GAME 5/ 3 OT
Devils 2
Lightning 1
It gets scary when the Devils start banishing ghosts on their way to the semifinals. Right about then, they start believing.
The Hearts of Champions that haven’t been beating much lately are pumping once more. They’re pumping full force not only because of the franchise’s first-ever triple-overtime victory, but because they’re heading to the Final Four, and believe they have as good a chance as anyone to win another startling Stanley Cup.
They weren’t talking silverware yet, but they were talking the stuff of champions, particularly as the first overtime became the second, then turned to the third, the longest hockey game in Meadowlands history.
“We were all talking about it: ‘There’s a hero in here, the best team’s in here,’ ” Scott Stevens said. “There are heroes in here.”
Stevens was one. Martin Brodeur of course another, saving the night time after time, stretching it long enough for another to emerge. That one took the form of Grant Marshall, sending the Devils to the semis with his winner at 11:12 of triple overtime, the 2-1 victory eliminating the Lightning in five last night at the Meadowlands.
“I’m going to be on a high forever,” said Marshall after ending the second-longest game in Devils’ history, shorter only than the 1-0 loss in Buffalo April 27, 1994 that ended at 5:43 of quadruple OT.
Marshall did away with the hex that had haunted the Devils once games had gone past double overtime. Three times before, they’d gone there, and lost each.
And they also took care of the one that jinxed them last year. Tampa coach John Tortorella replaced $3.8 million goalie Nikolai Khabibulin with $600G John Grahame in a desperate bid to avert elimination. It almost worked, and it had the Devils remembering last year, dreading a repeat.
“You start thinking when they put the other goalie in, ‘It isn’t going to be deja vu, is it?'” Stevens said. “That’s what happened in Carolina. It was something we had to keep out of our heads.”
Instead, their heads are turning toward Ottawa or Philly for the next round. First, though, they’ll enjoy another week’s rest, the benefit of a second straight five-game triumph.
The Devils lost their only playoff series with Ottawa in six in 1998’s first round. They have beaten the Flyers both times they’ve met, in six in the 1995 semis and in seven, coming back from 1-3, in the 2000 semis.
Tampa took the lead by trapping Scott Niedermayer in the Lightning zone for a 2-on-1. Dan Boyle found Nikita Alexeev on his left for the slap that beat Martin Brodeur’s stick 11:18 into the first.
Niedermayer responded 2:09 later with his second of the playoffs, New Jersey’s fourth power play goal of the series. Dave Andreyhcuk overskated a loose puck and fell, allowing Scott Gomez to find Niedermayer on right wing.
While that was taking place, Grahame shoved Marshall, who parlayed that into a low-bridge on Cory Sarich. Sarich arose to retaliate on Marshall as Niedermayer came netward, and Sarich was unable to recover in time. Niedermayer reached around Sarich and Grahame to square the score.