EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Devils overcame a strange no-goal and a wacky near goal to beat the Senators 1-0 and take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven East final.
The Senators had top defenseman Wade Redden two days after he sustained a left knee strain and some luck on their side, but that wasn't enough.
Early on, Bryan Smolinski nearly gave Ottawa the lead. His dump-in took a crazy carom off the right-wing boards and went just wide of the left post as goalie Martin Brodeur was behind the net.
"I had a bad feeling," said Brodeur, who made 24 saves. "I don't know if you saw my reaction behind the net. I couldn't believe it didn't go in."
With 7:50 left in the first, Jay Pandolfo's shot from in front got past Ottawa goalie Patrick Lalime and well inside the right post. The puck struck a pad at the bottom of the net and kicked right back out and under Lalime, who was seated.
"The goalie did the splits, and I never saw it after that," goal judge Paul McInnis said.
Jamie Langenbrunner, who passed it to Pandolfo, raised his arms as referee Kerry Fraser skated in. John Madden appeared to ask Fraser about the call, and the goal light never came on.
"I didn't know really what was going on," Pandolfo said. "I guess I have to learn to celebrate a little more. Maybe they would've gone upstairs to check it."
After a 39-second stoppage, play started without Fraser talking to replay officials. It wasn't until near the end of the period that Fraser appeared to be told by phone that it was a goal. The replay was shown on the center-ice video board, angering Devils coach Pat Burns, who waved his arms.
"There was no indication from anyone on the ice that the puck had gone in, and there was no indication from any of the initial camera angles viewed that the puck had crossed the goal line," said Colin Campbell, the league's director of hockey operations, in a release issued during the second intermission.
"The in-net camera was the only angle that showed the puck had crossed the goal line. And when that angle finally was available, the puck had been dropped and play had resumed."
The only goal that counted came with 9:12 left in the first. Brian Rafalski took a shot from the point that Sergei Brylin deflected between his legs while his back was to the goal. It was Brylin's first playoff goal in 16 games, dating to the 2001 Stanley Cup final.
"It seems like we didn't have any emotion and stuff like that," Lalime said. "We have to find that. I can't answer for 25 guys."
BLUE JACKETS: Defenseman Duvie Westcott and forward Joe Motzko signed. Terms of the multiyear deals were not disclosed. Westcott had seven assists and 77 penalty minutes in 39 games for Columbus last season. Motzko led St. Cloud State in scoring last season with 17 goals and 25 assists in 38 games.
