Devils down Flyers in opener

Newark, NJ- Newcomer Martin Erat scored in the 3^rd round of the shootout to lift the New Jersey Devils to a 2-1 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Flyers in the BRHL2 season openers for both clubs.

Playing at historic Continental Airlines Area, the Devils got on the board at the 5:42 mark of the first period. Rookie John Carlson started the scoring play deep behind his own net. The alert Carlson found open Erat on the right wing at the Flyers blueline, who quickly moved down the boards to just above the right center. Erat then found Brian Rolston (games 3^rd star), fresh off the Devils bench on a line change, at the top of the left circle. Erat provided a perfect saucer pass to Rolston who one-timed the puck into the shin pads of P.K. Subban. The puck rebounded only a few feet to the right of Rolston, who quickly retrieved the puck and fired a laser beam to the upper right hand corner of the Flyers goal. Pekka Rinne did not have a chance.

Neither team showed the rust of not playing a game for about three weeks as the second period consisted of wild, up-and-down action in which the goalies took center stage. The Devils (1-0-0) put 19 shots on Rinne, while the Flyers answered with 18 shots on Karl Lehtonen in the second stanza.

The Flyers (0-0-1) would get the only tally of that period. At 15:23, old-man Teeume Selanne, a big ticket free agent signing of the Flyers, would get credited for the goal. With Selanne minding his own business a foot to Kari Lehtonens left, Evgeni Malkin misfired on a shot from the slot only to hit Selanne in the butt, and the puck found its way behind a surprised Devils goalie.

The third period saw the Devils killing off two bogus hooking penalty calls, and neither team scoring.

When no goals in overtime either, the crowd of 13,933 was treated to a shootout to determine the winner.

In the shootout, the Flyers Mikko Koivu shot first, and was denied by Lehtonen. Devils Jeff Tambellini and Flyers Drew Stafford each were denied goals in their attempts. Free agent pick up for the Devils, Wojtek Wolski, was the first score in the skills competition. Wolski faked the wrist shoot and converted a top shelve backhander on Rinne, who was named games 1^st star. Needing a save for the win, Lehtonen (2^nd star) was unable to stop Selannes slow moving wrist shot to goalies glove side. But that set the stage for Erat, whose goal made the Devils the winner. Erat used the triple deke ala Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks to beat Rinne, who must have not seen the movie.

The Devils will board a flight for St. Louis tomorrow and they will help the Blues open their home schedule on Friday night. The Blues also opened their schedule tonight and they fell to the Chicago Blackhawks, 7-1.

1st period

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2nd period

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3rd period

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Overtime #1

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Shootout

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Goalie Stats

http://brhlhockey.com/brhl2/File/2011-RegularSeason/BRHL2-3.html