Panthers 2 – Devils 1
The old Rangers had the Goal-A-Game line. The Devils have the Goal-A-Game lineup.
Not quite the same thing.
For the third straight game, the Devils managed one measly goal in regulation. This time, scoring once wasn’t enough, and their lack of finish cost Martin Brodeur his 19-game unbeaten streak against the Panthers.
“It’s been a long time,” Brodeur said after losing to the Panthers 2-1 at the Meadowlands yesterday. “It’s over. We’ll start again.”
Brodeur hadn’t lost to the Panthers since April 9, 1997, going 16-0-3, including playoffs.
While he was well aware that he had a streak snapped, Brodeur was more concerned with the trends of his team.
“We need these wins. They’re important to us,” Brodeur said. “Last year we had a hard time because we lost points to teams under .500.”
With this offense that supposedly doesn’t need revamping, the Devils must be perfect defensively, and that’s a nearly impossible requirement.
“We have to find a way to score goals. We can’t win games 1-0 every night. We know that,” Scott Stevens said.
They’ve even been scoring a few power play goals, four in their last four games after scoring none in their previous 13 games. It’s not enough yet, and their need for a gunner is long past obvious.
“We played well. We out-chanced the opposition 18-6. We just couldn’t get it in,” Pat Burns said.
The Devils’ newly-revived power play served up hope early, connecting on its second chance. Sergei Brylin rebounded Scott Niedermayer’s point shot for his ninth at 9:24 of the first.
But that was all the Devils would manage on their 27-14 shot advantage, and unlike Monday’s 1-0 victory in Boston, they couldn’t make it stand up.
Stevens was tripped by Ryan Johnson to create Florida’s first goal, dumped off the puck then taken out of the play. The puck sat in the right circle for Marcus Nilson to score his seventh goal from the right circle at 17:25 of the first.
“He pushed my feet from underneath me and I went sliding,” Stevens said. “I know Pat was pretty upset. He let the refs know how he felt.”
Burns was no happier about Florida’s winning goal, scored while Brian Gionta was limping back to the bench with an ankle injury suffered at the other end of the rink.
Christian Berglund and Joe Nieuwendyk were each rejected by Roberto Luongo as Gionta spun into a heap at the right side of the net. Gionta struggled to rise as play went the other way and was just being replaced when Branislav Mazei fired under Brodeur’s glove from the slot at 16:30 of the second.
“It became a 4-on-3. It was an outnumbered attack,” Burns said.
Still, the Devils had the entire third period to answer and couldn’t capitalize on their 10-1 shot advantage.
“We had the chances,” Burns said. “We had the shots.”
But not the shooter. One regulation goal for each of three straight games. And they wonder why only 13,044 attended.
*
Devils play home-and-home with Leafs, at Meadowlands tomorrow night and in Toronto Saturday.
Devils will hold annual Coat Drive Tuesday when Canadiens visit.
Devils sat out Tommy Albelin and Jiri Bicek.
Valeri Bure has not played for Panthers since suffering a broken wrist Dec. 10.