When it comes to the most crucial moment in New Jersey Devils‘ history, none got more significant than this moment 27 years ago, on June 24, 1995. On that unforgettable day, the Devils won their first Stanley Cup against the Detroit Red Wings in game 4 in the 1995 Stanley Cup Final. The Devils had outplayed most of the Red Wings with their type of trap team strategy the whole series. In this series, nobody had predicted the Devils would be on the same playing level as the Wings; thus, nobody predicted they would win the cup. Now with one win away from winning it, we’re that close to proving everyone wrong.
Devils Use Clutch Mentality to Win The First Three Games.
When Game 1 began, Martin Brodeur and Mike Vernon were continuing to be themselves as elite. But the Devils would eventually strike first in the 2nd period thanks to Stephan Richer. The Red Wings would tie it up almost 5 minutes later, thanks to Dino Ciccarelli. In the 3rd, the Devils would win the game, thanks to Claude Lemieux scoring early in the 3rd period and Brodeur holding it down for the win. Game 2 was a much more dramatic game, with many highlights. Two moments included the big Scott Stevens hit on Vyacheslav Kozlov to the Devils, and the two very clutch plays from Scott Neidermayer and Jim Dowd. Game 3 back at Brendan Bryne Arena was a shellacking. Goals from Bruce Driver, Claude Lemieux, Neal Broten, Randy McKay, and Bobby Holik. Now they had one game left to clinch their first Stanley Cup.
Devils Win the Stanley Cup In Front of Sold Out Home Crowd.
In a sold-out Brendan Byrne Arena filled with over 20,000 fans, the Devils began Game 4 on a big note. Just 1:08 in the game, a goal was scored by Neal Broten to put the Devils up 1-0. Even though the refs checked the replay, the puck did bounce off Broten’s skate, and Vernon did not see it, so it was a good goal.
However, Detroit would respond just 55 seconds later, with a goal by Sergei Fedorov, who got his own rebound to tie the game at one. Detroit wanted to slow the Devils down in Game 4. With just under two seconds left, Paul Coffey got through Martin Brodeur to give the Red Wings the lead. That wasn’t the end, though. The Devils tied it toward the end of the period, thanks to a slap shot by Shawn Chambers.
Into the second period, there was only one goal scored between the teams, and luckily for the Devils, it was the winning goal. Eight minutes into the 2nd period, a pass by Scott Niedermeyer got to Neal Broten, who kept fighting to flip the goal over Mike Vernon. While Broten may have reached the game-winning goal, the Devils wanted to add more insurance. Thankfully in the 3rd period, they manage to put up two more. Sergei Brylin added one with just under 12 minutes left, on a chance where he was wide open in front of Mike Vernon.
Shawn Chambers got his 2nd goal in the game on another slapshot with just 7:27 left in the 3rd period, putting the Devils up 5-2. The clock kept ticking down. Once the clock hit 0:00, everyone in the arena celebrated as Doc Emerick said the famous words: “The championship to New Jersey, the Devils win the Stanley Cup.” Claude Lemieux would win the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoff MVP, and Scott Stevens would be the first person to lift the cup.
Even if the Devils aren’t good right now, it would be nice to see us playing like this team in the future. However, it is always nice to remember how this team started a new direction for the franchise.