[ Game summary ]

By Nancy Marrapese-Burrell, Globe Staff, 4/8/2002

AST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The intensity was there. The scoring chances were there. The defensive system, which had been abandoned a day before against the Rangers, was back in place.

But in the end, it wasn't enough to prevent New Jersey defenseman Scott Niedermayer from racing down the ice and scoring on a breakaway with 1:43 remaining in overtime yesterday to lift the Devils over the Bruins, 3-2, at the Meadowlands. It ended Boston's road winning streak at seven games and marked the 23d time this season the Bruins had gone into the extra session.

They picked up a point on the idle Flyers, who play Florida tonight, and lead Philadelphia by four points in the race for Eastern Conference supremacy.

The Bruins admitted they were a mess in their end in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Rangers. They shored up that area of their game against the Devils - despite being without defenseman Hal Gill (foot injury) and Martin Lapointe (coach-imposed day off). They just couldn't hold on to the 2-1 lead they took into the third period.

Coach Robbie Ftorek was happy with his club's play, but the players believed they should have had more.

''You get two points and you're not so worried about scoreboard-watching all the time,'' said defenseman Sean O'Donnell. ''We only got one point, so we have to start watching to see what Philly and Toronto do now. We've been doing a good job the last 10 or 12 games of going into the third period with a lead and closing the door. [This] was one that just got away. I think it was definitely a step in the right direction. But at this point, you want to get the two points.''

Right wing Bill Guerin got the Bruins off to a good start, scoring his first of two goals 28 seconds into the game. Veteran defenseman Scott Stevens lost the puck behind the Devils' net and center Joe Thornton came up with it. He centered a pass to Guerin, who beat goalie Martin Brodeur.

The Devils tied it on the power play at 10:25. With P.J. Axelsson in the penalty box for obstruction/holding, right wing Petr Sykora scored his first of two after a scramble in front of the net.

The Bruins regained the lead on Guerin's 40th of the season. Thornton, playing his second game in two days after missing three games because of a suspension and 13 because of a shoulder injury, again set up the goal, this time on the power play.

Thornton, positioned below the goal line off to the left of Brodeur, dished a cross-ice pass to Guerin in the left circle. Guerin beat the netminder at 13:57, making it 2-1. After going 1 for 30 on the man advantage in seven games before Saturday, the Bruins have three power-play goals in their last seven opportunities. Thornton has certainly influenced that.

''The good news is he's been able to play two games,'' said Ftorek of Thornton, ''and he's played very solidly in both of them.''

That breathing room lasted only until early in the third. Sykora pulled the Devils even on his second of the afternoon at the 46-second mark. Bobby Holik centered a pass from behind goalie John Grahame out to Sergei Brylin. Brylin fired a pass from the slot that Sykora directed into the net for his 20th of the season.

Then came Niedermayer's heroics in OT. Patrik Elias fought off O'Donnell for the puck at the Boston blue line. He dished it to center Joe Nieuwendyk, who made a terrific chip pass to Niedermayer. Niedermayer had a clear lane to the net and backhanded a shot past Grahame.

''He's such a good skater, that's the thing that makes him so dangerous,'' said O'Donnell, who played with Niedermayer last season. ''Not only does he have a good shot and he's smart with the puck, he's such a fluid skater.

''I was battling with Elias at the blue line and the next thing I know I hear him skating by. I knew our chances weren't good once he got down there because he is a pretty slick player. John made a great play and I think it just snuck under his leg. We can't give up breakaways in overtime like that. We did and they capitalized.''

Guerin said the focus now is on Tampa Bay, at home tomorrow night.

''Going into the third with a lead, you never want to give up a win and we did,'' said Guerin. ''But there's no sense crying over it, we've just got to sharpen up and get ready for the playoffs.''

This story ran on page D1 of the Boston Globe on 4/8/2002.
© Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.