Hurricanes 2
Devils 1
It’s not the shots. It’s the shooters. The Devils haven’t lost to anyone but Carolina since the end of the last regular season, but they’ve lost to them plenty (2-6), including both their losses in this otherwise perfect 6-2 season.
Last night’s 2-1 defeat at the Meadowlands marked the fourth straight loss – including the final two playoff games – the Devils have suffered at the hands of goalie Kevin Weekes.
“I don’t think we were ever inspired to win this game,” Pat Burns said. “I’m just waiting for all this hate I’m hearing about.”
He did see the low-scoring hockey that has become his reputation. New Jersey played perfect defense in the third period, holding a foe shotless in a period for the first time in Meadowlands history. Trouble was, as is the Devils’ trouble this year, it was merely decent offense that was demanded.
Outshooting the victors 35-11, including 7-0 in the scoreless third, the Devils looked again like a team screaming for a goal pig to make the most of everything else that is well in place.
While their closest approximation, Patrik Elias, was missing a breakaway and a back door 5-on-3, Weekes continued to make them look like a team that plays defense because that’s all they can do.
“I think we played better than they did. Sometimes it works like that,” Elias said. “They were smart enough to stay back so we were always going against four or five guys. And they do a lot of interfering, which isn’t being called as much.”
There were enough Carolina penalties that the woeful, worst-in-hockey Devil power play should have averted defeat. Going 0-for-5 including that second period 5-on-3, the Devils now stand 3-for-43 on the season, even worse for having allowed a shorthander. Can anyone say Valeri Bure, or anyone else with a knack for the net?
Jaroslav Svoboda put the Hurricanes in front 7:15 into play, rebounding Niclas Wallin’s point shot. The Devils had not trailed since losing to Carolina Oct. 19, front-running their last three straight victories. The only other time they were behind in a game this season was when they gave up the opening goal in their Game 2 triumph over Columbus, trailing 7:39 all season against teams other than Carolina.
Jeff Friesen answered quickly, using Wallin as a screen for a routine right circle wrister. Kevin Weekes waved at the short side goal, Friesen’s second, at 10:06.
Carolina regained the lead at 6:28 of the second, catching the Devils overstaying their shift. Jeff O’Neill deflected in Sean Hill’s right point shot for his third, the goal that would stand to hand New Jersey its first home defeat.
“That’s the team that has played us completely different from all the other ones,” Friesen said. “We have to get these guys back in their place.”
Instead, they’ve been putting the Devils in theirs.
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Devils are off until they host Chicago Saturday afternoon . . . Jay Pandolfo sat out second game with groin pull . . . Ken Daneyko’s NHL record goal drought, snapped in Buffalo Friday, is confirmed at 256 games . . . Hurricanes were winless in two (0-1-1).
Scott Stevens tried to prod O’Neill into a bout in the third. Stevens took a penalty for kneeing against O’Neill Oct. 19, although the NHL took no further disciplinary action . . .