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Breaking down the opponent
By Times staff
Published April 12, 2007
Breaking down Martin Brodeur
Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur had what is probably his best statistical season with NHL records of 48 victories and 4,698 minutes. He also led the league with 12 shutouts and was third with a 2.18 goals-against average and .922 save percentage. Said forward Sergei Brylin in the Newark Star-Ledger: "Marty's success is our team's success."
Head
There aren't many players who think a better game. In a recent New York Times interview, Brodeur said he has added bits and pieces to his game from such greats as Terry Sawchuk and Gump Worsley. He also said a video he recently watched of Detroit's Dominik Hasek was a reminder never to take one's eyes off the puck. "He might be," former Islanders goalie Chico Resch told the Times, "the Einstein of goalies."
Legs
Conventional wisdom was Brodeur could break down or simply tire out during the season because he plays so much. He will be 35 on May 6, but the Montreal native shows no signs of tiring. His 78 games this season were one short of Grant Fuhr's record set in 1995-96. "For some reason, people think goalies need their rest," Brodeur told the Star-Ledger. "I'm just a hockey player. I want to play every day. People should realize my job is not as tough as a forward playing 80 games and getting hit every day."
Stick
Considered the league's best puck-handling goalie, Brodeur can be a third defenseman because of the way he cuts off pucks behind the net, stifling power plays, and feeds his teammates to spark a transition. His expertise actually can alter how opponents dump the puck into the New Jersey zone. Though throw enough pressure at him and he can be prompted to make mistakes.
Body
Some believe Brodeur's success is nothing more than the product of New Jersey's trapping system that seems content to stifle an opponent and wait to pounce on mistakes. But Brodeur helps himself with a 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame that almost always is in position and fills the net. He is most vulnerable on post-to-post plays and is susceptible, like any goalie, to traffic.
| | New Jersey Devils | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| Forwards | The line of center Patrik Elias, Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta is a formidably quick, play-making ensemble. Also, Zach Parise has emerged as a talented scorer. | With Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis, Tampa Bay is the league's only team with a pair of 100-point scorers. Scoring depth is thin after that, though Brad Richards' 25 goals were one off his career high. |
| Defense | Extremely mobile, led by Brian Rafalski, and Colin White adds muscle to a group dedicated to protecting goaltender Martin Brodeur. Little offense expected. | Dangerous offensively as Dan Boyle and Filip Kuba's 35 combined goals were second in the league. The group blocks a lot of shots and is scrappy but tends to run around too much. |
| Goaltending | Brodeur is the best in the business. | Johan Holmqvist is in his first NHL playoff series and was part of a tandem with Marc Denis that had the league's lowest save percentage (.884) and was 0-28-2 when given fewer than three goals of support. |
| Special teams | A decent power play but an exceptional penalty kill (fourth in the league at 85.2 percent) is a tribute to a solid defensive sensibility and goaltending. | An awful penalty kill (28th in the league at 78.4 percent) was due to uneven goaltending, yet the team was tied for fifth with 14 short-handed goals. The power play is on a 3-for-39 slump. |
| Coaching | General manager Lou Lamoriello took over after he fired Claude Julien with three games left in the regular season. Has coached 53 regular-season games and nine in the playoffs. | John Tortorella and associate Craig Ramsay might have done their best job, integrating new players and striking the right balance between teaching and butt-kicking. |
| Intangibles | Led the league with 32 one-goal victories and a .681 winning percentage in one-goal games. | The Lightning tied the Canadiens for the league lead with 10 wins when trailing after two periods. |
[Last modified April 11, 2007, 20:22:59]
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