They’re 11-2 in their past 13 games, their franchise player is coming back, and they’re starting to run away with the Atlantic Division. How do the Devils not go for it, deal for the dominant D-man and maybe a center, and chase their fourth Stanley Cup?
This weekend will be their big test, hosting the two conference leaders – Boston tomorrow and San Jose Sunday afternoon. They’ll have to be better than they were last night in beating the NHL-worst Islanders 4-2 in Newark, but it was a game lesser teams might have lost.
“The key is to back it up the next few weeks. These are two real measuring-stick games, two games you want to play well,” said Jamie Langenbrunner, who scored two goals and lost half a front tooth.
Yet despite out-shooting the Islanders (now losers of four straight), 50-25, the Devils never led until Zach Parise’s second of the night, with 7:25 left.
“It felt like a street hockey game, with quick plays around the net,” said goalie Kevin Weekes, who moved to 4-0 in 2009. “You saw how long it took before we got control.”
Radek Martinek put the Isles in front 2:32 into play, moving in from the right point uncovered by Parise as Blake Comeau passed circle-to-circle between Parise and Bryce Salvador. Weekes had no chance as Martinek hit the open side for his second of the year.
Parise answered at 18:39, opportunistic as usual when Brian Rolston crossed Joey MacDonald’s view as Paul Martin’s right point shot rebounded for Parise to put away.
The Isles regained the lead on Kyle Okposo’s power-play goal at 6:15 of the second. Devils defenseman Johnny Oduya tried to skate the puck clear up his right boards but failed to get past Okposo near the point. Okposo dashed in 1-on-1 on Salvador and burned the defenseman by going deep around him and curling back in front. Weekes stopped the first shot, but Okposo lifted home his own rebound, his 11th.
Langenbrunner evened the game again with a power-play slap from the top of the left circle through Travis Zajac’s screen and over MacDonald’s glove at 16:21 of the second.
Parise gave the Devils their first lead on their 43rd shot of the night at 12:35, a carbon copy of his first one, with Zajac providing the screen for Martin’s third assist of the night. Parise put himself back on pace for the first 50-goal season in Devils history with his 34th, surpassing his previous personal best of 32 established last season. Langenbrunner added the empty-netter with 1:03 left, his ninth goal in eight games and 17th this year.
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Isles center Doug Weight left the game in the second with a right knee injury, clipping legs with Brian Gionta. . . . Brendan Shanahan became the 12th NHLer to play 1,500 games, and Patrik Elias played his 800th. Jay Pandolfo returned to the New Jersey lineup after sitting out healthy for nine straight. . . . Trent Hunter sat out for the Isles with a hip flexor injury.
The season passed the two-thirds mark for each team last night, their 55th games. The Devils have 73 points, the Isles 38. . . . Isles are 1-11-2 against Atlantic Division foes.
Devils 4 Isles 2