The New Jersey Devils had four days to sit and think about their 1-4-1 start, the organization’s worst since 1983-84. The team spent three days practicing, attempting to iron out the wrinkles. The Devils then flew up to Montreal, looking to continue their dominance over the rivals in Canada and show the start was a fluke. Despite being outshot and outplayed in the first period, the Devils leaned on Martin Brodeur and won their first game in regulation, blanking the Canadiens, 3-0.

Marty Loves Some Home Cooking

Brodeur loves to play in Montreal. Coming into tonight’s game, Brodeur was 17-14-2  with a 1.80 goals against average, a .935 save percentage and four shutouts. The stellar play continued for Brodeur in his hometown tonight. Brodeur needed to be sharp in the first period, when the Devils were outshot, 10-3, and gave the Habs some good scoring chances. That continued into the second period, where Brodeur once again turned away the Habs. But he would save his best performance for the third period.

After Matt Taormina increased the lead to 3-0 (more on that later), the Habs began to open it up. Brodeur’s best saves came with the Devils on the penalty kill. The first great save came on a scramble play at the front of the net. Brodeur went behind the net to play the puck, and was bumped by his own defenseman. With the net open, Brodeur had to scramble back. Andy Greene blocked Brian Gionta‘s shot, but the puck deflected toward the net. Broduer, on his back, used his mask to keep it out and maintain the shutout.

Brodeur then made three consecutive saves at 7:01 of the period to keep the game scoreless. Gionta had the puck next to the net, and tried to stuff it home. The Devils’ goalie went to the splits to make the save, and kept the pads down on the ice to stop several more stuff tries.

Brodeur now has 112 career shutouts, and nine shutouts against the Habs. Only the Islanders have been blanked more by Brodeur (10) then the Canadiens.

Arnott Hits The Century Mark

Jason Arnott, like many of the Devils, struggled through the first six games of the season. The center sat at two goals and carried a -7 rating. Four days off seemed to do the Devils’ center good. With New Jersey holding on to a tenuous one goal lead in the second period, Arnott put the nail in the coffin. With the Devils controlling the puck in the zone, Jamie Langenbrunner skated the puck from behind the net. He left a drop pass for Dainius Zubrus, who held the puck along the boards. Zubrus sent the puck to Arnott, who set up low in the left circle. The center whipped a wrist shot on net that deflected off of Dustin Boyd and through the legs of Carey Price for the goal.

It was Arnott’s 100th as a Devil. Congratulations to him for hitting that milestone with the club.

For the rest of the recap, read after the jump!

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The Devils, dare I say this, needed a win tonight in Buffalo. With the injuries piling up and another game with a shorthanded team, the Devils came to Buffalo with several question marks. The teams remained scoreless, trading chances throughout regulation. When overtime started, the Devils got the better opportunity, and they finally converted, as Ilya Kovalchuk's first goal of the season gave the Devils a 1-0 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres.

The Good

1. Kovalchuk’s First Goal Wins The Devils’ First Game

The Devils had several chances throughout the game, but Ryan Miller and some ill-timed misses kept the game scoreless. Heading into overtime, it seemed like the Devils were on the doorstop, but couldn’t knock down the door. That would all change on one shot.

The Devils, as they had for two of the three periods in tonight’s game, dominated the flow of overtime. The team already had three shots on net as Jamie Langenbrunner handled the puck at center ice. Instead of passing to Kovalchuk, Langenbrunner sent the puck to a streaking Matt Taormina, who carried the puck to the left circle. Taormina momentarily lost control of the puck, but quickly gained it back. The rookie defenseman sent a pass to Kovalchuk in the circle, who dropped to one knee and rifled a shot on net. The puck hit the crossbar but found it’s way into the net for the game-winning goal, his first of the season.

2. Martin Brodeur and Miller Duel It Out

Whenever Brodeur and Miller play on the same ice, the ability to score goals decreases dramatically. Nowhere was that more evident than at the HSBC Center tonight. Both goalies made incredible stops to keep the game scoreless until overtime. Miller made several key saves, including stoning Langenbrunner on the crease with 5:10 left in the third period. But Brodeur equaled the effort, making a game-saving stop on Derek Roy in the second period. It only seems fitting that Brodeur would shut out the Sabres for the Devils first win of the season.

Brodeur now has 111 career shutouts, 23 of which have ended in 1-0 scores. It’s also his fourth career 1-0 overtime shutout win.

3. John MacLean Wins His First Game

Coach MacLean earned his first victory as an NHL head coach tonight, which always deserves congratulations. But it was the fire he lit during the pre-game skate that laid the foundation for the Devils solid game tonight. During the morning practice, MacLean got tired of watching the Devils go through practice with a listless attitude. After a missed pass occurred in a drill, MacLean stopped practice and let go a profanity-raced tirade at the team. After practice, he continued to prod the team through the media, believing the team didn’t have “an air of professionalism that we have to be ready to play the game.”

The team came out and played their most complete game of the night, and I believe it was that tongue-lashing that made the Devils play their best.

MacLean said his first win was a relief.

“I’m excited that we got it,” MacLean said to Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record. “It’s always good to get the first one out of the way. I’m more excited about how hard they played tonight.”

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Another preseason game, the same result for the Devils. New Jersey dropped its second straight preseason game, losing to the Rangers, 4-3, in overtime at Madison Square Garden last night. There were some good and bad things from last night's game, so here's a rundown of the action, numbers-style:

The Flyers defeated the Devils, 4-3, in a shootout tonight at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

Mike Richards scored the deciding goal in the fourth round of the shootout, beating Devils’ goalie Mike McKenna.

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I literally don't know what to say about the Devils performance tonight. At first, I was enraged by the lack of aggression and the Devils' lack of patience. But now, after taking a break from hockey, I've come to realize I'm just shocked that the team can look this bad right now. They've scored the first goal in each of the past three games, but after that they've failed to play a sixty-minute game. After Ilya Kovalchuk lit the lamp, the Flyers scored four unanswered goals to sweep the two home games. The Devils now head home with a 3-1 series deficit.

Key Moments:

1. Kovalchuk's 5-on-3 Powerplay Goal

The Devils wanted to come out in game four and be more aggressive in the Flyers' zone. Two early penalty calls helped their cause, as the Devils received an early 5-on-3 powerplay opportunity. With both Braydon Coburn and Chris Pronger in the box, the Devils took advantage of their opportunity. Zach Parise sent a pass up the ice, springing the Devils on a 4-on-2. Kovalchuk moved into the zone, and used a fake shot to freeze Blair Betts. Kovalchuk cut to the right circle and fired a shot on net that beat Brian Boucher for Kovalchuk’s second goal of the series.

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It seemed as if only one Devil answered the call in tonight's game three matchup. That Devil? Martin Brodeur. The Devils' goalie made 31 difficult saves, keeping his team in the game while everything around him crumbled. Without much help from the offense, Brodeur needed to be perfect to keep the team in the game. And he was, until overtime. One puck found its way through, and the Flyers pounced on the opportunity, with Daniel Carcillo netting the overtime winner.

Now, the Devils head into game four Tuesday night with several questions. Will the offense step up? Can the defense play well? Will the Devils figure out how to capitalize on the power play? With all the momentum now on the Flyers' side, the Devils will have to come out with an inspired effort to take game four and go back home with the series tied.

Key Moments:

1. Carcillo's Game-Winning Goal

The Flyers absolutely dominated the third period, outshooting the Devils, 12-3, and stifling their offense. It seemed like the Flyers would get the first opportunity to win the game, and they seemed to be earning themselves the game three victory with their play. And their opportunity came at 3:35 of the overtime period. Shortly after a failed powerplay chance, the Flyers held the puck in the Devils' zone. Mike Richards worked the puck to the side of the net and fired a shot on Brodeur. The puck trickled through, and with the defense collapsed around Brodeur, Carcillo crashed the net. He put the puck into the empty net for his first goal of the series, and a huge momentum shift went the Flyers' way.

2. Brodeur In The Third Period

Every single Devil played a terrible third period, except for Brodeur. If there was one guy in this game who played great, it was Brodeur. Brodeur stood tall, thwarting several quality scoring chances in the third period. Brodeur was his best penalty killer, stopping three great Flyers’ chances on the powerplay at 10:12 of the third period. A shot from the point was re-directed by Claude Giroux in front, and Brodeur went to the splits to make the save. The puck then trickled to the side of the net, where Simon Gagne took control. Brodeur, sitting on the ice, made two saves with his glove before squeezing the puck to his pads for the stoppage in play.

He also made great 5-on-5 saves, like one on Daniel Briere. With the Devils pressing in the Flyers’ zone, Scott Hartnell tipped the puck to center ice. He beat Andy Greene and moved in on Brodeur with Briere on a 2-on-1. He passed the puck to Briere on the left, who let go a shot from the low left circle. Brodeur slid across the crease and made the save.

3. Brian Rolston's Two-Goal Night

If it wasn't for Brian Rolston, the Devils would have put up an extremely poor offensive effort tonight. Rolston tallied two powerplay goals - his first two goals of the series - to keep the Devils in the game. His first goal came at 7:15 of the first period, giving the Devils an early 1-0 lead. With Kimmo Timonen in the box for hooking, Ilya Kovalchuk set up Rolston for a straight-on point shot. Rolston initially faked the pass, getting Ian Laperriere to slide down to the ice. Rolston blasted a shot low that went through a Dainius Zubrus screen and past Brian Boucher for his first goal of the series.

The second goal, at 16:38 of the second period, tied the game at two. The goal looked identical to the first, with Kovalchuk set up along the side boards on the powerplay, where he received a pass from Elias. The left-winger sent a pass to Rolston at the point, and Rolston fired a one-timer on net. Zubrus screened Boucher, and the puck went through the skates and into the back of the net for Rolston’s second powerplay tally of the game.

Biggest (Dis)Advantage

Once again, the refs decided to call a tight game. This gave both teams plenty of opportunities with the man advantage. It seemed the game would hinge on a penalty call. Both teams, but especially the Devils, couldn't cash in on the man-advantage. The Devils went 2-for-8, only putting seven shots on net. Yes, that's right, seven shots on eight opportunities. The Devils couldn't even manage a shot per powerplay. They couldn't break the Flyers' penalty kill, and they couldn't seem to move the puck. Whether it was the lack of aggression or a lack of execution, the powerplay just flat out stunk.

Keep reading after the jump for more of the recap!

Tonight’s game ran me through the gamut of emotions. I went from excited to mad literally minute after minute. But the Devils never got down, and it was Mr. Dependable, Zach Parise, who helped put the Devils ahead for good. It was an exciting game, and now the Devils head to Philadelphia with the series tied, 1-1.

Key Moments:

1. Dainius Zubrus’ Game-Winning Goal

Tied at three in the third period, the Devils began to slowly put more and more pressure on the Philadelphia defense. The first line finally cashed in on the pressure, with Zubrus scoring the game-winning goal at 15:56 of the third period. Zubrus took control of the puck behind the net, and skated the puck out. He curled to the front and put a backhanded shot on Brian Boucher. The Flyers’ goalie made the initial save, but Parise and Zubrus found the puck in front. Parise used the blade of Zubrus’ stick to put the shot top-shelf for Zubrus’ first goal of these playoffs.

2. Chris Pronger’s 4-on-3 Powerplay Goal

With the Flyers down, 3-2, in the second period, Devils’ defenseman Andy Greene took an interference penalty. With Ilya Kovalchuk and Darroll Powe already in the box for roughing, the Flyers had a 4-0n-3 powerplay. With the team only 1-for-5 on the man advantage, this represented their chance to get back to even. With Greene in the box, Mike Richards and Kimmo Timonen played pitch and catch, looking for an opportunity to shoot. Timonen fired a shot from the top of the circles that Pronger deflected past Martin Brodeur for his second goal of the playoffs.

3. Brodeur Stones Ian Laperriere In The Third Period

Brodeur made a game-saving stop on Ian Laperriere at 11:10 of the third period. Daniel Carcillo stripped White of the puck in the Flyers offensive zone, and rushed up the ice. He drove the net, but his attempt was swatted away. The loose puck came to the side of the net, and Laperriere received a pass from a Flyer in front of the net. He tried to one-time the puck past Brodeur, but the Devils goalie stood tall and made the save.

4. Devils Kill Three Straight Flyers Powerplays

In the second period, the Devils faced three straight penalty-kill opportunities. It started with a minor to Greene for high-sticking, then Kovalchuk went to the box for slashing. The trip was complete when Colin White was sent off for interference. The Devils killed off all three attempts, keeping the game scoreless and shutting down a dangerous Philadelphia powerplay.

5. Zach Parise Shorthanded Tally

The Devils, who couldn’t manage to score until the third period Wednesday night, got the crucial first goal on Philadelphia’s powerplay. With Kovalchuk in the box for elbowing, Pronger attempted to pass the puck to Matt Carle. Carle couldn’t handle the pass, and fanned on a shot attempt. Patrik Elias chased down the puck and sent a saucer pass to Parise, springing him free. Parise went to the backhand, roofing the puck over Boucher for his first goal of these playoffs.

Biggest Matchup: Goaltending:

Coming into this series, I believed that Boucher was a guy who hit a hot streak but couldn’t perform under pressure. Well, count me among those fans he’s made look stupid. Boucher had another strong night, stopping 28 shots in the loss. Unlike Wednesday night, the Devils challenged Boucher, and the Flyers’ goalie answered the call. The Flyers still lost, but without Boucher in net, it would have been a 10-goal game.

Brodeur was as good as Boucher, if not better. Through two games, it seems Brodeur has his playoff legs under him. He’s been making incredible saves, including the one mentioned above. But that wasn’t his only nice save tonight. Brodeur was there to stone most of the Flyers’ great scoring chances. Two of the three goals he allowed tonight were perfect deflections on the powerplay. Other than that, he was sparkling. If Brodeur continues to play this way, he may steal this series away from the Flyers.

Things I Liked:

1. The First Two Devils Lines

Finally, Devils’ coach Jacques Lemaire put together his two best scoring lines. The ZZ Pops line has always been great, but late in the season, the Devils had something going with Elias and Zubrus playing with Parise. That first line played a great game, constantly putting pressure on the Flyers defense. It also spread the scoring down to the second line, which also looked solid. It seems Kovalchuk and Travis Zajac have developed some chemistry playing together, and I think this would be the best fit for the rest of the playoffs.

2. The Devils’ Penalty Kill

By all means, the Devils played an undisciplined game tonight. They took eight minor penalties, and it almost seemed like the teams had reversed roles from game one. The Flyers’ have an above-average powerplay, and one that can tip a series in their favor. But the Devils penalty kill made sure it didn’t, killing off six of eight penalties tonight. While you never want to see a team playing 16 minutes of shorthanded hockey, the Devils penalty kill showed today that they can potentially neutralize the Flyers’ extra-man attack.

3. Zach Parise

How could you not like the effort of Parise tonight? Not only did he score the key shorthanded goal, he always seemed to motor around the ice. He also showed a willingness to get into the dirty areas, continually crashing the net and causing problems for the Flyers defense. Every forward should take a page from his book. Get to the front of the net, and good things will happen.

Things That Annoyed Me:

1. Ilya Kovalchuk

Maybe Kovalchuk’s empty-net goal will let the left-winger unwind a bit. He allowed the Flyers to get under his skin tonight, resulting in six penalty minutes. He took several dumb penalties, and twice let the team down with his overly physical play. I know Kovalchuk wants to get out there and cause trouble, but he should stick to causing trouble with his stick. The dumb penalties can only hurt the team during the duration of the series.

2. The Borderline Calls

I wonder if the officials know it’s playoff hockey. It seemed like, in game one, the stripes missed a few obvious calls. Tonight, they seemed to go to the whistle a little too early. David Clarkson’s tripping minor wasn’t a great call, as he swept the puck away from the Aaron Asham’s skates. Also, Greene’s interference call during the 4-on-4 confused me a bit. Yes, he collided with a Flyer behind the play. But it didn’t seem like it should be enough to get a penalty. The officials need to find a happy medium between what is/what is not a penalty.

3. The Flyers’ Third Line

They just annoyed me because they played well. It was surprising to see guys like Asham and Claude Giroux making some solid offensive plays. If the Devils can’t handle these guys, then the Devils give Philadelphia another dimension of offensive firepower.

Next Game:

Game three will be Sunday at 6 p.m. in Philadelphia.

Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images