GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NHL: NEW JERSEY (0-0) at TAMPA BAY (0-0)

NHL: NEW JERSEY (0-0) at TAMPA BAY (0-0)

<h3>Brodeur leads Devils into new campaign</h3>

<div class="pre">New Jersey at Tampa Bay 7:30 pm EDT</div>

TAMPA, Florida (Ticker) -- The New Jersey Devils and the TampaBay Lightning will square off in a rematch of last season'sEastern Conference quarterfinals when both teams open their2007-08 campaign on Thursday.


The Devils, who were bounced from the playoffs by the OttawaSenators in the conference semifinals last season, will onceagain be led from the back by veteran goaltender Martin Brodeur.

Brodeur won the third Vezina Trophy of his Hall of Fame careerlast season after setting a single-season record with 48 wins.The 35-year-old also led the league with 12 shutouts whileaveraging 2.18 goals against and a .922 save percentage.

Brodeur still has plenty to play for as he approaches severalmilestones. His sixth win this season will be his 500th,placing him just 51 wins behind the all-time wins leader PatrickRoy. If Brodeur can duplicate his 12 shutouts from a seasonago, he will eclipse Terry Sawchuck's all-time record of 103career shutouts.


While the Devils have no questions surrounding their netminder,the Lightning have struggled to find consistency between thepipes since the departure of Nikolai Khabibulin after claimingthe Stanley Cup in 2003-04.


Johan Holmqvist will begin the season as the starter afterreplacing Marc Denis during the 2006-07 campaign. Holmqvistrecorded 27 wins last season but the Lightning still finishedwith the seventh-worse goals-against average in the league,allowing the puck to reach the back of the net 3.16 times percontest.


Tampa Bay hosts New Jersey as the Devils begin the season with anine-game road trip. The Devils will return home on October 27and open their new arena, the Prudential Center in Newark,against the Senators on October 27.

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL AT TAMPA BAY
STARTING GOALIES: NJD - MARTIN BRODEUR
TAM - JOHAN HOLMQVIST

OFFICIALS: REF - BRAD WATSON, WES MCCAULEY
LIN - MICHEL CORMIER, STEVE MILLER</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL NEW JERSEY 0
TAMPA BAY 0 19:55 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL NEW JERSEY 0
TAMPA BAY 0 18:34 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL NEW JERSEY 0
TAMPA BAY 0 16:32 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL NEW JERSEY 0
TAMPA BAY 0 15:48 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL NEW JERSEY 0
TAMPA BAY 0 12:08 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL NEW JERSEY 1
TAMPA BAY 0
1ST PRD: NJD - (PP) BRIAN GIONTA 1 (ZACH PARISE, TRAVIS ZAJAC) 9:06</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL NEW JERSEY 1
TAMPA BAY 0 7:46 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL NEW JERSEY 1
TAMPA BAY 0 5:58 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL NEW JERSEY 1
TAMPA BAY 0 1:35 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL END OF THE 1ST 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
NEW JERSEY 1 1
TAMPA BAY 0 0 END OF THE 1ST

GOAL SCORING:

1ST PRD: NJD - (PP) BRIAN GIONTA 1 (ZACH PARISE, TRAVIS ZAJAC) 9:06

SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
NJD 6 6
TAM 9 9

GOALIES: NJD - MARTIN BRODEUR
TAM - JOHAN HOLMQVIST</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">------------------------
New Jersey 1 --1
Tampa Bay 0 --0
------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, New Jersey, Brian Gionta 1 (power play)
(Zach Parise, Travis Zajac), 9:06. Penalties: P Martin, Njd
(hooking), 1:35; C Gratton, Tam (roughing), 5:55; P Ranger, Tam
(interference), 8:19.

Shots on goal:
-----------------------------
New Jersey 6 --6
Tampa Bay 9 --9
-----------------------------

Goalies : New Jersey, Martin Brodeur (9 shots, 9 saves). Tampa Bay,
Johan Holmqvist (6 shots, 5 saves). Referees: Brad Watson, Wes
Mccauley. Linesmen: Michel Cormier, Steve Miller.</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL NEW JERSEY 1
TAMPA BAY 0 19:55 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL NEW JERSEY 1
TAMPA BAY 0 18:44 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL NEW JERSEY 1
TAMPA BAY 0 16:07 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL NEW JERSEY 1
TAMPA BAY 0 14:44 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL NEW JERSEY 1
TAMPA BAY 0 11:08 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL NEW JERSEY 1
TAMPA BAY 1
2ND PRD: TAM - VINCENT LECAVALIER 1 (MARTIN ST. LOUIS, FILIP KUBA)
5:35</div>

 

NHL: NEW JERSEY at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">NHL NEW JERSEY 1
TAMPA BAY 1 8:37 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>