One Goal is All the Devils Needed

With players such as Zach Parise and Brian Gionta in the lineup, the New Jersey Devils are certainly capable of scoring when they need to. However, as most fans will tell you, the Devils typically make their playoff runs with solid defense and goaltending. The latter was the case on Friday, as New Jersey used 31 saves from Scott Clemmensen and a Bryce Salvador goal to blank the Boston Bruins 1-0 at the Prudential Center.

As well as they might play, the Devils can be a frustrating team to watch for those that enjoy offense. Such was the case in the opening period, as the teams combined for 15 shots on goal. Boston was whistled for the only two penalties during the first period, as Zdeno Chara was called for holding, while Marc Savard sat for tripping. Neither player was terribly fond of a brief rest in the sin bin, but the Bruins were able to kill off both minors. Scott Clemmensen stopped all ten shots he faced during the first, while Tim Thomas responded by stopping five for a scoreless tie.

Early in the second period, Boston was given a power play, as Patrik Elias hooked Zdeno Chara. Despite putting in extra work on the power play this week, the Bruins came up empty on their man advantage, as Clemmensen made two saves with his teammate in the penalty box.

At the 10:54 mark of the middle frame, the deadlock was finally broken. Prior to a television timeout, the puck had been redirected out of play, leading to a face-off in the Boston defensive zone. John Madden won the draw back to Bryce Salvador at the point. One of the Bruins hustled out to challenge Salvador, forcing him to let a quick wrist shot go toward the net. The shot started off a few feet above the ice, but began to drop down as it flew in on Thomas. Unfortunately for the Boston netminder, the puck found a hole through his legs, giving the Devils the first goal of the contest.

With time winding down in the second, the Bruins were able to get a scoring chance, as Vladimir Sobotka got a shot off from the low slot. Clemmensen sprawled across his crease to keep the puck out of the cage, maintaining his team’s 1-0 lead after two periods of play. Even though New Jersey did have the edge on the scoreboard, Boston had the lead in shots for the second period in a row, outshooting the Devils 13-8 for a two period total of 23-13.

The third period had a similar start to the second, as a New Jersey player found his way into the penalty box. This time, it was Brendan Shanahan, as the veteran flipped the puck over the glass, earning a minor penalty for delay of game. Once again, Boston came up empty, as both teams failed to record a shot on goal during the man advantage. The Bruins’ best chance of the final period came just before the midway mark, as Clemmensen was forced to make four consecutive saves in a span of 32 seconds. The Devils’ goaltender was successful on all four of those attempts, as well as Boston’s other four shots in the third, earning his side a 1-0 victory.

Aside from Salvador’s goal in the second, Scott Clemmensen was clearly the difference in this game, as the Bruins ended up outshooting the Devils 31-18. Clemmensen turned aside all 31, picking up his second shutout of the season. Tim Thomas only let up one goal for Boston, as he made 17 saves on 18 shots.

Friday the 13th wasn’t a friendly day for the Bruins, as the Providence Bruins also ran into some bad luck. They fell 5-1 to the San Antonio Rampage at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. The Rampage got the scoring started with two goals in 29 seconds during the first period, as Kevin Porter and Simon Ferguson found the back of the net. The lead was extended in the second, when Kyle Turris netted his first AHL goal after spending the first 53 games of his career with the Phoenix Coyotes. Leading by three, San Antonio lit the lamp again in the third, with Alexander Nikulin beating Tuukka Rask. Peter Schaefer finally put the home team on the board at the 3:55 mark of the final stanza, as he picked up his sixth goal of the season from Adam McQuaid and Martin St. Pierre. However, the Rampage had the last laugh in this one, as Turris scored his second of the game for a 5-1 final. Josh Tordjman got the win for San Antonio, making 25 saves on 26 shots. Tuukka Rask took the loss, stopping 31 of 36 shots for the P-Bruins.

Both teams will look to put Friday’s ugliness behind them on Saturday. The Boston Bruins continue their five-game road trip with an 8:00 face-off in Nashville against the Predators. The Providence Bruins travel to Portland, where there is sure to be no love lost between the P-Bruins and Pirates on Valentine’s Day. That game starts at 7:00.

Scoring Summary:
2. NJD Salvador (3) (Madden) 10:54

Penalty Summary:
1. BOS Chara- Holding 4:16
1. BOS Savard- Tripping 13:44
2. NJD Elias- Hooking 2:53
3. NJD Shanahan- Delay of Game 4:32

Goalies:
BOS Tim Thomas (24-7-5): 18 shots, 17 saves
NJD Scott Clemmensen (24-11-1): 31 shots, 31 saves

Shots on Goal:
BOS 10-13-8=31
NJD 5-8-5=18

Power Plays:
BOS 0-for-2
NJD 0-for-2

Three Stars of the Game:
1- NJD Scott Clemmensen
2- NJD Bryce Salvador
3- NJD John Madden