Game Recap

NEW JERSEY 3, DALLAS 1 DALLAS (AP) - Three New Jersey goals in three shots in just over three minutes add up to one big problem for the defending Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars. New Jersey's kiddie corps got goals from rookies John Madden and Brian Rafalski during a momentum-swinging flurry in the third period as the Devils rallied for a 3-1 victory Monday night and a 3-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Devils can claim the Cup for the second time in five years by winning Game 5 Thursday night in the New Jersey. "Fifteen wins doesn't get you a Stanley Cup; 16 does," Rafalski said. "But we don't want this series to drag on any longer." Just as coach Larry Robinson predicted they could, the Devils stole into ever-confident Dallas to win both games against a veteran team that rarely loses at home and was coming off a road victory in Game 2. The Stars have dug themselves a hole nearly as big as the Lone Star State. Only one team in 58 years, the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs against Detroit, have rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the Stanley Cup Finals. "But we know the last one is the hardest one to win," Robinson said. Such a comeback can happen, of course. Only two weeks ago, New Jersey rallied from just such a deficit to win the Eastern Conference finals against Philadelphia. The Devils are 6-1 since starting that comeback, with four of the victories on the road. "Having come through a series ourselves when we were down and seemingly out of it, we know it can happen," Robinson said. Dallas had won 11 of its last 12 home playoff games before losing 2-1 in Game 3 Saturday, then lost a lead -- and, possibly, the Cup -- in its biggest game of the season Monday. New Jersey's comeback from a 1-0 deficit -- Dallas was 11-0 when leading after two periods -- was remarkably swift and stunning and caused some of the Stars' towel-waving faithful to turn on their own team. Unless the Stars win Thursday, it was their last home game of the season, a predicament their fans clearly did not expect. "We went from quite a high to quite a low in a short period of time," Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said. "To give it away that quickly ... the thing that's dominated is their ability to defend is better than ours right now, and they're turning them into offensive opportunities. All three goals were made off terrific plays." Sergei Brylin made sure the Stars couldn't protect the 1-0 lead generated by Joe Nieuwendyk's power-play goal late in the second period, scoring on a 4-on-2 break 2:27 into the third period. Vladimir Malakhov dropped the puck into the slot for Alexander Mogilny, whose shot rebounded directly to Brylin for his second goal of the series and third of the playoffs. The goal clearly deflated the Stars -- they had begun to dominate after going without a shot for 12 minutes of the second period -- and re-energized the Devils, who are 9-2 in playoff road games. Even an interference penalty on Colin White didn't disrupt the Devils. Jay Pandolfo couldn't score on a 2-on-1 short-handed break but Madden did on the Devils' next trip down the ice. He raced down the right side and sailed a shot by Ed Belfour, who had shut out the Devils for the first 42:27 of play. Madden had five short-handed goals during the season after scoring 23 short-handed goals in college at Michigan. Less than two minutes later, Rafalski, yet another rookie upstaging the Stars' cast of highly paid and long-productive veterans, sealed it. He skated to the puck in the neutral zone and got loose on a breakaway to beat Belfour at 6:08. New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur, who made 16 saves, took over from there. "I saw some space behind (defenseman) Sergei Zubov and just took off," said Rafalski, who played in Europe the last four seasons and made it to the Finnish finals last spring. In Game 2, Rafalski made a couple of defensive mistakes that led to goals by Brett Hull and a 2-1 Stars victory but, he said, "You've got to put it behind you. They only won one game." The Stars were fined $10,000 Monday by the NHL for not showing up for media interviews. Hitchcock must be wondering if fines aren't warranted for not showing up for the biggest game of the season. "I thought we could have bought us some time with the two days off, but they've got the momentum now," Hitchcock said. "You go from such a level of confidence to boom." "I think we're all disappointed, but we've never done anything easy," said Belfour, who made 28 saves. New Jersey Devils 3, DALLAS STARS 1 1ST 2ND 3RD FINAL --- --- --- ----- New Jersey 0 0 3 3 Dallas 0 1 0 1 FIRST PERIOD - SCORING: None. PENALTIES: Morrow, Dal (ob.-tripping), 14:38; Manson, Dal (slashing), 17:27; Niedermayer, NJ (ob.-holding), 19:34. SECOND PERIOD - SCORING: 1, Dallas, Nieuwendyk 7 (Sydor, Hull), 18:02 (pp). PENALTIES: Sykora, NJ (hooking), 5:45; Keane, Dal (boarding), 8:45; McKay, NJ (hooking), 11:59; Malakhov, NJ (cross-checking), 16:38. THIRD PERIOD - SCORING: 2, New Jersey, Brylin 3 (Mogilny, Malakhov), 2:27. 3, New Jersey, Madden 3 (Nemchinov, Daneyko), 4:51 (sh). 4, New Jersey, Rafalski 2 (Elias), 6:08. PENALTIES: White, NJ (interference), 3:17; Sim, Dal (slashing), 11:43. SHOTS ON GOAL 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL --- --- --- ----- New Jersey 8 8 15 31 Dallas 6 7 4 17 POWER PLAY: New Jersey 0 of 4; Dallas 1 of 5. GOALIES: New Jersey, Brodeur 15-6 (17 shots-16 saves). Dallas, Belfour 13-8 (31-28). Referees: Kerry Fraser, Bill McCreary. Linesmen: Gord Broseker, Dan Schachte. A: 17,001 (17,001).