[panoo]

Associated Press
10/12/2006 10:50:08 PM

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Martin Brodeur atoned for the worst 20 minutes of his home career with the Devils by stopping three shots in a shootout and New Jersey rallied from a three-goal deficit in the third period to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-6 on Thursday night.

Brian Gionta led the Devils' comeback by scoring three times in the third period to tie the game 6-6, the game-tying goal coming with 37 seconds to play.

Gionta also scored in the shootout which the Devils won 2-1 in four rounds.

John Madden scored twice in regulation and Sergei Brylin once as New Jersey overcame a five-goal second period by the Maple Leafs, which tied the record for most against the Devils at home.

Matt Stajan scored twice and Jeff O'Neill, Chad Kilger, Darcy Tucker and Alexei Ponikarovsky each had one goal for Toronto, which led 6-3 entering the third period.

Stajan gave the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead in the shootout, then Brodeur stopped Mats Sundin, Tucker and Ponikarovsky.

Gionta scored on the Devils' second shot against Jean-Sebastien Aubin and Madden won it on the fourth with a goal that had to be reviewed, but it was clearly in.

Gionta, who set a team-record with 48 goals last season, started the comeback with two power-play goals. His first came on a deflection of a shot by Brian Rafalski at 6:29. The second was from in close with 5:41 left in regulation and the third came with Brodeur off for an extra skater. Scott Gomez had assists on the last two.

The hat trick was the first of Gionta's career and it showed why the Devils gave him a three-year, US$12 million contract just days before the season.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=180586&hubname=nhl

 

[BE-LEAF-ABLE]

I don't like how the Leafs blew that 3 goal lead in the 3rd.

Kudos to Gionta. He really came through in the end for his team with the natural hattrick.

Brodeur was good in the 3rd and shootout as well.

Well... Toronto showed they can score, so at least they got something out of this game (other than the point). I like the top 2 lines right now:

Tucker-Sundin-Wellwood
Ponikarovsky-Stajan-O'Neill

New Jersey isn't a team that tanks too easily. I kind of expected them to come back and tie the game. Defencively, Toronto seemed like a Quinn team.

The Leafs have gotta' get back to the way they've been playing so far this year, though the injury to Kubina will hurt.

 

[panoo]

A game like that is always tough to swallow, doesn't matter who's playing!!!

I always wonder what happens to a team that can post so many goals, just to loose the game in the end? Do they just fall asleep, or what? Or do they think they can just cruse the rest of the way, because they have the game in hand? That's the worst mistake anybody can make, if it is!!

 

[BE-LEAF-ABLE]

I think they were just overwhelmed.

I knew New Jersey would come out hard in the 3rd period, and boy did they ever.

The Leafs are a younger team, and they could have been in over their heads at first. In the 3rd when the Devils were swarming the net, they didn't know what to do.

I guess they have to go over more drills with PM, though he seemed a little happy at the result of getting 6 goals.