My Baker's Dozen Favorite Devils Goals | 40 YEARS WITH STAN

It's safe to say that -- to Devils fans -- virtually every New Jersey goal is a sweet one.
At least it was for me during my decades-long stint broadcasting games for SportsChannel and then Madison Square Garden Networks through the first playoff season (1988), the three Stanley Cups and well beyond.
As a matter of fact, I enjoyed the goals so much I decided to pick my all-time favorite Baker's Dozen of red lights. Mind you, I had to be picky. So, here they are and see if you agree -- and where we disagree. My list starts with Number 13 and works on down to the winner at one. Ready, set, go:

12. FRIESEN FREEZES THE SENATORS:

Maybe some of the Faithful have forgotten Jeff Friesen, but I haven't. Granted, he didn't hang around New Jersey for very long but during his Devs' time, he was as likable a sharpshooter as I have ever met. Matter of fact, I never, ever, saw a player give such meticulous attention to his skate's shoelaces as this fellow. But that's another story. In the 2003 Eastern Conference Final, Ottawa was favored to beat us. It all came down to a heart-throbbing seventh game in Canada's capital and what a thriller that was. Pat Burns' club kept the contest tied until late in the third period when Jeff deked the Sens defense and scored the clincher.
P.S. From my viewpoint it was one of the biggest of the big New Jersey goals during my watch and, as a result, my long-time, venerable, and very able producer, Roland Dratch and I toasted the triumph with a couple of big cigars.

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11. RANDY THE GLASS-CLIMBER:

The Devils 1995 postseason overflowed with big-time performances but few could match Randy McKay's overtime winner against the Bruins in Game Four of the first round. The Devils started the marathon run to the Cup with two consecutive wins at Boston Garden, then lost a close one in Game Three. It was in the scoreless overtime of Game Four that the notorious Crash Line -- Bobby Holik-Randy-McKay-Mike Peluso -- thundered into the Bruins zone. They so bamboozled the Boston defenders that one of them coughed up the puck in front of the crease. McKay was Randy-On-The-Spot, sweeping the puck past a stunned Blaine Lacher. Leaping up and down was not quite enough of a celebration for Mr. McKay who then climbed the Meadowlands glass faster than a speedy lizard mounting a hot wall. And why not? It gave New Jersey a 3-1 series lead. Or, as New Jersey historian George Falkowski put it: "The Devils rode the momentum of McKay's goal to a five-game series win; their first on the way to the Stanley Cup!"

10. THE FIRST GOAL IN DEVILS HISTORY:

Appropriately it was fired by the franchise's first captain, Don Lever. It happened on the night of October 5, 1982, in the team's first game. It was New Jersey vs. Pittsburgh and ended in a 3-3 tie. There's even footage available but, apologies, it's on the scratchy side. What it does show is the captain retrieving the puck from the net. Where the puck went from there nobody knows; not even ex-public relations ace from yesteryear, Dave Fried. Lever was a commendable captain, tasked with uniting a ragtag squad and he did it with aplomb and little fuss or fanfare.

9. THE OTHER NHL TROTTIER SCORES:

Since the Devils couldn't obtain Hall of Fame center Bryan Trottier from the Islanders, they settled for the next best Trottier, Bryan's kid brother, Rocky. The club's first Draft pick, Rocky got his biggie goal with -- of all things -- a penalty shot. The big event happened on December 17, 1984, against the Edmonton Oilers. But I'll get back to it in a minute. Remember, those were the early franchise doldrum days when any positive event was exciting. This particular game was like an Edmonton-New Jersey sequel, following the previous year's humiliating 13-4 defeat Wayne Gretzky's team hung on the team early in the 1983-84 season. In a sense, Trots' goal was a year late measure of revenge for the infamous Gretz labeling the Devs a "Mickey Mouse organization." Bryan's kid brother got his chance against the Oilers who were trailing by a goal in the game and Gretzky was not happy. Young Trots had broken free with only Gretz there to defend. As Rocky prepared to shoot, The Great One tossed his stick to break up the rush. Hence, the penalty shot. Rocky began his rush as everyone in the rink stood up -- and then cheered -- as Trottier lifted the puck over goalie Andy Moog. Kirk Muller would add another red light for a 5-2 win over the Gretzkys! (It was the best of Rocky's six career NHL goals.)

8. SCOTT STEVENS D-MAN AS SCORING THREAT:

I remember this one especially well. It was during the Crusade For The First Cup in 1995. New Jersey had advanced to the second playoff round and faced Pittsburgh. Our boys had lost a late-goal heartbreaker in Game One but were leading by a goal late in Game Two when Jaromir Jagr tied it, sending Jacques Lemaire's skaters reeling. The outlook did not appear rosy as overtime loomed. But there was still a half-a-minute remaining in regulation when Stevens found himself free at center ice. At first, it seemed to me like a rudimentary dump-in would be the defender's move. But -- egad! no -- Stevens went on the attack. He skated as hard as he could over the enemy blue line before detonating a slapshot at goalie Ken Wregget. The stopper did make the save but conveniently -- for the Devils -- punted a long rebound. Still steaming in, Stevens snared the loose rubber and executed as neat a forehand-backhand move as you'll ever see. The rubber crossed the goal line with only 29 seconds left. Just for a postscript, Claude Lemieux fired another into the empty net and the Devils jetted home having tied the tourney. Scott's goal was the series turning point and paved the way for a second series victory, which follows right here:

7. THE CLAUDE LEMIEUX HAIL MARY MOVE:

New Jersey has now moved into the 1995 Conference Final against Philadelphia. The series was tied at two games apiece with Game Five at The Spectrum. The game also was tied and also appeared headed for overtime late in the third period. It had been a tight goaltender's battle between Philly's veteran Ron Hextall and the Devils young Martin Brodeur. I happened to be standing directly behind the goal judge in Marty's end of the rink with less than a minute remaining in regulation. I was preparing to return to our tv room for what seemed to be an inevitable pre-overtime tv segment. But before leaving, I decided to hang out for one more rush. Fortuitively, it happened to be Claude Lemieux who corralled the puck along the right boards. His pistons were moving fast as one of the franchise's all-time clutch scorers got to the Flyers' blue line and drew his stick back for the desperate drive. From my view, it seemed to be a routine save for goalkeeper Hextall. He wasn't even screened and Claude was shooting from about 55 feet out. I watched intently as the puck orbited to the left (Hextall's right) and zipped past the goalie's right pad. Thus, with only 45 seconds left, the Devils wrapped up the game and a three-two series lead. The frustrated Flyers went down in Game Six at The Meadowlands and the Devils went up to the Cup Final for the first time in franchise history.

6. THE MIDNIGHT RIDE OF SCOTT NIEDERMAYER:

Okay, so it wasn't exactly 12 o'clock at night -- and Paul Revere wouldn't have minded -- but Nieder's sprint did have the feel of Revere's Midnight Ride in Revolutionary times. This was Game Two of the Detroit-New Jersey 1995 Stanley Cup Final at Joe Louis Arena. Heavy underdogs against coach Scotty Bowman's powerful Red Wings, New Jersey somehow won the opener. But now, in the third period of the second contest, they were behind 2-1, with the clock working away against them. Some good, new-fashioned heroics were in order and this time the chief protagonist was streamlined defenseman Niedermayer, by far the club's smoothest skater. Gliding easily toward enemy territory, Scott gained speed at center and even more over the Wings blueline. Now, at full throttle, he fired away at goalie Mike Vernon. The Detroit crowd "ooohed" in relief as Nieder's drive flew wide to the right of the net; or to the goalie's left. Perhaps Vernon thought the play was over, as well, but we'll never know. Scott seemed to have it all planned. Without even thinking about applying the brakes, he waltzed to the rebounding puck and calmly batted it out of the air and behind the startled Vernon. Many critics believe that Nieder's tally permanently changed the series' momentum in underdog Jersey's favor. It also directly led to another monumental goal in that same series; and in the very same game.

5. THE BRICK-LAYER FROM BRICK:

While Niedermayer's tally tied the game at two goals apiece, the contest still was up for grabs. Trying to formulate a plan to infuse more energy into his team, coach Lemaire inserted youthful forward Jim Dowd into the lineup. It was his one and only appearance in the Cup Final but a very timely one -- and a challenging one at that. The clock already had begun ticking into the third period's final two minutes when the Devils struck again. Having invaded the Detroit zone, Lemaire's stickhandlers carefully worked toward a strategic shot, and it was defenseman Shawn Chambers who loaded his cannon and let it go. But Detroit defenseman Paul Coffey got in the way. Chambers' blast sent Coffey reeling to the ice and, for all intents and purposes, out of the play. In a sense, the Devils were now playing with a man advantage. With Coffey writhing in pain ten feet out from the net, Dowd swooped in like a hawk after a rabbit. Noting that goalie Vernon had been pulled out of position by Chambers' shot Dowd swiped the elusive rubber around the netminder and into the net. There was only 1:24 to play but, just to be sure, Stephane Richer added a cushion empty-netter. Nobody could know it at the time but the Devils were in the Express Lane on the highway to their first Stanley Cup. And Dowd, the kid from Brick, New Jersey, had laid an important brick on that thruway!

4. SIGHTED RANGERS, SANK SAME:

Without question, no Devils fan gets more joy out of victory than when the victims are from Manhattan. The Battle of the Hudson always is intense but never was more so than in 2012 when the Blueshirts and Garden Staters collided in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. Not only did the players dislike each of their foes but coaches John Tortorella of New York and our own Peter DeBoer already had staged running back-and-forth debates through earlier rounds. Game Six had many of the same qualities as the classic Game Seven overtime game between the teams in 1994 only this time the W was in the other column, New Jersey's. Throughout the game, I was standing in an empty spot at ice level with a full view of the rink near center ice. For a while, it appeared as if the Devils would nurse their one-goal lead and eliminate the Visitors in six games. But the Rangers rallied late and the game would enter the sudden-death period. In this case, the term "sudden death" was appropriate. Scarcely a minute had elapsed when the Devils deposited the puck deep into the New York zone. The shot-blocking Blueshirts failed to clear the biscuit out of a mad scramble in front of Henrik Lundqvist. But like a ferret on the spoor of a hot puck, young Adam Henrique pushed the wafer past King Henrik and then -- overcome with joy -- he attacked the glass wall behind the net before being smothered by his joyous mates. The win torpedoed the Rangers' Cup chances and lifted New Jersey into the Final. Although they failed to defeat Los Angeles, the Devils -- as my pal George put it -- had "completed one of the most emotional and satisfying victories in franchise history."

3. PATRIK ELIAS TO THE RESCUE:

Some of my all-time favorite games were ones in which I -- at least at the start -- expected the Devils to lose. This one in the supposed "rebuilding" season of 1999-2000 falls into that category. It's especially so since New Jersey fell behind Philly three games to one in the third round before they staged one of the most valiant comebacks in NHL history. Game Seven was in The City of Brotherly Love and, brother-sister, there was no love lost in Game Seven, the one that most counted. The highlights were many and not all of their goals either. In fact, Scott Stevens' bulldozing of Eric Lindros has gone down in league annals as one of the most devastating -- as well as decisive -- hits of all-time. Lindros, head down, crossing center ice ran into a human steel wall. By the time Philly's captain was carted off the ice the Devils had added a major asset to their mental game. Still, the tourney was tied until the shadows were falling on the third period. ( Mind, you, I still felt that Philly would prevail.) What I didn't figure out was the excess clutch-ability of the gifted Czech, Patrik Elias, who also had scored the game's first goal. I remember Elias calmly moving into the Flyers' ice and then, with what appeared to be considerable ease, scoring the game-winner with 2:32 left. It completed a melodramatic series and catapulted New Jersey into the Cup Final against Dallas. And you know what happened there, I'm sure!

2. THE MOST SPECTACULAR CUP-WINNER:

Without question, the 2000 Stanley Cup Final was one to give any Devils fan conniptions. especially the triple overtime loss in Game Five at home. I worked that game for MSG Networks -- after the Devils' previous network had been SportsChannel. A bunch of our MSG bosses -- including executive producer Mike McCarthy -- had jammed into our tiny studio to watch the pulsating sudden-death period. The defeat that followed had a particularly deadening effect on our crew since all New Jersey needed was one more win for Stanley. No question, my buddy, and sidekick, Matt Loughlin and I were concerned about the possible negative effect the triple OT loss would have on our team as we jetted to Dallas and the climactic match. Nor did it start well for coach Larry Robinson's skaters. Petr Sykora suffered an injury early in the game which was a blow to the offense. Pistol Pete had been a key member of the A Line along with Jason Arnott and Patrik Elias. But the Devs soldiered on in what was a spine-tingler if ever there was one. It even extended into a second extra session that -- for two scary minutes -- looked perilous for the Garden Staters. After New Jersey killed the near game-ending penalty, the redoubtable Elias flitted into the right corner of Dallas' zone. His radar must have been intense because Patty's blind, Hail Mary pass went directly to Arnott's stick and then past goalie Ed Belfour for the Cup-clincher. (By the way, I have to confess that, in some ways, this was my all-time favorite goal of goals but, then again, you know what's next!

1. THE MAKING OF JOHN MACLEAN AND THE DEVILS:

Any New Jersey hockey fan who remembers the inaugural 1982-83 season will tell you that the original Faithful spent several frustrating years awaiting a playoff team. Even as late as 1987-88 it appeared that the Garden Staters would blow yet another shot at the postseason. But when Lou Lamoiello replaced Doug Carpenter as coach with Jim Schoenfeld it was as if, at last, the Devils dawn was breaking. A miraculous homestretch drive left New Jersey with one game to win -- the final contest at Chicago Stadium on April 3, 1988. And since the Rangers already had won their match that night against Quebec, Schony's skaters needed a victory -- and nothing less -- to capture the final berth. The game went into overtime with the hometown fans cheering for a Black Hawks' victory. Undaunted, the Devils moved the puck into enemy land and, eventually, it would up on defenseman Joe Cirella's stick at the left point. He shot and goalie Darren Pang made the save but lost control of the disk. Shazam! He left a rebound and John MacLean hammered it home. THE DEVILS WERE IN!
By the way, it's worth noting that without Johnny Mac's move, the Devs would not have been able to beat the division-leading Islanders in the first round and follow that by knocking off favored Washington in seven games. Next came the Bruins and a seven-game thriller-diller finally won by the boys from Beantown. But the Devils job had been done. They not only had made the playoffs for the first time but their astonishing run to Round Three is why many in the crowd believe that Johnny MacLean's number 15 sweater belongs in the rafters. (I know, I do!)
(A special nod to Emmy Award-winner and author-historian George Falkowski who was -- with me -- working many of these games. Thanks to George, I was was to fill in some memory blanks.)