The New Jersey Devils are 0-for-12 in 19 minutes and 53 seconds of power-play time through the first three games of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals. Five of their top six players in playoff points, including all of the top three, are pointless against the Los Angeles Kings, as are six other skaters.
Even with the 4-0 result Monday night that gave the Kings a commanding 3-0 advantage in the series, this matchup has been more competitive than meets the eye. Goaltender Martin Brodeur has generally recompensed his own mistakes and those of his teammates to at least keep the Devils within one strike of a lead.
The only real implosion to date was a bang-bang succession of Los Angeles power-play goals in Monday’s third period. The first two special teams’ strikes for either team this series occurred in the most recent period they have played, occurred two minutes and 32 seconds apart and doubled up a 2-0 deficit.
But the preceding 40-plus minutes presented abundant opportunities for the Devils to alter the complexion of the series. Ditto virtually every second of action in back-to-back 2-1 overtime losses back home at the Prudential Center.
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Al Daniel
Stanley Cup Finals 2012: 4 Plays That Have Put the NJ Devils in a 3-0 Hole
June 5th, 2012 by Al Daniel Leave a reply »
Advertisement