New Jersey Shuts Down Pittsburgh at Home, 3-0

Lots of odd-man rushes, plenty of breakaways and scoring chances. This is exactly how the Pittsburgh Penguins envisioned the Eastern Conference finals--only not with the New Jersey Devils generating all the offense.

Brian Rafalski and Jason Arnott scored as the Devils opened an early two-goal lead for the second consecutive game, then avoided the letdown that cost them the previous game as they seized the series lead with a 3-0 victory Thursday night in Game 3.

“I don’t think there is any doubt this was our best game of the playoffs,” defenseman Scott Stevens said.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Devils can open a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series by winning Game 4 Saturday in Pittsburgh, where the Penguins have lost seven of their last 10 playoff games. The Penguins have been outscored 21-16 on home ice while losing four of seven this spring.

Not even Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr, hockey’s two most dangerous scorers, could solve the Devils’ trapping defense or prevent the Penguins’ first shutout defeat in a home playoff game since a 1-0 loss to the New York Islanders and goalie Glenn Resch on April 26, 1975.

It was the 11th career playoff shutout for goalie Martin Brodeur, tying him with Ed Belfour for seventh on the NHL list, and his third this spring. He had consecutive shutouts against Carolina in the first round.

The Devils’ top line of Patrik Elias, Arnott and Petr Sykora came out fast and dominated a depleted Penguin defense that sorely missed agitator Darius Kasparaitis, who sat out because of two broken toes sustained in Game 2.

In that game, the Devils opened a two-goal lead--they have in all three games of the series--only to squander it as the Penguins scored four consecutive goals off giveaways, defensive breakdowns and Lemieux-generated plays to win, 4-2, Tuesday night.

This time, the Devils went into a shutdown mode after taking a 2-0 lead at 12:31 of the first on Arnott’s power-play goal six seconds into a five-on-three advantage, created by two ill-advised Pittsburgh penalties in open ice.