New Jersey moves into conference finals again

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The New Jersey Devils made sure JohnGrahame wouldn't get another chance to frustrate them.

It just took them three overtimes to knock the backup goalie andthe Tampa Bay Lightning out of the playoffs.

Grant Marshall scored 11:12 into the third extra period to liftthe Devils to a 2-1 victory Friday night and send New Jersey to itsthird Eastern Conference final in four years.

Grahame was the surprise starter in Game 5, getting the nod overNikolai Khabibulin, who was benched after the Lightning lost three ofthe first four games in the second-round series.

It turned out to be the right move for Tampa Bay Coach JohnTortorella as Grahame made 46 saves in his first NHL playoff start.The young Lightning had never won a postseason series beforeeliminating Washington in the first round.

Marshall scored on a rebound to end the second-longest game inDevils history. Earlier in the day, he was nearly out of time. He waswaiting for the team bus to go to the arena when he went to get adrink.

"I still had 15 minutes, so I thought I had plenty of time,"Marshall said.

In the other NHL playoff game Friday, the Vancouver Canucks movedwithin one victory of the Western Conference finals with a 3-2overtime win at the Minnesota Wild in Game 4.

On Saturday, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks - who lead the Dallas Stars3-1 in their series - will try to reach the West finals. Philadelphiawill play Game 5 at Ottawa with that best-of-seven series tied 2-2.The survivor of that series will meet the Devils.

Marshall's third goal of the series came at the perfect time forNew Jersey, in the NHL's final four for the fourth time since 1995.They have moved on to the Stanley Cup finals each of the previousthree times, and won the championship twice.

"What it comes down to is the team wins," Marshall said. "To winthe Stanley Cup, that's all that matters. It doesn't matter who getsthe stats."

Scott Niedermayer, who got the Devils even with a first-periodgoal, played a major role in the game-winner, as well. It was hisshot that Marshall finally got control of and backhanded into the netpast Grahame, who had lost his stick.

"There was a shot from the point or the side," said Grahame, whohadn't seen a replay of the goal. "I got it with my left pad. I sawit come out and I think there was a shot, and somebody either hit mystick or ran into my stick and my stick just popped up in the air.

"It's just kind of a bad break."

The Devils have been making their breaks, as the Atlantic Divisionchampions are peaking at the right time. They needed only five gamesin each of their first two series to advance.

"We haven't been a pretty team all year, but we've found ways towin and we're finding ways to win now," captain Scott Stevens said.

Tortorella was trying to figure out a way to keep the seriesgoing, so he made the decision to go with Grahame over Khabibulin,who set the Lightning record this season with 30 wins.

Khabibulin started Tampa Bay's first 10 playoff games this year,going 4-2 in the first round. He allowed 12 goals on 121 shotsagainst New Jersey and failed to protect several leads.

His career playoff mark is only 15-18 with a 2.65 goals-againstaverage in 34 games.

Grahame, acquired in January from Boston, hadn't played since theLightning's regular-season finale. He was 17-14-6 in 40 games thisseason, but never played a postseason game in his four NHL seasons.

"Johnnie's not a backup by any means," forward Martin St. Louissaid. "He played really well for us this year."

Nikita Alexeev gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead in the first period,but not even Grahame could make that one stand up.

^Canucks 3, Wild 2, OT=

At St. Paul, Minn., Brent Sopel sent a slap shot under MannyFernandez's glove on an extended power play with 4:08 left inovertime to lift Vancouver.

The Canucks lead the series 3-1, with Game 5 set for Monday nightin Vancouver.

Marian Gaborik scored twice for the Wild, 1-4 at home in thepostseason.

Filip Kuba was assessed a double-minor penalty for hitting ToddBertuzzi in the eye with his stick, giving the Canucks a four-minutepower play midway through overtime.

With 18 seconds left on the advantage, Sopel took a pass fromMarkus Naslund and scored.

AP-ES-05-03-03 0304EDT