That Old Devil
In his 12th postseason, Martin Brodeur is still baffling shooters as he pursues his fourth Cup
By Brian Cazeneuve
Playoff hockey is a rite of spring for New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur, and because the Devils make their players stay in hotels during the postseason even when playing at home, so are meals with his teammates. "You see the guys at breakfast, lunch, dinner," Brodeur says. "They become your family. But you also want to see your kids, so you just want to finish the series quickly." Brodeur did his part last Saturday, helping New Jersey complete a four-game sweep of the New York Rangers with a 4-2 win in Madison Square Garden. He has now backstopped the Devils to 15 straight victories dating back to March 28, and there is no doubt that he is the most feared goalie in the playoffs. "His net gets smaller when the games get bigger," says Rangers forward Jaromir Jagr.
Brodeur, who turns 34 this Saturday, is second among active goaltenders in career postseason appearances (148) and on Saturday started in his 137th straight playoff game, breaking Patrick Roy's NHL record for netminders. His career postseason wins (88), shutouts (21) and Stanley Cups (3) exceed those of the other 15 Game 1 starters combined. "There's a confidence the guys have in Marty that lets them play their game," says Lou Lamoriello, New Jersey's coach and general manager.
Sweeping the Rangers was especially satisfying for Brodeur. Although he has long dominated the Blueshirts in the regular season (he had a 23-game unbeaten streak against New York from 1997 to 2001), he was 0-3 in playoff series against them. "All my neighbors are Rangers fans," says Brodeur who raised his arms in an uncharacteristic show of emotion as Game 4 ended. "My kid's coach is a Rangers fan. Everywhere I look there are Rangers fans. Anybody in our dressing room who says it isn't extra sweet to beat them is lying."
Only in New Jersey's team-first system could a player of Brodeur's stature be so easily taken for granted. Though he surrendered just four goals in four games against the Rangers, Brodeur wasn't named the first or second star in any of the victories. Still, his very presence gives the Devils much of their postseason poise. "Marty's like the thing in the commercial, the easy button," says forward Scott Gomez. "If we do miss assignments and the play breaks down, we know we have Marty to bail us out."
Issue date: May 8, 2006