Bad defense and officiating=L in Motown

A less than wonderful call by the officials combined with a few key defensive breakdowns ended the New Jersey Devils winning streak against the Detroit Red Wings 3-1.
Brian Rolston scored the only Devils goal (6) in the first period.
The Devils now have the next five days off before a return next Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators at the Rock.

Hell Raisers

1) No blame for this one on Martin Brodeur,who was faultless on all three Detroit goals and hung out to dry on two of the three.Without the strong play of Brodeur,this game wasn't as close as it was...

2) Brian Rolston continued to elevate his play over the last handful of games with his goal against Jimmy Howard.Rolston's goal came not from his shot,but from good ol' fashioned digging around the net as he whacked away at the puck until it squirted under Howard and into the twine.
That is the type of all around,multi-dimensional player that the Devils thought they were signing from Minnesota....

3) Call that could have cost the Devils a point-with 2:28 to go,Ilya Kovalchuk hammered the puck by Jimmy Howard for what looked like the tying goal.
The goal wasn't counted as the referee said that Kovalchuk pushed Howard's glove into the goal and the puck crossed the line only for that reason.
Replays showed that not to be the case and the arbiters didn't even bother to go to "the room" in Toronto to take a look.
The Wings would score the backbreaker a minute or so later as the Devils were changing lines in an attempt to add offense and tie the game....

4) Mark Fraser was literally asleep at the switch as his lazy pass in the first period went straight to Darren Helm,who cruised into the crease alone for the Wings first goal.
I would say that I have no idea what he was thinking,if I thought Fraser was thinking...

5) The second goal was a series of Red Wing skating and passing displays that most teams would be helpless against,but the play was started by another misplay in the Devils end,this time by Mark Fayne.
Fayne's fumble allowed Detroit the opportunity to play with the lead at a point,where they were playing evenly and without emotion....

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