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 NEW JERSEY VS. PITTSBURGH COLORADO VS. ST. LOUIS |
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Devils show no weaknesses vs. Pens By Brian A. Shactman ESPN.com PITTSBURGH – Whether the Devils are that good or the Penguins just aren't good enough is irrelevant after New Jersey's 5-0 dismantling of Pittsburgh in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Devils were all over the ice on Saturday, covering every inch. New Jersey's gifted skaters controlled play throughout the game, using all five players interchangeably on both offense and defense.
New Jersey won both Games 3 and 4 in similar fashion. Pittsburgh generated next to no offense, and the Devils skated and moved the puck with precision. In the two games, New Jersey outshot Pittsburgh 66-41, and the Pens were shut out on the power play (0-for-8). Most startling – and most important – Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr remain without a goal in the series, and Jagr has yet to register a point. The duo's eight combined shots in Games 3 and 4 are the same number Devils defenseman Brian Rafalski had in the same span. "When we play as a team, we are hard to beat," Devils center Bobby Holik said. Is this the best the defending champs have played all year? "I think so. No question," said Devils captain Scott Stevens. "The forwards are doing a hell of a job coming back, forechecking real well. "We're doing whatever it takes to win." The "Big Easy" line of Patrik Elias, Jason Arnott and Petr Sykora certainly picked a perfect time to live up to the billing. On Saturday, they produced with ease, combining for six points (3-3-6), a plus-11 with 10 shots on goal. For the series, the line has accounted for eight of New Jersey's 13 goals. "That line, they have been the best line in the playoffs," teammate Alexander Mogilny said. "It's pretty to watch." The line's output is a turnaround since struggling early in the playoffs, mainly because Arnott's knee bothered him. Coach Larry Robinson, however, doesn't think health has anything to do with their recent surge. "They are playing more committed now," Robinson said. "I think when the playoffs started, they were not all working together. ... You can't play unless you are totally committed to where we're going and what we're doing." Having Rafalski behind them doesn't hurt either. Rafalski had two goals and an assist Saturday, and now leads all defensemen in playoff scoring with seven goals and 14 points. "It helps to have a guy who can move the puck quick," Elias said. "They try and put him out there with us, and I think he knows where we are on the ice. And we have a few set plays that we've been working on." Robinson paired Rafalski with Sean O'Donnell late in the Toronto series when Scott Niedermayer suffered his concussion, and has kept the pair together since. It means Rafalski doesn't have to face the opposition's top line, and he can play a more open game when not paired with Scott Stevens. "Since he left me, he's been on fire," Stevens said with a smile. Despite criticism stemming from a 4-2 loss in Game 2, goalie Martin Brodeur has been just as dominant as New Jersey's top line. With his second consecutive shutout and fourth of the postseason, Brodeur hasn't allowed a goal against Pittsburgh in 134:41. Remove the seven-minute span in Game 2 when he allowed three goals, and Brodeur has allowed just two goals in 231 minutes. "Definitely, (my teammates) are playing really hard in front of me," said Brodeur.. Mario Lemieux admits the Devils are as good as it gets in the NHL, before or after his comeback. "This is, by far, the best team," he said. "Every time they turn the puck over, they get a good chance to score because their forwards are so talented and good with the puck." Perhaps, save for a miracle, they're too good for Lemieux's Penguins. Brian A. Shactman covers the NHL for ESPN.com. He can be reached at brian.shactman@espn.com. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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 ALSO SEE Devils dominate, shut out Pens to take 3-1 series lead |
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