Role Players Ease Burden

[Rock]

Role players ease burden

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?level_...33&page=5950479

Wednesday, December 11, 2002

By TOM GULITTI

Staff Writer

Oleg Tverdovsky of the Devils dropping the Blues\' Steve Dubinsky to the ice during the second period Tuesday night. Martin Brodeur posted his 58th career shutout for the first-place Devils. (AP)

EAST RUTHERFORD - The building was half empty. The St. Louis Blues were nearly all sick.

And, ho hum, the Devils won again.

While the their big names continued to struggle to put the puck in the net, the Devils got goals from Jim McKenzie and Turner Stevenson, who are known more for using their hands to fight than to score, to beat the undermanned Blues, 2-0, Tuesday night in front of a sparse crowd of 11,520 at Continental Arena.

Martin Brodeur made 28 saves to post his third shutout of the season and 58th of his career.

The Devils prevailed despite the continued scoring droughts of Joe Nieuwendyk and Patrik Elias. Nieuwendyk assisted on Stevenson's second-period goal but went his 17th game in a row without scoring a goal.

Elias has just one goal in his last 12 contests, but the Devils continue to win. With Tuesday's victory, they improved to 5-1-0-2 in their last eight games and remained two points ahead of Philadelphia for first place in the Atlantic Division.

"I'm sure [Nieuwendyk and Elias] want to score, but that just gives [the media] something to write about," Stevenson said. "I know they are proud guys and they're paid to score, but we keep winning. That's always been the concept around here."

A team-wide bout of food poisoning that hit the Blues on Monday night depleted their roster to 18 healthy enough to play Tuesday - two below the maximum allowed to dress. Scott Mellanby, Dallas Drake, Christian Laflamme, Justin Papineau, and Jeff Finley all sat out because of the ailment.

Several other players, most notably Eric Boguniecki and Shjon Podein, were in uniform despite still being weak. Only 12 Blues could get out of bed to make it to what was supposed to be a mandatory morning skate.

They kept a bucket on the bench in case of an emergency.

The Blues, who dressed six defensemen and 10 forwards, were also missing leading scorer Pavol Demitra, who was sent home from Detroit on Sunday with the chickenpox.

But any temptation to take it easy on the Blues with little intensity coming from the meager home crowd was quickly quelled by a reminder from the coaching staff that this team had played well without key players all season and is still biting at Detroit's heels for first place in the Central Division.

"It's always a situation where if you don't take them seriously, you're going to lose the game," Devils coach Pat Burns said. "They're hard teams to play against."

Nieuwendyk, who had Scott Gomez on his left wing Tuesday in place of Jeff Friesen, had two marvelous scoring chances. Blues goalie Fred Brathwaite made a pad save on his first - a backhander from outside the right post 7:04 into the second period - and a glove save on the second

[devspage]

It's amazing how well we've been doing with all the struggles.

But that's why this team is such a great TEAM.

It's really awesome to see McKenzie and Stevenson score. Like I always say, on any given night, it can be anybody!!!

EVERYBODY really earned that win last night. Those who didn't have points had great chances and strong pressure, played great D.

Awesome games from Albelin, Stevens and Gomez in addition to those named stars.

A shutout minus a No. 1 defenseman? Damn impressive.

[Nieuwy25]

It was nice to see that Brodeur got ESPN's #1 star last night.

[insanity_gallops]

It was nice to see that Brodeur got ESPN's #1 star last night.

Wait, wait... ESPN giving respect to an Atlantic Division team that ISN'T the Flyers? Giving first star to someone from the AD that ISN'T Mario?

What is this world coming to?