Devils collapse against Flyers after scary injury to Salmela

By MARK EVERSON

Last Updated: 5:11 AM, February 25, 2010

Posted: 1:46 AM, February 9, 2010

Comments: 14

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PHILADELPHIA -- With their latest likely concussion case walking and talking, the discussion turned from Anssi Salmela's face-plant to the way the Devils crash after being dented.

For the fifth straight game, the Devils last night gave up three straight goals, losing for the fourth time in that stretch, this time 3-2 to the Flyers.

It wasn't just the horror of seeing Salmela prone and motionless on the ice, leveled by Jeff Carter after Salmela gave the Devils a 2-0 lead 1:01 into the second period. The collapse has happened in every game they've played this month.

apSCARY SCENE: Devils defenseman Anssi Salmela is strapped to a stretcher early in the second period in Philly last night after he scored a short-handed goal, then absorbed a thunderous hit to the head. He may have suffered a concussion in the Devils' 3-2 loss to the Flyers.

SCARY SCENE: Devils defenseman Anssi Salmela is strapped to a stretcher early in the second period in Philly last night after he scored a short-handed goal, then absorbed a thunderous hit to the head. He may have suffered a concussion in the Devils' 3-2 loss to the Flyers.

"It's definitely trouble, how quickly we get scored upon. They get one, then it's two and three," goalie Martin Brodeur said. "It's a big momentum changer, not a good thing."

Coupled with their recent second-period follies, it is threatening to put a damper on their two-week Olympic break and spoil the arrival of Ilya Kovalchuk. They have been outscored 10-1 in their last four second periods, and Salmela's goal last night is that one.

Last night, it was a pair by Carter and Mike Richards, 1:12 apart in the final 1:36 of the second, that erased all New Jersey had accomplished.

Richards later scored the game-winner with 7:58 left in the third by converting Philly's fourth power play.

In their previous game, the Devils gave up three in a second-period span of 2:39 to fall to the Rangers. They beat the Leafs on their miracle comeback Friday, only after allowing three straight in the second.

On Feb. 2, Toronto added two in the second to one in the first for its shutout victory. And the Kings scored the game's final three to win 3-2 Jan. 31.

Those are two more puzzles for Devils coach Jacques Lemaire to solve while he tries to ignite an offense that still sputters, despite the addition of Kovalchuk, who had nine shots last night but has yet to score a goal for New Jersey in three games.

"I just have to keep trying," Kovalchuk said.

New Jersey started well enough. Zach Parise's 26th put the Devils on top on their first power play, 7:00 in.

Salmela gave the Devils a 2-0 lead a mere instant before being knocked out by Carter's shoulder slam. Short-handed, Salmela rushed the right side around Mike Richards and pulled the puck inside to beat Michael Leighton.

Cruising back, down the slot, Carter took one stride to step from behind into Salmela, who was leaning into the hit he never saw coming. The real damage appeared to be done when Salmela flipped into the air and face-planted, heavily.

Salmela, acquired Thursday with Kovalchuk, remained motionless for a long minute, prone, before finally moving his shoulders and arms, and then taking deep breaths. After some seven minutes, he was wheeled off the ice on a stretcher, with Kovalchuk skating over to offer encouragement. He was said to be up and walking before the third started.

"Not much," Salmela said of what he remembered. "Now it's getting a little bit more clear. I didn't see him coming. I was out for a while. It's getting better now, but I have a little bit of a headache."

The hit was similar to the one that concussed Patrik Elias Jan. 19, and Lemaire said he doesn't "blame Carter at all," that it was not an evil hit.

Brodeur, though, said the incident affected the Devils' game.

"We'd just scored, and from there, they slowly got back in the game," Brodeur said.

mark.everson@nypost.com

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Comments (14)

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e

02/09/2010 10:57 PM

ms1099- What part of least goals allowed don't you understand?
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e

02/09/2010 10:55 PM

phillyfansaredumb - Hey mor.on, I was at the first Devils game ever and saw them win the cup twice live with the seasons my family had for 20 years. Dbag
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nyr3439

02/09/2010 3:28 PM

Whether it was late or not is not even the point IMO,the fact that it's a hit to the head is really the issue.I didn't see it live and only caught a fuzzy replay of it,if Carter has committed to the hit it makes it tough to pull up and not hit him.However,the fact remains that another NHL player gets taken off the ice on a stretcher due to a head injury,that has to be about 7-10 times this season I've seen that and as a hockey fan I'm sick of it and the fact the Bettman and Campbell don't seem all the concerned.
I'm a fan of hard hitting hockey,it's a dangerous game even when played within the "rules" of the sport.Seeing guys knocked out on what seems like a weekly basis is too much and it doesn't matter what team your a fan of.I don't like to see any players on any team suffer from head injuries,there life changing injuries and the league needs to look into it fast.
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halo1

02/09/2010 2:59 PM

@tres cups
Carter deserves to be suspended. I don't know or care what team you route for but, IT WAS A RETALIATION HIT.
If the league is going to play the "we want to do something about high hits" well then Carter should be suspended.
That's it.
It came 3 seconds after the puck left Salmela stick, the textbook definition of a "late hit"
C'mon, watch it again, even the VS guys called it a late hit and 9 times out of 10 I'm shocked they pronounce people's names right
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halo1

02/09/2010 2:56 PM

The Devils defense IS RATED BEST IN THE LEAGUE, LOOK UP THE STATS.
Plus/minus, penalty kills, power plays. The only record Devils D is not holding is the goals scored by defensemen.
So yeah in the moment we are in the No 1 spot in the Division and where are the Rangers in the standings? Oh right, 8 today?
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halo1

02/09/2010 2:50 PM

This was a RETALIATION HIT for scoring a goal.
If this had been a Ranger player I would be just as outraged.
I thought Jeff Carter had more class, sadly Pronger's dirty play has rubbed off on Carter.

It is NOT A CLEAN HIT. THE HIT CAME AFTER THE GOAL WAS SCORED.
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Tres Cups

02/09/2010 1:08 PM

The hit was a clean hit, no problem with it at all. Therefore no reason to go after Carter. They want to make sure they finish their checks against him, that's fine, but are you going to go after guys for clean hits now? Sometimes a player just lays another player out.

And mnowick, their D is not as strong as Robinson, Borque and Orr but what D ever was. Salvador is a solid #3 dman that plays physical, Andy Greene wasn't even supposed to be on the team and has played beyond expectations, Fraser is a rookie and so far has been nothing but steady. Now I agree wtih you that White stinks since the eye injury and Mottau shouldn't be in the NHL.
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ms1099

02/09/2010 12:19 PM

HAHA, best defensemen in the league??? e, you're a cartoon character. If I wanted an opinion from the cheap seats I'd send up a flair.