Devils 3
Thrashers 2
It might not be attractive enough to hang over the fireplace, but the masterpiece the Devils are painting this season is heading straight into the record book.
Say this about his ugly defensive style: Pat Burns has it working better than anyone since the NHL cracked the 80-game season in 1973-74. Better than Al Arbour and the Islanders, better than Scotty Bowman and the Canadiens or Red Wings, better than anyone.
In beating the Thrashers 3-2 last night at the Meadowlands on Jeff Friesen’s third period tie-breaker, the Devils continued their undeclared assault on that 80-or-more games record of 165 goals allowed by the 1999-2000 Blues (82 games).
They are on pace to allow only 147 goals, which would knock a remarkable 11 percent off the record. For reference, the Blackhawks allowed a league-low 115 in the 48-game lockout-shortened season of 1995, and the Devils have yielded 86 through 48 games this season.
“People criticize the way we play. They criticize us when we lose, and they say we’re not that good when we win,” Burns said. “This is the way this team plays, and the way we win hockey games. If we change, maybe we won’t win as many.”
Few will embrace the style for entertainment value, and last night’s announced crowd of 10,466 might be evidence. Still, they are winning.
New Jersey, which came within one of the Blues’ record last year, is the only team in the league that hasn’t allowed triple digits this season. Ottawa stands second-best at 102 in 49 games; Pittsburgh is worst at 183 in 50 games.
The Devils own 12 shutouts already this season, three short of the modern record set by the Blackhawks with Tony Esposito in 1969-70. Of the Devils’ last 14 victories, last night’s was only the fifth that didn’t come by a shutout.
“We have the best goalie in the league, and it says something about the guys in the room that we’re doing it without probably the best defensive defenseman [Scott Stevens],” Selke Trophy candidate John Madden said. “If we can play just a little more in the other team’s zone, we could be even better, because we wouldn’t be in our zone as much.”
The formula for frugality received its favored early lead when Grant Marshall scored his second power play goal in as many games, tipping in Brian Rafalski’s point shot 3:37 into play. Patrik Elias made the Devils 2-for-2 on the power play at 12:15, also scoring for the second straight game. His 17th of the year marked the first time since Jan. 1 the Devils had two PPGs in a game.
Atlanta climbed back into the game at 14:14 of the first. Brian Rafalski had been slammed moments earlier by Daniel Corso, and when a rebound popped into his chest, he was run off the puck by Brian Swanson. Ronald Petrovicky and Jeff Cowan both pounced at the right doorstep, the puck popping over Martin Brodeur’s glove on the short side, credited as Cowan’s seventh.
Ilya Kovalchuk tied the game with a shorthander at 4:19 of the third, his 26th of the year.
Friesen gave the Devils victory at 6:36 with his 11th, and third in four games.