Devils looking for second win in Dallas

"On the road, all we have to worry about is playing,'' Holik says.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 5, 2000

DALLAS -- The volume control at Reunion Arena was obviously set on "11," and the scoreboard goaded an already frenzied crowd to go out of control.

Devils center Bobby Holik skated around New Jersey's end of the ice before Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final inside his personal cone of silence.

"You just block it out," Holik said.

And then shut it down by beating the home team on its own ice.

The Devils have made a science out of that in the playoffs. They are 8-2 on the road and have won three straight, including Saturday night's 2-1 victory over the Stars that put them up 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

If the Devils win tonight's Game 4, they send the series back to New Jersey with a chance to clinch.

"We are in a great situation right now to really advance in this series and put some doubt in their heads," Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur said.

New Jersey has turned the notion of home-ice advantage upside down.

Home cookin'? The Devils steal the apple pie cooling on the window sill. Home sweet home? The only thing sweet about hosting the Devils is sending them packing.

This is nothing new for the franchise. It was 10-1 on the road when it won the 1995 Stanley Cup.

It was 17-19-5 during the 1999-2000 regular season, second-best in the Eastern Conference behind the Flyers.

When the Devils won three straight to knock Philadelphia out of the playoffs, two wins were on the road. Before they lost on Saturday night, the Stars were 9-1 at home.

"I don't know how to explain it," Devils coach Larry Robinson said. "Maybe our team tries to keep the game a little more simple. We don't try to do fancy things we do at home. Maybe we feed off the other team's crowd. I don't really have an answer for you."

It is a devilishly interesting question.

The players said preparation at home and on the road is the same.

Visitor dressing rooms at most arenas are cramped -- the one at Reunion Arena has all the charm of a broom closet -- so that might make them a bit more ornery.

But Holik said everything comes down to pressure, which is apparently heavier when the team plays at Continental Airlines Arena, where it is 6-4 in the playoffs.

"On the road, all we have to worry about is playing the game," he said. "We don't have to listen to you guys (reporters) asking if there is a home-ice advantage. We just show up and play the game."

As for the loud support of the home fans, Holik said that can backfire.

"Fans almost force you to try and do more than you can," he said. "A lot of times you don't play within yourself."

"On the road, you're not trying to put on a show for the fans," Devils defenseman Ken Daneyko said. "Subconsciously, teams try to do that. On the road, it's all business. I hope that rubs off on us at home."

Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said instead of trying to do too much, the Stars did not do enough Saturday night. The good news is the Stars have won nine consecutive playoff games after a loss.

"We have a gear that we have learned to play at that has to come out," he said. "I am pretty sure you are going to see it. This gear is total sacrifice where you give up everything. You give up every part of your body to play at this gear."

Said defenseman Darryl Sydor: "We have to play a little more desperate, and keep it simple. Keep it simple and get things done."

Holik took that as a challenge.

"If they say they are going to raise the level of play, it's like saying we can't go there," Holik said. "I believe if they raise the level of play, we will be right up there."

And headed for the home stretch if they win.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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