Some more infamous Devil-Thrasher tilts

January 8, 2009   ·   Hasan   ·   Jump to comments

Ah what the hey…I’ve wanted to do this for a while and it’s better than writing a recap for a game I didn’t see and have no intention of watching on tape.  But like I said, the Devils have a checkered history against a mostly horrid Atlanta team.  To wit:

Atlanta 4, Devils 2 (1/24/02) – I remember this game as being the one which sadly finished Larry Robinson as coach - the first time. It was a game where the talented but struggling Devils dominated early, leading 2-0 in Atlanta. It looked as if the Thrashers didn’t even belong on the same ice with the Devils, being outshot 20-3 or some ridiculous total like that in the first period. Yet, somehow someway they came back to win.  Finding a box score could help my recall further, it won’t come up just yet on Yahoo!

Atlanta 3, Devils 2 (3/11/03) – I remember this one pretty vividly too, it was the night of the trade deadline after stories had come out that Scott Gomez and Oleg Tverdovsky were traded in a rumored deal for Teemu Selanne and/or Vincent Damphousse which was nixed at the last minute. Despite the fact that neither player went anywhere, both were mysterious healthy scratches for this game, further fueling the speculation that a deal had been close. A slumping Devils team looked distracted at home in hitting a low point by losing to a lowly Thrasher team before rising up again and winning their third Stanley Cup three months later.  

Notes: The late Dan Snyder scored two goals that night including the game-winner, and the memorable Pasi Nurminen was in net for Atlanta. 

Atlanta 6, Devils 5 OT (3/23/06) – As great of a comeback year as 2005-06 was for the Devils, it was the lost season against the Thrashers where not only did the Devils go down in every one of the team’s four matchups, it seemed as if every goalie that ever skated for the Thrashers beat us that year.  From Kari Lehtonen to the immortal Michael Garnett twice (with a shutout no less), to that living legend Adam Berkhoel, where the Devils blew a 3-1 lead in that game. 

Basically I could put every game from the ’06 season on this list but this one stood out since the Devils built a 4-1 lead in the third period on the road, then Atlanta stormed back scoring four unanswered goals, led amazingly by Bobby Holik whose power play goal turned the tide.  After Brian Gionta miraculously tied the game with a minute left, the Thrashers got a contreversial OT goal after a high-stick on Gomez wasn’t called and Peter Bondra scored the game-winner.  As it turned out it would be one of the last losses for the Devils in the regular season but that night, even the playoffs weren’t assured and it looked as if the team was returning to its early season doldrums.

Devils 6, Atlanta 1 (11/1/08) – Okay this one was a win…but it just has to go on the list.  Even when we win against this team we lose, in this case Brodeur, whose injury was suffered in this very game.  At least it was one of the last shining moments for Kevin Weekes, who came on in relief with a solid performance, even though Brodeur was credited with the win.

Atlanta 4, Devils 0 (1/8/09) – How, exactly do you lose 4-0 at home to one of the worst teams in hockey, after you’d already lollygagged around four of your previous five games?!  Maybe I just don’t want to know.