ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Colorado Avalanche lost a Stanley Cup final game to the Devils two years ago when goalie Patrick Roy wandered from the net and couldn't get back to defend a shot.
This time, a misplay equally as implausible by their own star goaltender, Martin Brodeur, has tightened up a Stanley Cup final the Devils seemed to have in their control.
Brodeur gave up an improbable goal to Anaheim's Sandis Ozolinsh from near center ice in Game 3 Saturday night because he couldn't make a simple stick save. He lost his stick, then couldn't retrieve it in time to make the save.
Because of a mistake Brodeur can't recall making before, the Devils' lead against the Mighty Ducks has been trimmed from a comfortable 2-0 to a more-precarious 2-1 going into Game 4 tonight at the Arrowhead Pond.
The otherworldly Ozolinsh goal didn't win the game, but it gave the Ducks a 2-1 lead -- and gave them the momentum back -- after Patrik Elias' tying goal less than a minute earlier. Ruslan Salei eventually won it for the Ducks, 3-2, with an overtime one-timer off Adam Oates' faceoff win.
Brodeur couldn't help but laugh about his blunder, which came after seven periods of near-perfect goaltending by the likely winner of the Vezina Trophy.
Brodeur dropped his stick near the left edge of the crease as Ozolinsh shot the puck on net from beyond the blue line, then watched helplessly as the shot trickled off his stick, through his pads and into the net.
"They were laughing at me," Brodeur said of the other players on the ice. "You didn't think it was funny? I thought it was funny. It's definitely not fun to get scored on like that, but it's something you can't control."
His first thought when it happened?
"This is unbelievable," he said. "You're in the Stanley Cup finals. You know so many millions of people are watching you, and your stick slipped out of your hands and you get scored on. But it's important you forget these things. We're still 2-1."
But the Devils just as easily could have been up, 3-0, with a chance to raise their third cup since 1995 tonight. Now, they almost certainly can't help but think back to two years ago, when they couldn't hold a 3-2 lead against Colorado and lost the final in seven games.
"It's important for us to [bounce back]," Brodeur said. "You can't lose two games in a row in the playoffs. Our job here was to win one game. That's what we wanted. We gave it a great shot. Like I said, we had a bad bounce go against us."
Of course, bad bounces and lucky breaks have turned around many a playoff series. That's why the Devils said yesterday they've got to put the loss behind them and concentrate on the opportunity they have tonight.
Win, and they go back home to Continental Airlines Arena -- where they dominated the first two games -- with a chance to close out the series Thursday night. The only two-day break of the final occurs between Games 4 and 5.
"We knew it wasn't going to be easy, and now we've got to win Game 4," Jamie Langenbrunner said.
Ducks Coach Mike Babcock is more concerned with making sure his team remains in the aggressor's role again tonight than he is with hoping Brodeur has been shaken by the mistake.
"This guy obviously doesn't let a whole lot bother him," Babcock said. "I don't see it being a big factor."
Stanley Cup finals: Brodeur's gaffe gives Anaheim new life 
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