EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – When asked about Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils goaltending coach Jacques Caron looked down at his right hand for a split second.
“The number of bad games or so-so games that he has had in 10 years, you could count them on one hand,” Caron said Wednesday, the day off between Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup finals with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. “We didn’t pull him often in 10 years. That’s an amazing thing, a really amazing thing.”
That assessment could also be used to describe Brodeur’s play in the postseason.
While everyone is focusing on the play of Jean-Sebastien Giguere of the Mighty Ducks in the postseason, Brodeur has been outstanding in moving the Devils within three wins of their third Stanley Cup since 1995.
Brodeur registered his career-best fifth shutout of the playoffs in Game 1, stopping 16 shots in New Jersey’s 3-0 win Tuesday night.
It was a relatively easy win with Anaheim only getting a few good scoring chances.
“I think we are so spoiled by Marty,” Devils center Scott Gomez said. “When you really appreciate Marty is when you are driving home from the rink after the game. All of a sudden you turn to your friends and say: “Did you see that save?’ On the ice, it’s Marty. He’s just so cool about it.”
Pat Burns used to think that way too, until he got the chance this season to coach Brodeur and see his love for the game.
“When Marty is out there practicing, he tries to make every possible save that he can,” Burns said.
Possibly the best puck-handling goaltender in hockey, Brodeur not only works hard on the ice, he also makes sure he sits down with Caron to watch videotape after every game.
“He is not a guesser,” Caron said. “This is a game of angles and he plays the angles. He is talented and he knows the players, the league, the shooters and the passers. A lot of goalies are not aware of that.”
A perfect example of Brodeur’s style came early in the first period of Game 1 when former Devil Petr Sykora ripped a slap shot from the left circle off the goal post.
“He knows Sykora is a heck of a shooter and he has to be in front of his crease two or three feet,” Caron said of Brodeur. “He placed himself where he had to be.”
When asked if Brodeur was lucky Sykora hit the post, Caron smiled.
“Terry Sawchuk once won a game 4-0 and the other team hit eight goal posts,” Caron said. “When they asked him about it after the game he said: “That’s all I gave them.”‘
If there is one other quality, Brodeur’s teammates pointed to again and again, it was his demeanor. Nothing seems to be bother him.
“His mental state is the best I have ever seen in a professional athlete that I’ve played with,” Devils center John Madden said. “If something bad happens, he moves on. He is confident in himself. He knows he is not perfect, but he can make a difference.”
If the Ducks don’t find a way to get better chances at Brodeur in Game 2, they are going to go home in a big hole in the best-of-seven series.
“We have to shoot more pucks, drive the net and screen,” Anaheim defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh said. “He’s a great goalie. He stops the first shots, especially if he sees the pucks. With him in the net he have to get traffic and put the puck in places where he would feel uncomfortable coming out and playing it.”
AP-ES-05-28-03 1918EDT
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