DEVILS 3, DUCKS 0: Same score as Game 1. Same amount of Anaheim shots as Game 1. But a bigger hole for Anaheim.
By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published May 30, 2003
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - It was interesting listening to reporters steering Martin Brodeur in one direction and the Devils goaltender trying desperately to steer back.
What about this milestone, Brodeur was asked. What about the records you are about to break?
"It was awesome," he said as if to answer every question in one swoop. "But I've got to give credit to the way the guys played in front of me. I think any kind of shutout you make, it's really because of the team in front of you. You can't do everything by yourself."
It was a nice gesture. Really, it was. But after Thursday's 3-0 victory against the Mighty Ducks in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final at Continental Airlines Arena, Brodeur is standing out on his own.
Brodeur's sixth playoff shutout tied the record set last season by Detroit's Dominik Hasek and gave New Jersey a two games to none lead in the best-of-seven series.
Brodeur's 19th career shutout is three behind Patrick Roy's record. And Brodeur is the first goalie since Toronto's Frank McCool against the Red Wings in 1945 to start a final with consecutive shutouts.
Brodeur made 16 saves as the Ducks had 16 shots for the second straight game and were beaten by the identical score.
"We're winning. That's what's important," Brodeur said. "When I look back and see these things when I'm retired, it will be really nice. But right now, I can't get caught up in that. We want to move forward and try to forget these two games. All 25 of us are going to war (Saturday) in Anaheim."
It will be an easier trip with Patrik Elias and Scott Gomez, two of the Devils' most dysfunctional parts, starting to come around.
Elias, who led the Devils with 28 regular-season goals, scored the winner, his third goal in 19 playoff games, on the power play 4:42 into the second with an assist from Gomez.
Elias assisted on Gomez's goal 7:48 later. It was Gomez's second playoff goal and first since Game 4 against the Lightning.
For good measure, Oleg Tverdovsky had two assists. The defenseman, who with Jeff Friesen haunted Anaheim in Game 1 and scored in the third period Thursday, was traded to the Devils from Anaheim for Petr Sykora.
The Ducks, who have lost as many games in the final as they did through three previous series, spun their wheels and were outshot 6-2 in the second.
Paul Kariya, with no shots and just one in two games, was even more invisible than in Game 1. And Jean Sebastien Giguere, who entered the series with a .960 save percentage, has allowed five goals on 54 shots for a .907 save percentage. (The third goal in Game 1 was an empty-netter.)
"There is no excuse," said Giguere, who smashed and broke his stick on top of the net after Friesen's goal 4:22 into the third. "I've got to work better, allow myself to compete harder."
Just like the Devils, who had 25 shots and improved to 10-1 at home in the playoffs.
New Jersey's trapping defense clogged the neutral zone. When Anaheim did get into the offensive zone, it was forced to the outside. The Devils walled off shots by clogging the slot.
"Any time you keep a team under 20 shots, you're doing a good job defensively," New Jersey defenseman Scott Stevens said. "What we do give them, Marty is there to make the save."
Such as the one he made on Sandis Ozolinsh with 7:52 left in the game, when the goalie dropped his stick then lunged to his left to make a glove stop.
The Ducks are in trouble. Only 34 teams in 254 playoff series have come back from 2-0 deficits, and home teams winning the first two games of a final are 27-1. Only the 1971 Blackhawks failed, losing Game 7 to Montreal.
"We just need to come out and play playoff hockey," Ducks defenseman Keith Carney said. "We haven't done it yet."
