Stanley Cup Playoffs : Bruins Extend Devils’ Longest Day, 7-1

It was one of those days for the New Jersey Devils.

Devils’ Coach Jim Schoenfeld was suspended 35 minutes before the game and the Boston Bruins hung a 7-1 defeat on New Jersey Tuesday night in Game 5 of the Wales Conference championship series at Boston.

“This has been a long day and it turned out to be a long evening,” said New Jersey general manager Lou Lamoriello, who coached the Devils in Schoenfeld’s absence.

Schoenfeld, suspended for a run-in with referee Don Koharski last week, retired to a luxury box seat. Lamoriello went behind the bench for the first time since he coached Providence College to the NCAA Final Four in 1983.

The Bruins, smarting from a 3-1 loss in New Jersey in Game 4 Sunday night when Schoenfeld had an original one-game suspension temporarily stayed by a state court, turned on the power against rookie goaltender Sean Burke, breaking open a 2-1 game with five goals in the last two periods.

“We were on the money,” Boston Coach Terry O’Reilly said. “We put our scoring opportunities in the net.”

“I though they came out strong, but we were ready. Now we have to settle down and come out ready for the big one. And the next game is the big one.”

The Bruins, bidding for their fifth Stanley Cup and first since 1972, can advance to a the Stanley Cup finals by winning Thursday at East Rutherford, N.J.. A seventh game, if necessary, will be played in Boston Garden Saturday night.

Canadian Olympic star Bob Joyce scored two goals and U.S. Olympian Craig Janney had one goal and three assists in leading the Bruins.

The Bruins outshot the Devils, 18-5, in the first period, but managed just a 2-1 lead on power-play goals by Michael Thelven and Janney. Rookie Brendan Shanahan scored for the Devils.

New Jersey outshot Boston, 8-6, in the second period, but the Bruins widened their lead to 4-1 on goals by Keith Crowder and Joyce.

Boston turned the game into a rout in the third period on goals by Joyce, Ken Linseman and Bob Sweeney.

“We have no excuses,” Lamoriello said. “We got outworked and outplayed. The special teams didn’t do the job for us.”