It’s Hard Not to Notice Claude Lemieux : Hockey: While his chatter remains a constant, Devils’ right winger steps up play during playoffs.

Opponents detest New Jersey Devil right wing Claude Lemieux for his constant verbal and physical jabs. And his teammates aren’t always crazy about him, either.

Love him or hate him, it’s impossible to ignore Lemieux, who scored the decisive goal in the Devils’ 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings Saturday in the opening game of the Stanley Cup finals.

Lemieux’s goal was his 12th in the playoffs, extending his playoff lead and doubling his regular-season total. Teammates who once questioned his intensity count on him for key goals--he has three playoff game-winners--and tolerate his chatter.

“There’s never a dull moment with Claude,” defenseman Scott Stevens said, smiling. “He’s always enjoying it. He’s a real team guy and that’s important, and I think that sometimes gets overlooked.

“He’s always complaining on the bus that it’s either too hot or too cold, but that keeps us loose. It’s nice to have a guy to play that role.”

Said Devil Coach Jacques Lemaire: “At times he not only irritates the players on the other team--he does it with his coach too. Either he’s getting a little better about it or I’m getting a little older. I can deal with it.”

There’s no question Lemieux (no relation to Mario) has been better at scoring goals in the playoffs than during the regular season, although he bristles at the suggestion he lacks motivation. In 634 career games, he has 222 goals, including two seasons of 30 or more and a career-high 41 in 1991-92. In the playoffs, he has 51 goals in 133 games.

“The fact I can step up my play from the regular season from average, or whatever you want to call it, I think that’s a compliment,” said Lemieux, who was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in 1990 for Sylvain Turgeon. “I’m not real good with stats, but my first season in New Jersey I scored 30 goals, which was second on the team. My second season I had 41 and led the team in goals and points. My third season I led the team in points with 81. That’s not so bad.”

His playoff performances have been superb. He has 14 career game-winning goals, seventh on the career list behind Wayne Gretzky, Maurice Richard, Mike Bossy, Glenn Anderson, Jean Beliveau and Yvan Cournoyer. “It seems like he feels a lot more excited during the playoffs than during the season,” said Lemaire, who coached Lemieux in Montreal for two seasons. “Right now, he’s very focused. He’s working hard and getting breaks and taking good shots.”

Lemieux conceded his contract talks “might have been on my mind and hurt my scoring” this season. He and the Devils agreed on a four-year deal worth more than $1 million per year. “I still felt I had a good season,” he said Sunday, “but when you get to the playoffs, that’s where it all starts.”

The Devils started the finals with a strong defensive effort, holding Detroit to 17 shots. Lemieux said they will have to be even stronger Tuesday in Game 2, when he expects the Red Wings to rev up their offense.

“They use their defensemen a lot in joining the attack, and you might see Paul Coffey or Nicklas Lidstrom in the crease to take a pass, and we have to be ready for that,” he said. “We have to play them a little different than we played other teams. Basically, our [neutral zone] trap is just staying on top of them with whatever breakout they choose to try.”

Stanley Cup Notes

Keith Primeau, Detroit’s top faceoff man because Sergei Fedorov is hampered by a slightly separated shoulder, said his abdominal muscle strain has improved since muscle spasms forced him to leave Saturday’s game. However, he’s not sure if he will play Tuesday. . . . Some critics--including ESPN analysts Barry Melrose and Mike Milbury--say the Devils’ neutral zone trap should be banned, but Red Wing defenseman Paul Coffey doesn’t think it’s bad for hockey. “If I’m Jacques Lemaire, I’m laughing to hear Melrose and the other guy--what’s his name, Milbury?--say that,” Coffey said. “Neither of them could carry the puck out of their own end when they played. If they get Bobby Orr on TV as a hockey analyst, I’ll listen. The bottom line is winning, and the Devils have won with it.” . . . Detroit Coach Scotty Bowman complained to the league that the Devils illegally held his players’ sticks. Said Lemaire: “Every team we play, they say that.”