The only Devils player in tonight’s lineup to score on Henrik Lundqvist this season also got the goalie’s goat in their prior meeting.
David Clarkson says he’s not changing a thing.
Clarkson says he’ll be trying to do much the same as usual when the Rangers visit Prudential Center tonight. Clarkson had frequent meetings with Rangers enforcer Mike Rupp and was penalized for charging and fighting Brandon Dubinsky in the Rangers’ 2-0 victory at Madison Square Garden Feb. 27.
Perhaps Lundqvist didn’t have enough action to keep himself occupied, facing 13 shots, but he belittled Clarkson’s activity by saying “Enough already,” and “It wasn’t about hockey.” That was rich from the team that will never live down Sean Avery’s antics in front of Martin Brodeur.
“Maybe the last game I was in the box a little too much, but you get so wound up in these games,” said Clarkson, scolded by NHL VP Brendan Shanahan for the charge on Dubinsky. “I’m just trying to contribute, keep the puck down low and finish my checks. I’m not going to change what I’m doing. I’m going to play the same way. It’s the [virtual] playoffs, the end of the season. Every game means so much.”
Each game is especially meaningful for the Devils, losers of five of six and not yet clear of a second straight playoff miss.
Clarkson is tied with Ilya Kovalchuk for second in Devils scoring with 25 goals, behind Zach Parise’s 27, and scored the only goal in the Devils s 1-0 victory at the Garden Feb. 7.
“We have to get to places that give us an opportunity to score,” Clarkson said. “We just have to get to the net. That’s the biggest thing, get to the net. No secret [Lundqvist] is a great goalie, but as a player, you have to do the same things as you always do.”
The Devils have scored, one, one and zero goals in three games against Lundqvist this season, actually winning on Clarkson’s goal once because of Brodeur’s NHL record 117th shutout.
Travis Zajac, back on the shelf after aggravating his surgically-repaired Achilles tendon, is the only other Devil to score on Lundqvist this season.
The Devils’ 4-3 shootout triumph Jan. 31 at Prudential Center came against Martin Biron, ending Lundqvist’s streak of 32 straight starts against the Devils since Kevin Weekes on Dec. 17. 2006. Weekes is the last other Rangers goalie to beat the Devils, 3-2 in a shootout on Nov. 5, 2005.
Lundqvist is 24-10-5, with a 1.76 goals-against average with six shutouts in 39 career games against the Devils. He stands 22-6-5 against Brodeur, with five shutouts.
Patrik Elias, the franchise’s top scorer against the Rangers, said Lundqvist is partly a function of Rangers strategy.
“It’s a matter of the way they play in front of him,” Patrik Elias said. “They block a lot of shots, more than ever. Against a good goalie, you have to create traffic. We have to relax and bear down on our opportunities.”
Scoring on Lundqvist will be the issue for the Devils tonight. It has been more than a month — they beat the Penguins 5-2 Feb. 5 — since the Devils have scored more than three goals against a team in playoff position today.
They scored four against the Sabres and five against the Caps, while being blanked by the Isles and Rangers, held to one by the Rangers, Canucks and Panthers, two (regulation) by the Ducks, and three in regulation by the Blues, Leafs, Canadiens, Lightning and Bruins.
In their 1-4-1 skid they’ve scored 12 goals, shut out twice, Zach Parise’s hat trick the key to their one victory, 5-0 in Washington Friday.
General manager Lou Lamoriello said X-rays showed no fracture in Parise’s left wrist, struck by a Milan Jurcina shot in Sunday’s 1-0 loss to the Islanders. … Alex Ponikarovsky might rejoin the lineup tonight from a knee injury. Andy Greene is questionable with a back ailment. … The .Devils were given day off from practice yesterday. They play host to Islanders Thursday and visit them again Saturday.