It’s not everyday a goalie turns 40-years-old during the playoffs. It’s also not everyday that that goalie happens to be a future Hall-of-Famer either. For Martin Brodeur, today is such a day and having a game against the Flyers to cut your cake to helps provide an extra touch of motivation.
Brodeur tells Tom Gulitti of Fire & Ice that getting to be in the playoffs isn’t quite as good as being with family.
“Last year, I was in Florida. It was nice,” he said. “You get to see your family. I’m happy that I’m home at least for tonight to see them, but on the day of my birthday I won’t celebrate anything until, hopefully, after the game. That’s it.”
What does Brodeur want most for his birthday this year? It’s not too hard to figure out.
“I’d like to beat the Flyers,” he said.
So far, New Jersey’s gotten the best of Philadelphia twice and a win tonight would give them a monster 3-1 edge in the series heading into Game 5. There might not be a better gift than that and Brodeur’s teammates will need to do their part to band together and give it to him.