Condra nets two as Sens defeat Devils
Posted March 8, 2011 10:25 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEWARK, N.J. — Erik Condra scored his second goal of the game with 2:17 to play Tuesday as the Ottawa Senators stunned the red-hot New Jersey Devils 2-1.
Craig Anderson made 31 saves as Ottawa handed the Devils only their third regulation loss in the last 25 games (20-3-2) and temporarily slowed New Jersey’s frantic charge for a playoff berth.
Patrik Elias scored for New Jersey, which had a six-game home winning streak snapped and lost a chance to reach the .500 mark for the first time since early in the season.
Ottawa killed off two two-man power plays in the second period, including one in which Elias had a goal disallowed for an obvious high stick.
Condra’s fourth career goal was set up by Jason Spezza, who got the puck into the Devils zone following a turnover and then staked near the blue-line waiting for a teammate to do something.
Condra came flying down the middle of the ice and Spezza sent a pass toward the goal that the rookie deflected past Martin Brodeur, who had 19 saves.
Anderson stopped a couple of chances in the closing minutes, but none was a serious threat as the team with the NHL’s worst record coming into the game stopped the league’s hottest team.
Elias tied it at 4:01 of the third period, slam-dunking a cross-ice pass from Brian Rolston past a defenceless Anderson.
While Elias got his 15th goal and Rolston got the primary assist, rookie defenceman Mark Fayne set up the goal, keeping a clearing pass by Senators defenceman Chris Phillips in the Ottawa zone. Dainius Zubrus sent the puck to Rolston in the right corner and he found Elias all alone in front.
Playing in only his 10th NHL game, Condra gave the Senators the lead early in the second period with a great individual effort.
Ryan Shannon started the play by beating Devils defenceman Henrik Tallinder to the puck behind the Devils goal-line and passing it back to Condra in the left circle. Brodeur stopped his original shot as he swooped in from the dot, but the rookie batted the rebound out of the air while falling to the ice.
New Jersey had two great chances to tie it in the period, getting two-man advantages for 16 and 72 seconds as Erik Karlsson, Zack Smith and Filip Kuba were called for minors in a 2:33 span.
Elias scored during the longer two-man advantage, but the goal was waved off because Jacob Josefson knocked down the puck with a high stick in front of Anderson.
Anderson’s best saves came later in the period when he stopped Ilya Kovalchuk in close after a giveaway and made a stop on Tallinder through a screen.
Notes: Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson missed his 12th straight game with a back problem. … Ottawa forward Francis Lessard played in his 100th NHL game. … Ottawa leads the season series 2-1.
