The New Jersey Devils have a chance to advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Sunday night. They've won two of their last three without captain Jamie Langenbrunner, who has been out with a lower-body injury.
Heading into Game 6 against Carolina Sunday, the Devils expect to have their captain back in the lineup. It's a huge boost to a team that has been involved in close game after close game so far in this series.
The New Jersey Devils lost home-ice advantage Friday, and they lost their captain in the process. Game Two of their series against the Hurricanes went to Carolina in overtime. That leveled the series at a game apiece, and Game Three is Sunday night in Raleigh.
After a rather lifeless performance Wednesday in Game One, the Carolina Hurricanes were on a mission Friday night. They were out to prove themselves a worthy opponent for Eastern Conference third seed New Jersey, and to even the series on the road.
They got it done. After the teams traded some great scoring chances but only one goal apiece in regulation, the Hurricanes took charge in a short overtime. The extra frame was ended by Carolina defenseman Tim Gleason, whose blast beat Martin Brodeur for a 2-1 Carolina win.
It was the question on the minds of every Devils fan entering Game 1: which Devils team would show up? The one that dominated the league early in the calendar year, or the one that looked sluggish and uninspired through March? Though the team outplayed the Hurricanes from the start of their first contest, the question wasn't answered emphatically until the third period.
In a set of first round playoff series that look, at least on paper, to be more competitive than usual, the most hard-fought battle might be the one between the Devils and the Hurricanes. The teams entered the postseason at opposite ends of the spectrum -- the Devils waded through March like they were wearing cement boots, while the Hurricanes, despite losing their last two of the season, finished remarkably hot.
Tom Gulitti is the Devils beat writer for the Bergen Record and, as the voice of Fire & Ice, one of the best beat bloggers in the league. He took some time out to speak with FanHouse about the Devils and their first-round matchup.
Exactly 1,230 regular season games have been played. We're down to the best eight teams in each conference. The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin Wednesday night with four series lid-lifters.
In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Bruins rallied from a bit of a swoon around the All-Star Break to easily win the top seed. Even if you subscribe to the idea of Boston being favored because of their strong overall record, there are no sure things in these here playoffs. Who will threaten to knock the Bruins off their pedestal?
Brodeur, you may have heard, set the NHL's all-time wins record, but it wasn't the only record broken on the night. With an assist on Brian Gionta's shorthanded, game-winning goal, Elias surpassed John MacLean with his 702nd career point, making him the leading scorer in franchise history ("I was very excited. I think you could see that in me right away," he would comment later). That the players' two careers dovetailed, leading them both to milestone moments on the same night, is pretty remarkable considering the paths both players took to get here.
Devils 4, Avalanche 0: After missing most of the season with an elbow injury, legendary goalie Martin Brodeur returned to the New Jersey lineup on Thursday and did not disappoint, posting the 99th shutout of his career in a 4-0 win over Colorado.
Brodeur turned aside all 24 shots he faced, while Jamie Langenbrunner, Zach Parise, Patrick Elias and Travis Zajac all scored goals in the win. The Devils have been one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference all season, and adding one of the best goaltenders of all-time back into the lineup makes them a dangerous team going forward.
We're less than one year away from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Once again, the NHL will take a mid-season break and allow its players to participate in the Games.
After a wonderful run to silver in Salt Lake City back in 2002, Team USA was nothing short of disappointing in Torino three years ago. The Americans went just 1-3-1 in pool play, including an inexplicable tie against Latvia, before dropping a 4-3 decision to Finland in the quarterfinals. Heading into 2010, general manager Brian Burke has plenty of decisions to make, mainly surrounding the question of age.
Devils 6, Sharks 5: In hindsight, NBC's decision to make the Rangers-Flyers game the national showcase on Sunday afternoon probably wasn't the best move the network could have made. Especially since the Sharks and Devils, the teams that were bumped, put on a goal-scoring clinic, including a three goal third period rally from New Jersey in its 6-5 win.
The New Jersey Devils have a chance to advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Sunday night. They've won two of their last three without captain Jamie Langenbrunner, who has been out with a lower-body injury.
The New Jersey Devils lost home-ice advantage Friday, and they lost their captain in the process. Game Two of their series against the Hurricanes went to Carolina in overtime. That leveled the series at a game apiece, and Game Three is Sunday night in Raleigh.
After a rather lifeless performance Wednesday in Game One, the Carolina Hurricanes were on a mission Friday night. They were out to prove themselves a worthy opponent for Eastern Conference third seed New Jersey, and to even the series on the road.
NEWARK, N.J. -- As we wrap up our coverage of Tuesday's record-breaking night in New Jersey, it's important to note the symmetry and asymmetry alike between Martin Brodeur and Patrik Elias.
Devils 4, Avalanche 0: After missing most of the season with an elbow injury, legendary goalie Martin Brodeur returned to the New Jersey lineup on Thursday and did not disappoint, posting the 99th shutout of his career in a 4-0 win over Colorado. 
We're less than one year away from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Once again, the NHL will take a mid-season break and allow its players to participate in the Games. 
Devils 6, Sharks 5: In hindsight, NBC's decision to make the Rangers-Flyers game the national showcase on Sunday afternoon probably wasn't the best move the network could have made. Especially since the Sharks and Devils, the teams that were bumped, put on a goal-scoring clinic, including a three goal third period rally from New Jersey in its 6-5 win. 
