The Devils claim that the only scoreboard they are watching is
the one hanging above the ice on the nights they play. That one has
provided nothing but good news lately with goaltender Johan Hedberg
making all the big saves and Ilya Kovalchuk seemingly scoring all
the big goals. That was the winning formula for the surging Devils
again in their come-from-behind, 2-1 victory over the San Jose
Sharks on Friday night at Prudential Center.
NEWARK, N.J.
The Devils claim that the only scoreboard they are watching is the one hanging above the ice on the nights they play.
That one has provided nothing but good news lately with goaltender Johan Hedberg making all the big saves and Ilya Kovalchuk seemingly scoring all the big goals.
That was the winning formula for the surging Devils again in their come-from-behind, 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Friday night at Prudential Center.
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A night after scoring the overtime winner in a 2-1 victory in Toronto, Kovalchuk snapped a 1-1 tie with 3:59 left in regulation to give the Devils their fourth consecutive win.
“We’re all playing better,” Kovalchuk said. “It seems like we never stopped battling and we got the two points.”
Those two points came in a game in which the Devils were clearly fatigued from playing seven games in 11 nights after the All-Star break. Somehow, they went 6-0-1 in those seven games and improved to 12-1-2 in their last 15.
That run has them 12 points behind Atlanta for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. The Thrashers moved one point ahead of Carolina into eighth with their win over the Rangers on Friday.
“We’ve been coming back and that’s huge,” said left wing Brian Rolston, whose 4-on-3 power-play goal 9:12 into the third period tied the game at 1. “That shows character. That shows rebound. That’s what good hockey teams do. We still feel we still have lot of fight in us.”
Comebacks have become the theme for the Devils in the big and small pictures. Only five weeks ago, they were 27 points out of eighth place, and in each of their last three games they overcame third-period deficits to win.
Friday’s comeback was particularly impressive against a Sharks team that lost in regulation for the first time in 11 games (9-1-1).
“That’s character,” Kovalchuk said. “That’s when you feel comfortable and you play confident with the puck and without it, and you get those bounces. We didn’t feel that in the first 30 games, that’s for sure.”
The Devils claimed not to pay attention to what the Thrashers did Friday.
“It’s too early for that,” said Hedberg, who made 31 saves and was outstanding again in filling in for the injured Martin Brodeur.
Devils coach Jacques Lemaire admitted he has peeked at the standings, though.
“I do look at it,” Lemaire said. “We don’t move. We’re still a long way.”
Although the Devils won all four games they played this week, Lemaire has some concerns.
“It’s nice to do this, but I’m not totally pleased with the way we’re playing,” he said. “There’s a reason, too. We’re been playing a lot of hockey. … It’s tough for the players, especially the way it’s going. Some guys are playing over 20 minutes a game. It’s demanding.”
The Devils’ fatigue showed as they were outshot 12-2 in the first period, but Hedberg held them in the game. It remained scoreless until San Jose’s Patrick Marleau scored on the rebound of Niclas Wallin’s left point shot 6:08 into the third period.
Kovalchuk fed Rolston for his one-timed blast from the high slot that tied the game. Then, Kovalchuk scored his sixth game-winner of the season with some help from Travis Zajac, who won the right-circle draw from Logan Couture. Kovalchuk snapped off a wrist shot that beat Sharks goaltender Annti Niemi to the blocker side.
BRIEFS: Devils RW Dainius Zubrus needed five stitches to close a cut under his right eye caused by Torrey Mitchell’s high stick with 3:19 remaining. … D Jay Leach, who was acquired in Wednesday’s AHL trade with the Sharks, was called up from Albany on an emergency basis, but did not dress. “We got him just (because) we weren’t sure of a couple of guys on defense,” Lemaire said. … D Anton Volhenkov served the second game of his three-game suspension for elbowing Carolina’s Zach Boychuk in the head.
— Story by Tom Gulitti, The Record
