Do you find the idea of a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup playoffs to be exciting? If so, you're probably enjoying the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Thanks to the New Jersey Devils 3-2 overtime win on Tuesday night, three of the four series in the East will now require a seventh and deciding game.
The Devils were able to extend their series with Florida thanks to Travis Zajac's overtime goal on Tuesday night. It's actually kind of amazing the game even went to overtime because the Devils completely dominated the contest right off the opening faceoff, outshooting Florida by a 42-16 margin. If it's possible for a 3-2 overtime game to be considered a dominating performance by one team, this would be it.
At times, it was almost as if Florida wasn't even trying to score or generate offense, and seemed perfectly content to sit in their own zone and allow New Jersey to keep pumping shots at Scott Clemmensen. The 16 shots on goal by Florida are the lowest total any team has registered in this year's playoffs (the previous low was 17). And the Panthers had the luxury of playing beyond the 60 minutes of regulation.
Despite controlling the game for most of the night the Devils were still on the verge of letting it slip away due to shaky performance by Martin Brodeur. The second goal he allowed, which tied the game midway through the second period after the Devils raced out to a 2-0 lead, was put into an empty net by Sean Bergenheim after an innocent shot from the beyond the circles somehow trickled through Brodeur.
He seemed to be fighting the puck the few times Florida was able to get a shot on him, but New Jersey was able to smother Florida's offense enough to keep the puck away from him for most of the night.
For more hockey news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnHockey and @agretz on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Thanks to the New Jersey Devils 3-2 overtime win on Tuesday night, three of the four series in the East will now require a seventh and deciding game.
The Devils were able to extend their series with Florida thanks to Travis Zajac's overtime goal on Tuesday night. It's actually kind of amazing the game even went to overtime because the Devils completely dominated the contest right off the opening faceoff, outshooting Florida by a 42-16 margin. If it's possible for a 3-2 overtime game to be considered a dominating performance by one team, this would be it.
At times, it was almost as if Florida wasn't even trying to score or generate offense, and seemed perfectly content to sit in their own zone and allow New Jersey to keep pumping shots at Scott Clemmensen. The 16 shots on goal by Florida are the lowest total any team has registered in this year's playoffs (the previous low was 17). And the Panthers had the luxury of playing beyond the 60 minutes of regulation.
Despite controlling the game for most of the night the Devils were still on the verge of letting it slip away due to shaky performance by Martin Brodeur. The second goal he allowed, which tied the game midway through the second period after the Devils raced out to a 2-0 lead, was put into an empty net by Sean Bergenheim after an innocent shot from the beyond the circles somehow trickled through Brodeur.
He seemed to be fighting the puck the few times Florida was able to get a shot on him, but New Jersey was able to smother Florida's offense enough to keep the puck away from him for most of the night.
For more hockey news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnHockey and @agretz on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
