Jagr Ends Devils’ Season

(Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)

The cliché may be adding insult to injury, but in game 82 the New Jersey Devils just got an extra big dose of insult. Not only did they lose their last game of the season (which gives them 10 losses out of their last 11 games) but the winning goal came off the stick of former Devil (traded earlier this year) Jaromir Jagr.

The Devils took the lead early in the second thanks to Jordin Tootoo, who had a wide open right side of the net and put it home. The Panthers fought back to take a 2-1 lead, but on a four on four with just nine minutes to go Mike Cammalleri spun a blind back handed pass to the middle of the ice for Damon Severson. He beat Panthers goalie Al Montoya to tie the game.

It looked like the Devils were going to squeeze a few extra minutes out of their season but then Jagr struck. Dmitry Kulikov took a big shot from the point that got lost in a scrum in front of the net. Jagr, who had stationed himself right in front of Cory Schneider, got the puck and slid it past Schneider and into the back of the net to make it 3-2 Panthers.

It was a tough way to end a disappointing season in which the Devils missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season. Ultimately, the Devils may get the better end of the Jagr trade, but in the last game of the 2014-15 season, it sure came back to the bite them.