Drowning the Ducks in the shootout!

In a game that saw great goaltending,scoring chances,a disallowed game ending goal and a goal for each team that dribbled through the goalie in the shootout-Patrik Elias finally ended the game in the shootout for a 3-2 New Jersey Devils win over the Anaheim Ducks.
Ilya Kovalchuk had scored earlier in the shootout to give the Devils a lead that Anaheim matched.
Anaheim tied the game with a bit over two minutes to play on a goal by former Devil Sheldon Brookbank and the Ducks appeared to have won the game on a overtime goal by Ryan Getlaff,which sent Marty Brodeur and every other player dressed in red and black to their feet in protest.
Our friends in Toronto agreed with the Devils and the game played on.
Adam Henrique (15) and Alexei Ponikarovsky (10) scored the Devils regulation goals.
The Devils travel to Montreal tomorrow night for the first of two games in Canada this week...

Hell Raisers

1) The best player on the ice was Martin Brodeur and he was deservedly the first star.
Brodeur made several sprawling saves,including one on Corey Perry on a 2 on 1 shorthanded rush.
Brodeur was razor sharp in the win and continues his recent stellar play...

2) Give Jonas Hiller of Anaheim some credit as well.
The Devils made Hiller work for his money in the quality chance department and Hiller was more than up to the task.
I was quite impressed with Hiller in this one...

3) The Devils are slowly pulling away in the playoff race.
New Jersey is solidly in 6th in the Eastern Conference and only one point out of fourth/fifth,which is currently a tie between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
Due to the NHL playoff rules,the sixth place team would play the third place team which would be the Southeast Division champions,who would currently be in 8th via points.
The Devils could play a weaker opponent in the playoffs by finishing sixth instead of higher and that simply is not right....

4) Eric Boulton fought George Parros in the first period and was destroyed with a huge cut above the right eye.Parros ranks with the league's biggest bangers and Boulton was out of his league.


5) Adam Henrique has returned to form after being returned to the Parise/Kovachuk line.
Travis Zajac and his playmaking skills may be a super fit when the day comes that he returns,but I would keep Henrique on this line as long as I possibly could...

6) Former Devils Sheldon Brookbank scored for the first time in over two years for the Ducks.
I was not thrilled at the time,but Brookbank was always a high effort player for the Devils,so considering that the Devils earned the two points anyway,I felt good for the veteran....

Photo Credits:AP Photo