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 NEW JERSEY VS. TORONTO BUFFALO VS. PITTSBURGH COLORADO VS. LOS ANGELES DALLAS VS. ST. LOUIS |
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Niedermayer, Domi have unexpected meeting Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – As the New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs exchanged handshakes at center ice after their Eastern Conference semifinal, there was another handshake being made without any ceremony. In a hallway at the Continental Airlines Arena, two men out of uniform looked at each other and shook hands shortly after the Devils won the series with a 5-1 win in Game 7. The meeting was totally unexpected. The last time Tie Domi of the Maple Leafs and Scott Niedermayer of the Devils came together, in Game 4, the series turned ugly. Domi hit Niedermayer with a vicious elbow, and the Devils' All-Star defenseman sustained a concussion that sidelined him for the final three games of the series. The NHL responded by suspending Domi for the rest of the playoffs. Because Toronto was eliminated in this round, Domi will remain suspended for the first eight games of next season. "Right after the game he came up to me and shook my hand and said a few words to me," said Niedermayer of his meeting with Domi. "Maybe I have a bit of problem with what happened," Niedermayer added. "Still, I have respect for how he phoned me. To come up like that and shake my hand, you have to respect that." Niedermayer said Domi asked how he was feeling and said, "I wished it didn't happen." Domi was not in the locker room after the game and he could not be located to comment on his meeting with Niedermayer. Niedermayer hoped to return for Game 7, but was scratched from the lineup after experiencing post-concussion headaches. He skated with the team Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, but developed headaches in the hours after each skate. "I felt OK, but not right," Niedermayer said just minutes before the opening faceoff at the Continental Airlines Arena. "Yesterday, a couple of hours after I skated I didn't feel as good as I had," said Niedermayer. "Again this morning when I skated, I felt pretty good on the ice, but then developed a slight headache, nothing major, but enough that it is telling everyone I'm not ready yet." Niedermayer didn't hide anything from team doctors. "Part of it was my decision, but other people were involved," the eighth-year defenseman said. "It was very tough, the last decision I would want to make. I would rather be on the ice, for sure." Niedermayer said he was getting better and, after the game, mentioned he hoped to play Saturday when the Devils open the conference final.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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 ALSO SEE Devils blow away Leafs 5-1, reach East finals Maple Leafs deal with second straight ousting by Devils Wojnarowski: Devils win one tough series |
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