DEVILS: 4, Pittsburgh: 4 (OT)
September 20, 2002
Hans Jonsson scored a power-play goal with 15:54 remaining in the third period as the Pittsburgh Penguins skated to a 4-4 tie with the New Jersey Devils. Matt Murley and Randy Robitaille added second-period goals for the Penguins, who played without Mario Lemieux. Johan Hedberg went the entire way in goal for the Penguins and finished with 26 saves. Newcomer Oleg Tverdovsky had a goal and an assist for New Jersey, which was playing its first game under new coach Pat Burns, who replaced Kevin Constantine. Backup Corey Schwab and Scott Clemmensen split time in goal for the Devils. Defensemen Scott Stevens and Brian Rafalski were among the players that did not dress for New Jersey.
DEVILS: 5, Philadelphia: 1
Pittsburgh: 4, DEVILS: 3
DEVILS: 2, New York Rangers: 1
DEVILS: 4, Philadelphia: 0
DEVILS: 2, New York Rangers: 2 (OT)
September 21, 2002
After new New Jersey Devils coach Pat Burns proclaimed that several forwards' jobs were up for grabs this preseason, Brian Gionta did his best to earn one. Gionta scored twice and newcomer Jeff Friesen added a goal and two assists as the Devils coasted to a 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. At 5-7 and 160 pounds, Gionta provided a spark for the Devils last season, totaling four goals and 11 points in 33 games before adding two goals and two assists in six playoff contests. The speedy right wing snapped a 1-1 tie at 4:23 of the second period with his first preseason goal and netted a power-play tally less than three minutes later to give the Devils a 3-1 advantage. Acquired in a blockbuster deal with Anaheim over the summer, Friesen scored on the power play 62 seconds into the second to draw New Jersey even. Friesen also assisted on both of Gionta's goals. Jay Pandolfo and Mike Danton also scored for the Devils, who played without defensemen Ken Daneyko and Scott Niedermayer and centers Joe Nieuwendyk and John Madden. Marty Murray scored the lone goal for Philadelphia, which was without Keith Primeau and Chris Therien. Defenseman Eric Desjardins and Mark Recchi remain sidelined with injuries.
September 22, 2002
Alexandre Daigle scored two goals and set up another as the Pittsburgh Penguins held on for a 4-3 preseason victory over the New Jersey Devils. The top overall pick in the 1993 draft, Daigle took off the last two seasons and is trying to earn a roster spot as a training camp invitee. He helped his cause by capping a three-goal first period, then scored on the power play early in the third to give Pittsburgh a 4-2 lead. Linemate Randy Robitaille chipped in a goal and two assists and Ross Lupaschuk added a power-play tally for the Penguins, who were without Mario Lemieux and Alexei Kovalev. Oleg Tverdovsky set up power-play goals by Joe Hulbig and John Madden before scoring late in the third period for New Jersey. Patrik Elias, Scott Gomez and defensemen Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer were among the Devils' regulars who did not play.
September 24, 2002
Bobby Holik's first encounter with his former team did not live up to the hype. Defenseman Brian Rafalski scored 1:40 into overtime to give the New Jersey Devils a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers. Signed by the Rangers as an unrestricted free agent after 10 seasons in New Jersey, Holik received the loudest pregame ovation but did little else to warrant applause in the penalty-filled contest. The teams combined for 19 minor infractions, but only the Rangers could make good with the man advantage. Defenseman Vladimir Malakhov, a member of New Jersey's 2000 Stanley Cup championship team, netted a power-play goal with 4:01 remaining in the third period for the Rangers, who played without Petr Nedved and defensemen Brian Leetch and Darius Kasparaitis. After two scoreless periods, Patrik Elias scored at 6:15 of the third to give New Jersey the lead. Martin Brodeur stopped 19 shots for the Devils, who rested Jamie Langenbrunner and defensemen Oleg Tverdovsky and Ken Daneyko.
September 26, 2002
Corey Schwab made 25 saves and Joe Nieuwendyk scored twice as the New Jersey Devils rolled to a 4-0 preseason blanking of the Philadelphia Flyers. Signed as free agent to back up Martin Brodeur, Schwab denied Flyers right wing Justin Williams on a breakaway and center Keith Primeau on a partial breakaway in the opening period. Steve Guolla, Nieuwendyk and Jay Pandolfo scored during an eight-minute span bridging the first and second periods. In addition to his second-period power-play effort, Nieuwendyk tallied midway through the final period. Andrei Zyuzin collected two assists for the Devils. New Jersey captain Scott Stevens and fellow defenseman Brian Rafalski, the Devils' assists leader during the 2001-02 campaign, were rested against Philadelphia. Star left wing John LeClair sat out for the Flyers. Right wing Mark Recchi remains sidelined with a sprained right knee.
September 27, 2002
The boos were loudest at the end for Bobby Holik. Holik set up rookie Jamie Lundmark's goal with 64 seconds remaining as the New York Rangers rallied for a 2-2 preseason tie with the New Jersey Devils. Playing his first game at the Meadowlands since leaving New Jersey as a free agent, Holik was booed every time he touched the puck. With time running out, he slid a pass in front of the net for Lundmark, who poked the puck past goaltender Martin Brodeur for his third preseason goal. Matthew Barnaby scored the other goal on the power play for the Rangers, who were without Eric Lindros, Mark Messier and defensemen Tom Poti and Vladimir Malakhov. Defenseman Scott Niedermayer had a power-play goal and an assist for New Jersey, which rested Patrik Elias but outshot their archrivals, 30-21.
