Sticks? Tantrums? No, just pure Brodeur
NEWARK, N.J. -- There was no tantrum and no stick-throwing for Martin Brodeur on Thursday night. There was only perfection.
The New Jersey Devils star netminder added to his legendary career with a 44-save effort that led to a crucial 1-0 Game 5 victory and tied Patrick Roy's all-time record of 23 postseason shutouts.
Two nights after a controversial goal by the Carolina Hurricanes with 0.2 seconds remaining in the third period fueled a highlight-reel explosion of fury from the normally laid-back Brodeur, he answered the way he knows best. He shut the door and helped his team take a 3-2 lead in the series.
The Game 4 tantrum was old news.
"It's not really characteristic of me," Brodeur said with a sheepish grin. "I really needed to come out and have a big game tonight. … I felt pretty good out there. I was in the zone, I guess."
Uh, yeah, we'd say so.
By the time he slid across to stop a one-time blast from Ray Whitney with 19 seconds left in the game, his 44th save of the night, you wondered just how complacent people in these parts had become about seeing nights like these. Does it get old seeing a player rewrite the record book over and over?
Brodeur needed to be perfect Thursday night because his counterpart Cam Ward was just short of perfect himself, stopping 41 of 42 shots.
"It was a great hockey game," said Devils coach Brent Sutter, who's seen a few in his day. "Both goalies were outstanding. They have been all series, but you just knew, at some point in the series, there would be a goaltenders' duel and that's certainly what had tonight."
The dueling goalies, it should be noted, could very well be teammates on Canada's 2010 Olympic team in February along with Vancouver's Roberto Luongo. Ward would have to fend off the likes of Steve Mason and Marc-Andre Fleury, among others, for the No. 3 job, but he's got an admirer in the 2002 Olympic-champion netminder.
"He's been great for them," Brodeur said of Ward. "It took a tip to score on him tonight."
David Clarkson's nifty deflection was the only goal of the night at 11:22 of the second period on a Devils power play. No one in the building could ever remember witnessing a 1-0 game which featured 86 shots on goal that were almost evenly distributed on both sides. This was not your typical 1-0 Devils game from years past. This was end-to-end action all night long, with both goalies staring each other down.
"Big-time playoff hockey," Brodeur said. "For a 1-0 game, there were a lot of chances on both sides."
When asked whether he had ever played in a 1-0 game which featured more than 80 shots, Brodeur said no, before correcting himself.
"Oh yes, I did," Brodeur said. "In the playoffs one year against [Dominik] Hasek. But that was seven periods [because of overtime]. He made like 70 saves and we lost."
Brodeur was all smiles in the home locker room at Prudential Center, but that wasn't the case with 5:20 left in the first period after a collision with Carolina's Chad LaRose had everyone in the Devils' organization holding their breath.
"I hurt my ankle a little bit," Brodeur said. "I was cut a little by his skate, and it bled a little. But it's just a cut to the surface. Nothing serious."
Asked if he needed stitches, Brodeur flashed a smile and said: "I'm not that tough -- I probably wouldn't have continued if I needed stitches."
Sutter watched from the bench and admitted a few nervous thoughts crossed his mind. "But he's fine," Sutter said. "Obviously he showed he's fine."
Now the Hurricanes must beat the game's greatest goalie of all time in two consecutive games to reach the second round. They'll need a few bounces to go their way.
As we walked through the arena hallways with Carolina coach Paul Maurice after his news conference, he stopped dead in his tracks.
"Ah, here we go," Maurice said.
He bent over and picked up a penny from the concrete floor. After witnessing a legend at play Thursday night, he'll need every bit of luck he can get.
Pierre LeBrun covers the NHL for ESPN.com.
