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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Martin Brodeur was waiting for
shots that never came. Now he's waiting for New Jersey's next
playoff opponent.
The Devils held Toronto to an NHL modern record-low six shots
Monday night and eliminated the Maple Leafs from the Stanley Cup
playoffs with a 3-0 victory.
|  | | No, Martin Brodeur isn't calling for more action. He's celebrating the Devils' empty-net goal in the closing seconds. |
New Jersey, which captured the best-of-seven second-round series
in six games, advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the
first time since winning the Cup in 1995.
"It's a great feeling to get past the second round," said Petr
Sykora, who scored 18 seconds after the opening faceoff. "We just
have to make sure we remain calm, we're just halfway there."
Jason Arnott made it 2-0 25 seconds into the second period and
the Devils' defense made sure there would not be a Game 7.
"We never let those guys get back in the hockey game," said
Brodeur, who earned his second shutout of the series and the eighth
of his playoff career. "It's tough when you only get six shots --
it was hard to focus. That had to be one of my hardest games to
play."
John Madden added an empty-net goal with six seconds remaining
to seal the victory for the Devils, who held the Leafs to the
fewest shots in any NHL game since the start of the expansion era
in 1967, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
"That was a great effort," Devils defenseman Scott Stevens
said. "We didn't give them anything. We didn't want to give them
life. We didn't want to go back to Toronto."
New Jersey will play the winner of the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh
series which Philadelphia leads 3-2 with Game 6 at Pittsburgh on
Tuesday night.
"This was as sweet a hockey game as you could see," Devils
defenseman Ken Daneyko said. "It was nice for us, now we get on to
another round and we hope we can build on it."
The Maple Leafs did not win the NHL championship for the 33rd
straight year. Toronto has only reached the conference finals four
times since its 1967 title -- including last year's loss to Buffalo.
Toronto's elimination assures that the Stanley Cup will be won
by a franchise from the United States for a record seventh straight
season, dating to Montreal's victory in 1993. The only time U.S.
teams won the Cup six years in a row was 1936-41.
The Maple Leafs need to look no farther than their top line and
their power play for why they could not match the regular-season
success they held over the Devils. Jonas Hoglund was the only one
of the trio, including Mats Sundin and Steve Thomas, to get a shot
past Brodeur in the series.
"We didn't shoot the puck," Leafs coach Pat Quinn said. "It
is an ongoing problem for our hockey club. They want to see the
back of the net before ... when you play a good defensive club,
they take care of the play."
Toronto's previous playoff low for shots was 13 in a 3-0 loss to
Philadelphia on April 15, 1975. The Leafs had three shots in the
first period Monday, two in the second and just one in the third.
"I think we probably ended up with 13 or 14," forward Garry
Valk said. "They always do that in this rink. They don't count as
many as they have so it looks like you're not in the game."
Maple Leafs goalie Curtis Joseph was credited with 24 saves.
Brodeur was hardly tested in adding this shutout to his 1-0
victory at Toronto in Game 2.
"I think Dan-O (Daneyko) had more saves than me," Brodeur
said. "It's amazing how it came about, they were refusing to shoot
from afar. It's not hard to get six shots.
"I can count six shots we shot on Cujo over the red line."
The Maple Leafs, 3-0-1 this season against New Jersey, failed in
all 20 man-advantage situations during the six games.
"This was our best defensive effort," Sykora said. "Everybody
was coming back -- not only the third guy, but the fourth and fifth
guy."
The previous low for shots by a Devils opponent in a playoff
game was 13, taken by Pittsburgh in a New Jersey loss last year.
Toronto's best chance Monday came on the Leafs' first shot of
the game. Igor Korolev sent a blind back-hander from the slot at
7:35 that Brodeur swatted away with his glove.
"We showed a lot of depth," Daneyko said. "We did show some
physical prowess. We wore them down as the series went on."
Sykora got things going for the Devils on the very first shift.
Joseph stopped Arnott on the initial rush and deflected the puck
behind the net. Patrik Elias kicked it back out in front where
Sykora dug it out of traffic in the slot and wristed his fourth
goal of the playoffs past Joseph's outstretched glove at 18
seconds. The goal came four seconds shy of New Jersey's playoff
record for fastest goal at the start.
Arnott got a second goal for the line just at the start of the
middle frame. Sykora fired a shot wide that was corralled by
Daneyko, pinching in from the left point. Daneyko moved the puck
behind the net to Sykora, who found Arnott in the slot. Arnott
quickly put a shot between Joseph's pads at 25 seconds.
"I think we just wanted to finish it tonight, and we gave
everything we had," Devils center Bobby Holik said. "We had to
play like there was no tomorrow for us, and we did."
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
New Jersey Clubhouse
Leafs fall short of Stanley Cup once again
RECAPS
New Jersey 3
Toronto 0
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Petr Sykora and the Devils strike just 18 seconds into the game.
avi: 1230 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Jason Arnott scores on a centering pass from Petr Sykora.
avi: 1050 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
John Madden seals the victory with an empty-net goal.
avi: 1010 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Scoring quickly was a huge motivation for Ken Daneyko and the Devils.
wav: 152 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Toronto coach Pat Quinn is disappointed in the loss.
wav: 139 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Scott Stevens comments on the Devils stingy defense.
wav: 87 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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