John Madden emerged from the locker room after Game 4 with what must have been a 20-pound Roots bag propped on his shoulder. His collar -- a light shade of blue -- clung tight to his neck. He wore the same steely yet vacant gaze he showed on the ice when the Devils were down, when they were tied, and when they won.

In a game that nearly spelled doom for New Jersey, in front of a crowd that shouted for Claude Lemieux after the home team fell behind, Madden never once looked like he was waiting for things to do in Denver when you're dead. Fans will remember the third period of Game 4, and Petr Sykora's series-altering goal, but it was Madden who led his team through the first two stanzas, logging more ice time than any other Devils forward and delivering more hits than any of his teammates.

Madden's head-down, elbows-up skating stood out from that of his slogging teammates, and his molar-rattling checks jolted a fickle Meadowlands crowd. His last shift of the game, coming with an empty Colorado net, lasted for more than a full minute. He did not smile when the final horn sounded. He was the first Devil off the ice after the post-game group hug. In the locker room, he admitted to finally feeling "like I'm not alone out there."

Madden earned his PhD -- Poor, Hungry and Driven -- long ago, growing up in Toronto's projects and excelling at a rich kid's sport. But now he's earned an NCAA Championship ring, a permanent space on the Cup, and maybe another championship on the way this week. "If we all play like Mads plays," says Brian Rafalski, who himself skated for more than 19 minutes tonight, "we'll be fine."

At the end of his 10-minute post-game interview, after stating that "I play as angry as I can possibly play," Madden paused and finally dropped his bag to his feet. Without a word, he bent over, pulled the zipper and fumbled around inside. "This is not mine," he muttered. "It's Colin White's. I bet he left with mine."

Mad Dog did not roll his eyes or sigh. He simply picked up White's bag, slung it back over his shoulder, and trudged out of the room.

What's the difference? He's been carrying the load for his teammates all series.

Eric Adelson is covering the NHL playoffs for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at eric.adelson@espnmag.com.