EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey, 11 June 2003 — The New Jersey Devils won the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup here Monday, defeating Anaheim 3-0 to capture the best-of-seven championship series four games to three.
Former Anaheim player Jeff Friesen scored two goals against his former club while Michael Rupp, playing in only his fourth NHL playoff game, scored and assisted on both Friesen goals, as did the Devils’ Scott Niedermayer.
“I feel fortunate to get my first Cup,” Friesen said. “To win the Stanley Cup is unbelievable. This group of guys, we really stick together. I feel fortunate I have been able to play this long and reach the finals.”
Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur became only the third NHL netminder to post three shutouts in the same Stanley Cup final, the first since 1945, and only the third man to blank his opponent in the seventh game of an NHL final.
“We had an awesome performance from everybody,” Brodeur said. “Coming through in game seven was the greatest thing we could accomplish.”
The Quebec-born goaltender’s seven shutouts in these playoffs was an NHL record.
It was the third Stanley Cup triumph in nine years for the Devils, who share the same home arena as the New Jersey Nets, finalists for the National Basketball Association title. No city have ever done an NHL-NBA title double.
Home teams won all seven games in the championship series. New Jersey, the Eastern Conference second seed, had the home-ice edge after winning a seventh game in the semifinals against regular-season champion Ottawa.
“Every time I look in the mirror I will remember this moment,” Devils captain Scott Stevens said as he watched his teammates skate around the rink holding the trophy aloft. Anaheim goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, tearful in defeat, became only the fifth man to win the Stanley Cup playoff Most Valuable Player honors from the losing team.
“It’s tough to lose like that,” Giguere said. “We gave so much effort to get where we were at. You never know where you’re going to get back.”
While a sellout crowd booed, the Devils’ players applauded their rival, whose MVP heroics lifted the seventh-seeded Mighty Ducks past huge favorites Detroit and Dallas in an unlikely run that fell one victory short of the Cup.
“I’m not surprised they booed me,” Giguere said. “Being in Jersey I’m sure they wanted their guy to win it. I saw all the Devils players cheering. That was very nice of them.”
Devils coach Pat Burns won his first Cup after coaching in 143 playoff games, a record-long quest for the NHL crown.
Rupp, called up from the minor leagues a month after his season ended, opened the scoring 2:22 into the second period. Rupp deflected a shot between the legs of Giguere for his first playoff goal.
The Devils rose to 12-1 on home ice in the playoffs, 11-0 when scoring first in this year’s playoffs, matching the all-time NHL record in that category set by the 1984 Edmonton Oilers.
Friesen put the Devils ahead 2-0 with 7:42 remaining in the second period, making his former team pay dearly.
Giguere made a save but the rebound bounced in front to Friesen, who despite being checked swatted his stick at the puck and slapped it past the Anaheim netminder for his ninth goal of the playoffs.
Friesen scored the final goal with 3:44 remaining in the third period, becoming only the seventh player in NHL history to score twice in a seventh game of the final.
It was a bittersweet triumph for Niedermayer, whose brother Rob was on the losing side.
“It was tough, for sure,” the triumphant Niedermayer said.
