What a great feeling this is for this whole team,'' forward Luc Robitaille said. Every series in the first round had at least one overtime game, and at least two games were decided by one goal. New Jersey, the top seed in the East, survived a scare from the Carolina Hurricanes, but advanced in six games. The Devils won the first three games, only to lose Game 4 in overtime and Game 5 at home. Things returned to normal in the sixth game as the Devils won 5-1.
New Jersey plays a Toronto team that it eliminated in last year's second round.
Devils defenseman Scott Stevens set the physical tone with devastating hits in that series, just as he did against Carolina. Goalie Curtis Joseph, bothered recently by a hand injury, led Toronto's upset of the Senators with shutouts in the first two games. He gave up just three goals in the series. He is going to be good. We have to beat him.