The New Jersey Devils blazed to a 6-0 lead with two almost flawless periods before seeming to relax a bit in the third period by allowing four goals to the Philadelphia Flyers before the final buzzer in a 6-4 win.Kurtis Foster rebounded from his benching in the win over Montreal with two goals on the power play (3 and 4),while Ilya Kovalchuk (21 shorthanded),Zach Parise (19 power play),Dainius Zubrus (14) and Alexei Ponikarovsky (9) divided the remaining Devils goals.
Johan Hedberg was in net for the win,which was the third in a row for New Jersey.
The Devils host Pittsburgh today at one,which is why the Devils recap gets priority over the Cavaliers win over Dallas.
I hope to get that up later today,but tomorrow at latest...
Hell Raisers
1) Top note goes to Ilya Kovalchuk with the rarest of Gordie Howe hat tricks- a shorthanded goal,an assist and a fight.
For all scoring news,the talk of the day was Kovalchuk's one punch stretching of Braden Schenn.
I'll deal with how the fight started in the next note,but the fight came about because Schenn interjected himself into a scuffle between Kovalchuk and Zac Rinaldo and found himself faced with an angry Kovalchuk.
The result for Schenn? Being tossed around like a stuffed animal and then flattened by one right by Kovalchuk.
Say goodnight,Braden...
2) The whole event started because Zac Rinaldo tripped Zach Parise from behind well after the whistle had blown with malice.
Dirty play from a player attempting make a name for himself,which appears to be working-if the name you want to be known as is the next Sean Avery....
Rinaldo lost five grand on the day-with $2.500 going for the slewfoot on Parise and a matching amount for a hit on Jacob Josefson earlier in the game.
3) The gas from the Flyers ended with less than a second remaining in the first period as another on my least favorite player list-Scott Hartnell was not content to allow the period to expire,he wanted to get into the corner with some chippy stuff.
That kept the puck alive and Danius Zubrus flipped the puck over Sergei Bobrivsky's shoulder for a 3-0 lead....
4) Always tough to cruise along with a six goal lead,but the Devils did get light in the third.
So light that they were outshot 24-1 in the last period.
I know the game was decided by then,but still...
5) Give credit when due-Kurtis Foster was awful against Montreal,but three points on the power play?
Foster is noted as a PP specialist,perhaps the answer is to limit his minutes at even strength?
6) The Flyers are my most hated team followed by the Rangers.
Most Devils fans reverse the two,but to each their own,but Philadelphia lived up to their reputation as a "goon it up" team yesterday.
It never seems to fail that when in doubt Bobby Clarke finds a new cheap shot artist-Dan Carcillo leaves,Zac Rinaldo enters.
Typical...
Photo Credit-AP Photo
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