CBC-Sports

Heartbreak for the Devils

April 29, 2009 01:13 AM | Posted by   CBC Sports Staff  

The sound of 17,625 fans who have witnessed a collapse by the home team in the final 80 seconds of a Game 7 is deafening.

If the Prudential Center sellout crowd in Newark, N.J. on Tuesday night didn’t know how to react after the Devils were eliminated from the playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes, neither did coach Brent Sutter.

"It's reality," Sutter said in his press conference after the heartbreaking 4-3 loss. "Look at two of these games we lost. Two-tenths of a second left (in Game 4) and tonight we're up by a goal with 1:20 left. To lose it 40 seconds later, you shake your head."

Sutter was asked what he said to his players.

"Right now there's nothing to say," he answered. "I think everyone is pretty disappointed. It's as tough a loss as you can possibly have. Unexplainable.

"I don't want to be disrespectful. It's always hard to lose. To lose the way we did is really hard. I'm pretty disappointed. I'm not going to sugarcoat it."

Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice could feel Sutter’s pain.

“Look at it from the other side,” Maurice said. “It’s 45 seconds and their season is over.”

'Perfect shot'

Mike Mottau had some regrets, but the Devils defenceman said his objective on the game-winning goal with 31.7 seconds remaining was to prevent Eric Staal from cutting across the slot from the right faceoff circle.

"I had my stick out thinking he was going to cut back," Mottau said. "I figured, 'Give him that shot.' I didn't want him to get to the middle. He got good wood on it. A perfect shot."

It was just that, according to goalie Martin Brodeur.

“It went between my blocker and pads. The dreaded seven-hole,” Brodeur explained. “He beat me clean. I was in good position. I was right where I was supposed to be. Good players are going to make shots.”

And the tying goal from Jussi Jokinen 45.3 seconds earlier?

“We had our chances to get the puck out on that shift,” the goalie said. “They were just all over us. We had a hard time getting the puck out. They found a lane for a one-timer. It went through my pad and hit the far post and went in.

“It’s shocking. I thought we did everything we could. We have nothing to be ashamed of losing like that, but it’s definitely shocking.”

Langenbrunner had knee surgery

Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner revealed Tuesday night that he underwent arthroscopic surgery on April 18 to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

“They went in there and cleaned it out,” Langenbrunner said.

He missed the next three games, returning for Sunday’s Game 6 in Carolina.

Langenbrunner scored the Devils’ first goal in Game 7.

“I thought he played hard the first game back in Carolina and tonight he was very good,” coach Brent Sutter said. “That line was very good for us. Unfortunately they got scored on to tie the game, but they were, without a doubt, our best line. They brought it to the table in Game 7.”

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