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PITTSBURGH (AP) – Lots of odd-man rushes, plenty of breakaways
and scoring chances. This is exactly how the Pittsburgh Penguins
envisioned the Eastern Conference finals – only not with the New
Jersey Devils generating all the offense.
Brian Rafalski and Jason Arnott scored as the Devils opened an
early two-goal for the second consecutive game, then avoided the
letdown that cost them the previous game as they seized the series
lead with a 3-0 victory Thursday night in Game 3.
|  | | The Devils' Patrick Elias, right, scored his sixth goal of the playoffs Thursday. |
"I don't think there is any doubt this was our best game of the
playoffs," defenseman Scott Stevens said.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Devils can open a 3-1 lead in
the best-of-seven series by winning Game 4 on Saturday (3 p.m. ET, ABC) in Pittsburgh,
where the Penguins have lost seven of their last 10 playoff games.
The Penguins have been outscored 21-16 on home ice while losing
four of seven this spring.
Not even Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr, hockey's two most
dangerous scorers, could solve the Devils' trapping defense or
prevent the Penguins' first shutout defeat in a home playoff game
since a 1-0 loss to the Islanders and goalie Glenn Resch on April
26, 1975. Resch is now a Devils broadcaster.
It was the 11th career playoff shutout for goalie Martin
Brodeur, tying him with Ed Belfour for seventh on the NHL list, and
his third this spring. He had consecutive shutouts against Carolina
in the first round.
"We played really, really well," said Brodeur, who often
struggles against the Penguins. "We didn't break down at all. It's
important for us to keep dominating, because they needed only six
minutes to beat us in Game 2. If we don't keep doing the little
things, Game 2 will happen again."
The Devils' top line of Patrik Elias, Arnott and Petr Sykora
came out fast and dominated a depleted Penguins defense, which
badly missed agitator Darius Kasparaitis, who sat out with two
broken toes sustained in Game 2.
In that game, the Devils opened a two-goal lead – they have in
all three games of the series – only to squander it as the Penguins
scored four consecutive goals off giveaways, defensive breakdowns
and Lemieux-generated plays to win 4-2 Tuesday night.
This time, the Devils went into a shutdown mode after seizing
the 2-0 lead at 12:31 of the first on Arnott's power-play goal six
seconds into a 5-on-3 advantage, created by a pair of ill-advised
Pittsburgh penalties in open ice.
The Devils tried to build on the lead – and ultimately did, with
Elias scoring 1:27 into the third period – but were equally
efficient at shutting down a Penguins attack that was without
second line forward Robert Lang, who sat out with a strained back
muscle.
"It's simple. We have to have good defensive positioning
against this team and when we do, we get plenty of scoring
opportunities," Bobby Holik said.
Forced to reassemble all four lines, the Penguins never did
develop any offensive consistency or the flurry of chances that
marked their second game comeback, and were outshot 36-20. Jagr
didn't score for the fifth consecutive game, and Lemieux, who draws
two defenders nearly every time he sees the puck, was held without
a goal for the eighth time in nine games.
"This is a great team we're playing," Lemieux said. "We've
got to find a way to play against them. They've got four men back
all the time, and you get around one, and then another, and they've
still got two back."
As the Penguins failed to take a shot for the first 14½ minutes
of the third period, even while trailing 3-0, their frustrated fans
began chanting, "Shoot the puck! Shoot the puck!"
The Devils created the open ice the Penguins couldn't find by
attacking a seam in the middle of the Pittsburgh defense that
opened up for New Jersey's first two goals. The Devils had 12
odd-man rushes to only one for Pittsburgh, and most came as they
got 24 shots in the first 1½ periods.
"We've got to understand this isn't an accident," defenseman
Marc Bergevin said. "Those guys are good."
Rafalski opened the scoring at 8:42 of the first on a breakout
with Alexander Mogilny that developed when Jagr threw the puck from
along the boards into the middle of the Devils zone, only to find
Mogilny there. Mogilny broke in on goalie Johan Hedberg, then shot
it across the slot to Rafalski for his fifth of the playoffs.
"We played well defensively and got scoring chances from
that," Rafalski said.
Several minutes later, the Penguins went down two men when Josef
Beranek took a retaliation penalty for whacking Holik in the face
well after a play ended. Bob Boughner hauled down Elias in the
Penguins zone 36 seconds later.
Arnott quickly made it 2-0 after that, ramming a one-timer from
the left circle between Hedberg's pads before the goalie could
react to Rafalski's cross-ice feed. It was Arnott's fourth of the
playoffs.
Elias got his sixth off a wrist shot on a 2-on-1 break with
defenseman Colin White.
"That zapped the life out of us," Penguins forward Kevin
Stevens said.
Game notes
The Devils are 5-2 on the road. Home teams are 38-37 in the
playoffs so far. ... Mogilny has gone eight games without a goal.
... New Jersey was 0-for-5 on the power play in Game 2. ... It was
only the second time in the Penguins' last eight playoff games that
the team scoring first won.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
New Jersey Clubhouse
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
Penguins-Devils Series Page
Pens' Kasparaitis sits out Game 4 vs. Devils
Jagr convinced these are his final days with Penguins
RECAPS
New Jersey 3
Pittsburgh 0
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Martin Brodeur fends off the Pittsburgh attack and records the shutout.
avi: 1295 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
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Alexander Mogilny makes the centering feed to Brian Rafalski for a Devils goal.
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Jason Arnott capitalizes on the two-man advantage and scores with a blistering slapshot.
avi: 928 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
Patrik Elias leads the odd-man break and banks the puck off Johan Hedberg's shoulder for the goal.
avi: 1077 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
 Patrik Elias speaks with ESPN's Joe Micheletti following New Jersey's Game 3 victory.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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