TORONTO – They have played largely without discipline and without commitment to either one another or the program. The veteran leadership committee has unleashed a variety of astonishing verbal jabs at teammates and the coaching staff, alike – astonishing not just coming from the Devils, but for any team in the playoffs. Ever since Game 3 of the Carolina series, the defending champions have lost their equilibrium.
But there were other tangible hockey reasons the Devils found themselves facing second-round Game 6 elimination here last night against the Maple Leafs. The power play, silent against the Hurricanes, has remained dormant in this round. The “A” Line, unimpressive against the Hurricanes, had remained stalled in the station until a brief Game 5 burst produced two goals within 4:07 of Saturday’s second period, an even-strength goal and a five-on-three.
And Martin Brodeur, average in every game of the series except for a very strong Game 3 performance, hasn’t been able to get out of his net to play the puck nearly as often as he would like, given the near-perfect placements of the Maple Leafs’ dump-ins throughout the series. And with Brodeur unable to move the puck, Devils defensemen have been forced to play it deep in the corners, thus rendering themselves susceptible to the forecheck. That’s the reason Scott Stevens has been hit so often in the series.
In last year’s six-game victory over the Maple Leafs that is recalled as a rout, the Devils had actually been outscored at even-strength 8-7 through Game 5, not so dramatically off this year’s 11-8 Toronto edge. But last year, the Devils had outscored the Maple Leafs 6-1 on the specialty units. This year they’ve been able to get no better than a 4-4 draw, 4-for-26 on the power play while surrendering one short-handed goal.
“People can have opinions on what the problems have been, but the specialty teams are the big reason why we’re in the position we are now,” Alexander Mogilny, quiet since his five-point Game 2 explosion, said before the match. “If the power play were performing, I’m sure it would be very different.”
The Leafs have alternated looks killing penalties, at times pressing the points, at times backing off and clogging the shooting and passing lanes. The Devils haven’t moved the puck quickly or intelligently enough, and when they have, they haven’t supported the puck well enough, often enough. It’s been a continuation of the theme that originated with a 2-for-24 mark against Carolina.
“We basically lost confidence in the first round; we’ve been searching for it since, but can’t find it,” Mogilny said of the unit that led the NHL at 22.9 percent. “It shouldn’t matter what the PK is doing against us; they’re a man short. We should be making them adjust to us.”
Midway through Saturday’s second period, Larry Robinson switched his defense pairs. He split the Stevens-Brian Rafalski pair that had basically been intact for two years, moving Ken Daneyko onto Stevens’ right while Rafalski then skated with Sean O’Donnell.
Following the 3-2 defeat, Robinson said he made the switch to get Daneyko on against Mats Sundin’s line, but on Sunday, the coach said he made the switch to get the puck-moving Rafalski on with the “A” Line. The Stevens-Rafalski pair skated with Arnott’s line throughout the season.
“There’s no doubt that Arnie’s line needs the puck, but don’t give them the excuse [of not having played with Rafalski] for their play,” Robinson said. “You can always find an excuse if you want one.”
While Arnott is playing with some degree of a knee injury, there really is no excuse for the line, certainly not with Pat Quinn assigning his checking line to mark Scott Gomez’ unit rather than the “A” Line, beginning early in Game 3.
“We’re certainly aware of that and so [is Arnott’s line],” said Robinson. “That should be great for us.”
Brodeur’s ability to play pucks prevents opponents from forcing the Devil defense into playing deep in its own end. The goaltender has always said that his primary objective in moving the puck is not to clear the zone, but rather to keep the defensemen from getting hit. But he hasn’t been able to do that against the Maple Leafs, and the defense has been pounded.
“We have to be more aggressive coming up on them in the neutral zone,” Stevens said yesterday morning. “The way we’re allowing them to get the red line, they’ve been able to place the dump-ins. If we force them, that will stop.
“We’ve talked about everything we have to do. We’ve talked about what we haven’t done. We’ve talked and talked. But it won’t mean anything if we don’t do it on the ice.”
Actually, if unable to do it on the ice, the Devils will awaken this morning as deposed champions. That’s exactly what it will have meant.