Devils 4 – Hurricanes 1
Just when Lou Lamoriello is said to be ready to deal for Alexei Zhamnov, the Devils’ offense resurfaced to perhaps give pause.
Sources insist the Devils are pressing hard to trade for Zhamnov, whom Chicago has publicly declared it will deal by next month’s deadline. Many expect a deal to come some sooner than later for the slick-passing center, an upcoming unrestricted. Zhamnov’s representative was unavailable for comment, but Chicago scouted the Devils Wednesday and Ottawa Thursday.
The Blackhawks are believed to be asking each of several teams in the bidding for its best young player, and Vancouver, Ottawa and Detroit are among the half-dozen said to be in the auction. The Devils are surely refusing to give up collegian Zach Parise, but would probably have to yield someone on the varsity squad, perhaps among David Hale, Brian Gionta or Mike Rupp.
While the Devils await Lamoriello’s next move, Scott Gomez helped revive the dormant offense with a goal and an assist in yesterday’s 4-1 victory over the going-nowhere Hurricanes at the Meadowlands. The triumph snapped New Jersey’s three-game losing streak, their longest since December 2002, while the CandyCanes are winless (0-4-2) in six.
In avoiding their first four-game losing streak since Larry Robinson was coach, the Devils stretched their season’s perfect afternoon record to four triumphant matinees, with another at 2 p.m. today at the Meadowlands against the Kings.
Gomez, Patrik Elias and Gionta skated their second game together, and this time, they provided the offense the Devils absolutely need from them.
“Deep down, we know. Pat [Burns] hasn’t pointed the finger at us [to produce], but deep down, we know,” said Gomez, who snapped his 15-game goal drought to give the Devils their first 1-0 lead this month.
While Carolina goalie Kevin Weekes was objecting to being jostled by Elias, Gomez fired Gionta’s rebound into the open side to start the scoring 8:56 in. Gomez then rose to his knees from an end-boards burial to set up Gionta’s 12th with 31.6 seconds left in the first. That first-period output matched New Jersey’s offense from its previous three games, in which it had been outscored 11-2.
Jeff Friesen connected at 13:08 of the second on the power play to give the Devils a 3-0 lead.
Martin Brodeur lost his shutout bid on Carolina’s lone shot of the second at 14:22. Roaming to his left corner to stick the puck from Tomas Kurka, Brodeur’s clearing attempt went to Jeff O’Neill, who hit the vacated net for his 11th.
“They wanted to create offense. I did,” Brodeur said. “Getting bored, I guess.”
After video review, Rupp was credited with his sixth at 7:18 of the third when Eric Rasmussen’s rebound went in off his right thigh.
They might, however, temper their euphoria with the assessment Carolina coach Peter Laviolette gave of his Hurricanes.
“We,” Laviolette said, “were appalling.”
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Corey Schwab said a trip to Albany to test his thrice-recurred groin injury showed it “still isn’t right,” and is again on the rest-and-heal cure . . . Igor Larionov was a healthy scratch for third straight game and fifth of six. Larionov said he has a no-trade clause and doesn’t want to go anywhere . . . David Hale missed his fourth straight with a left-knee injury, but skated before the game and may return later this week.