NEWARK, NJ – Martin Brodeur set an all-time playoff shutout record at 24 to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 4-0 win over the Florida Panthers. Brodeur recovered from being pulled from game three, stopping all 26 shots he faced to move past Patrick Roy in the playoff record book.
Florida goaltender Scott Clemmensen earned the start after a stellar winning effort in game three after he replaced Jose Theodore to earn a road victory for the Panthers. He got off to a great start in the first period, allowing no goals on ten shots, but things went downhill from there.
Zach Parise broke the scoreless tie with a power play goal at 6:08 of the second period when he tipped a shot past Clemmensen. The period ended with New Jersey leading 1-0; the game far from decided.
Two New Jersey goals within a minute and 33 seconds early in the third period sealed the Panther’s fate. Steve Bernier fired a wrist shot past Clemmensen at 2:02, followed by a Travis Zajac slap shot goal at 3:35. Ilya Kovalchuk iced the cake with a power play goal at 8:32.
After seemingly losing their way on specials teams in the first three games of the series, the Devils looked more like the regular season team that had superb special teams’ numbers.
“We kind of lost our way on special teams,” Devil’s winger Zach Parise said. “We just wanted to do what we did best in the regular season.”
New Jersey scored two power play goals on four shots, while stopping Florida on all six of their power play attempts.
“We got abused a lot on the power play (in game three),” Brodeur added. “We had a meeting about it and pressured the puck more (tonight).”
The series goes back to Florida on Saturday with the series tied at two games apiece.
Contact the writer at: mitch.cooper@prohockeynews.com
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