STANLEY CUP FINALS
GAME DAY PREVIEWS
GAME 2:
#4 NEW JERSEY DEVILS vs # 2 DALLAS STARS DEVILS
New Jersey wins 1-0
Game time: Thursday June 1st, 2000 8pm at New Jersey
The suddenly explosive New Jersey Devils look to take a commanding two games to none lead Thursday night as they host the Dallas Stars in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals. New Jersey, which usually relies on defense and goaltending for its wins, tallied three goals in each of the final two periods Tuesday to take Game 1, 7-3. The Devils have won four straight games, including the final three over Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Like the Flyers before them, the Stars could not contain the line of Petr Sykora, Patrik Elias and Jason Arnott, which combined for four goals and seven assists. Sykora and Arnott each had two goals and two assists and the trio has accounted for 21 of New Jersey's 53 playoff goals.
In contrast, Devils defenseman Ken Daneyko scored for the first time in 108 games and his last playoff goal came in Game 5 of the 1995 Eastern Conference finals. The tally on Tuesday broke a 1-1 tie 2:52 into the second.
After going eight straight games without allowing more than two goals, Dallas goaltender Ed Belfour surrendered six before he was pulled in the third period. He was yanked after yielding two goals on as many shots in the third and afterwards said he has been fighting a cold.
New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur was not all that much better than Belfour, stopping only 18 shots. He faced just one shot over the first 10-plus minutes as the Devils grabbed the early lead.
Rookie Jon Sim and former Devil Kirk Muller scored 12 seconds apart in the third period to give Dallas something on which to build for tonight. The Stars will host Game Three on Saturday.
The result was a surprise, not only for the margin but also because two of the NHL's top defensive teams combined for the highest-scoring Stanley Cup Finals game since Pittsburgh edged Chicago, 6-5, in Game Four of the 1992 series.
The Devils are still perfect in the Stanley Cup finals as they swept the Detroit Red Wings in 1995 for their first title.
Losing Game 1 of the finals is nothing new for the Stars. They dropped the opener last season in overtime to Buffalo before winning the series in six games.
Devils rookie John Madden, who returned from a knee injury in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, limped off after his brace buckled late in the third period but said he should be back for Game 2. Stars captain Derian Hatcher suffered a hyperextended knee midway through the period, but Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock described the injury as "minor."
Dallas right wing Jamie Langenbrunner did not play Game 1 with an injured knee and is questionable for tonight.