Out of luck

Ducks must prove 'gift-wrapped' Game 3 was no fluke

Late in the second period of Saturday night's Stanley Cup finals Game 3, with the score tied 1-1, Anaheim defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh shoveled the puck into the New Jersey zone from just inside the red line. Well aware that Martin Brodeur is the best puck-handling goalie in the league, Ozolinsh sent the puck wide of the net in an attempt to keep it away from him. You'll find more potent shots at an elemnetary school graduation party.

You may remember what happened next. Brodeur skated out of his crease to track down the bouncing puck, but he dropped his stick just as he played it. The puck caromed off the stick, rattled through Brodeur's legs and, as he watched from his knees, skittered into a wide-open net. It was perhaps the softest goal he's ever allowed, and it couldn't have come at a worse time. The Devils had tied the game 45 seconds earlier, on a beautiful shot by Patrik Elias that froze Anaheim goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere in his tracks. You could feel the life seeping out of Arrowhead Pond after Elias' goal, and New Jersey seemed poised to rally for a win that would give the Devils a 3-0 lead in the series.

Brodeur's shuffleboard act didn't directly cost New Jersey the game -- the Devils tied the score in the third period before Ruslan Salei scored in overtime to give Anaheim its first win in the series. But if the Mighty Ducks extend the finals to six or seven games, Brodeur's misplay will be remembered as the one that changed the course of the series.

That's an awful big if, however. Neither Brodeur nor his teammates seemed particularly bothered by the fluke goal after the game. Brodeur, who faced the assembled media horde without complaint, said he thought the play was "funny." Center John Madden appeared equally unaffected. "I don't think it turns the series," Madden said. "It turned the game, but that's about it."

Even though they lost, the Devils had a lot to be happy about in Game 3. They were slightly outplayed by the Ducks overall but were still in excellent position to win. (New Jersey missed a handful of excellent scoring chances in overtime.) For the most part, Devils coach Pat Burns was able to match up Scott Stevens and Madden's checking against Paul Kariya. This required constant changing on the fly, which can be risky and grueling, but the Devils handled it well. All in all, they played a very solid game on the road.

The Ducks' effort in Game 3 far outclassed their play in Games 1 and 2. But the Devils have to feel as if they absorbed Anaheim's best shot and sustained little damage. For one thing, the Ducks can be sure they're through receiving gifts from Brodeur. (Anaheim's first goal was the result of Brodeur's poor clearing attempt from behind the net, which handed the puck back to the Ducks and left the goaltender scrambling to get back into position.) Expect Brodeur to be sharp in Game 4, especially when he's handling the puck.

New Jersey does have one area of vulnerability. With center Joe Nieuwendyk home nursing a hip injury the Devils are poor on faceoffs. (The Ducks won 122 of 202, or 60 percent, in the first three games.) That's a huge advantage for Anaheim because the Devils end up with a lot of draws in their zone as a result of icing the puck so often. It's no accident that Salei's game-winner on Saturday was set up when Adam Oates won a faceoff. "It's part of our game to try to slow things down," says Brodeur. "But when a team is so skilled on draws it makes it tough."

Anaheim played with more passion and energy in Game 3, but if Brodeur had been his dependable self the Devils would be looking at a 3-0 series hole. The Ducks are back in the series on paper, but they already received their gift-wrapped win. It will take a monumental effort to send the series back to New Jersey tied 2-2.

Sports Illustrated staff writer Stephen Cannella covers the NHL for the magazine and will contribute frequently to SI.com throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs.

 

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