Corkum Plays Role of Devils’ Advocate

Racing ahead of the pack, with the puck on his stick and visions of Stanley Cup finals glory dancing in his head. . . . Now, what hockey player hasn’t had that dream?

Until Tuesday, Bob Corkum was one of those dreamers.

The term “journeyman” was created with Corkum in mind. He has bounced from team to team, including stints with the Kings and Mighty Ducks, during a 12-year NHL career that hit its zenith with a breakaway goal 14:29 into Game 2 at the Pepsi Center.

“That’s what the playoffs are all about,” Corkum said after breaking Colorado Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy’s mammoth finals shutout streak and propelling the New Jersey Devils to a 2-1 victory that tied the best-of-seven series at a game apiece.

“There’s been all this talk about [Colorado’s] Ray Bourque not having won a Cup, well, Corkum hasn’t won one either,” New Jersey Coach Larry Robinson said.

Heck, Corkum didn’t have an NHL job at one point in mid-February. The Kings had cut him, hoping to send a message to the rest of their players during a particularly rough time in the season.

None of the league’s other 29 teams claimed Corkum from the waiver wire, so King General Manager Dave Taylor assigned him to Lowell of the American Hockey League. Days passed and Taylor took another run at his colleagues, hoping one of them would want to acquire a veteran center for the stretch run.

New Jersey’s Lou Lamoriello finally said yes on Feb. 24, taking him off Taylor’s hands for future considerations.

The road to Stanley Cup glory took more twists and turns, however.

In fact, Corkum probably would have been dressed in a suit Tuesday, watching the action instead of participating if not for the fact that right wing Randy McKay suffered a broken left hand in Game 1. Tuesday’s game was only Corkum’s seventh of the postseason.

“It’s a dream come true, it really is,” he said. “Just to be able to be a part of and contribute to a Stanley Cup finals game is what I have been playing for for a long time. I’m really happy. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had.”

Corkum was on the ice helping the Devils kill a penalty when an errant pass along the boards landed on his stick. He pivoted and was, as he said, “off to the races.”

Corkum’s low shot sneaked between Roy’s legs, tying the score at 1-1 and ending the goaltender’s finals shutout streak at 227 minutes 41 seconds--only 1:41 shy of Clint Benedict’s league record, set between 1923 and 1927 for the late, great Montreal Maroons.

Less than three minutes later, Turner Stevenson shoveled a rebound past Roy to give the Devils a 2-1 lead they would nurse with suffocating defensive pressure the rest of the game. Roy’s nine-game finals winning streak also ended.

Joe Sakic’s power-play goal gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead 5:58 into the first period and the series seemed headed Colorado’s way until Corkum broke free in the dying seconds of another Colorado chance with the man advantage.

“They wrapped the puck around the boards and it slipped by their first forechecker, maybe it was [Adam] Foote and it got by him,” Corkum said.

Until Tuesday, perhaps Corkum’s only claim to fame in the NHL was leading the expansion Mighty Ducks with 23 goals in their inaugural 1993-94 season. He also had 51 points, one shy of team leader Terry Yake.

Corkum also lists stops in Buffalo, Philadelphia and Phoenix on his resume. His last playoff goal was April 22, 1998 against the Detroit Red Wings while playing for the Coyotes.

But his aim was true as he went charging down the right wing with Colorado defenseman Martin Skoula in his wake Tuesday.

Roy often teases shooters, giving them an opening between his pads before closing them tight. Corkum had that in mind as he skated toward the future Hall of Famer.

“I knew that if I was going to shoot there, I had to get it off quick,” Corkum said. “He’s done that to a lot of players over the years.”

Stevenson put another puck where Roy could not get it, whistling it just under the crossbar, and the Devils had their first lead of the finals. In time, they would secure their first victory too.

Game 3 is Thursday in East Rutherford, N.J., and as Corkum proved in Game 2, anything is possible.