Devils win shootout in Boston, lose Clarkson to injury

November 28, 2009   ·   Hasan   ·   Jump to comments

It seems as if after almost every Devils game these days I’m lamenting how the Devils lose a key player while winning and yesterday afternoon was no different.  This time, it would be David Clarkson who left the game early in the first period after taking a Zdeno Chara slapshot on the ankle where no padding could cushion the blow from one of Chara’s 100 MPH lasers.  After having to crawl to the bench Clarkson would not return and coach Jacques Lemaire sounded pessimistic in the postgame on Clarkson’s chances of coming back anytime soon.  While there’s no official word on the extent of Clarkson’s injury just yet the Devils did fill his spot on the roster by calling up Vladimir Zharkov from Lowell, where the young winger’s had quite a start to his season - putting up 20 points in 22 games.

As has been the team’s trait the last two years though, they crossed the finish line with two points against a tough team when they beat Boston 2-1 in a shootout after a thrilling 1-1 tie in regulation and the five-minute overtime.  More than ever the Devils need their stars to step up and they did yesterday, with Zach Parise getting a goal in regulation and the shootout, while Martin Brodeur made 32 saves on an afternoon where he set another NHL record – this time becoming the all-time minutes played leader eclipsing Patrick Roy in that category as well.  Showing the class befitting an Original Six team, the Bruins’ PA announcer congratulated Brodeur on setting the record early in the second period and many of the Bruins’ fans stood and applauded.

Due to the weird start time – noon on a Friday (and while I was at work), I didn’t really get to see this game until watching some of the replay late last night and this morning.  Thankfully I did get to listen to a lot of the radio at least, and while there was nothing in terms of scoring that came out of the first period, the tone was set early when Brian Rolston narrowly missed a scoring chance in the opening seconds.  To his credit, Rolston’s actually played better on the whole since the return of Patrik Elias, seemingly being rejuvanated by having a dynamic player center his line.  Boston didn’t take long to pick it up after surviving that early near-miss, but despite a combined nineteen shots from the two teams – both Brodeur and promising Tuuka Rask showed that it wouldn’t be easy to put up goals on this afternoon.

Rask particularly shined in the second period when he had to make fourteen saves to keep the Bruins tied – until Parise’s hard work created a goal off a play created by a Bryce Salvador shot on net tipped by Matt Halischuk on its way to the star winger, whose initial attempt was stopped by Rask.  Before the official could blow the play dead however, Parise kept going, showing his strength by pushing both Rask’s pad and the puck into the net with his stick.  Of course, as usual Chico Resch protected the goaltenders’ union, lamenting how that goal could be allowed since it was under Rask’s pad and therefore controlled.  All I can say is it’s hard to say the goaltender has complete control of the puck when only his leg is on it, usually that play doesn’t get blown dead – though sometimes the officials have quicker whistles than at others.  Parise’s goal at 9:45 was his fourteenth of the season and the Devils would hold onto that slender lead through the second intermission.

While the Devils took advantage of a break to get on the board, the Bruins got one of their own to answer just twelve seconds into the third period when a Brodeur clearing attempt hit an invisible ghost along the boards and bounced right to Marc Savard, who started the play that led to the goal by passing to Byron Bitz, who found an open Blake Wheeler and the Bruins’ winger one-timed it past Brodeur.  Regrettably that ruined a chance for Brodeur to tie yet another NHL record yesterday but hey, there’s a reason why shutouts are so hard to come by.  Even for a team that’s second in goals against this season. 

Still, Brodeur would save the Devils in the third period, making ten saves - including a dangerous point-blank chance from Savard with 3.6 seconds to go to preserve the tie.  New Jersey survived yet another scare before the overtime when Travis Zajac blocked a shot and limped to the bench, though the center did return in the OT without missing a shift perhaps that influenced Lemaire’s choice to leave him out of the top three shooters.  Then again, the Devils do have some other capable choices – beginning with Elias, who was stopped by Rask.  After Brodeur stopped Bergeron with the first shot of the skills competition, Wheeler went five-hole and beat Brodeur, giving the Bruins a lead.  Parise then tied it and after Brodeur stopped David Krejci, Langenbrunner beat Rask with a tricky move – faking a slapshot then pushing the puck through Rask’s five-hole for the winner.

While the Devils’ win put them at 16-6-1, one point out of first with three games in hand on the Penguins, it remains to be seen at what cost that win came.  Still you’ve got to hand it to this team – not only are they showing heart by continuing to win, but they’re getting points that are only going to become more and more neccesary as the scratch list gets bigger and bigger.

Things don’t get any easier this afternoon either, as an improving Islanders team comes to town fresh off yesterday’s 3-2 win over the Penguins.  Perhaps familiar face Martin Biron will be in net this afternoon seeing as Dwayne Roloson played yesterday, I wouldn’t complain if that were the case considering the highlight reel Derek posted from Roloson’s outstanding performance against the Leafs a few days ago.  No word yet on whether Brodeur will give way to Yann Danis again (Danis beat his former team 22 days ago at the Rock) or whether the workhorse goalie will play his third game in three and a half days.

BoNY Three Stars:

1. Martin Brodeur (32/33 saves)
2. Tuuka Rask (36/37 saves)
3. Zach Parise (goal, SO goal, +1 in 24:15)