Devils Denied the Cup

The Stanley Cup was in the house Thursday night, polished and ready for collection by the New Jersey Devils.

But the Devils were no-shows to their own party.

Capitalizing on numerous boneheaded plays by the Devils, the Colorado Avalanche staved off elimination in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, romping to a 4-0 victory before 19,040 disgruntled fans at Continental Airlines Arena.

There was no late-night tailgate party in the Meadowlands parking lots. The Stanley Cup, its handlers and the teams returned this morning to Denver to prepare for the deciding Game 7 on Saturday night.

Goals by Colorado’s Adam Foote, Ville Nieminen, Chris Drury and Alex Tanguay ensured there will be a seventh game in the finals for the first time since the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks went the distance in 1994.

What’s more, Colorado defenseman Ray Bourque’s dream of winning his first championship in 22 seasons in the NHL remained alive. Bourque, 40, hasn’t determined whether he will retire at season’s end, but a victory lap Saturday with the Cup would be an unforgettable end to a Hall of Fame career.

“Tonight was the biggest game of my career,” Bourque said. “The next one on Saturday night is going to be the biggest one now. Just to get to a seventh game, I mean, this is the first time I’ve really had a chance to play for the Cup. I’m having the time of my life. I’m having a blast. I’m really looking forward to that game.”

Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy made 24 saves to improve his league record for playoff shutouts to 19, which includes four this season. In addition, it was his fourth shutout in a Stanley Cup Finals game. He blanked the Devils, 5-0, in Game 1 of this series.

In the end, the Avalanche didn’t so much win Game 6 as the defending champion Devils lost it.

Nothing went the way the Devils hoped it would. They suffered repeated defensive breakdowns, took foolish penalties, failed to generate a sustained attack and did not get the goaltending they have grown accustomed to from Martin Brodeur.

“I don’t think anybody played well, truthfully,” New Jersey Coach Larry Robinson said.

Robinson then responded tersely when asked if the all-or-nothing atmosphere of Game 7 would reignite the Devils’ passionate style of play, which propelled them to victories in Games 4 and 5 and a 3-2 series lead.

“There’s no difference between competing in a Game 7 and a Game 6, which is kind of scary because we didn’t compete in Game 6,” he said. “We got outworked and outhustled in every part of the game. When the game is over and you can’t pick a player who played well in a huge game like this, it’s very disappointing.”

Picking a favorite in Game 7 is a chore. The Avalanche won the President’s Trophy after compiling a league-high 118 points in the regular season. The Devils were second with 111.

The Avalanche survived a seven-game test from the Kings in the second round before routing the St. Louis Blues in five games in the Western Conference finals.

The Devils survived a seven-game test from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round before routing the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games in the Eastern Conference finals.

The Avalanche is 8-4 during the playoffs in the Pepsi Center, but is 1-2 in the finals against the Devils. New Jersey, 7-6 at home, is the league’s best playoff road team with an 8-3 mark.

“[Game 7] is where you see the real warriors, the guys who perform very well under pressure,” Colorado Coach Bob Hartley said. “I think our leadership, our experience and the quality of our individuals will certainly help us in Saturday night’s game.”

After victories in Games 4 and 5, the Devils appeared poised for a championship celebration in the opening minutes of Game 6. Center Scott Gomez scored an apparent power-play goal 6:59 into the game. But a video replay clearly showed Gomez kicked the puck into the net and the goal was disallowed.

That chance with the man-advantage soon fizzled, as did two others in the first period.

Foote’s goal with 1:58 to play in the opening period was like a dagger to the hearts of the Devils. Foote’s shot from the right wing ricocheted off Brodeur’s blocker and into the net.

“I thought it demoralized our guys,” Robinson said.

Foote also assisted on second-period goals by Nieminen (with New Jersey’s Bobby Holik in the penalty box for taking a needless roughing penalty) and Drury (a soft goal from the slot between Brodeur’s legs).

The Devils figured to get a lift with center Jason Arnott’s return to the lineup. Arnott did not play in Game 5 because of a head injury suffered when he was struck in the temple by a puck in Game 4.

Didn’t happen.

Now, it’s back to Denver.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Down to the Wire

Scores of seventh games in Stanley Cup finals:

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May 21, 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs 6, Detroit Red Wings 1 April 22, 1945 Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Detroit Red Wings 1 April 21, 1950 Detroit Red Wings 4, New York Rangers 3 April 16, 1954 Detroit Red Wings 2, Montreal Canadiens 1 April 14, 1955 Detroit Red Wings 3, Montreal Canadiens 1 April 25, 1964 Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Detroit Red Wings 0 May 1, 1965 Montreal Canadiens 4, Chicago Blackhawks 0 May 18, 1971 Montreal Canadiens 3, Chicago Blackhawks 2 May 31, 1987 Edmonton Oilers 3, Philadelphia Flyers 1 June 14, 1994 New York Rangers 3, Vancouver Canucks 2

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