Superman Drury Burns Devils
by: Joe McDonald | Publisher and Editor-in-Chief | Thursday, March 20, 2008
NEWARK, NJ – No truth to the rumor the Devils are planning a return to the Meadowlands for their last game against the Rangers on Apr. 6.
Yet, no one would blame general manager Lou Lamoriello if it happened, because the erstwhile Continental Airlines Arena was kryptonite for the Blueshirts, where as the Prudential Center seems to be their yellow sun.
And the trend continued last night as the Rangers pulled out a 2-1 shootout win, with Chris Drury playing Superman, scoring the tying goal at 15:14 of the third period.
“That's his specialty,” said Henrik Lundqvist, who stopped Jamie Langenbrunner, Brian Gionta and Zach Parise in the shootout. “He just finds a way to score big goals at big times.
“I am glad he’s on our side.”
Lundqvist knows firsthand because Drury burned him last year during the second round in Buffalo. With 7.7 seconds left in Game 5, the center tied the game for the Sabres, which pretty much ended the Rangers season.
Now he is doing it for them and last night they needed the scoring.
“It's such a tight game it only takes one shot or one bounce to tie it up,” Drury said. “So it's huge to get a point, and then you never know in the shootout. It's weird, maybe if we're at home, we get a little too tense and they make it 2-0. But on the road, it seems like we were pretty calm down the stretch in playing our system.”
The Rangers pretty much played in their mode for most of the game. During a shaky first period, where they only managed five shots, the Devils were able to take the lead on the power play with Dainius Zubrus poking one past Lundqvist for the newminder’s only blemish on the night. Lundqvist had 17 saves.
Yet, it looked like the goal would stand, because the Rangers failed at their repeated attempts to tie it and again the power play failed to come through, going 0-4. At many of these arenas, including the Prudential Center, the power play is sponsored by the local utility; the Rangers’ man advantage seems to be brought to you by the blackout of 1977.
But no worries, since No. 23 in the blue shirt, became the hero late and then in the shootout old reliable Nigel Dawes converted again to give the Rangers the two points and push the team four points behind the Devils in the East and 6-0-0 this season against New Jersey.
“When it's important games, you get really fired up,” Lundqvist said. “It's a great feeling when you get the win and beat them again. Six times this year, it's good. But it's a little bit of luck, too. A couple of games have been so close, too, and we got the bounces. So we have to remember that.”
Notes: The Devils were without Patrik Elias, who was scratched because of an illness…Scott Gomez, who was booed every time he touched the puck almost converted on a power play, but the Rangers are now 1-23 on the man advantage over the past seven games.
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