Maple Leafs 3 Devils 2
This loss was the perfect illustration of the Devils’ big problem, whether to deal more youth for another old star like Theo Fleury.
Their popgun offense made another goalie look great last night, taking 41 shots on Toronto’s Curtis Joseph and managing only two goals for the fifth time in six games. To go anywhere in the playoffs, they need a gunner, among other things. That much is obvious.
But dressed in Maple Leaf blue were the sacrifices they made the last time they decided to go for the Cup, when they dealt for Doug Gilmour, who is not around any more to perk up the offense.
There was Steve Sullivan starting the Leafs back from a two-goal deficit, and then again, scoring the winner with 2:59 left, as the Devils stretched their home winless streak to three with a 3-2 loss to open a six-game homestand.
“He finds a way to get things done,” Robbie Ftorek said of Sullivan, who may not be able to make the Devils today, although he undid them last night. It’s getting to be decision time for Lou Lamoriello, who dealt Sullivan, defenseman Jason Smith and Alyn McCauley (injured) for Gilmour and Dave Ellett less than two years ago, on Feb. 25, 1997. If he wants to win the Cup this year, he must do it again – at the very least, since he also needs a No. 1 center and an offensive defenseman.
“If you’re talking about trading for a guy who will be free to go [unrestricted, like Fleury or Mark Recchi], you can’t do that unless you can get him signed. You can’t do that for good players,” Scott Stevens said.
If they don’t make a fix-it deal, they’ll go out in the first or second round. They’ll be conserving their young players for the future, although one can’t expect Stevens and Ken Daneyko to be strong defensemen forever. That will be another area to fix, and another delay in going for it.
But the well of young players is not bottomless, and the Flames are going to want some good ones for Fleury, guys like Denis Pederson, Sheldon Souray, Patrik Elias or Colin White. And someday, those guys will come back to bite the Devils.
“This was kind of special, having been traded by the Devils a couple of years ago,” Sullivan said after this two-goal night. “Who won the trade? I don’t know.”
Today, it looks like the Leafs, since the Devils have nothing to show for the deal. That’s the risk they’re considering running again.
It looked like the Devils’ offensive troubles were over early, as they took a 2-0 lead in the first nine minutes. Then they stopped. They opened the scoring on Petr Sykora’s 17th 2:31 into play. Sykora cut behind Smith from right to left for a 2-on-1 with Elias, and scorched Joseph from the circle over the glove.
Randy McKay made it 2-0 at 8:46, set up at the left post by Bobby Holik, who beat Smith on a right-to-left sprint behind the net. McKay’s rebound returned to his stick, and he put his second attempt past Joseph’s glove for his 13th of the season and first in seven games.
The Devils couldn’t escape the first period unscathed, however. Lyle Odelein’s pass from the right boards went off Vadim Sharifijanov’s skate, falling directly to Sullivan, who had Martin Brodeur deep in his net. From the left circle, Sullivan picked the high far corner at 17:53.
Toronto tied the score at 2:00 of the second, when Sergei Berezin finished off a 4-on-2 feed from Gary Valk for his 18th.
Overtime was looming when Sullivan scored his second of the game and 10th of the year with 2:59 left in regulation. *Incredibly, Devils do not believe they should tell their fans that Sasha Lakovic was suspended for six AHL games for his role in a brawl while in Albany for conditioning last week. Lakovic is back with the Devils, and can’t go back without serving those games … Leafs coach Pat Quinn accused McKay and Jason Arnott of running Joseph.
