New Jersey Devils’ Offense Wakes Up, Magic Number Down to One
Looks like the best cure for a slumping offense is bad defense. The New Jersey Devils equaled their season high for goals in a 6-4 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.
The night didn’t start off well for the Devils. They fell behind 1-0 on a Ryan Malone goal in the final minute of the first period. The late goal had a “here we go again” feel too it, even though New Jersey was clearly the better team.
Because the Devils have been in such an offensive funk, even the smallest deficits can be compared to a climbing expedition up Mount Kilimanjaro.
But on this night the Devils had an answer for everything Tampa Bay threw at them. The teams traded goals with the Lightning grabbing a 3-2 lead on Malone’s hat trick. The Devils could have easily gone into a tailspin but they persevered.
New Jersey had scored 11 goals in their last eight games, they needed something, anything to wake them up. Perhaps this is the game that propels them towards along playoff run.
The Devils erupted for four goals in the second period. It was the first time all season they scored that many in a single period. Not only did they comeback from three separate deficits but they never let up and as a result grabbed two very big points.
I was really impressed with the Devils special teams play, along with how incredibly balanced and spread out the scoring was. New Jersey had a shorthanded, power play and two even strength goals in the middle period alone.
Ilya Kovalchuk, Marek Zidlicky, Dainius Zubrus, Jacob Josefson, Alexei Ponikarovsky and David Clarkson all scored. For Zubrus, Ponikarovsky and Clarkson scoring a goal meant the end of double-digit goalless droughts. In all, eleven different Devils collected at least one point.
Three cheers for offense!
New Jersey picked apart the Lightning defense, or lack there of, for 60 straight minutes. The Devils dominated the last two periods, out-shooting Tampa 30-11 over the final 40 minutes, finishing with a 38-20 shot advantage overall.
Martin Brodeur’s night was a piece of cake, he needed just 16 saves to pick up his 28th win of the season.
Jersey’s team came into the game with a chance to clinch a playoff birth but the Washington Capitals pulled out a win to keep their season alive. The Devils next chance to clinch will be this Saturday against Carolina. A win combined with a loss of any kind by the Capitals will secure a playoff spot.
Final note, Steve Bernier was held without a goal…again.
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