MONTREAL – The Devils just can ‘t be denied,adding astoundingly clutch to everything else they have become in
2006.Now they ‘ll try to erase that last hole in their playoff resume:favorites to beat the Rangers for the first time.
“We weren ‘t going to be denied,” Jamie Langenbrunner said after scoring the goal that made the Devils the Atlantic Division champs,completing a comeback from a 3-0 deficit to seal a 4-3 victory over the Canadiens here last night. “It is a little scary,” Langenbrunner said.
The Rangers – losers of five straight about to take on the Devils,who closed the season with an NHL-best 11-game winning streak – are the ones who should be trembling.New Jersey completed the biggest-ever comeback for a
division crown since divisions were created,erasing a 19-point deficit since Jan.2.
The Rangers and Devils split the season series,each going 4-3-1,although the Devils won the last two games,both at the Meadowlands,where the series is set to open on Saturday.
The Devils trailed the Habs 3-0 in the second and were about to see their winning streak and hopes for a sixth
division title in nine years vanish.Then Brian Gionta broke the team record for goals in a season,starting the comeback at 2:42 before intermission.By the time the third began,the Devils knew the Rangers had lost and the Flyers had won, and they found the will to win; that is the common ingredient of champions.
With only 8:31 remaining in the game,Gionta added his second,stretching his record to 48 goals,and Patrik Elias
tied the score 2:16 later.Langenbrunner then made the Devils division champs with only 2:23 left.
“We had fire in our eyes and electricity in our skates,” Lou Lamoriello said,allowing himself the enthusiasm of the
moment. “If any group of guys deserve to have a comeback like that and get rewarded by finishing it,it ‘s them.”
New Jersey finished with 101 points,the eighth time in nine seasons they cracked 100,and wound up 19-16-6 on the road.
They went 29-9-4 in 2006,and 31-14-4 since Lou Lamoriello took over from Larry Robinson behind the bench.
The Devils lost to the Rangers in seven in 1992,and again in 1994,in double OT on Stephane Matteau ‘s famed winner.They also lost to the Rangers in five in the second round in 1997,after taking the opener,when Mark
Messier drilled Doug Gilmour into concussionland.
Still,for the Devils,strong finishes have not always meant playoff prosperity. In 2004,the Devils finished 7-3-1 in 11 and went out in the first round.In 2003,they went 6-0-4-1 down the stretch and won the Cup.They won their
final six in 2002 and went out in the first round.As defending champs,they ran 19-2 to complete 00-01 and lost in the
finals.They struggled at 6-8 in 2000,yet won the Cup.They went 13-2-3 to complete 98-99 and lost in the first round.
They were 3-5-2 in their final 10 before falling in the first round in 1998.
A 6-2-1 mark in the final nine preceded a second-round exit in 1997,and they went 2-4-1 in their final seven before taking their 1995 Cup.
The Devils fell behind 5:23 into play when Craig Rivet ‘s right-point shot eluded Martin Brodeur on the short side,
screened by Richard Matvichuk.Montreal stretched its edge to 2-0 at 11:14 on Tomas Plekanec ‘s deflection of Francis Bouillon ‘s left point slap.
Alexi Kovalev gave the Habs a three-goal lead at 14:14 of the second,skating across the goalmouth for his 23rd.
Then the comeback began as Gionta broke the mark set by Pat Verbeek in 1987-88. When it was over,the Devils
were back to their glory days.