Seeded first in the Eastern Conference, the New Jersey Devils pulled out the series victory over the Carolina Hurricanes with Sunday's 5-1 win. The physical six-game series saw Devils captain Scott Stevens knock out two Carolina players in successive games, making him the Hurricanes' target throughout the series.
Game Two featured a hard blow by Stevens to Shane Willis, giving the rookie a concussion that kept him out of the following game. In Game Three, Stevens leveled Ron Francis early on, leaving the Carolina captain in a confused state and on the bench for the rest of the game.
Carolina spent the duration of the contest seeking revenge on Stevens - the game almost spun out of control when three Hurricanes cornered Stevens, who was saved only by the quick response of his teammates.
With Carolina's energy misplaced, the Devils took a 3-0 lead in the series and were looking to deliver the final blow in Game Four.
The fourth and fifth meetings, though, turned into redemption for the embarrassed Hurricanes. Willis and Francis remained out of commission, but Carolina was able to take advantage of the Devils' mistakes to pull out an overtime win in Game Four. Game Five featured Carolina goalie Artus Irbe, who saved 37 shots. His phenomenal play earned the Hurricanes a 3-2 victory on the road and shifted all the momentum in their direction.
But Game Six ended the same way the first three had, as the Devils returned to form and won 5-1. Jersey will now advance and play the Toronto Maple Leafs, who also come off an exciting first round.
Many thought Toronto would serve as a mere tune-up for Ottawa in preparation for later rounds - especially since the Senators had swept the five-game season series. But the Maple Leafs surprised the second-ranked Senators with a three-game sweep, outscoring the Senators 10-3 in the series.
The Leafs moved to the next round in large part because of goaltender Curtis Joseph, who compiled a 0.71 goals against average and a.976 save percentage. This solid play in the back - combined with the team's offensive attack - gives the Leafs a chance to upset New Jersey. But Toronto will have to survive the physically dominant play of Stevens and the Devils.
The Wild West
The Saint Louis Blues did it. They avenged last year's upset loss to the San Jose Sharks by winning this year's series 4-2. Blues goalie Roman Turek had been blasted for his poor play in last season's playoff series - this year, though, he was stamped as the hero, managing a .932 save percentage during the series.
The contests featured a highly potent Sharks attack, led by captain Owen Nolan and forwards Teemu Selane and Vinny Damphousse. But Turek was able to smother the unit, saving 150 shots over the six games and 30 alone in the final contest.
Offensively, the Blues were able to accomplish just enough to beat the Sharks. Pierre Turgeon's nine points and Dallas Drake's four goals led the team. The turning point came in Game Five, with the teams even after having traded victories in the first four games. With under three minutes to play in regulation, Drake scored to even it up at two, forcing overtime.
In the overtime period, Saint Louis scored on a controversial play. After Turgeon won a face-off in the Sharks zone, he sent the puck to rookie defenseman Bryce Salavador, whose slapshot goal ended the game and brought the Blues to within one win of taking the series. But San Jose claimed the puck never hit the ice before Turgeon touched it.
Regardless, Game Six in San Jose went to the Blues, 2-1, putting an end to the series.
The Blues are hoping to carry momentum into the second round and erase any doubts left over from last year's stunning upset to the Sharks. If Turek continues to impress and captain Keith Pronger can keep the offense flowing, St. Louis's second round matchup should prove competitive at the least.
