Round 2: New Jersey vs Tampa Bay

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Levy keeps calling the Tampa Bay player Andre "Wah". I really thought his last name was actually pronounced Roy...do any of you guys know?

I've always heard it "wah" for Andre, SHC. Brad Richards on the other hand is "Rich-ards", not "Ree-shard" or anything.
Thank you. I don't know why I thought I had heard "Roy." I'm just batty I guess.:crazy:

The Bolts need to get it together pretty quick here in the 3rd.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

CRAP!!!! Stupid Scott "I'll kill your grandma for the puck" Stevens!!!

(I like that name, Mona :D )

[hyena]

:sick: yuk. NJ's defense is just freaking awesome. the bolts looked like crap...i was really hoping they could tie this series up. now they have to head up to jersey to win a game and at least make this series go to six (for the sake of my bracket, haha). effing devils -- arrgh! http://www.electrichyena.com/other/angryfire.gif. f stevens, too. yeah right, like anyone actually thought he wasn't going to play tonight -- he looked fine. :roll: ARRRGH! http://www.electrichyena.com/other/rant.gif

[Shell]

ugh, Tampa had No juice at all in the 3rd.. That game could have been 8-1 easy. They HAVE to bring it on Friday..

Hopefully the ducks game goes better!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Like hyena, I need one more win out of the Bolts since I picked NJ in 6. But, yeah, they looked like crap out there tonight. :sick:

[Jeff O Rocks]

TB may as well have had their jammies on ...cause they looked like they were asleep!!!!!!!! and for Stevens...I hate that mofo!! :mad: When he scored that goal..the look on his face....... :sick: :mad:

Glad you like his "new" name SHC!! ;) It fits don't it!?? They better wake up...it doesn't look good going back to Jersey..... :sad:

[crazy4canes]

Ugh! :mad: Would someone please remind the Bolts there are playoff games going on????? :mad: Sleep-skating. That's what last night's game looked like. :roll:

[Guyute]

horrible horrible showing by the Bolts.

jersey did play well... but tampa just didn't feel like playing, so most of it was on them. what a shot by Stevens though. damn.

hope the Bolts wake up... this series needs to go on some more.

[tommy]

that was a beautiful goal by stevens, nice way to come back.

brodeur is wonderful, but it was the rest of the defense that won the game last night. so many incredible defensive plays.

[Jeff O Rocks]

I know this is OT..but does anyone have a link to the hit that Stevens put on Ronnie??? Ron's#1fan has never seen it, and I think she should to get the "full appreciation" of a man/player like Stevens!! :mad:

[hyena]

wow. it looks like khabibulin will be on the bench tonight!! :eek:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2003/story?id=1548280
bold move, but who knows, maybe it will fire them up. they need something to light a fire under their butts after the way they played last game. http://www.electrichyena.com/other/angryfire.gif

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Bold move is right! This should be interesting.

[nccanes]

wow. it looks like khabibulin will be on the bench tonight!! :eek:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2003/story?id=1548280
bold move, but who knows, maybe it will fire them up. they need something to light a fire under their butts after the way they played last game. http://www.electrichyena.com/other/angryfire.gif

Jesus, talk about pressure on Grahame. He's played well for the Bolts, but this seem really, REALLY risky. Torts admits it himself:

If we lose, you guys are going to have a ball with this,'' Tortorella said. "Go with it. I don't care. It comes down to the hockey club. ... Is this a conventional move? No, I'm not going to say that. I really don't care. All I care about is tonight's game. We win tonight's game, and I'm very confident about that, things change. What comes down the road after that, the personality conflicts, we'll deal with them. That's the way we operate."


and I doubt any of the Canes would have said the goalie switches last playoffs were "shocking", they were methodical and understandable in my opinion.

Lightning coach John Tortorella shocked his players, and especially goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, when he walked into the locker room before the morning skate and informed them that John Grahame would start Game 5 tonight at Continental Airlines Arena.

This reeks of mind games to me. But what do I know.

[Turbulence]

This is quite puzzling...it isn't like Bulin has been Swiss cheese...
But perhaps this will light a spark under the collective arse. Grahme is a capable goalie if the Bolts can get some offense.


Sounds like a fun game coming up....
Go Bolts.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I don't get it either. It's been team play that has been a problem....nut Khabibulin.

What comes down the road after that, the personality conflicts, we'll deal with them. That's the way we operate."


What does that mean? Is he hinting that there are team problems with Khabibulin?

[SouthernHockeyChick]

1-0 Bolts. Woooooooooooo!!

TLT should not wear a hat backwards until he gets a haircut. :sick:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Yeah. Sorry guys. I'm never allowed to do another scoring update....1-1. :sad:

[Shell]

Feel free to update us on any Jersey scores, though hopefully there won't be any more this game!!

And yes, very strange move to put in Grahame... that has to kind of suck for him even if he has wanted the chance to prove himself. He just watched his team not skate, and knows if they lose this game they are done. Talk about some pressure!! Very curious about the move any why./. I've never heard about problems with khabi??

Well, the coach as compared their team to us several times.. maybe he figured we won the Devils series by changing goalies so he may as well try?

[Turbulence]

Feel free to update us on any Jersey scores, though hopefully there won't be any more this game!!



I don't know if I'm up for an infinate OT game tonight... :p

[Alicia]

Feel free to update us on any Jersey scores, though hopefully there won't be any more this game!!



I don't know if I'm up for an infinate OT game tonight... :p

Looks like it's headed that way...

[nccanes]

Feel free to update us on any Jersey scores, though hopefully there won't be any more this game!!

And yes, very strange move to put in Grahame... that has to kind of suck for him even if he has wanted the chance to prove himself. He just watched his team not skate, and knows if they lose this game they are done. Talk about some pressure!! Very curious about the move any why./. I've never heard about problems with khabi??


I think Tort has tinkered around with Grahame a little more than expected during the season after they acquired him. Just reading the Tampa Boards it seemed like he started him for a stint when Khabi was less than stellar (and people wondered what that was going to do to Khabi's head), but Khabi finished the season really strong. I guess his GAA is higher than he'd like to see (over 3) for this series, but I agree completely with everything you said. And if they DO win, do they ride Grahame or put Khabi back in for game 6?


Well, the coach as compared their team to us several times.. maybe he figured we won the Devils series by changing goalies so he may as well try?

Yeah, someone even posted that about Weekes coming in for Irbe. Of course, the 2 situations couldn't be more different. Weekes relieving Irbe in game 3 of the NJ series when we were up 2 games to zip, then again in game 4 and starting game 5. Totally different than saving the *ss of your team in a do or die situation.

[talkingcanes]

think that having a great scoring chance in OT and the goalie making a great save to stop him was a little deja vu for Madden?

[SouthernHockeyChick]

think that having a great scoring chance in OT and the goalie making a great save to stop him was a little deja vu for Madden?

That's what I was thinking! I was also wondering if Tortorella was already turned around about to leave the bench waiting for the sound....that never came.

:sad: <---that's for us.

[Kat]

Uhh... okay? 2 power plays in overtime to the team that is already up 3-1 in the series? Biased much? It just doesn't seem quite right to me.

-Kat

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Uhh... okay? 2 power plays in overtime to the team that is already up 3-1 in the series? Biased much? It just doesn't seem quite right to me.

-Kat

Agree.

[talkingcanes]

:sad: <---that's for us.

it would be SO much more fun if the Canes were playing instead of having to "borrow" teams. I just keep telling myself to wait for next year :sad:

[SouthernCaniac]

This game is killin me!! I have suddenly become highly invested in Tampa winning the series. Couldn't have imagined feeling that way the night TLT scored his hat trick against us. My hubs keeps reminding me of all the reasons we have to hate the lighning, all the while exuding a hatred for NJ that is legendary. However, while his loyalty is inspiring, I think it is I who is having more fun watching on the edge of my seat!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Thank GOD the 3rd OT is starting....I was SO sick of basketball. :roll:

[Shell]

wow, and Tampa is skating.. all that energy they have saved doing nothing is coming back.. hopefully it can lead to something!!

[Shell]

GGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

*cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss* *cuss*cuss*cuss*cuss*

[StormShaman]

God I hate those dirty damn Devils.

I hope that whoever gets to the next round against them can pound the crap out of them.

Either that, or I hope they soften them up for the Cup Finals. :D

[SouthernHockeyChick]

CRAP!!! Well, I think we all knew it was coming. :sad: Darn it NJ....I picked you in SIX not five.

Grahame can't be blamed here either...he played solid.

[tommy]

What a game! What a goal! Grant Marshall is probably the happiest guy in New Jersey right now! I can't attest to much of the game: I only got to watch the final two OT's, but except for the last 3 or 4 minutes, it actually looked like Tampa was dominating. Grahame played excellently; it's true that he can't be blamed at all. When everyone crashed into Brodeur, I guess it allowed an odd-man rush, and the goal wasn't pretty-looking, but to Marshall and the Devils, it was probably the most beautiful they've seen all year.

[SouthernCaniac]

Freakin A!!! Lovely end to a lovely night. I swear, I just can't stand the devs. If there is any justice, next round they will lose, and lose badly.

[tommy]

BTW, that was the second longest game this playoffs, I believe... it was awful close, at least... maybe it was third by a minute or two...

[Shell]

definitely not Grahame's fault. I thought he was exceptional, considering the situation. Was hoping Tampa would get it right back while Marty was still trying to pick himself up outta the net

[Jeff O Rocks]

grrrrrrrrrrrrrr..... :mad:

My motto now is... ANYBODY but the Devils!! :sick:

[Alicia]

CRAP!!! Well, I think we all knew it was coming. :sad: Darn it NJ....I picked you in SIX not five.

Me, too! ;)

[Stormbringer]

What everyone else has said along with (imitates John Cleese as Sir George Head) bang goes my bracket, at least the NJ/TB part of it. :sad: :mad:

[Shell]

12 out of 16 of us picked NJ in 6 heh

[SouthernHockeyChick]

12 out of 16 of us picked NJ in 6 heh

Well, we are all pretty freakin' stupid huh? Who are the 4 smart ones? ;)

[Shell]

I've updated the bracket... 3 of those picked Tampa. Tommy was the only one who nailed it.

[hyena]

was that a playoff game? i wasn't sure. i thought it was some kind of scott stevens love-fest the way the announcers acted. i'm surprised they could remove their lips from his ass long enough to do any play-by-play at all. not that there was a game going on until the overtimes anyway. what a piece of 3-overtime crap. neither team played agressively at all until the overtimes and TB never really turned it on until the 3rd one, and then they got beat. http://www.electrichyena.com/other/angryfire.gif nice chances TB got on the power play as well. oh, wait -- that's right, they didn't have any power plays. silly me. :roll: f the devils. i hope philly (and it WILL be philly) smears them all over the ice. :mad: http://www.electrichyena.com/other/angryfire.gif

[tommy]

No, hyena, tell us how you really feel.

Yeah, I don't quite understand why everyone loves SS so much, either, but NJ is playing incredibly, them vs. Philly would be interesting. The truth is, NJ did NOT dominate this series... tons of close games, it's hard to tell who'd win if Philly played NJ.

[Jeff O Rocks]

f the devils. i hope philly (and it WILL be philly) smears them all over the ice. :mad: http://www.electrichyena.com/other/angryfire.gif

I totally agree...I love your avatar and your location!! ;)

[SouthernHockeyChick]

You go hyena!! Ditto to every word you said!

[tommy]

I must be a cyborg or something... but have you ever found yourself cheering for a team you thought you were indifferent to? Well this year, i didn't really think much of the Devils, but ever since the first game of theirs I watched against Boston, I've been rooting for them... I dunno why... it must be Langenbrunner or something, because I'm supposed to hate the team that we played the past few years, right? ::"DUCKS" under flying vegetables and hockey pucks::

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I know what you mean tommy....I've waffled between NJ and TB this whole series (and I knew I wanted Boston beat!). I know I'm supposed to hate NJ but I just don't hate Brodeur!!! And they really are just a great blue-collar, hard-working hockey team. I DO however hate Scott Stevens with a seething passion. And I KNOW I want Philly to kick their butts next. But I gotta tell you....I won't be a bit surprised to see the Devs as Eastern Conference Champs this year.

[Shell]

IMO - Ottawa and NJ are definitely the best two teams in our conference this year. A matchup between the two would be a great series!!!

Go Flyers (lol)

[Turbulence]

Well this year, i didn't really think much of the Devils, but ever since the first game of theirs I watched against Boston, I've been rooting for them... I dunno why... it must be Langenbrunner or something, because I'm supposed to hate the team that we played the past few years, right?

Glad to know I'm not the only one. I guess it's the similar type of play, but I can't help but favor the Devils against some teams.

I'm sure these feelings will go away with the next Canes-Devils game. :mad:

And for the record, putting Grahme in was a very smart move. He didn't lose the game for the Bolts last night. The goal wasn't completely his fault.

[Shell]

Bolts Decry Lack Of Power Boost From Refs
By SCOTT CARTER scarter@tampatrib.com
Published: May 4, 2003, Tampa Tribune

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Lightning left nothing to chance Friday night. They came out energized and showed early that the Devils would not walk away with an easy win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

After their 2-1 loss in triple overtime - giving the Devils a 4-1 series victory - Tampa Bay players were pleased with their effort. They couldn't say the same for the officials, however, after not getting one power play in almost two full games' worth of playoff hockey.

``I guess they played a clean hockey game for six periods and we didn't,'' center Brad Richards said. ``At least that's the way the refs saw it. There is no one who can tell me they didn't deserve one penalty in six periods.''

On the flip side, Tampa Bay was called for five penalties. The most costly came on winger Fredrik Modin in the first period: a questionable hooking call that led to a power- play goal by New Jersey's Scott Niedermayer.

Niedermayer's goal tied the game 1-1 just 2 minutes, 9 seconds after Nikita Alexeev's goal gave the Lightning the early lead. Another call against Modin in the second period proved to be even more crucial.

As he scrambled for his rebound in the crease, the loose puck bounced off Modin's skate and into the net, apparently giving the Lightning a 2-1 lead 11:42 into the second period. However, video goal judge Tom Steinel ruled that Modin kicked the puck into the net, waving off the goal.

``[The puck] comes out, my stick gets tied up,'' Modin said. ``I tried to stop it with my skate so I could get it with my stick. As I do that, I'm getting pulled down from behind. What can I do? At least give them a penalty or something.''

Tampa Bay center Tim Taylor was so upset at the officiating during the game that he told his teammates they were going to have to overcome the refs to keep their season alive.

``It's a joke. It's awful,'' Taylor said. ``I've seen refs not make any calls in overtime, but they set the tone in the first [overtime] that they were going to make calls. I told the guys we were playing a New York team and we had no chance.''

In the first overtime, the Lightning were called for two penalties that they killed off successfully. However, Richards would have liked to have seen a call against New Jersey's Jamie Langenbrunner after he pulled down Tampa Bay's Dave Andreychuk, leading to two scoring chances for the Devils.

``It would have been nice to get a little sniff in overtime when it was obvious that penalties could have been called,'' Richards said. ``We had guys laying in nets and getting hauled down on breakaways.

``We're not going to dwell on it. That's a good hockey team. They deserved to win it. That's life, we've got to live with it.''

[Shell]

lol (from NorthJersey.com (http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMDYmZmdi ZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTYzNzQwNzQmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZU VFeXk2))
That Marshall nearly missed the bus before the game didn't seem to matter afterward. Burns was laughing about it. Marshall insisted he wasn't late.

"I've got to check their watches," Marshall said. "It was a 4:45 bus and I was in the lobby at 4:30. I glanced and I saw the bus and I realized the bus was taking off and I'm running up the hill after it, chasing the bus. ... . I didn't need warm-up. If I had known it was going to go six or seven periods, I would have walked or taken a cab."

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Yeah, someone even posted that about Weekes coming in for Irbe. Of course, the 2 situations couldn't be more different. Weekes relieving Irbe in game 3 of the NJ series when we were up 2 games to zip, then again in game 4 and starting game 5. Totally different than saving the *ss of your team in a do or die situation.

I thought Weekes came in in game 4....as we were letting NJ tie it up 2-2....and then we were able to finish them off in game 5 and 6. Am I completely confused? That does happen to me. :crazy:

[Canesluver]

Hey, did anyone notice this during one of the many intermission breaks last night:

Barry Melrose was talking about Yzerman returning next season, and he said something like, "Now, the Wings just need to get their ducks in a row to prepare for next season."

Ducks??!! Since no one else on camera reacted to that, I think it was just an unintentional pun, but I was laughing hysterically -- it's almost like subconciously, he was comparing the Wings to the Ducks!! :D

[nccanes]

I thought Weekes came in in game 4....as we were letting NJ tie it up 2-2....and then we were able to finish them off in game 5 and 6. Am I completely confused? That does happen to me. :crazy:

I double checked the box scores before I posted - I'm never sure how good my recollection is...( http://www.caneshockey.com/gameday/boxscore.asp?boxscoreid=128 )

Goalies: Carolina, Irbe (12 shots, 9 saves, record 2-1; Weekes (0:58 second, 23-22). New Jersey, Brodeur (16-16, 1-2).

Edited to add: but the Grahame decision won't be questioned, he played great.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I thought Weekes came in in game 4....as we were letting NJ tie it up 2-2....and then we were able to finish them off in game 5 and 6. Am I completely confused? That does happen to me. :crazy:

I double checked the box scores before I posted - I'm never sure how good my recollection is...( http://www.caneshockey.com/gameday/boxscore.asp?boxscoreid=128 )

Goalies: Carolina, Irbe (12 shots, 9 saves, record 2-1; Weekes (0:58 second, 23-22). New Jersey, Brodeur (16-16, 1-2).

Edited to add: but the Grahame decision won't be questioned, he played great.

OK....Irbe and Weekes both played in both game 3 and game 4. I had completely forgotten that. Thank!

[talkingcanes]

I picked the Devils in 5 in a pool on another board. I'm really stunned they did it since my prognosticating skills are usually poor :)

I am glad they won, but Grahame is not at fault. The beauty of playoff hockey is that someone has to win!

If the Sens win, then I hope they beat NJ, but if Philly wins, I gotta go for the Devils.

This is strictly a temporary affection for the Devils. Next year, Go Canes and only Canes. :spin:

[nccanes]

I found this at nj.com and thought this was nice of Kubina


Devils Notebook: At the end, Kubina seeks out Stevens
Saturday, May 03, 2003

BY RICH CHERE AND BRIDGET WENTWORTH
Star-Ledger Staff

Just as he promised he'd do, Tampa defenseman Pavel Kubina sought out Devils captain Scott Stevens to apologize for hitting Stevens in the head with a slap shot in Game 3.

"I shook hands with him and he asked if he could talk to me when I was done," Stevens said. "He wanted to talk to me, to tell me that it was not intentional, and he asked me if I was feeling all right.


"I told him there were no hard feelings. I told him not to worry about it. The most important thing is that he understands that his mind should be clear about the whole thing."

And then I found this that gave me a laugh...

When John Grahame stepped in to replace Nikolai Khabibulin and matched Brodeur for three periods and two overtime periods, Stevens flashed back to last year when the Carolina Hurricanes switched goalies from Arturs Irbe to Kevin Weekes and won the final two games and the series.

"I thought, 'This isn't going to be déjÃ* vu again, is it?'" Stevens said. "Basically, that's what happened with Carolina. We were in control and they changed goalies."

[Jeff O Rocks]

I guess the Bolts are either on the golf course or the beach...coughTLTcough..right now!!!!!!!!! :crazy: :eek2: :evil: :kiss: ;)

[nccanes]

An incredible photo of the winning goal...

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20030503/capt.1051934948lightning_devils_era111.jpg
Tampa Bay Lightning goalie John Grahame looks back at the puck in the goal after the New Jersey Devils' Grant Marshall scored the winning goal in the third overtime period of the second round playoff game in East Rutherford, N.J., Friday, May 2, 2003. The Devils won the series to move onto the Eastern Conference Finals.
(AP Photo/Daniel Hulshizer)

[nccanes]

And a heartbreaking one...

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20030502/capt.1051934269devils_lightning_era112.jpg
Tampa Bay Lightning goalie John Grahame lies in the goal after giving up the winning goal to New Jersey Devils' Grant Marshall in the third overtime period of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in East Rutherford, N.J. Friday May 2, 2003. The Devils advance to the Eastern Conference Finals .
(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

[Jeff O Rocks]

The first one is awesome...and the second one....... :cry:

[talkingcanes]

that first picture is an amazing shot.

I'm not sorry TB lost, but I know all the losing teams feel terrible and wonder what if. that is a bad feeling no matter who you are......or how glad I am you are golfing ;)

[Turbulence]

That first picture is amazing. Wonder what Grahme's thinking at that exact moment...
Must be tough to see the puck float over the line and end your season...

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Poor Grahame....they dig him a great big hole and then stick him out there to fill it in all by himself. Those pics make me want to cry. :cry:

[crazy4canes]

Well, at least with this series over I know who I'm pulling for in the east. Anyone NOT NAMED New Jersey. :mad: Grahame did great, just a case of too little too late. :sad:

[Jeff O Rocks]

Anyone NOT NAMED New Jersey. :mad:

EXACTLY!!! :mad:

[nccanes]

I really enjoyed this article from nj.com...


Devils enjoy end to the late show
Sunday, May 04, 2003


BY LYNN ZINSER
Star-Ledger Staff

Their days had gone how you might expect. The team that was down three games to one in the playoff series was rolling in an emotional sea, benching their goalie, fighting the thoughts that Friday night's game would be their last.

This particular storm was peaking after Tampa Bay's morning skate, with a pack of cameras and microphones around the Lightning's newly appointed goalie, John Grahame, who seemed like the calmest man in the house.

"You just have to win," he said. "There's nothing else to think about."

That thought filled the Devils' minds all day Friday, minus the tension. They had the 3-1 lead. They had few issues beyond Scott Gomez's sprained ankle, the one he said had swelled to the size of a small football a day earlier.

Trainers fussed over Gomez while his teammates skated, sending him back to the team's usual game-day hotel with an industrial-sized ice bag. Most of the Devils passed the day like any other home playoff game. Gomez iced. They napped. They saw a warm sunny spring day only through the windows of the team bus.

That afternoon, when that bus was leaving for Continental Airlines Arena, 15 minutes before Devils coach Pat Burns said it would, the Devils glanced back and saw winger Grant Marshall running after them. It was 4:30. The Devils were laughing. The sky was crackling with a coming thunderstorm.

"If I'd known it was going to go three overtimes," Marshall said. "I'd have stopped and called a cab."

This was how the epic started, tension on one side, laughter on the other. By the time it was over, Gomez would play what Burns called a courageous game on his sprained ankle. Grahame would stop 46 shots and hold off Tampa Bay's elimination for 5 1/2 periods. And Marshall would end it all with a shot through Grahame's legs.


LONG AND WINDING ROAD

When singer Arlette began belting out the national anthem just after 7 p.m., nearly a third of the seats were still empty. The thunderstorms outside snarled the traffic. Fans would trickle in through the first period.

The Devils showed signs of weakness. They weren't playing well. They gave up the first goal when defenseman Scott Niedermayer rushed up on offense and center Joe Nieuwendyk didn't back up to guard against a rush the other way. So when the Lightning broke out, only defenseman Colin White could offer any resistance. Tampa's Nikita Alexeev slapped a shot past Martin Brodeur.

"The way we were playing early," Devils forward Jim McKenzie said, "we were lucky to get to any overtime."

Tampa Bay, though, returned the favor with a mistake of its own: an ill-advised hooking penalty by Fredrik Modin, which Niedermayer turned into the tying goal on the power play with 6:33 left in the first period.

The crowd, now almost all here, switched from stunned silence to raucous celebration, slapping inflatable imitation Thunderstix, even starting to drown out the arena's overamplified artificial noise. The party was on. Nets guard Jason Kidd made an appearance on the video board, egging the fans on. The Giants' Michael Strahan would pop up later.

The fans had another roll through the stunned-silence-turned-wild-cheers ride with 8:18 left in the second period when what appeared to be the go-ahead goal caromed into the Devils' goal off Modin's skate. Minutes later, it was waved off.

And the marathon was on.

In the locker rooms before the first overtime, hope surged through the Lightning. The decision to start Grahame seemed brilliant. The players chattered excitedly, filling their Spartan visitors' dressing room with hopeful speculation about who would finish this.


MARATHON MEN

Their pregame nervousness had migrated down the hall to the Devils. The players sat in the relative luxury of their home locker room, still with a comfortable series lead, but with memories of past failures popping up. There was a three-overtime loss at home to Dallas in the Stanley Cup Finals three years ago, with the actual Stanley Cup stashed in a room down the hall. And there was last year's first-round collapse to Carolina.

"We started to think Grahame was looking and awful lot like (Carolina backup goalie) Kevin Weekes," said Devils defenseman Ken Daneyko. "We thought, 'Oh, no, not another big guy who comes in and knocks us out.'"

The first overtime had its moments. Lightning forward Ruslan Fedotenko took a shot that got through Brodeur but bounced just wide with 14:58 left. Martin St. Louis had a point-blank chance that Brodeur kicked away five minutes later. The Devils had two power plays and didn't take a single shot on goal in either of them.

The night was already growing long. Fans were leaving in bunches. It was nearly 10:30 when the second overtime got under way.

"I was surprised," said 16-year-old Joe Domicolo of West Paterson. "I can't believe people left."

Domicolo and two friends and about 10,000 others weren't going anywhere.

Neither were the Devils nor Lightning.

Both locker rooms were getting quieter between periods. By the break after the second overtime, the Devils were nearly numb. There were no big speeches.

"We all said something," Marshall said. "I said something. I don't remember what. I talk too much."

Gomez, his swollen ankle stuffed inside his skate for nearly six hours, was getting jittery.

"I just kept thinking, 'Somebody score. Anybody,'" Gomez said.

Gomez and Patrik Elias, the Devils' offensive core for most of the season, and their tag-along linemate Marshall, acquired just before the trading deadline, would finally create the final shot, 11:12 into the third overtime.

Marshall and Elias were fighting for space in front of the net when Niedermayer took a shot. The puck found Marshall's stick. Grahame had his stick knocked from his hands. Marshall made a move to his backhand and flipped the puck between Grahame's legs.

"Grant made a great move there," Gomez said. "I didn't know he had that move."

As the Devils mobbed each other in a huge pile in front of a half-full arena, Grahame skated to mid-ice nearly doubled over. Slowly, each of his teammates approached him with words of encouragement and gratitude.

The Lightning skated numbly through the handshake line. A few Devils stayed on the ice to soak up the atmosphere, or for TV interviews. Nieuwendyk was the last one off.

Domicolo and his friends --Joe Tella, 14, of Montville and Joe Ferrigno, 15, of West Paterson -- had stayed to the last minutes of celebration, waiting to cheer Niewendyk as he disappeared under the stands. Joe Tella Sr. yawned. He had let the four boys stay although they all had to get up early yesterday morning for varying reasons.

"It was the longest game I've ever been to," said Domicolo.

"You've only been to two," Tella Jr. said.

They laughed, they cheered. They finally followed the last fans into the night.


FINAL ACT

Relief swept through the Devils' locker room and the players were laughing again, recounting the funny sight of Marshall chasing the bus.

Inside the Lightning locker room, tears fell silently. A few players tossed equipment in frustration. Defenseman Dan Boyle sat on the wooden bench for the longest time while his teammates filed out, unwilling to move. His pads were still on. His skates were still laced.

"We went down fighting," he said. He finally shrugged off his pads. His eyes were wet and red.

Outside, the storm had died and the Empire State Building twinkled red, white and blue in the distance. The Devils left first, rumbling through the empty parking lot. The Lightning's bus rumbled away a bit later, with Boyle finally dressed, heading toward the airport.

It was already a new day.

[tommy]

great article.

what boyle did was esentially what cole did last year... just sat in the dressing room kinda stunned, unwilling to move... must be really tough.

[Jeff O Rocks]

A very sad article....all that hard work ....ever since September..and then to lose and have it end...must be an incredible disappointment...but don't we ALL know it too?? :sad: :cry: