Brodeur: Boucher Belongs, Comparison Angle Is Over

NEWARK -- Martin Brodeur understands the storyline. He just thinks it's getting old.

Brodeur vs. Brian Boucher has carried the press coverage leading up to Friday's Game 2 between the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers in their best-of-seven first round series. In the latest installment, the Devils put the blame on themselves for not getting enough pucks to the net or traffic around Boucher, who won his first playoff game in a decade, 2-1, in Game 1 on Wednesday. New Jersey gave very little credit to Philadelphia's goalie for stopping 23 of their 24 shots, at least a half-dozen of them from point blank range.

And so it goes, and probably will until this series between New Jersey Turnpike rivals is settled.

Brodeur believes it should be a tale told one and done.

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"I really don't mean to sound pretentious or anything, so hear me out," Brodeur told FanHouse after his team's morning skate at the Prudential Center. "But this has been going on for a while. It's not just Brian Boucher.

"Thanks to ... all the winning this franchise has done, I'm going to have more wins in the playoffs than many goalies have games played. What did that do for us on Wednesday? Not much."
-- Martin Brodeur "I've been around a long, long time now and, as a team, we have had a lot of success. So it's only natural that if you're going to do a breakdown of the two goalies in a series, I'm going to have a lot more games played and a lot more wins. It's not just when you compare me to Brian Boucher, but when you compare the stats with anyone we've played the last few years and hopefully will in the next series."

The 37-year-old future Hall of Famer certainly has a point. His playoff numbers: 177 games, 98-79 record, 1.98 GAA, .920 save percentage, 23 shutouts, three Stanley Cups.

In the postseason, the 33-year-old Boucher is now 12-8 with a 2.02 GAA, .918 save percentage, one shutout and no Stanley Cups.

"The way I see it, it's the playoffs and everything starts fresh," said Brodeur. "Boucher proved that in Game 1. Everyone made a big deal of his inexperience, and he came in and played a great game. Thanks to my teammates and all the winning this franchise has done, I'm going to have more wins in the playoffs than many goalies have games played. What did that do for us on Wednesday? Not much."

Notes: Jacques Lemaire decided to make the morning skate optional for his Devils, but only five opted to skip the workout. Veteran forwards Ilya Kovalchuk, Jamie Langenbrunner, Patrik Elias, Dean McAmmond and defenseman Colin White decided not to skate, and Lemaire also stayed off the ice.

Brodeur may be the last Devil to need another morning skate, but he didn't hesitate to participate. "There's really no rhyme or reason to when I take one or not," said Brodeur. "I've sat out my share. I went on today because I noticed that it looked like we were going to have 20 guys out there. If we're going to have most of the team on the ice, I should do my part and take one of the goals." ...

After sitting out Game 1, defenseman Ryan Parent will return to the Flyers' lineup. "When he's been healthy," said Peter Laviolette, "Parent's been a good player for us. When someone sits out, it's not always because he wasn't playing well." ...

Kovalchuk, who turned 27 yesterday, on his gameplan to get at least one by Boucher: "I don't have one. I don't keep a book on goaltenders. I never have. It's up to me to get off the best shots and score, no matter how great the guy is in net." ...

Chris Pronger was asked by a New Jersey reporter if he could handle 30 minutes a game throughout the two-month marathon of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Pronger grinned. "Aren't we getting just a little ahead of ourselves? We've played one game!" ...

Since the Devils dropped the first one and slight panic has settled in -- especially because they had the home-ice advantage -- the historical numbers must be cited. Only 40 of 302 teams have come back from down 2-0 in a best-of-seven series. The Devils performed the feat only once, in 1995 against Buffalo.

Perhaps more troubling is that the Devils are 2-6 in playoff games in the Prudential Center.

Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner said the key for his team is more activity around the Flyers' net. "We don't need to make the perfect play," said Langenbrunner. "We just need to make a good play. Especially in the playoffs, a good play is getting the puck on net."

Flyers coach Peter Laviolette: "The dangerous team is the more desperate team. The Devils become a little more desperate now."

Devils forward David Clarkson on the importance of the game: "It's a seven-game series, so losing is not the end of the world. But let's be realistic. You don't want to fall behind two games." ...

In Game 1, the Flyers were credited with 14 blocked shots to New Jersey's four. ...

Flyers forward Ville Leino, acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline, has recovered from the flu -- most likely in time to be a healthy scratch for Game 2. ...

The Flyers' press corps found out what piece of furniture in the visiting team locker room paid the price during Laviolette's rant after a sluggish first period in Game 1. Turns out it was a beverage machine.