Round 1 Gamethread 3: Devils @ Carolina

And the Devils have done pretty well in Montreal as of late! I don’t think the crowd will bother the Devils.

P.S. Even first minute if you’re into that sort of thing.

ZACH PARISE OFF A DEFLECTION ON A PAUL MARTIN SHOT!

Deja vu? Devils worked real hard on this one – especially behind the net. Brian Rolston didn’t get the puck right away, a Cane knocks it forward, Martin has space and Parise kills it!

The Canes have looked all right but this will surely change things!

Me and my typed words. Ryan Bayda on a loose puck for a quick equalizer. Walker tried to feed Jokinen, Jokinen MISSES the shot, but it slides back to Bayda who has the better look and finds it.

Awful pass in his own zone becomes a giveaway, but Brodeur stops the resulting shot and smothers it.

Devils need to respond better; Carolina looks rather confident after that quick equalizer!

I think he inadvertantly took something – Bayda’s stick – to the face! There’s small puddles of blood to clean up.

Bayda will sit 4 minutes, Salvador will go to the bench to get patched up, and so the Devils have a chance for some revenge (TAKE IT, PLEASE)

It’s another penalty this series for #17. Drawn by the dynamic and hustling Parise! The refs been calling that for 4 seasons now…

Now will the Devils DO something with this? Who knows!

Carolina with a fatal error in the dying seconds of the period! Corvo’s pass is picked by Gionta, great deke and BOOM it’s a goal!

What end!

Carolina has looked their best so far this series with the energy and the confidence.

Those penalties they took should have been costly, but alas, the Devils couldn’t get it done as the PP units love to shoot into traffic and, well, hit them instead of Ward/net.

But the Devils are up thanks to Martin picking up a poor clearance by Carolina, Parise tipping that Martin shot in, the Devils not wavering too badly to Carolina’s intensity (and responding), and Gionta making a great move to pick off Joe Corvo’s pass, do a move, and beat Ward silly on that move!

Devils need to keep battling, if they can score one or two more next, they will be way better off for it. Obviously, the Devils have to be vigilant in preventing an equalizer.

John Madden hooked rod Brind’Amour. they called it on Rod, they’re calling it on John. So it’s a PP for Carolina. Go Devils PK!

After some great pressure by the Devils; Carolina has a good shift of their own. Zubrus gets too rough (???) after the whistle and so he sits for roughing. I’m surprised Ruutu got nothing but whatever. Go Devils PK

Of course there is going to be a penalty!

At the end of his shift too. DUMB.

And it’s another call against New Jersey. Paul Martin, top defenseman, will sit for 2 for…chopping at a stick that broke. Yeah, that’s a penalty.

This will be huge for NJ if they can kill this. 56 seconds left on the first penalty. Oh…boy!

And Chad LaRose deflects a Pat Eaves shot to beat Brodeur After all of that…ugh.

Eric Staal is called for cross-checking Brodeur, Brodeur (?) is called for roughing. Uh…OK!

Devils need to break through here and really take Carolina out of this. So we will have 4-on-4 through the start of the third.

I agree with Zach’s question to the refs. Nothing for Corvo? Good job controlling the game, refs.

Anyway, this period was up for the Devils but then the penalties held them down. The PK units killed them, but LaRose with a deflection equalized just after the last one and so Carolina is still feeling good.

Devils would be wise to really make the Hurricanes pay – especially on the power play. Because the momentum is not entirely in NJ’s favor. That said, they still are doing a better job on possession than Carolina, I think.

Brodeur bails out the Devils on another bad giveaway. Staal had a point blank shot which was stopped by a point blank save!

Come on Devils, give Brodeur some goal help

Why. WHY?

Kill this Devils – make up for his mistake.

He didn’t leave the area, so I imagine he’ll be back out there eventually.

Please, Devils, put some of these shots ON net. And no, I don’t mean the outside of the net. I’m talking within the frame of the posts.

this is nervewracking.

Carolina has been slightly better by virtue of getting shots actually not – Devils just missing and getting blocked.

This has been a very hard fought game and the Devils have done well to keep up; but the Devils need to do more than just hang in there – they need to attack properly.

ZAJAC! ZAJAC ZAJAC ZAJAC! A SHOT ON NET! A REBOUND IT’S IN AAAAAAAAA

FIRST WIN IN OT IN A WHILE! FIRST WIN IN CAROLINA SINCE 200!

We did it!!!!!!!!!!! oh my god my voice is almost gone I screamed so loud when he scored. My wife was laughing at me she thought I was crazy…. i couldnt help it I was so happy. How about that for some redemption from the frustration of the overtime losses to these guys that we should have won before…This may be our year…FEEDBACK Devil Fans….

Go comment and/or tear it up there.

And one more time: YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAH