PHILADELPHIA — Two lines formed on the ice for handshakes at 10:06 p.m. Tuesday, and the Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers wished each other well. A five-game series seemed like a smart prediction before it began — but there had been a stunning twist. The Devils won.
David Clarkson, the pugnacious forward, scored a fitting go-ahead goal in a 3-1 victory for the aggressive, opportunistic Devils by crashing the goal to deflect a clearing pass from Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov with his stick. The puck bounced past Bryzgalov into the net.
“I’ll take ’em any way I can get ’em,” Clarkson said.
The Flyers became Stanley Cup favorites almost immediately after polishing off the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in the first round, but the Devils won the teams’ Eastern Conference semifinal series, four games to one. Their only loss was in overtime in the opener.
The Devils wiped out a one-goal deficit on a shot by Bryce Salvador that was deflected past Bryzgalov only two minutes after the Flyers scored, and in the third period, Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk scored his fifth playoff goal on a searing slap shot four seconds into a power play.
The Devils, who will face either the Rangers or the Washington Capitals in the conference finals, have won eight of the 16 games needed to win the Cup, or more than they have since they won their third Cup in 2003. The Flyers have not won the Cup since 1975.
“I’ve never been this far,” said Zach Parise, the first-year captain. “It’s a good feeling. But we’re only halfway there. It’s only going to get harder.”
Martin Brodeur, who turned 40 Sunday, stopped 27 shots, including all 17 in the last two periods. Even before Kovalchuk scored five minutes into the third period, the Devils were content with continually chipping the puck out of their own zone.
Then Kovalchuk, who missed the second game of the series with a bad back, took a pass from hustling rookie center Adam Henrique off a face-off and blasted a shot that Bryzgalov had no chance to stop. Kovalchuk, the $100 million forward, scored two goals in three games since returning.
Asked if he was looking forward to resting for a few days as the Rangers-Capitals series was decided, Kovalchuk said, “I want to play as soon as I can.”
The Flyers were forced to play without their best forward, the 24-year-old center Claude Giroux, who was suspended for one game Monday by the N.H.L. for checking Dainius Zubrus in the head late in the second period of Game 4 on Sunday.
Giroux, who had eight playoff goals and nine assists, probably would have come in handy. The Flyers, thought before the series to be the aggressors, took a 1-0 lead on Max Talbot’s goal 7 minutes 18 seconds into the game — but quickly coughed up the lead. The Flyers scored first in all four of their losses in the series.
“It was just sticking with the game plan and doing what it takes to be successful,” said Peter DeBoer, the Devils’ first-year coach.
The Devils had the lead, and for good, only 5:27 after Talbot’s goal. Bryce Salvador took a cross-ice pass from Henrique — with his linemate Alexei Ponikarovsky barely staying on the blue line — and fired a shot that was tipped by Philadelphia forward Wayne Simmonds before it zipped past Bryzgalov.
“Got a good bounce there, and it went in,” Salvador said.
Clarkson then made the most memorable play of the night. As Bryzgalov prepared to clear the puck to defenseman Kimmo Timonen to his left, Clarkson charged the goal, getting into Bryzgalov’s path. Clarkson deflected the pass between Bryzgalov’s legs.
The puck slid back into the net at 12:45 for Clarkson’s second goal of the playoffs, and the crowd, most wearing orange T-shirts with “Rise to the Occasion” printed on them, were much quieter than they were after Talbot’s goal. Many of them left before the game ended.
“What a big break,” Parise said of Clarkson’s goal. “If we keep doing those things, we’re going to get rewarded for doing them.”
Kovalchuk’s goal was significant because a two-goal lead is a lot easier to protect than a one-goal lead. “After that goal, everything settled down,” Brodeur said. Kovalchuk’s last game here had been painful and forgettable; he had no shots, and the Devils lost in overtime, 4-3.
With four seconds left in a game the Devils were certain to win, Kovalchuk blocked a shot by Philadelphia defenseman Andrej Meszaros to preserve the two-goal victory, apparently with no ill effect. Kovalchuk said the victory was emotional. He has never been this far.
Patrik Elias, the 36-year-old forward with two Stanley Cups, smiled when he said: “We’re just in the third round. But we’re still there.”
David Clarkson, the pugnacious forward, scored a fitting go-ahead goal in a 3-1 victory for the aggressive, opportunistic Devils by crashing the goal to deflect a clearing pass from Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov with his stick. The puck bounced past Bryzgalov into the net.
“I’ll take ’em any way I can get ’em,” Clarkson said.
The Flyers became Stanley Cup favorites almost immediately after polishing off the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in the first round, but the Devils won the teams’ Eastern Conference semifinal series, four games to one. Their only loss was in overtime in the opener.
The Devils wiped out a one-goal deficit on a shot by Bryce Salvador that was deflected past Bryzgalov only two minutes after the Flyers scored, and in the third period, Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk scored his fifth playoff goal on a searing slap shot four seconds into a power play.
The Devils, who will face either the Rangers or the Washington Capitals in the conference finals, have won eight of the 16 games needed to win the Cup, or more than they have since they won their third Cup in 2003. The Flyers have not won the Cup since 1975.
“I’ve never been this far,” said Zach Parise, the first-year captain. “It’s a good feeling. But we’re only halfway there. It’s only going to get harder.”
Martin Brodeur, who turned 40 Sunday, stopped 27 shots, including all 17 in the last two periods. Even before Kovalchuk scored five minutes into the third period, the Devils were content with continually chipping the puck out of their own zone.
Then Kovalchuk, who missed the second game of the series with a bad back, took a pass from hustling rookie center Adam Henrique off a face-off and blasted a shot that Bryzgalov had no chance to stop. Kovalchuk, the $100 million forward, scored two goals in three games since returning.
Asked if he was looking forward to resting for a few days as the Rangers-Capitals series was decided, Kovalchuk said, “I want to play as soon as I can.”
The Flyers were forced to play without their best forward, the 24-year-old center Claude Giroux, who was suspended for one game Monday by the N.H.L. for checking Dainius Zubrus in the head late in the second period of Game 4 on Sunday.
Giroux, who had eight playoff goals and nine assists, probably would have come in handy. The Flyers, thought before the series to be the aggressors, took a 1-0 lead on Max Talbot’s goal 7 minutes 18 seconds into the game — but quickly coughed up the lead. The Flyers scored first in all four of their losses in the series.
“It was just sticking with the game plan and doing what it takes to be successful,” said Peter DeBoer, the Devils’ first-year coach.
The Devils had the lead, and for good, only 5:27 after Talbot’s goal. Bryce Salvador took a cross-ice pass from Henrique — with his linemate Alexei Ponikarovsky barely staying on the blue line — and fired a shot that was tipped by Philadelphia forward Wayne Simmonds before it zipped past Bryzgalov.
“Got a good bounce there, and it went in,” Salvador said.
Clarkson then made the most memorable play of the night. As Bryzgalov prepared to clear the puck to defenseman Kimmo Timonen to his left, Clarkson charged the goal, getting into Bryzgalov’s path. Clarkson deflected the pass between Bryzgalov’s legs.
The puck slid back into the net at 12:45 for Clarkson’s second goal of the playoffs, and the crowd, most wearing orange T-shirts with “Rise to the Occasion” printed on them, were much quieter than they were after Talbot’s goal. Many of them left before the game ended.
“What a big break,” Parise said of Clarkson’s goal. “If we keep doing those things, we’re going to get rewarded for doing them.”
Kovalchuk’s goal was significant because a two-goal lead is a lot easier to protect than a one-goal lead. “After that goal, everything settled down,” Brodeur said. Kovalchuk’s last game here had been painful and forgettable; he had no shots, and the Devils lost in overtime, 4-3.
With four seconds left in a game the Devils were certain to win, Kovalchuk blocked a shot by Philadelphia defenseman Andrej Meszaros to preserve the two-goal victory, apparently with no ill effect. Kovalchuk said the victory was emotional. He has never been this far.
Patrik Elias, the 36-year-old forward with two Stanley Cups, smiled when he said: “We’re just in the third round. But we’re still there.”
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