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And with just eight seconds left in that power play, Zubrus was rewarded, getting alone in front of Theodore to make it 2-0. Less than a minute later, Carter -- who spent seven games with Florida this season before being waived on Oct. 25 -- picked up the puck after a turnover, skated in and beat Theodore low to the glove side for a 3-0 lead that left a building that had been so loud a few minutes earlier in disbelief.
The first 20 minutes were beyond one-sided. The Devils outshot Florida 26-9 -- the most shots any NHL team had managed in a playoff first period since Philadelphia took 28 against Pittsburgh on April 21, 1997, according to STATS LLC.
Eventually, the Panthers settled down.
Bergenheim got Florida's first goal at 7:44 of the second, and with the Panthers on the power play at 15:42, Versteeg made it a one-goal game. He got the puck on the goal line to the right of the net, found his way to the front and squirted the puck past Brodeur to get Florida to 3-2.
From there, Brodeur was a wall.
He swept Florida out of its last playoff appearance 12 years ago, and was just as tough to beat this time around. The Panthers' best chance to tie might have come with about 5 minutes left, when Dmitry Kulikov had an open shot from the top of the left circle, only to have Brodeur coolly kick it aside.
NOTES: Elias' goal was the 41st of his playoff career, tying him with Teemu Selanne for eighth among active players. ... Panthers coach Kevin Dineen scored six goals in his career against Brodeur, three in the regular season, three more in the playoffs -- including the final point Dineen would ever get in a postseason game, for Philadelphia in 1995. ... Florida's last postseason victory was April 17, 1997, against the New York Rangers. ... Friday marked the first time the Heat, Marlins and Panthers all played in the Miami market on the same night since April 14, 2002.
[Associated Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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