February 11, 2010, Philadelphia Flyers-New Jersey Devils game story for Metro Newspaper
Published 05:08, February the 11th, 2010
No revenge for Devils in rematch
Flyers 3, Devils 2 (OT)
The theme that emanated from quiet corners of the dressing room was an uncomfortable truth.
The Devils are tight. They are not taking advantage of opportunities. The power play is abysmal.
“We found a way to lose,” said a clearly disappointed Jacques Lemaire following an emotionless 3-2 overtime loss at The Prudential Center Wednesday night. Philadelphia forward Simon Gagne scored the game-winner on a high wraparound that Martin Brodeur could not snag.
Despite the loss, their 11th in their last 15, Pittsburgh’s 3-1 win over the Islanders means the Devils still lead the Atlantic Division. The Devils have 75 points while Pittsburgh has 74.
The Devils have two games remaining before the Olympic break. The Atlantic Division leaders host Nashville Friday night, and travel to out-of-playoff-contention-but-playing-better-in-recent-weeks Carolina on Saturday.
Considering that Brodeur may be the starting netminder for Team Canada in the upcoming Olympic Games, that he has played in 55 games this season and is projected to play 78 games this season—tying a career high set in 2006-07—could backup Yann Danis play this weekend?
“I rested last week. That really didn’t do too good for me. I just want to get in the groove and play as much as I can,” Brodeur said after allowing three goals on 15 shots. His counterpart, Michael Leighton turned away 21-of-23 shots.
Travis Zajac opened the scoring at :45 with a wrist shot from the left face-off circle that trickled under Leighton’s pads. Eight minutes and 14 seconds later, Rob Niedermayer doubled the lead to 2-0 when he threw a shot on goal from alongside the goal line popped over Leighton’s stick. Aaron Asham halved the Devs’ lead 32 seconds later with a wrist shot that went under Brodeur’s arm.
Scott Hartnell had an opportunity to tie the game with 5:15 remaining in the first period. However, Brodeur dove and gloved the puck on the goal line. A lengthy review showed that the puck came to rest on the goal line.
Jeff Carter tied the game at two with a wrister from the left faceoff dot with 6:13 left in the second. When his name was announced over the PA, boos cascaded from an announced 5,580 who braved the elements because Carter knocked out Anssi Salmela Monday night with a shoulder check to the head.
The match was deadlocked for 27:46 spanning the rest of regulation and the first 3:27 of OT until Gagne’s game-winner.
But that is not to say that the Devils did not have a chance to win the game. The Devils had a 25 second 5-on-3 power play late in the third. As has been the case for a group that came into the night 2-for-20 with the man advantage in the last five games, it was nothing doing. The Devils were 0-for-3 on the PP.
Could the Devils need the presence of injured defenseman Paul Martin (broken right forearm) and space-filling forward David Clarkson (leg injury) on the power play? Is it that simple?
“I don’t know. We’ll see when (they are) going to get back. I think we have good enough players to play on the power play,” offered Ilya Kovalchuk.
Last night’s match was the back half of a home-and-home between the Atlantic Division rivals. The Flyers won Monday night’s nationally televised game, 3-2. Jersey has four of five meetings with the Flyers in 2009-10. The rivals have one more game remaining this season, a March 28 game at the Wachovia Center.
NOTES:
The loss was not the only reason that last night’s game was tough for the Devils. In less than 90 minutes, the Devils lost two key components to injury.
Zach Parise was scratched due to an “upper body” injury last night. A Devils spokesman did not respond to an email asking if Parise’s injury could cause the left wing to miss the Olympics. Devils and Team USA Captain Jamie Langenbrunner did not think that Parise’s injury would cause him to miss the Games.
Later, Bryce Salvador left the game in the first period after being hit in the face by a puck. A Devils spokesperson announced midway through the Salvador suffered a euphemistic “upper body injury” but did not say whether the defenseman would return to the game.
Lemaire said that he thought the defenseman would “be fine.” Players told reporters that they were informed about Parise before the game.
The other Devil scratches were Paul Martin, Andrew Peters and Anssi Salmela. Philadelphia scratched Ray Emery, newly acquired left wing Ville Leino and Riley Cote.
*
It was an interesting admission from a coach who often keeps his cards close to the vest.
Jacques Lemaire was standing outside the Devils dressing room, two hours prior to last night’s game against the Flyers, discussing how his team is still adjusting since the acquisition of superstar LW Ilya Kovalchuk.
“The six top players have to gel,” Lemaire said, noting that his charges are still learning about where Kovalchuk likes to get the puck and vice versa. “Every top team that has that kind of top player, same thing.”
The Devils have played three games in the six days since the trade. Jersey had only scored seven goals—an average of 2.3 goals per game. Kovalchuk took 18 shots on goal but had not scored in the same time frame. In fact, the UFA-to-be only has two assists since becoming a Devil.
Still, Lemaire professed not to be concerned about Kovalchuk
“He’s coming in, getting a lot of shots. It’s a matter of time. He’s the least of my problems,” Lemaire said. “What I’m (seeing from) Kovy is that he’s working hard. He’s trying hard. I think the other players have to adjust to (him) more than him adjusting to him.”
Perhaps, in order to get healthy offensively, the Predators and Hurricanes are what the Devils need. Nashville is ranked 19th in the NHL with a 2.78 goals against, while Carolina’s 3.14 is tied for 27th.
*
The lasting image of Monday night’s 3-2 loss in Philadelphia was Salmela laying prone on the ice after absorbing a Carter shoulder to his head, a split second after releasing the shot that beat Leighton for the Devils’ second goal.
The Finnish defenseman had to be taken off the Wachovia Center ice on a stretcher. Salmela’s agent, Jay Grossman (who also happens to represent Kovalchuk) tweeted that night that his client suffered a concussion, a broken nose and lost several teeth from the hit.
Before last night’s game, Lemaire was asked if he was upset that a penalty was not called on Carter.
“Jamie (Langenbrunner) came to see me and he said it was no elbow, which I thought at first. When I looked at it, it was not. So..,” Lemaire said before pantomiming a shoulder check. “Now it’s up to the one that makes the rules.”
Salmela was at the Prudential Center last night, but was not in the lineup.
“He’s getting better,” Lemaire noted.
*
Despite the weather, Jay Pandolfo, Mark Fraser, Kovalchuk and Lemaire said that they had no issue getting to The Rock for the game.
*
For fans who had tickets to last night’s game but could not make it due to the inclement weather, a 50 percent discount will be offered for the following three games: March 15 game against Boston, the March 23 game against Columbus and the March 30 game against Boston.
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posted by Denis P. Gorman at 3:25 PM
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