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Gerber Denies Devils Win In Opener At New Arena

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The Associated Press

Published: October 28, 2007

NEWARK, N.J. - The Ottawa Senators spoiled the New Jersey Devils' first game in the new Prudential Center, scoring three times in the third period in a 4-1 victory Saturday night.
Brian Gionta scored on a deflection for the Devils, who played their first nine games on the road while waiting for the $380 million arena to be completed.

New Jersey won three of those games and continued to struggle Saturday night against Ottawa (9-1).
Martin Gerber made 25 saves for Ottawa, while Martin Brodeur stopped 29 shots for New Jersey.

Ottawa snapped a 1-1 tie early in the third period when Chris Kelly picked up a loose puck behind the net and fed Shean Donovan, who beat Brodeur from in close. Mike Fisher added an insurance goal with 6:26 left, and Daniel Alfredsson scored into an empty net with 1.1 seconds left.

For a while it looked as though the new 32-foot, 65,000-pound scoreboard wouldn't get much of a workout as neither team scored in the first, though the Devils outshot the visitors 18-5.

Ottawa's Andrej Meszaros scored the arena's first goal 5 minutes into the second period with a slap shot from just inside the blue line that squeezed through a crowd in front to beat Brodeur.

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