For all the criticism - fair or not - from Game 3 in particular and the last two seasons in general, Martin Brodeur deserves plenty of credit for a big bounce-back game tonight. His record-breaking 24th shutout left his New Jersey Devils coach and teammates raving - but didn’t surprise them.
Tom Gulitti caught up with Peter DeBoer, who praised Brodeur’s ability to shake off a tough loss.
“What separates him from ordinary goalies isn’t just his talent; it’s his mental makeup,” DeBoer said. “That’s what has allowed him to play as long as he has at the level he has.”
He also compared his go-to goalie to fine wine (more or less).
“That’s vintage Marty Brodeur,” DeBoer said. “We come to expect that around here.”
Andy Greene echoed his coach’s sentiments.
“Would you expect anything else?” Green said. “This isn’t his first rodeo.”
The big question is: how many “rodeos” does Brodeur have left in him? Could he, say, win 14 more games in the 2012 playoffs? His teammates and coach sure seem to think so.