Panthers Wrap-Up: Devils 3, Panthers 2 (OT)
Devils force Game 7 Thursday as they hold off Panthers comeback, win in overtime.
![](http://1.cdn.nhle.com/panthers/images/upload/2012/04/PanthersDevils-042412-Large.jpg")
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 Steve Bernier and Ilya Kovalchuk also scored and Martin Brodeur made 14 saves for New Jersey, which squandered a two-goal lead and had fans dreading another first-round playoff exit until Zajac scored from the right hand circle. FULL RECAP |
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 - Head coach Kevin Dineen. |
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 2. Tying It Up: Things got worse before they got better for the Panthers. 2:25 into the second period Tomas Kopecky went off for high-sticking. The penalty kill units did their jobs for 1:56 of that penalty but Ilya Kovalchuk snuck down from his position at the point and Travis Zajac found him beautifully for the one-timer into the open net. Looking for their first shot of the period, the Panthers did better than that as they scored on it 7:05 into the frame. The play was set up by a nice effort by Stephen Weiss up the left wing. With a Devils defender draped all over him, he worked his way to just above the goal line and found a wide open Kris Versteeg in the slot. The forward took a couple of strides before firing his third of the playoffs past Martin Brodeur. The Panthers then knotted it on officially their second shot (really was third shot) 5:45 later. Florida rushed up the ice on a 4-on-2 break. Tyson Strachan let go a rip that Brodeur got a piece of and the puck trickled wide. Sean Bergenheim was johnny on the spot as he collecte the puck and tucked it into the wide open net for the equalizer. The teams headed to the locker room knotted at two with twenty minutes left to play. 3. Forcing Seven: Neither team could get the offensive momentum in the third period despite three power play chances (one for Florida). The teams combined for nine shots on goal (six for New Jersey). Both netminders did have to make a great save in the final period of regulation with Clemmensen making a tough save with 11 minutes left in the period. Brodeur on the flip side came out of his net and stopped a Mikael Samuelsson shot on the rush with his arm with about three minutes left in regulation. The teams would play their first overtime of the post-season and it ended 5:39 in. After Florida failed to get anything substantial on a rush, the Devils slightly caught Mike Weaver on a pinch in the defensive zone. They worked their way back on a 3-on-2 and Kovalchuk slid the puck to Zajac and the forward snapped a low shot past Clemmensen for the game-winner on the Devils 42nd shot of the game. The victory means a Game 7 for the teams on Thursday. |
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 Memorable twitter posts from the game.
@edugatr: Bring on game 7! Its gonna rain rats on Thursday! #FlaPanthers |
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 Memorable fan posts from the game.
Mike Gold: 16 SOG don't win games, boys. Pick up the offense just a bit. Geez. Nice Job Clemmy, keeping us in this thing...!!! My rats off to ya. Bryan Gaminara: Spoiled my bday... come on cats, Bring your hunger and shut them down at home! I believe RED!!! Jay Martenz: Come on florida! You can do it! Sandi Keller: Wanted to see rats on Jersey ice but big win at home! Rosa Ruiz: Am Sad but at lease that panthers still alive for game seven at home, Go Panthers. |
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 1. With how many times Florida and New Jersey have played past regulation this season, it's amazing that the first overtime game came six games in. Florida had played in 25 overtime/shootout games (30.5%) while the Devils played in 22 games (26.8%). It was the latest in a series this post-season that saw it's first overtime (Nashville/Detroit also did not play in overtime but series ended in five). |
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1 Goal, 1 Assist, 2 Points, 2 Shots, 24:23 TOI
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Panthers
DEVILS
Author: Glenn Odebralski | FloridaPanthers.com
