Devils win in OT after blowing late two-goal lead

November 26, 2008   ·   Hasan   ·   Jump to comments

Before this four game stretch with home games against the Isles and Panthers followed by the Florida road trip (Tampa, Florida) I thought the team needed at least seven of eight points.

They did even one better by going eight for eight, but it took another wild finish to secure the two points tonight, as the Devils won 3-2 in overtime on a Johnny Oduya goal minutes after blowing a two-goal lead in the final 2:19 in regulation.

Even considering all the players that were out of the lineup tonight, it looked as if it was going to be an easy night in the first period as the Devils dominated in shots 12-4 and scored the only two goals.  First, Brian Gionta extended his goal-scoring streak to five straight games by going to the net and tipping home a feed from Oduya, giving the Devils the lead at 5:33 and Gionta his seventh goal overall.  In the final two minutes of the period, some nice passing from the Zach Parise-Travis Zajac-Jamie Langenbrunner line led to the two wingers finding Zajac in the slot and Zajac beat Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun for his fourth goal of the season.

Though neither goal was really Vokoun’s fault, he was nonetheless pulled by Peter DeBoer after the first period in favor of Craig Anderson, and if the switch itself didn’t inspire the Panthers, Anderson did by stopping 16 shots in the second period and keeping Florida in the game. 

Somewhere along the way the Devils gave up trying to create offense and sat back, letting Florida dominate the latter part of the second period and most of the third.  Despite 29 shots by the Panthers in the last two periods, a minute long five-on-three and a close call on the goal line when Oduya kicked the puck off the goaline at the last second, it looked as if Scott Clemmensen would get just his second NHL shutout until a nice drop pass from Stephen Weiss found Jay Bouwmeester in the slot and he finally scored to spoil the Devils’ shutout and make it a 2-1 game. 

Flashes of the Washington game danced through my head as the Devils tried – in vein as it turned out – to hold the lead late with the Panthers pulling Anderson for the extra attacker.  Devils’ defenseman Colin White lost his stick on the fateful shift, giving Weiss enough of an opening to find David Booth down low, and Booth put home the tying goal with just seven seconds remaining.

So for the second time in the last five games, the Devils suffered what could have been a devastating turn of events late, and for the second time the Devils responded – though they had to kill off a delay of game penalty by Bryce Salvador first.  Finally, late in overtime Oduya and Danius Zubrus worked a two-on-one break and Oduya beat Anderson for his first goal of the year, and a huge OT winner at that.  Ironically, Oduya had also had the puck on his stick on a two-on-one with Langenbrunner late in regulation and opted not to shoot until it was too late.  Fortunately for the Devils, Oduya made the most of his second chance to give New Jersey its fifth straight win, and improving the Devils’ record to 12-7-1.

Despite the two late goals, give full marks to Clemmensen for what was probably the best game of his career, a 36-save performance.  If his job as the starting goaltender for the immediate future wasn’t already assured, it probably is now.  With their next three games on the road at Pittsburgh, Montreal and Philly followed by a homestand with the Penguins, Rangers and Sabres over a four-night stretch getting a little breathing room here was huge. 

What the Devils can do with it is the next question.

BoNY Three Stars:

1. Scott Clemmensen (36/38 saves)
2. Johnny Oduya (goal, assist)
3. Craig Anderson (24/25 saves)