New Jersey (18-12-3) at Vancouver (17-12-4)
- Game info: 10:00 pm EST Tue Dec 18, 2007
- TV: FSNY, RSW
The New Jersey Devils open a rare road trip to western Canada on Tuesday night when they take on the slumping Vancouver Canucks.
New Jersey (18-12-3), leading the Atlantic Division by four points over Philadelphia and the New York Rangers, will be playing in Vancouver for the first time since a 4-2 loss on Dec. 29, 2001. The Devils have not defeated the Canucks (17-12-4) on the road since a 2-1 victory March 15, 1999.
Following this game, New Jersey goes to Edmonton for the first time in nearly six years Friday before closing the trip Sunday with its first appearance in Calgary since March 5, 2003.
The Devils won for just the second time in five games since their nine-game winning streak, 4-2 over the Flyers on Sunday. John Madden scored two goals and Martin Brodeur made 29 saves, including one on a penalty shot, to lift New Jersey.
“That was the turning point in the hockey game,” Devils coach Brent Sutter said about Brodeur’s stop on Daniel Briere. “They get the penalty shot and Marty makes a great save. It was massive.”
Brodeur is 11-1-1 with a 1.68 goals-against average and two shutouts in his last 13 starts. He hasn’t been nearly as dominant in 14 starts against the Canucks, however, going 6-8-0 with a 2.59 GAA. Brodeur ended a personal five-game skid to Vancouver with a 3-0 win in the teams’ last meeting Jan. 13, 2006.
On Tuesday, he’ll be opposing a Canucks team that has lost four of five since an 11-2-2 stretch. Vancouver, though, has picked up a point in three of those five games, including a 2-1 shootout loss in Edmonton on Saturday.
The game was scoreless until the Oilers found the back of the net at the 16:31 mark of the third period, but the Canucks tied it with 1:22 left when Daniel Sedin’s shot bounced off a body in front and went to Mattias Ohlund, who had an easy tap in to send the game to overtime.
“They scored late and kind of put us behind the 8-ball,” said Vancouver’s Curtis Sanford, who made 25 saves starting in place of the injured Roberto Luongo. “We battled back and that’s what we do. We’re always in games right to the very end. It was a good point for us to get.”
Luongo hasn’t played since Dec. 8 because of bruised ribs. Sanford has gone 1-2-1 with a 2.79 GAA in the four games Luongo has sat out.
Also missing from Vancouver’s lineup is center Brendan Morrison, who has been sidelined the last three games by a right wrist injury that required surgery and will keep him out up to 12 weeks. The injury ended Morrison’s 542-game playing streak, which had been the longest current one in the NHL.
Morrison, who began his career with the Devils in 1997-98, is tied for third on the Canucks with eight goals and has 20 points in 30 contests this season.
Sanford has started only once against the Devils, on Jan. 17, 2006 while with St. Louis, and was pulled after allowing three goals on 11 shots.
The last four meetings in this series have come in New Jersey, with the Canucks winning three of those matchups.
Team Comparison
| Team | G | W | L | OTL | Pts | Standings | GF | GA | Road/Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 82 | 46 | 29 | 7 | 99 | 2nd, Atlantic | 206 | 197 | 21-15-5 Road |
| Vancouver | 82 | 39 | 33 | 10 | 88 | 5th, Northwest | 213 | 215 | 21-15-5 Home |
Blog Coverage from SB Nation
In Lou We Trust
Nucks MisconductInjuries
Paul Martin D, Jay Pandolfo LW, Johnny Oduya D, Rob Niedermayer C
Pavol Demitra C, Alexandre Bolduc C, Michael Grabner RW
Notes
Last game: 4-3 loss vs. Carolina, April 28 Series: Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinals, 4-3 Less than 90 seconds away from a second-round matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Devils allowed two goals in a 48-second span and were eliminated by the Hurricanes. ... RW Jamie Langenbrunner registered a game-high seven shots on goal. After the devastating loss, Langenbrunner admitted he underwent knee surgery following Game Two of the series, forcing him to miss the next three contests. ... LW Brendan Shanahan recorded two assists in what may have been his final NHL game. The 40-year-old signed with the Devils in mid-January after sitting out the first half of the season as a free agent.
Apr 29, 12:03 am EDT
The Canucks avoided an embarrassing loss Thursday, scoring with 73 seconds remaining in the third period to snap a 3-3 tie after entering the session with a 3-0 lead. ... Vancouver was 1-for-7 on the power play. ... C Ryan Kesler and RW Pavol Demitra each registered a game-high five shots on goal. ... C Kyle Wellwood won all seven of his faceoffs.
May 1, 12:38 am EDT