Devils’ offense blows a tire

December 26, 2008   ·   Hasan   ·   Jump to comments

For the second straight game, Scott Clemmensen allowed only one goal – and for the second straight game it was one too many, as the Devils’ offense was shut out once again (or more accurately they shut themselves down), this time losing by a 1-0 score to the Penguins.

In a game that brought back bad memories of the offense (or lack thereof) the last few seasons, the Devils seemed to invent ways not to score.  By far, the biggest culprit was Jamie Langenbrunner, who missed two open nets and took a bad third-period penalty.  Fittingly, he also ended the game futilely shooting the puck at the Penguins’ defense and Marc-Andre Fleury‘s pads in the final minute. 

Not that he was alone in either category.  Travis Zajac‘s miss of an open net set the tone late in the first period, which the Devils dominated but could not equate that into scoring.  Brian Gionta took two minor penalties including the biggest one of the game with just under a minute left, when the Devils had a 6-on-4 power play with a big chance to tie the game.  Perhaps it wouldn’t have mattered with the way the Devils were squeezing their sticks offensively by the third period though, in the midst of a second straight shutout. 

Pittsburgh was outshot 37-18 in the game, but as it turned out, Ruslan Fedotenko‘s goal in the second period made all the difference in the world.  He made a nice move in the slot and his wrister squirted through Clemmensen to give the Penguins a lead in the latter part of the second period that they would not relinquish. 

Minutes later, after one of Langenbrunner’s misses, David Clarkson thought he put one just past the goalline in an ensuing netmouth scramble - but after a review in Toronto (like those ever turn out well for us?), it turned out Mark Eaton got his skate on the puck literally just in the nanosecond of time before the puck could completely cross the line and swept it away.  Fleury did stop 36 shots that somehow made it on net, but I can’t say very many of them were of the ‘oh my gosh’ variety.  Still I’ll give him the second star.  Right behind the captain that couldn’t shoot straight. 

BoNY Three Stars:

1. Jamie Langenbrunner (two open nets missed, two PIM’s)
2. Marc-Andre Fleury (36/36 saves)
3. Mark Eaton (goal prevented with skate)