Bad breaks
Leafs tie struggling Devils 3-3 on Jersey ice
Posted: Tuesday February 16, 1999 12:12 AM
| |
Martin Brodeur (left), who stopped 28 shots, made big saves down the stretch to preserve the tie. AP |
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Don't try to tell the New Jersey Devils they are
struggling because they've won only once in the first five games of a
six-game homestand. They won't hear it. It's bad breaks, they
say, and another one turned up in a 3-3 tie with the Toronto Maple Leafs on
Monday night. Garry Valk got a gift goal late in the second
period when New Jersey defenseman Lyle Odelein tipped a shot past Martin
Brodeur, giving the Toronto Maple Leafs a 3-3 tie with the Devils.
"We wanted to get as many shots on Brodeur as possible," Valk said. "I
just tried to shoot the puck quick. (Igor) Korolev gave me a great pass. I
got lucky it went in. We were bound to have a few breaks." This
one helped Toronto avoid a three-game losing streak and it gave New Jersey
a 1-3-1 record on its current homestand. "I don't think we're
struggling, we'll be fine," veteran Devils defenseman Ken Daneyko said.
"We've lost a lot of one-goal games at home and we're a little snake-bit.
We're going to be fine, I'm very confident." Even Brodeur wasn't
upset by the goal after making 28 saves. "The shot was probably
going on the far post and maybe even wide and Odie just tipped it right
between my legs, that's why I fell and it went through my legs," he
said. Bryan Berard and Derek King also scored for Toronto in its
first game since a 6-2 loss to Chicago on Saturday night in an emotional
final game at Maple Leaf Gardens. "We all tried so hard Saturday
night we shot ourselves in the foot," Valk said. "Sometimes you can try too
hard and not do anything. Tonight we tried to relax." Jay
Pandolfo, Bobby Holik and Jason Arnott scored for New Jersey, which started
its miserable homestand with a 3-2 loss to Toronto on Feb. 6.
This more physical game ended with two scuffles near Maple Leafs goaltender
Curtis Joseph, and Randy McKay of the Devils and Tie Domi yelling at each
other in front of the Toronto bench. Brodeur and Joseph made big
saves late. Joseph stopped Petr Sykora in close early in the
third period and Brodeur made a great sliding stop on Sergei Berezin on a
power play late in the third period. New Jersey had all three shots in the
overtime but none tested Joseph. Arnott had given New Jersey the
lead with a power-play goal at 1:41 of the second period with a shot from
the right circle that beat Joseph between the pads. Pandolfo and
Holik had scored 1:59 apart late in the first period to tie the game.
Pandolfo poked his 13th of the season into the net after Joseph made
spectacular saves in close on defenseman Brad Bombardir and Brian Rolston.
The chances resulted when Berard fell backing up at his own blue line.
Holik's 22nd came when Joseph whiffed on a 40-foot slap shot with a
clear view of the puck. Berard and King scored 61 seconds apart
to put the Maple Leafs ahead 2-0. Berard capped a 2-on-1 with former Devil
Steve Thomas by scoring on a backhander at 8:03. King scored his second in
as many games by putting a shot from the left circle between Brodeur's pads
when there appeared to be no room.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
| 
