Ott-NJ Game 2 Conf. Semis Postgame Analysis

They’re headed to a second overtime at East Rutherford in Game Two of this best-of-seven series.

Ottawa took Game One by a 5-4 score. Tonight, they have rallied from two first period goals down to tie this hotly contested playoff game.

New Jersey defenseman Richard Matvichuk promised a different team tonight. He was proven right as his team came out very strong in the opening stanza in getting two power play tallies to take a two-goal lead to the locker room.

The first goal came off the stick of Brian Gionta, who took a Scott Gomez pass in stride and fired a wrister past Ray Emery just 1:43 in for his seventh (2nd of series).

The Devils continued to take the play to their opponents who looked lost early on. Not surprisingly, Ottawa took six undisciplined penalties. It would prove costly. The Devils managed to also score on a 5-on-3 in odd fashion- doing so off a last second draw with Sergei Brylin just beating the buzzer for a 2-0 lead. Unbelievable stuff.

You would’ve thought it would demoralize the Sens but not this team. Their team captain Daniel Alfredsson took advantage of a Jim Dowd penalty by wristing one past Martin Brodeur 4:23 into the second period.

They dominated the period outshooting the Devs 14-4. Only Brodeur allowed his team to escape still with a lead. If this was the theme for that 20, it’s worth repeating for period three.

I’ve watched Brodeur a long time and the third was one of the best he’s ever played. Dating back to that classic 1994 ECF series which featured OTs, that’s how special the three-time Cup winner was in this stanza.

His team sat back way too much. But Brodeur continued to keep them ahead with remarkable glove saves and sliding pad stops which defied logic. When he stoned Tom Preissing late off a nice Alfredsson setup, it looked like it wasn’t Ottawa’s night.

But they never gave up. Pulling Emery for an extra attacker, they recovered a dump-in and then Spezza threaded the needle somehow through a diagonal maze to a left alone Heatley, who buried the tying marker with 28.6 to go in regulation.

The first OT was seesaw with each team seeing PP time but unable to convert. The second OT starts now.

If it concludes, we’ll have a final score and our three stars and analysis.

And it’s all over at The Swamp. Jamie Langenbrunner wins it on a breakaway 1:55 into double overtime.

The Sens got caught on a bit of a bad break. After Chris Neil’s dump off the boards was intercepted by rookie Travis Zajac, an on-rushing Langenbrunner got a lucky bounce as Joe Corvo misplayed the puck off his skate- allowing the underrated Devil to spring away. The two-time Cup winner beat Emery on a forehand deke just getting the puck inside the near post.

It was a brilliant move which evened the series.

Some quick thoughts:

1.Sudden death was about as exciting as it gets as neither team sat back. They went for it which was what allowed for a breakaway to win it. Something that’s rare in the playoffs.

2.The intensity was great as the teams battled for every space on the ice. Offensive chances were a plenty but also the team defense and goaltending was fantastic on both sides. Otherwise, it never reaches sudden death.

3.Ottawa pounded the Devils in the corners at every turn outhitting them 46-32. Tampa tried this same strategy in the last series without the ultimate result. We’ll see if it pays off for the deeper Sens.

4.The Devils do not win this game without Brodeur. They were lucky to even reach OT. Their two-time Vezina winner bailed them out a lot. It ranks as one of his best games.

5.Playoff OT has never been great to the Devils but they improved to 2-0 this postseason, invoking memories of 2000 against Dallas and 2003 against Tampa Bay. Both times they were successful and won the Cup.

6.The top unit of Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson was dominant in this game. They were in on both their goals and probably could’ve had a few more. They were dangerous.

7.Ottawa coach Bryan Murray contended that the clock didn’t start right away on Brylin’s goal which was scored at the end of the first.
8.Devils’ captain Patrik Elias returned from a cold and notched an assist to increase his club playoff record to 102 career points.

9.In a losing effort, Emery finished with 30 saves. He was good but his counterpart was just a little better in this one.

Our three stars:

3rd star- Jason Spezza (2 assists, 7 SOG)