NEWARK, N.J. (AP)—Shades of Curt Schilling. Martin Brodeur
overcame a bloody
ankle and put the New Jersey Devils on the verge of eliminating the Carolina
Hurricanes.
Brodeur overcame a first-period skate cut and tied Patrick Roy’s NHL record for playoff shutouts at 23, making 44 saves in New Jersey’s 1-0 victory over the Hurricanes on Thursday night.
Brodeur was fortunate to escape a much more serious injury after colliding
with Chad LaRose
about 20 feet in front of the net going for a loose puck.
LaRose’s skate blade hit the back of Brodeur’s ankle and caused a 4-inch cut.
Brodeur stayed in the game despite the pain and the blood.
“It cut right through my sock,” Brodeur said. “It was more of a bruise. It’s not like it sliced. It just hit me. At first I wasn’t sure because I could see the blood. When you get cut by a skate, you don’t know what’s going on. I’m not that tough. I probably wouldn’t have continued if I had to take stitches.”
Schilling made bloody ankles famous during the 2004 playoffs against the Yankees when he pitched Game 6 of the ACLS with a bloody sock.
This stage wasn’t as big, but Brodeur was just as good in getting even with
the Hurricanes just 48 hours after losing Game 4 on a last-second goal by Jussi
Jokinen
on a play he felt he was the victim of goalie interference.
The anger Brodeur displayed after that game was rare, smashing his stick against the boards.
However, he was totally focused Thursday in giving New Jersey a 3-2 lead in the first-round series.
New Jersey can eliminate the Hurricanes on Sunday in Carolina. If a seventh game is necessary, it would be here Tuesday night.
“I think it was one of the good ones that I played,” Brodeur said. “I felt really good. I was on top of it. Again, I’ll have to erase everything tomorrow, but I am happy about it.”
Cam Ward
was almost as good, stopping 41 shots. David Clarkson
provided the
only goal with a rare power-play goal for New Jersey.
“There was a lot of opportunities both ways—shot for shot,” Ward said. “Marty made the saves, now we’ve just got to find a way. We are down 3-2 here, our backs are against the wall and there is a must win on Sunday. We’ve got to be excited to come to the rink to play on Sunday. We can’t be scared.”
Jokinen came closest to scoring against Brodeur. His deflection in the second period, hit off the goal post, bounced off Brodeur’s rear end and was on the goal line when Brodeur got a glove on the puck.
LaRose had three outstanding chances, including two in the final period. He was stopped on a 1-on-1 with Brodeur after skating through the defense with 8:35 left and again in the slot with 4:21 to go.
Brodeur made his last save in the final minute, stopping Whitney on a slap shot.
When the game ended the crowd was shouting “Mar-tee! Mar-tee!”
“It’s nice but it’s all about winning,” Brodeur said. “Playing with a great team, shutouts will happen when you play so many games. It’s a lot more dramatic in the playoffs, there are second efforts everywhere. There are a lot of flukey goals. It makes it difficult to get shutouts.”
Clarkson, who tied the game 3-all Tuesday, scored at 11:22 of the second
period with Patrick Eaves
serving a tripping penalty.
Defenseman Andy Greene
, who was in the lineup because Bryce Salvador
suffered a knee injury Tuesday, took a shot from the right point that Clarkson
deflected past Ward.
“My job was pretty easy there,” Clarkson said. “I just stand in front of the net. Greeny had an unbelievable shot and I luckily got a stick on it.
The Devils were 1-of-19 on the power play in the series when Clarkson converted.
Ward kept Carolina in the game midway in the third period with a snapping
glove save on a blast by Zach Parise
.
“If you took all the video of all the chances for both teams and stopped it just short of the two guys standing in the pipes, you’d think that this would’ve been 7-6,” Carolina coach Paul Maurice said.
Notes
Canes LW Sergei Samsonov
missed the game because of an undisclosed
injury. D Anton Babchuk
, who had four power-play goals in the regular season vs.
the Devils was a healthy scratch. Dwight Helminen
replaced Samsonov. Tim Conboy
,
who played in Game 1, took over for Babchuk. … Devils captain Jamie
Langenbrunner
missed his third straight game because of a lower-body injury.
Salvador was out with a knee injury. … The Canes were 0-for-5 on the power
play and they are 1-for-19 in the series.

vs.
Canes Country
In Lou We Trust
33 Comments
1 - 25 of 33
Report Abuse
D in front of Ward wasn't very special and with so many of the Devils shots being pretty decent Ward worked his ass off to keep pucks outta th' net only missing one deflection. Cam Ward was by far better last night.
So, Tom, as an expert hockey writer why don't you go back and watch the game again and consider re-writing your article to reflect reality and reconsider the slobbery fawning.
Report Abuse
D in front of Ward wasn't very special and with so many of the Devils shots being pretty decent Ward worked his ass off to keep pucks outta th' net only missing one deflection. Cam Ward was by far better last night.
So, Tom, as an expert hockey writer why don't you go back and watch the game again and consider re-writing your article to reflect reality and reconsider the slobbery fawning.
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
(Marty haters, killyaselves)
Report Abuse
lets read the report shall we?
After watching the tape, Brodeur said that, though the bump was not worthy of a penalty, he still believes the goal should not have counted.
"I stille believe that if I get position, regardless of if it's blue ice or white ice or whatever they call it, they shouldn't be able to touch me," Brodeur said. "Looking at it, I don't think you could call a penalty. I don't think it's worthy of penalty. But there is a rule about incidental contact outside the crease that's a whistle. The play is stopped dead. Again, it makes it a decision. It's hard for the referee to make the call. That's the bottom line. That's why you have to try to keep it out of their hands to a certain extent. Make somebody else make a decision on it.
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
@2timechamp: you're ignorant and clearly don't know what you're talking about. the hurricanes have one of the best fan bases out there and it probably the only team in the south that deserves a team. most canadian players admit that the crowds in carolina are nearly as loud and noisy as you'd find from a canadian team. please actually learn something before trying to debate it.
Report Abuse
CORRECTION; Marty said, and i quote "it should not have been a penalty, but the goal should still be disallowed"
i guess it was true to an extent what u said, but lets look at the whole quote instead of part of it, shall we?
Just because brodeur was INCREDIBLE tonight, it doesnt mean you have to get your panties in a bunch
Report Abuse
Devils are the best team.
Carolina should never have a team in the first place. The freakin' south is no place for a hockey team.
Stop your b@tching. The Devils won tonight and will on Sunday.
Report Abuse
Marty is the best. This series will be over on Sunday.
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
1 - 25 of 33