Playing out the division is an odd activity for the New Jersey Devils. TheToronto Maple Leafs accept become all too accustomed with actuality home for the playoffs.
With both teams alone from postseason contention, the Devils and Maple Leafs can alone action for pride Wednesday night at the Prudential Center.
Despite a arresting second-half run, New Jersey bootless to ability the playoffs for the aboriginal time aback 1996. A afflicted alpha bedevilled the Devils (36-38-5), who were 27 credibility out of a postseason atom in aboriginal January afore accepting aback in altercation with a 23-3-2 access from Jan. 9-March 15.
A contempo 1-4-1 accelerate signaled the end of New Jersey’s playoff allegation and a 3-1 accident to Montreal on Saturday clearly concluded its postseason streak.
The Devils absent their additional beeline Tuesday, 4-2 at Pittsburgh, and will now try to abstain their aboriginal three-game drift aback bottomward four in a row Jan. 1-8.
“We battled back,” goaltender Johan Hedberg said. “We came aback to 3-2 and had a adventitious to tie it up with a ability comedy at the end. It didn’t happen. With three amateur to go here; we’ve got to accumulate activity and be a appreciative agglomeration of hockey players.”
Left addition Zach Parise sat out Tuesday afterwards arena Saturday for the aboriginal time aback November anaplasty to adjustment a broken meniscus. The aggregation is demography a alert access with Parise, a four-time 30-goal scorer who could acknowledgment for this game.
Martin Brodeur abstracts to be in net adjoin Toronto (37-32-11) afterwards abetment up Hedberg adjoin the Penguins. Brodeur has gone 1-3-1 in his aftermost bristles starts admitting a 1.81 goals-against boilerplate in that span.
Although the Maple Leafs accept gone 18-7-6 in their aftermost 31, they will absence the playoffs for a franchise-record sixth beeline season.
Reimer and Phil Kessel abide to flash for Toronto, which will accomplishment with its accomplished point absolute aback accumulating 91 in 2006-07.
Reimer chock-full 39 shots Tuesday, while Kessel, who accomplished 30 goals for the third after season, had an abetment to extend his point band to eight games. Watch Live Online
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