Devils 2
Lightning 2
TAMPA – Out a year after being in five straight, the Devils have corrected that absence from the NHL’s exclusive 100-point club. They realized what they had by going without.
“You aim for it at the start of the season. If you get more than 100 points, you’re having a good year. This is a very good year,” Scott Stevens said after the Devils hit the century mark for the sixth time in seven seasons with last night’s 2-2 tie with the Lightning.
“This is rewarding. We’ve had to battle hard to get where we are, and that makes it a little different. Other times we’ve had it easier getting to 100 points,” Stevens said.
The Devils became the fourth team to achieve triple digits this season after Larry Robinson was fired during, and Kevin Constantine after, last year’s 95-point campaign. If they win their remaining six games, they’d break their record of 111 points, and there would be nothing Philly could do about the Atlantic Division title.
“I’ve never been on a 100-point team before,” Jeff Friesen said. “It’s great. You know the playoffs are where it’s at, but it’s something you can accomplish now.”
Cracking the century mark was the upside of the night. On the other hand, the Devils were unable to protect a lead they took into the third for only the sixth time this season (31-0-5-1), and Martin Brodeur failed to win his 40th game for an NHL record fourth season.
“It’s a big number and I’d like to get it done as soon as possible, but we’re here to play hockey. If not [last night], we’ll try again [tonight in Atlanta],” Brodeur said.
The Devils saw a fifth straight victory vanish when Vincent Lecavalier erased their last lead with 5:25 left in regulation, six seconds after one half of a 5-on-3 power play expired, but before Turner Stevenson could affect play coming from the box.
Scott Niedermayer disputed the penalty that put the Devils two-down, cross-checking Tim Taylor in the corner.
“I would say that wouldn’t get called for a 5-on-3 very often,” Niedermayer said. “I just kind of pushed on his back and he fell down. You don’t dive, but you fall down.”
Still, even Pat Burns was satisfied with the tie against the streaking Lightning, unbeaten in 10 (6-0-4) and headed to the playoffs for the first time since 1996.
The Devils jumped in front when Patrik Elias scored the team’s third PPG in five games, a veritable eruption that has lifted the Devils from worst in the NHL to 29th.
From the left circle, Scott Gomez’s screened shot was waffled by Nikolai Khabibulin, but bunted back by Elias just outside the crease. Elias’ second swat freed the puck to slip between Khabibulin’s pads for his 23rd, 2:41 into play.
That lead lasted 2:01, until Brad Richards converted Martin St. Louis’ feed from behind the net for his 19th.
After Tampa’s Ruslan Fedotenko hit the crossbar, Pascal Rheaume put the Devils back in front at 5:14 of the second. Khabibulin gloved Stevens’ dump off the corner, then dropped the puck unknowingly. Rheaume raced in and poked home his eighth in 71 games this season, and fourth in 15 for New Jersey.
It could have been enough, but the Lightning played like a team that meant to send a message. They were quicker and hungrier, and salvaged a point with the late PPG.
