Despair and desperation dog the Devils, who now have tried nearly everything. Survival demands they now win three straight from the team they haven’t beaten three times in 12 this season.
The Devils pulled out the stops, hoping in very un-Devil-like fashion to outscore Jaromir Jagr’s line with their own top offensive threesome. They even managed three goals, but in that desperate bid for goals, their defensive strengths crumbled.
It may be their epitaph – just not enough.
“We have to play on the edge. Tonight, we fell off it,” said Jamie Langenbrunner, minus-2 despite two assists, and one of the error-makers.
Shocking, major and, finally, fatal mistakes were committed by ring-wearers, captains, present and former, and veteran reliables in last night’s 5-3 loss to the Rangers at the Garden. If those guys can’t cut it, the Devils have an even greater uphill climb to survive this 3-1 series deficit that has erased 199 of 219 teams.
“This is not where we want to be,” said Langenbrunner. “We had an opportunity to make it 2-2 and we made mistakes you can’t make. But they don’t have four yet.”
They will remind themselves, Patrik (minus-3 despite two goals) Elias and some of the others, that they triumphed from a 3-1 deficit in the 2000 semis, ousting the Flyers on Larry Robinson’s garbage-can toss and tirade, before winning their second Cup.
“Every goal they got tonight, we gave the puck away,” coach Brent Sutter said. “We need more from certain individuals and fewer mistakes.”
Said Martin Brodeur: “We’re making mistakes that are not our team, like pinching [Colin White] on Jaromir Jagr.
“Now, we can’t lose again.”
Sutter complained that the Rangers are bumping and hitting Brodeur as a strategy.
“There’s definitely contact against the goaltender. If it’s allowed, fine. I want to know about it and we’ll do the same,” Sutter said. “If it’s going to be allowed, we’ll start doing it, too.”
Devils are 1-5 in series when they’ve trailed 3-1. … Devils called up Frank Doyle, Petr Vrana and Nicklas Bergfors from Lowell.