SUNRISE, Fla. – It certified an early season gone so wrong that it will require drastic repair.
There was little else Larry Robinson could do, short of surrender to the obvious. So instead of waving the white flag and demanding Lou Lamoriello do what he must by obtaining a scorer, Robinson ripped the refs.
Shut out twice in three games, their winless streak at seven as they visited the Panthers here last night, Robinson’s words Friday night after a 2-0 loss to the Lightning said that his Devils were robbed. His desperation left him no alternative.
Robinson has tried everything imaginable to milk a few goals out of his Devils, and instead of a scorer, Lou Lamoriello went and added a defenseman. It was an excellent pickup, but it was a bottle of fine wine when aspirin was needed.
The Devils’ coach has sought to find a replacement for Alexander Mogilny in house, every imaginable candidate from Pierre Dagenais to John Madden. He has broken up the “A” Line in hopes of igniting that third line. He has split old backline pairs to make better use of his offensive defensemen.
And still, the Devils had been held to one goal or less in five of their seven games without victory, including Friday’s loss in Tampa.
“We haven’t deserved to win in a long time, a game where we were the better team,” Bobby Holik said, unwilling to hide behind Robinson’s ref-ripping refuge.
Robinson surely had a point, and the Devils have long believed they have a problem with ref Mark Faucette. But it is disillusioning to hear Robinson excusing a seventh straight non-victory in that fashion.
“If I would have been playing tonight, I would have lost my composure,” Robinson said.
“We didn’t get a fair shake. You don’t throw [the loss] out, but it’s hard to get a good read on this because it was a little bit out of our hands. That upsets you.”
It should upset him more that the Devils were unable to win when they had to in Tampa, against the team that has scored the fewest goals in the NHL. The Devils had won 7 of 8 here in the past four years, and such was the confidence that Robinson correctly chose Tampa as the site for Jean-Francois Damphousse’s first NHL start in goal.
Without any help, Damphousse had no chance to win his NHL debut, even if perfect. The loss wasn’t his fault in any way.
“I felt pretty good about my game,” Damphousse said. “I’m sure the guys didn’t know what to expect from me.”
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Colin White was ejected in third for butt-ending Jassen Cullimore, who fell as if shot to embellish the appearance of the unnecessary and ill-advised love-tap. The NHL will surely review the call and a fine would be the appropriate supplementary discipline, but not a suspension.
