Kozlov back after missing the last two games, Cam Janssen sat out while Grant Marshall slid down to the fourth line with Erik Rasmussen and Jason Wiemer. The one line which remained intact was the checking line of Jay Pandolfo, John Madden and Jamie Langenbrunner.
Though they played with more vigor and had plenty of chances to comeback from two goals down against the Flyers, it wasn't enough in a 2-1 loss Tuesday night at Wachovia Center. Antero Niittymaki made 21 saves and Peter Forsberg had a goal and assist to put the Flyers two points behind the Atlantic Division-leading Rangers with a pivotal game at MSG tonight.
Meanwhile, the slumping Devils have lost four of five and now are separated by just three points from ninth place Montreal, who fell to the Isles 3-1. While that took place, the suddenly sizzling Thrashers rallied from two goals down to win 5-4 in a shootout over Boston, jumping past Montreal and pulling within two points of the seventh place Devils. It makes their next game at Atlanta Thursday even more vital with only 14 games remaining while the Thrashers have one less game left.
The Devils got off to another slow start when Mike Knuble and Forsberg combined to setup Simon Gagne for his 40th of the season just 1:49 in, making it the fifth consecutive game an opponent scored first.
On a power play, the Flyers nearly went up two but Forsberg's backhand sailed through the crease and Petr Nedved's wrister drew iron. Late in the period, a Denis Gauthier elbow to Jay Pandolfo's back went undetected drawing the ire of the Devils. Especially Martin Brodeur. With a questionable call going against his team earlier, Brodeur's protests were understandable.
When Gionta was whistled for back-to-back penalties in the second, the Flyers increased their lead to two when Forsberg stuffed in a loose puck at the doorstep for his 18th at 6:54 from Knuble and Freddy Meyer IV. On a broken play, Meyer's point shot deflected off Knuble right to Forsberg for the tap-in.
From that point on, New Jersey carried the play to the Flyers and had several glorious chances to cut the margin in half but were stoned by Niittymaki. On one shift, he denied Parise twice and robbed Gionta on the doorstep.
After Brodeur made a key stop on Donald Brashear, Niitymaki came up with his best save of the night on Pandolfo. After stopping a Pandolfo backhand, the rookie goalie made a glove save on a Pandolfo rebound from in close to keep his team ahead 2-0 entering the third.
"He played great," Pandolfo told the AP. "He was the difference."
But after they outshot the Flyers 11-8 in the second, they kept coming and finally got back in the game when leading scorer Brian Gionta tallied his 37th to make it 2-1 at 3:55. Setup by Paul Martin, Gionta walked in and beat Niittymaki with a low wrist shot.
Though they continued to get the better chances, they forced Niittymaki to make just five more saves. Awarded a power play with 3:43 remaining, the Devils only got a harmless wrister from Elias from the outside which was easily gloved by Niittymaki with 3:07 left. Summing up a frustrating night, it was the last chance they had.
"You just keep working," Lamoriello said. "You can't look back. I'm not worried about them pressing offensively. We know what we have to do."
They better do it soon.
Notes: In 16:45 of ice-time playing with Gomez and Gionta, Parise finished with a game high seven shots and a plus-one rating. ... In his 30th consecutive start, Brodeur turned aside 19 of 21 shots. ... Devils were 0-for-4 on the power play. ... Wearing a brace, Forsberg returned after missing Saturday's game against Atlanta with a mildy sprained knee. ... Gagne became the first Flyer to score 40 since John LeClair did it in '99-00. ... Flyers defeated the Devils for fifth straight time at home. ... Devils (34-26-8, 76 pts), are at Atlanta (34-29-6, 74 pts) Thursday for the final regular season meeting this season. Devils are 0-2-1 thus far.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Sens Shutdown Devils
They said all the right things about being ready for the first of two tough tests in a row. But in a possible first round preview, the Devils were shutout by Ottawa 4-0 at Continental Airlines Arena Sunday night. It was their third loss in four, which could be cause for concern heading into a showdown with the archrival Flyers Tuesday.
The Devils offense has disappeared lately, scoring just six goals during this slump which suddenly has them tied for sixth in the East with Tampa Bay, who defeated the Islanders 5-2 earlier in the evening. The Lightning have played one more game though.
Lately, the EGG line has been held in check, which really has taken its toll on the team's lack of offensive balance up front. Outside of third leading scorer Jamie Langenbrunner who plays on the checking line with John Madden and Jay Pandolfo, the team doesn't have another scoring threat who can pickup the slack.
In particular, the second unit of rookie Zach Parise, Sergei Brylin and Grant Marshall have struggled to produce. Parise is without a point in the last five while neither Brylin nor Marshall have any points since the Olympic Break (nine games). That cannot continue if the Devils are to make the playoffs for the ninth straight season. What's more? This ineffective trio has combined for only 27 goals this season. Not enough to merit opponents taking them seriously with most of the focus on stopping Patrik Elias, Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta.
Unable to generate much against the Senators, the Devils never solved rookie netminder Ray Emery, who turned aside all 22 shots for his third career shutout.
Interestingly enough, the night didn't start out badly. In an uneventful first period in which they were outshot 8-4, the Devils killed off two penalties and took the body effectively.
But it all fell apart in the second. The beginning of the end came when Dany Heatley took advantage of a Cam Janssen kneeing penalty. Retrieving a John Madden shorthanded rebound, Heatley led a three-on-two rush and setup Daniel Alfredsson for a wrist shot, which deflected off Colin White right to Heatley for a tap-in at 4:08. It was his 39th of the season.
After being called for the game's first three penalties, New Jersey had a golden opportunity to tie it but couldn't convert on a 55 second five-on-three. Emery swatted away an Elias one-timer and kicked out a Gomez chance.
The missed opportunity came back to haunt them when Ken Klee was whistled for hooking less than two minutes later. On a play that appeared offside, Patrick Eaves redirected an Andrej Meszaros one-timer at 13:42 to give the Senators a two-goal lead.
After killing off a late Ottawa two-man advantage, an unfortunate bounce in the final 25 seconds killed any thoughts of a comeback. Sergei Brylin overskated Colin White's pass leading to Chris Kelly feeding a vacated Antoine Vermette for a wrist shot over Martin Brodeur's shoulder to make it 3-0 with 20 seconds left.
Trailing by three, the Devils hardly even threatened Emery's shutout bid until late in the third when Elias and Gomez were denied from in close.
Zdeno Chara added a PPG in the final minute.
Notes: Richard Matvichuk sat out his eighth straight game with a back injury. ... In his 29th consecutive start, Brodeur finished with 27 saves. ... Viktor Kozlov was a healthy scratch for the second game in a row. ... Words were exchanged between the teams after the final buzzer due to an Erik Rasmussen high sticking minor. They will meet again for the last time this regular season in Ottawa March 28th. ... Devils (34-25-8, 76 pts) clash with Flyers (37-21-10, 84 pts) for the first of four remaining games Tuesday at Wachovia Center. They have split the season series thus far with each team holding serve at home.
The Devils offense has disappeared lately, scoring just six goals during this slump which suddenly has them tied for sixth in the East with Tampa Bay, who defeated the Islanders 5-2 earlier in the evening. The Lightning have played one more game though.
Lately, the EGG line has been held in check, which really has taken its toll on the team's lack of offensive balance up front. Outside of third leading scorer Jamie Langenbrunner who plays on the checking line with John Madden and Jay Pandolfo, the team doesn't have another scoring threat who can pickup the slack.
In particular, the second unit of rookie Zach Parise, Sergei Brylin and Grant Marshall have struggled to produce. Parise is without a point in the last five while neither Brylin nor Marshall have any points since the Olympic Break (nine games). That cannot continue if the Devils are to make the playoffs for the ninth straight season. What's more? This ineffective trio has combined for only 27 goals this season. Not enough to merit opponents taking them seriously with most of the focus on stopping Patrik Elias, Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta.
Unable to generate much against the Senators, the Devils never solved rookie netminder Ray Emery, who turned aside all 22 shots for his third career shutout.
Interestingly enough, the night didn't start out badly. In an uneventful first period in which they were outshot 8-4, the Devils killed off two penalties and took the body effectively.
But it all fell apart in the second. The beginning of the end came when Dany Heatley took advantage of a Cam Janssen kneeing penalty. Retrieving a John Madden shorthanded rebound, Heatley led a three-on-two rush and setup Daniel Alfredsson for a wrist shot, which deflected off Colin White right to Heatley for a tap-in at 4:08. It was his 39th of the season.
After being called for the game's first three penalties, New Jersey had a golden opportunity to tie it but couldn't convert on a 55 second five-on-three. Emery swatted away an Elias one-timer and kicked out a Gomez chance.
The missed opportunity came back to haunt them when Ken Klee was whistled for hooking less than two minutes later. On a play that appeared offside, Patrick Eaves redirected an Andrej Meszaros one-timer at 13:42 to give the Senators a two-goal lead.
After killing off a late Ottawa two-man advantage, an unfortunate bounce in the final 25 seconds killed any thoughts of a comeback. Sergei Brylin overskated Colin White's pass leading to Chris Kelly feeding a vacated Antoine Vermette for a wrist shot over Martin Brodeur's shoulder to make it 3-0 with 20 seconds left.
Trailing by three, the Devils hardly even threatened Emery's shutout bid until late in the third when Elias and Gomez were denied from in close.
Zdeno Chara added a PPG in the final minute.
Notes: Richard Matvichuk sat out his eighth straight game with a back injury. ... In his 29th consecutive start, Brodeur finished with 27 saves. ... Viktor Kozlov was a healthy scratch for the second game in a row. ... Words were exchanged between the teams after the final buzzer due to an Erik Rasmussen high sticking minor. They will meet again for the last time this regular season in Ottawa March 28th. ... Devils (34-25-8, 76 pts) clash with Flyers (37-21-10, 84 pts) for the first of four remaining games Tuesday at Wachovia Center. They have split the season series thus far with each team holding serve at home.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Gionta Gets Devils Back On Track
All season, Brian Gionta has been the one offensive constant for the Devils. Gionta continued his career season by notching a goal and assist in New Jersey's 2-1 win over Pittsburgh at Continental Airlines Arena Thursday night.
Coming off back-to-back losses in which they were outscored 12-4, the Devils got back to playing the solid two-way style they're known for. They only permitted 14 shots, allowing Martin Brodeur to see the puck without any trouble. In his 28th consecutive start, the Devil netminder was sharper making 13 saves after being pulled in consecutive games for the first time since 1996-97.
"That first goal he couldn't do anything about," Coach Lou Lamoriello told the AP. "Marty was Marty. He played well, and he was there when he had to be."
The win also was a milestone for Brodeur, who tied Jacques Plante for fourth on the all-time NHL wins list with 435.
Though they were able to get the much needed victory with ninth place Atlanta just six points behind, it was far from easy against the last place Penguins. Already having been blown out 6-3 at Pittsburgh this past Saturday, the Devils fell behind for the fourth straight game when Jani Rita banked in a shot off defenseman Ken Klee at 8:53. Rita's unassisted goal was his fifth of the season.
With the Devils struggling to generate any offense, Pittsburgh outshot them 7-6 in an uneventful first.
Continuing to have problems with the Pens' forecheck early in the second, the Devils were fortunate not to fall down by two goals thanks to two key Brodeur stops on Colby Armstrong and Michel Ouellet.
It allowed them to tie it when John Madden converted a Patrik Elias rebound for his 12th at 5:51. The play was setup by Gionta on the rush, who fed Elias at the left point. After Elias spun around and fired a wrist shot from the slot off Marc-Andre Fleury, a hustling Madden whistled the puck upstairs.
Finally playing with more jump, the Devils controlled the tempo and outshot Pittsburgh 8-3. They also would take the lead late in the period when Gionta beat Fleury on a breakaway. With the teams skating four-on-four, Gionta stole the puck and sped ahead, firing a slapshot inside the far post to put his team in front with 2:35 left. It was his team-leading 36th of the season. He nearly setup Elias for another goal but Fleury stoned Elias' breakaway try. Fleury finished with 21 saves.
With New Jersey playing a near flawless third in which they allowed only four shots, Gionta's team best seventh game-winner stood up to pull them within six points of the idle Flyers for fifth in the East.
Notes: Jason Wiemer made his Devil debut replacing Viktor Kozlov in the lineup. Acquired from Calgary at last week's trade deadline, the rugged winger played eight shifts on the fourth line with Erik Rasmussen and Cam Janssen. ... Rookie defenseman David Hale returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for three straight games. Replacing veteran Tommy Albelin, Hale was even with two hits in 11:02 of ice-time. ... Richard Matvichuk (back) missed his seventh consecutive game. ... Devils (34-24-8, 76 pts) host Ottawa (44-15-6, 94 pts) Sunday.
Coming off back-to-back losses in which they were outscored 12-4, the Devils got back to playing the solid two-way style they're known for. They only permitted 14 shots, allowing Martin Brodeur to see the puck without any trouble. In his 28th consecutive start, the Devil netminder was sharper making 13 saves after being pulled in consecutive games for the first time since 1996-97.
"That first goal he couldn't do anything about," Coach Lou Lamoriello told the AP. "Marty was Marty. He played well, and he was there when he had to be."
The win also was a milestone for Brodeur, who tied Jacques Plante for fourth on the all-time NHL wins list with 435.
Though they were able to get the much needed victory with ninth place Atlanta just six points behind, it was far from easy against the last place Penguins. Already having been blown out 6-3 at Pittsburgh this past Saturday, the Devils fell behind for the fourth straight game when Jani Rita banked in a shot off defenseman Ken Klee at 8:53. Rita's unassisted goal was his fifth of the season.
With the Devils struggling to generate any offense, Pittsburgh outshot them 7-6 in an uneventful first.
Continuing to have problems with the Pens' forecheck early in the second, the Devils were fortunate not to fall down by two goals thanks to two key Brodeur stops on Colby Armstrong and Michel Ouellet.
It allowed them to tie it when John Madden converted a Patrik Elias rebound for his 12th at 5:51. The play was setup by Gionta on the rush, who fed Elias at the left point. After Elias spun around and fired a wrist shot from the slot off Marc-Andre Fleury, a hustling Madden whistled the puck upstairs.
Finally playing with more jump, the Devils controlled the tempo and outshot Pittsburgh 8-3. They also would take the lead late in the period when Gionta beat Fleury on a breakaway. With the teams skating four-on-four, Gionta stole the puck and sped ahead, firing a slapshot inside the far post to put his team in front with 2:35 left. It was his team-leading 36th of the season. He nearly setup Elias for another goal but Fleury stoned Elias' breakaway try. Fleury finished with 21 saves.
With New Jersey playing a near flawless third in which they allowed only four shots, Gionta's team best seventh game-winner stood up to pull them within six points of the idle Flyers for fifth in the East.
Notes: Jason Wiemer made his Devil debut replacing Viktor Kozlov in the lineup. Acquired from Calgary at last week's trade deadline, the rugged winger played eight shifts on the fourth line with Erik Rasmussen and Cam Janssen. ... Rookie defenseman David Hale returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for three straight games. Replacing veteran Tommy Albelin, Hale was even with two hits in 11:02 of ice-time. ... Richard Matvichuk (back) missed his seventh consecutive game. ... Devils (34-24-8, 76 pts) host Ottawa (44-15-6, 94 pts) Sunday.
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