Devils outlast Tampa in a shootout

November 5, 2008   ·   Hasan   ·   Jump to comments

In a game the Devils badly needed, they won a back-and-forth contest against Tampa 4-3 after a shootout.  And if you don’t think this was a meaningful game, just look at the team’s reaction afterward when Kevin Weekes (who had another solid game with 24 saves as well as two shootout stops) curled up in the fetal position and pumped his fist while Jamie Langenbrunner – who scored the winning goal – immediately looked at the other end of the ice to share in Weekes’ reaction.

Things didn’t look good early for the Devils as the Lightning struck first late in the opening period, when Mark Recchi‘s pass found a wide-open Jussi Jokinen in front for an easy goal.  Despite a dominant second period from the Devils, it looked for all the world like it was going to be another frustrating loss when David Clarkson‘s impossible shot late in the period off the boards and nearly on the goalline somehow beat Tampa goalie Mike Smith, who otherwise had a fine game with 35 saves.  Perhaps Clarkson’s third goal of the year was even tipped by the Tampa defenseman trying to cover the big power forward.  Whatever the case, the goal got the Devils going and they soon earned a power play after Clarkson drew a high sticking from Jokinen leading to a slick Patrik Elias goal on the power play.  Elias’s fourth of the season was a wrister where the talented winger flashed the world-class form he’s still capable of but hasn’t shown frequently enough over the past couple years.  Nonetheless, his goal gave the Devils a 2-1 lead after two.

Then came the third period…the Devils were sailing along for the first ten minutes rolling three lines when Brent Sutter, for reasons known only to him decided to throw out Petr Vrana for a couple of shifts in the third period of a 2-1 game when he’d been buried all night (just seven minutes of icetime).  The result was predictable – Vrana fails to clear the puck out of the defensive zone, then takes a penalty.  Resulting of course in a Tampa power play goal, again scored by Jokinen on a wrister to tie the game and annoy the crap out of me. 

With the game in the balance late, Elias and Jay Pandolfo combined on a goal that gave the Devils a 3-2 lead with under five minutes left, when Pandolfo put home a rebound from Elias’s shot for his second goal on the season which should have set the Devils home free.  However this time they were tripped up by one of the dumbest rules the NHL has if not the dumbest - the delay of game penalty.  Sheldon Brookbank threw the puck over the glass for a critical penalty, and again Tampa scored on the power play when Martin St. Louis put home a rebound.  Overtime saw more frustration when Langenbrunner missed an open net with a backhand, the seeming capper on another frustrating night for the captain. 

Fortunately for Langenbrunner and the Devils, redemption was on hand in the shootout.  Though Weekes gave up a goal to Vinny Lecavalier, he stopped Jokinen and Vinny Prospal while after Zach Parise hit a post, Elias and Langenbrunner both scored on dekes, giving New Jersey a hard-fought and emotional win.   Amazingly St. Louis did not take a shot for the Lightning - who instead went with Lecavalier, Jokinen (a shootout whiz in Dallas) and Prospal.  I’m a big Prospal fan myself but admittedly not seeing St. Louis gave me a bit more confidence.   

Even after the win was secure came one more pet peeve – the three stars, which went like this: St.Louis,  Pandolfo,  Jokinen.  No Elias?  He had a goal and an assist and was all over the ice on a interesting position - playing right wing on the Madden-Pandolfo line.  And Jokinen should have been the first star with two goals and nearly a third that was only prevented by a brilliant diving pokecheck from Bryce Salvador.  Just because St. Louis tied the game on an ill-gotten power play he gets the first star?  Oh well, I’ll just have to rectify that here:

BoNY Three Stars:

1. Jussi Jokinen (2 G, +1)
2. Patrik Elias (1 G, 1 A, +1)
3. Jay Pandolfo (1 G, +1)