Devils Haunt Canadiens Time and Time Again

Maybe they were right to name the team from Jersey the Devils—the boys from Montreal can't seem to buy a win against them in Jersey or at home lately.

In fact, Montreal’s dismal streak against the Devils dates back to a 2-0 shutout win on Oct. 26, 1993 when a goaltender named Patrick Roy was in net for the Canadiens and there was a freshly placed Stanley Cup banner hanging from the rafters of the Montreal Forum. Those were the days for Les Canadiens.

Since that Roy shutout, Montreal has gone 1-21-4 in Jersey and have not been any better at home. The latest loss to the Devils in NJ came via a stellar hat-trick game from Devils point leader Zach Parise piled with an all-around dismal offensive and defensive game from the Canadiens.

The latest win in NJ came via a 1-0 shutout on Feb. 5, 2002 when soon-to-be Vezina & Hart Trophy recipient Jose Theodore was in net and the Canadiens were on their way to clawing over the Bruins in the first round of the 2002 playoffs.

Long time coming?

The last time the Canadiens even earned a point against the Devils was a 2-1 overtime loss on Dec. 6, 2006. Who could forget the game Jersey stole when a guy named Jeff Hackett was in net, went out of the net, and by the time he got back the puck was in the net.

Coming up to the All-Star break, the Devils and Canadiens are two streaking teams. Having pounded their arch-rival Bruins just one more time, the Canadiens are looking to grab a reasonably comfortable spot to go into the second half of the season with. After a 7-3 pounding of their divisional rival Flyers, the Devils are playing more consistent hockey to date and are in a struggle with Pittsburgh for first in the Atlantic.

Martin Brodeur has been the bane of his hometown team’s existence. His last win against the Canadiens boosted his record to 34-12-5 with a 1.71 goals-against average.

Can Brodeur bedevil the Canadiens again?