They opened the season’s longest homestand dreadfully last night, but by the time it’s done a week from today, the Devils are expected to have Martin Brodeur back in practice, The Post has learned.
Digging a three-goal hole to lose for the second straight home game, the Devils fell 3-1 to the Kings last night to start their five-game stay in Newark.
“It’s not that our skills diminish at home. That leads me to believe it’s between the ears,” said Scott Clemmensen as the Devils fell to 4-5 in their last nine at Lafayette Street.
“We’re a much better road team, I guess,” Zach Parise said. “Night and day between [Friday’s 5-1 victory in Atlanta] and tonight.”
They played without defenseman Colin White, though the Devils said last night that the possible fracture, suffered when hit in the left glove by a shot Friday, turned out to be only a “sore hand,” sidelining White day-to-day.
Meanwhile, Brodeur faced full-speed shots from teammates and the coaching staff yesterday morning in the main arena in Newark.
One caution was noted, however. The heavy work was said to leave Brodeur fatigued, and the brass is now likely to back off, for a moment, in his comeback from Nov. 6 surgery to reattach a left biceps tendon to his forearm. It appears unlikely he will be pushed hard to play soon, the team more likely to remain conservative in getting him back in form.
Brodeur was unable to exercise, or even move his arm, for a month following his surgery, and regaining his conditioning is one of biggest issues he faces.
Clemmensen, his main replacement, took his second straight loss following his seven-game winning streak and stands 22-11-1. Kevin Weekes, Friday’s winner, has won his last three, now 5-4 this season – all since Brodeur last played Nov. 1.
Starting the Kings to their fifth victory in six, Jarret Stoll’s straight-out power play slap glanced over Clemmensen’s waffle at 10:23 of the second.
Anze Kopitar made it 2-0, shaking off Zach Parise’s stick-check to steer home Patrick O’Sullivan’s pass to the crease from left wing at 12:28.
O’Sullivan converted a penalty shot awarded when Mike Mottau fell on the puck in the crease, at 14:57 of the second. O’Sullivan swept right and stickhandled to the front before lifting his 13th over Clemmensen’s waffle.
It was the first penalty shot scored upon the Devils in New Jersey since Mats Naslund beat Chico Resch Feb. 13, 1986. Ron Low also allowed a home penalty shot goal to Calgary’s Paul Reinhart March 14, 1983. The Devils had stopped their last five penalty shots in New Jersey, including Brodeur (three total) on Islander Kyle Okposo this season, Oct. 10. Ryan Malone scored on Clemmensen in Tampa Nov. 23.
Dainius Zubrus snapped the shutout bid of Jonathan Quick at 10:41 of the third with his 12th, and first in 10 games.
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An apparent Zubrus power play goal 3:07 into play was wiped out as a kick-in, though Zubrus denied knowing the puck was there, or that he hit it.
Kings 3 Devils 1
