Canes Stun Devils In OT, Lead Series 2-0

They had a split in their hands but lost it in stunning fashion. The Devils will have to forget how close they were to evening this best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinal series when it resumes in East Rutherford Wednesday.

The Hurricanes cameback to shock the Devils 3-2 in overtime to take Game Two at RBC Center Monday night. It was their fifth straight home postseason win against the Devils dating back to 2002. By holding serve, they put the Devils in a precarious position of having to comeback from 0-2 down. In NHL playoff history, teams that dropped the first two games have only comeback to win 13.4 percent (36 of 268) of the time.

In their postseason history, the Devils have comeback to win a series once (1-3) when falling into this predicament- beating Boston in the same round 12 years ago by winning the next four. They've lost their last two including once to Carolina four years earlier. They'll try to turn the tables on the Canes starting in Game Three.

"These things happen, and right now, you can't dwell on it," GM and Coach Lou Lamoriello expressed to the AP. "This is the playoffs, and you have to win four games."

It didn't start badly. Unlike Game One where nothing went right, the Devils came out sharper and outshot the Canes 14-8 in the first period. Early on, they went ahead thanks to some nifty passwork. Moving the puck well, Brian Rafalski and Patrik Elias teamed up to setup a wide open Jamie Langenbrunner in front for his third goal of the postseason to give them the lead 6:20 in.

In control, they nearly had a two-goal lead when Zach Parise rebounded a Ken Klee shot past Cam Ward but it was waived off due to goalie interference on Scott Gomez.

The tide would turn on another unfortunate break for the Devils in the second. Patrik Elias nearly made it 2-0 but his one-timer from the point sailed harmlessly off the post.

Another momentum swing came when Ward denied Brian Gionta on the doorstep with 5:34 left. Only down one, the Canes began to carry play and soon would draw a power play of their own to knot the score.

With Richard Matvichuk off for holding, Carolina's special teams came through when Mark Recchi finished off a passing play for his second at 18:18. Off a three-on-two rush, Doug Weight fed a cutting Ray Whitney, who quickly slipped a pass to Recchi in front for a deflection past a sprawling Martin Brodeur.

After outshooting the Devils 12-4 in the second, the Canes continued to press for the go-ahead goal in a third period onslaught. Peppering Brodeur from every conceivable angle, they couldn't beat the Devils' netminder who was pulled in Game One after allowing six. Making his playoff record 139th consecutive start, Brodeur was brilliant stopping the first 14 shots, giving his team a chance to steal the game. His biggest saves came on Justin Williams and Rod Brind'Amour with under 10 minutes to play. After stopping Williams, he dove across to thwart Brind'Amour on the rebound.

Despite being outplayed, the Devils looked to have the game won in the final minute. When Scott Gomez redirected a Zach Parise shot to put the Devils up 3-2 with 21 seconds left, it seemed over.

Not so fast. Instead, the Hurricanes rallied to tie the game in the final frantic seconds. Off a clean John Madden win, the puck went into the Devils' end where Brad Lukowich was forced into a turnover by Justin Williams. With Ward on the bench for an extra attacker, Williams twice outworked Devils for the puck along the boards to setup Eric Staal for the tying goal with just three seconds to go. After a Cory Stillman one-timer failed, Williams backhanded a pass to Staal in front, who one-timed his fourth thru Brodeur's waffle.

"That's the way we've been all year, we're a no-quit team," Staal said. "It was a good job by the guys continuing to battle, even though it was kind of an unlucky goal against us there. We kept with it."

"It's over and we've got to move on," Gomez pointed out. "You've got to let go of it right away. It's kind of like a freak accident. But give them credit. They stayed in there the whole time."

It didn't take long for the Canes to end it. Carolina defenseman Niclas Wallin won it just 3:09 into sudden death. During a four-on-four, he took advantage of a fortunate break.

Briefly after the Devils misconnected on a three-on-one, defenseman Ken Klee turned over the puck in the neutral zone. Brind'Amour sprung Wallin who broke in on Brodeur. As he went to deke, the puck deflected off a sliding Paul Martin back to Wallin and trickled off his skate past Brodeur. After a video review upstairs, the goal counted to dash the Devils' hopes.

"I don't know," Wallin said of the lucky bounce. "But I'll take it."

In his five-year NHL career, Wallin has scored 12 goals during the regular season. Astonishingly, he now has three OT winners in the playoffs.

"Everybody can get the puck to the net, that's what the playoffs are about," he added. "Call me the secret weapon."

"We've got to go back and try to win our games at home," Brodeur said after making 35 saves. "We played pretty well but just didn't the bounces there at the end. That's how it goes."

Notes: Devils' defenseman Colin White sat out his fifth game in a row with a groin injury. His status remains uncertain for Game Three. ... By making 21 saves en route to the victory, Carolina rookie Cam Ward became only the third NHL goalie to win his first six postseason starts, tying Anaheim's Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2003) and Boston's Tiny Thompson (1929-30). ... Carolina defenseman Aaron Ward missed a portion of the second period due to taking a puck off the forehead, drawing blood. ... Brodeur is now 8-19 for his playoff career in OT. ... Langenbrunner finished with a goal and assist.