| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- After blowing a huge lead in the standings in the final two months of the regular season, the New Jersey Devils woke up just in time to salvage home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
Jason Arnott scored his second goal of the game 47 seconds into overtime and the Devils guaranteed they will start the playoffs at home by beating Florida 2-1 on Saturday.
|  | | Jason Arnott was a hero for the Devils, who must root for the Rangers to beat Philadelphia in regulation time on Sunday. |
"Obviously we waited until the last game of the season to get going," defenseman Scott Stevens said after the Devils won for only the ninth time (9-14-2) in the last 25 games. "At least, it's a good way to end the season, an overtime win and we played pretty good hockey."
The win, coupled with Philadelphia's 3-0 victory over Boston, left the Devils and Flyers tied for first place in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference with 103 points.
Because New Jersey has finished the regular season, the Flyers can claim the top seed in the conference and the division title by either beating, tying or playing a regulation tie with the New York Rangers on Sunday in their season finale.
If Philadelphia loses, the Devils would win the division based on more wins.
However, Washington then would have a shot at winning the conference title by beating Buffalo in its regular-season finale. A win would also give the Capitals 103 points, but they would beat out New Jersey, having won the season series.
"We really aren't worried about where we finish," Arnott said. "First place is out of our hands. We wanted to go in tonight, playing the way we can play and get positive for the playoffs. If we would have lost, it would have been a huge downer for us. But that's in the past. We won, we have to build off it."
Based on what happens Sunday, New Jersey can finish either as the first, second or fourth seed in the conference for the playoffs. It would play Florida as the fourth seed, Pittsburgh as the second and either Buffalo or Carolina as the top seed, depending on which finished eighth.
The loss means Florida will be the fifth seed. The Panthers will face either Philadelphia or New Jersey in the first round later this week.
The Panthers' loss, only their second in nine games (6-2-1) also gave the Southeast Division title to Washington.
"It's disappointing because you battle all year for home ice advantage," said Panthers forward Mike Sillinger, who set up Ray Whitney's goal. "We've been at the top of the division throughout the year, but Washington caught fire for three solid months. It doesn't matter. We have to play on the road anyhow."
Arnott's game-winner came just seconds after the Panthers finished killing off a penalty that carried over from the third period. Stevens found Arnott on the right wing as the Panthers were making a line change and the big center ripped a shot past Mike Vernon from the right circle.
"I was just trying to hit the net, shoot it as hard as I could," Arnott said. "Fortunately it went in. We'll take it and run with it."
Arnott had tied the score late in the second period on another shot from the circle set up by Stevens.
New Jersey outshot Florida 14-3 in the third period, but goaltender Martin Brodeur had to come up with two saves on Mark Parrish, including a great glove stop in close early in the period to prevent Florida from winning.
With a Devils-Panthers pairing a possibility in the playoffs, the teams played this like a postseason game. It was tight checking, with a lot of hitting both before and after the whistle.
Whitney gave Florida the lead with 5:30 left in the first period. Sillinger carried the puck into the New Jersey zone on a 3-on-4 break, but three Devils covered Pavel Bure, leaving Whitney alone in the right circle for his 29th goal of the season.
The Panthers came within tenths of a second of taking a 2-0 lead while shorthanded late in the period. Rob Niedermayer got off a shot with Vladimir Malakhov draped over him. Brodeur made the save
but the puck seemed to rebound into the net off the skate of either Stevens or Sillinger.
However, the replay showed the puck was on the goal line and not across as the buzzer sounded to end the period.
"It's a good thing for New Jersey they had those camera angles," Sillinger said. "You really couldn't tell except for the one (overhead) angle that showed it was on the goal line."
After Brodeur stopped a tricky shot by Bure in the final minute of the second period, the Devils counterattacked. Bure tried to make a backhand clear of a loose puck, but Stevens knocked the pass down and found Arnott in the left circle.
"Scoring that goal was huge for us," Arnott said. "We were dead after the first period but there was life and chatter after the second period. We need to carry that on in the playoffs."
| |
ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Florida Clubhouse
New Jersey Clubhouse
null
RECAPS
New Jersey 2
Florida 1
Philadelphia 3
Boston 0
Carolina 4
Atlanta 3
Ottawa 3
Montreal 1
Toronto 4
Tampa Bay 2
Edmonton 6
Calgary 3
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Jason Arnott scores the game winning goal.
avi: 1130 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Coach Larry Robinson believes the win was a huge boost.
wav: 98 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Jason Arnott discusses the turning point for the Devils.
wav: 76 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Jason Arnott hopes this victory will get the Devils going.
wav: 123 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
|
