Finally, a break that went our way. Finally, a last minute flurry that results in a positive for our squad. Finally, Travis Zajac hits the net when in close. Finally, the Devils get a win.
With just under 15 seconds to go in the period, the Devils looked dead to rights. They couldn't control the puck in the Lightning zone. They couldn't get the puck free, and set up their offense. Then something happened.
Andy Greene baseball swings a bouncing puck out of mid-air. The puck flips through the slot, towards the feet of Travis Zajac. Zajac settles it as best as he could with his skate, took a slight step back, and ripped the puck as quickly as he could.
The puck flew past Tampa goalie Mike Smith, and the final horn sounded.
The Devils celebrated as if they had just won a playoff series.
The crowd booed and then cheered when they saw the replay, many mis-reading the time remaining on the clock in the lower left of the screen. I know i even was sitting on pins and needles waiting for MSG+ to show the overheard replay with the clock.
Then it came, starting with 1.4 seconds, you see Smith on the left side of his crease, then sliding to his right.
1.2 seconds remain when the puck enters the frame.
1.1 and its on the goal line.
1.0 and its in the back of the net and the Devils clinch at least their first point of the season.
They took their momentum right over the 5 minute break between regulation and overtime and came out firing. They had a handful of chances early on, including a Mike Mottau shot which found its way through a crowd in front, and had Smith not kept control over the rebound, could very well have been Zach Parise's second of the night and a game winning goal.
Tampa Bay had its fair share of chances late in the period as well. Including a beauty of a shot from the right circle, and the only thing preventing a game winning goal by the Bolts was great positioning by Andy Greene in support of Broduer who was diving and losing his mask on the play.
Parise had a wide open, top part of the net while Smith was on his side, only to have the Smith made an incredible save.
In the shootout, Parise deked Smith out of his pads and beat the sprawling keeper low, blocker side after Stamkos, who already had 2 goals on the night, hit the crossbar.
Tanguay followed Parise with a nifty deke of his own, and had he not gone for the extra move at the end of it, would have had his second. The puck instead drifted harmlessly to Marty's glove side.
Langenbrunner saw Parise's move, took notes, and did a similar deke to beat Smith for the Devils' second shootout goal, clinching their first victory of the season.
Game Puck goes to.......Andy Greene, for setting up the game tieing goal with excellent hand eye corrdination, blocking the shot to preserve the OT period. As user Nasty_Magician said, "If he plays like that every night, he's one of the best defenders on the team." I said it was necessary for him to be in the lineup, especially after how horrendous the 2nd power play unit had been, his shot and vision on that line was necessary on its own.
Devils 3 (2) - Lightning 3 (0) F/SO
1-2-0, 2 points
Time to build some momentum... See you Saturday.
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