OTTAWA, 21 May 2003 — Rookie center Jason Spezza scored a goal and added an assist in his first-ever NHL playoff game to help the Ottawa Senators avoid elimination by beating the New Jersey Devils 3-1 in Game Five of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday.

The Senators now trail the Devils 3-2 in the best-of-seven series to decide who meets the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the Stanley Cup Finals. Game Six is in New Jersey today.

Spezza, regarded as one of the most promising talents in the NHL, was brought in for his first playoff game by coach Jacques Martin in a last-ditch bid to revive the Senators’ anemic forward line.

“We had trouble scoring goals and Jason is a great offensive player,” Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson told reporters. “He came in and played awesome.”

The 19-year-old came into his own in the third period by helping set up Martin Havlat’s go-ahead goal at 7:59, a shot from behind the net which somehow deflected in off goaltender Martin Brodeur and defenseman Richard Smehlik.

Four minutes later Spezza redirected a long-range shot from Chris Phillips through Brodeur’s legs for Ottawa’s only power-play goal in 22 attempts in the series against New Jersey.

“I’m just happy to come in and play with this group of guys...it was exciting. Obviously you see the crowd going wild and it’s fun to be a part of it,” Spezza said.

Brodeur had perhaps his worst game of the series, letting in two goals on just four shots in the third period and making only 15 saves. Ottawa goaltender Patrick Lalime stopped 21 shots.

New Jersey went into the game knowing a win would put them into their third Stanley Cup finals in four years and in the first period they took control, outshooting Ottawa by 7-2.

But it was the Senators who took the lead early in the second period when Todd White, capitalizing on a sloppy Devils turnover, scored a short-handed goal which had New Jersey coach Pat Burns shaking his head in disgust.

The Senators’ initial advantage ended less than three minutes later when Devils defenseman Scott Stevens scored with a shot from the point past a screened Lalime.

The Senators — making their first appearance in the conference finals in the club’s 11-year history — preserved their record this season of never having lost four games in a row.