Energized Devils look to build on game four victory

NEWARK, NJ – After a Game Four victory in Los Angeles, New Jersey enters

Game Five on home ice with as much momentum as you would expect from a team trailing three games to one in the Stanley Cup Final.   After playing consistently solid the first three games with nothing to show for their efforts, the Devils finally made a mark and prevented being swept by the Kings.  
 
The Devils skated this afternoon and appeared loose, but certainly aware of the task ahead of them and the daunting nature by which it might be achieved.   Only three teams have ever rebounded from being down three games to none to win a seven-game series.   During the 2010 playoffs, the Philadelphia Flyers shocked the Boston Bruins before reaching the Final.   In 1975, The New York Islanders caught up with the Pittsburgh Penguins.   And in 1942 while trailing the Detroit Red Wings three games to none, the Toronto Maple Leafs rattled off four straight wins to capture their fourth Stanley Cup.
 
After registering their first win in the series, Devils’ coach Peter DeBoer reiterated the confidence in New Jersey’s style of play.   When asked about what was different in Game Four that led to a better result than in the previous games, DeBoer replied, “Not a whole lot different. We found a way to get the first goal. We found a way to keep momentum. We didn’t play any harder.   I mean, I think the chances were relatively even again tonight, like they have been most of the games.   Our poorest effort was in Game 1.   I think the last three games could have gone our way as easily as they’ve gone Los Angeles’ way.   We finally got rewarded tonight.”
 
With their backs against the wall and an opponent aiming to secure a title at home, it has to be difficult to get a team ready to play.   DeBoer was asked despite being down 3-0, how his players managed to stay in it.   The New Jersey coach was clear in his remarks.   “W ell, they believe.   They’re in the fight. They’ve got a lot of pride.   Like I said, we’ve been in adverse spots before where we’ve played two or three games and haven’t got rewarded because of either hot goaltending or we’ve taken too many penalties.   We know we’ve just got to stick with it and it will turn.   And it did tonight.”
 
Los Angeles has won all ten road games in the playoffs tying the record for most by one team in one post-season.   Aware an eleventh win will not only set the new record, but allow the Kings to clinch their first Stanley Cup, DeBoer was asked if he felt the Devils had that home-ice advantage going back after winning Game Four.   “ We’ve got to win a home game. We’re a good home team in front of our home crowd. I’m confident that we’ll be ready to play and we’ll get the job done.”
 
Rookie sniper Adam Henrique, who netted his third game-winning goal of the playoffs in Wednesday’s game, is no stranger to being down 3-0 in a series to win it.   Henrique was a member of the 2010 Windsor Spitfires who defeated the Kitchener Rangers after being down three games to none.   That team eventually won the Memorial Cup Championship that year.   In playing a clutch role during the playoffs, Henrique was asked how he would explain his ability to deliver in critical situations.
 
“You know, everybody wants to be out there in those situations.   You want to be counted on by your teammates, your coaches.   It’s nice that they have that trust in me to put me out there in those certain times of the game.   I just play.   I’m not thinking about what’s going to happen if I score, if I don’t score.   I’m just a kid playing hockey, having some fun.”
 
When asked if he felt his team has the ability to make history, Henrique replied, “F or sure. There’s no question. There’s no better time than now to do it.   Seems we waited to get that first one under our belt. It was a hard-fought game. It was close from start to finish. Coming down to the wire, it seemed whoever was going to get the next one with five or ten minutes to go was going to grab the win.   We have to take it one game at a time.   That’s the bottom line.”
 
Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur has found ways to respond to adversity throughout his career and has been on teams who have to adjust to win games.   When asked if the team fine-tuned its play at all or tweaked anything to get the win in Game Four, Brodeur responded, “A ctually, we talked about doing more of the same.   We feel that we’ve been playing really well this series, but with zero result.   It’s hard.   But I think you just don’t change for the sake of changing.   I thought in the playoffs that has been working for us.   We just wanted to do more of the same.   We were able to win today.   I thought we had great performances from certain guys.   That made this win happen.”
 
When asked if he had ever played with a rookie during the course of his career that has the same level of calmness that Adam has exhibited, the future Hall of Fame goaltender praised Henrique by saying, “ I think he’s grown a lot as a player.   I think from his junior career, he scored a lot of goals all the time.   These playoffs, it’s obvious the goals he has scored are important goals for this team.   His head is up.   His skating ability.   The way he handles the puck, protects the puck.   It’s pretty amazing to see at that young age to be able to come in and really be an impact the way that he is.   Even though he doesn’t score all the time, he does a lot of good things on the ice. In a twenty-two year career which has seen him become the winningest goaltender in NHL history with three Cups to his credit, Brodeur was asked by having been in so many of these situations, elimination games, if he flashed back at any time to any of them.
 
“It’s just being in the moment.   Every situation is different.   You can look back. When you do play the game, it’s what’s happening in front of you, some of the players that are creating their own things out there.   It’s really hard while you’re playing to really think about other things, even though some of them are successful, some are not.   But for me, it’s living in the moment, living these experiences with these guys. That’s what hockey is all about, it’s about living the moment.”
 
The Devils hope there are at least two more of these moments after Game Five.   The puck drops at the Prudential Center Saturday night at 8:00 PM (ET).
 
Contact:  dennis.morrell@prohockeynews.com
Photography by Jack.Lima@prohockeynews.com  
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