In playoff rematch, Brodeur pitches career shutout #102

October 17, 2009   ·   Hasan   ·   Jump to comments

Two weeks before Halloween, ghosts were in the air at the Prudential Center, for the Carolina Hurricanes returned for the teams’ first meeting since the dreaded last 80 seconds of the Devils’ ’08-09 season on April 28.  More pressing on the current agenda was the Devils’ 0-3 record at home, the first time the team’s started that badly in New Jersey since their second season at what was then known as the Brendan Byrne arena in 1983.

If tonight’s 2-0 victory wasn’t anywhere near payback, at least the team did stare down some ghosts protecting a one-goal lead late against a team that knows how to play in the third period.  Not to mention Martin Brodeur responding to the challenge with his 102nd career shutout, putting him one behind Terry Sawchuk now for the all-time goaltender record.  And the team finally broke the goose egg in the win column at home, going above .500 with eight points in their first seven games.

Of course tonight had its share of agida, but the first period was pretty entertaining despite the fact there were no goals both teams had their share of chances but Brodeur and Cam Ward were up to the challenge as usual, evoking visions of the Game 5 duel in last year’s series.  Ward made eleven saves – including one in the final half minute after Andy Greene split the Canes d and got a terrific scoring opportunity - and Brodeur nine in a physical period that saw Pierre Luc-Letourneau Leblond take out Canes defenseman Aaron Ward for the night (at least) with what looked to be a bit of a dirty hit.  Fortunately for Leblond the refs somehow missed calling a penalty on what was really an elbow/shoulder hit to the head.  Interestingly it wasn’t Leblond but rather David Clarkson who had to drop the gloves with Andrew Alberts later in the period.  It wasn’t one of Clarkson’s better fights but I’m sure his fantasy owners will be happy with another 5 PIM.

After the first-period fireworks things settled down in the second period to such an extent it was like the teams were both on tranquilizers as they combined for just twelve shots total (seven by Carolina).  There were some scoring chances though most were off Canes sticks, and one more annoying too many men on the ice penalty for the Devils - an incredible four straight games now!  Predictably the Devils looked bad on their own power play later in the period, but it was nothing like what was to follow.

In a scoreless tie after two, it took a bit of luck to break the deadlock just 26 seconds into the third period when a Rob Niedermayer centering pass ticked off of Ward’s stick and off Jamie Langenbrunner’s shoulder into the net for the first goal of the game, and the captain’s second of the season.  At least Langenbrunner had a better game than last night when his shot that missed the net and subsequent running into Brodeur at the other end contributed to the fatal shorthanded goal.  If you think it’s weird that Niedermayer and the captain were on the ice at the same time, well the entire lineup was strange tonight.  For the first time since early last season the ZZPops line was broken up at the start of the game, with Travis Zajac moving in between rookies Nicklas Bergfors and Matt Halischuk – also in the lineup in place of Illka Pikkaranen.  First, Danius Zubrus centered Langenbrunner and Zach Parise but then Niedermayer took his place later on.  Even the d-pairings got shuffled a little with Bryce Salvador being paired with Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya moving down to play with Greene.

Jacques Lemaire’s line juggling led to mixed results, with Bergfors having a terrific night leading the team in shots on net with eight and having some jump with Zajac.  Aside from the goal however, the Langenbrunner-Parise line was just average and the other lines really didn’t create much offense either though at least the fourth line had a pulse tonight with Leblond and Clarkson there.  Perhaps it’s the constant early-season line juggling that’s contributed to all the too many men on the ice penalties, not to mention a disjointed power play which reached its nadir in the third period as the team once again failed to capitalize on a long 5-on-3 (the fourth time this season).  I guess it’s time for Jacques to stop calling timeouts before 5-on-3’s since clearly the team thinks too much on the power play as is.

That missed power play got me even more nervous about the inevitable finish to the game, trying to hang on to a one-goal lead late with the Hurricanes again turning it on in the last few minutes as they always do.  Things got so spooky there was a stoppage and Canes timeout after Brodeur made a good stop on Sergei Samsonov with just 1:12 left (eight seconds after the tying goal last year), just enough time for MSG+ to show the final two goals of last season one last time.  Fortunately there would be no similar ending tonight – though Langenbrunner missing an empty net really got me paranoid, Parise would not miss the empty net seconds later and the Devils hung on for a nice 2-0 victory.

BoNY Three Stars:

1. Martin Brodeur (26 saves, SHO)
2. Cam Ward (27/28 saves)
3. Zach Parise (goal, assist, +2)