team around. By the start of the 1993–94 season,
Brodeur was New Jersey’s starting goalie. He won
the Calder Trophy that year. The award is given to
the top rookie in the NHL each season. The Devils
made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals.
They lost to the New York Rangers in a seven-game
series. Game 7 went to two overtimes. It was a tough
loss. But the Devils proved they were a team on the
rise with Brodeur in net.
New Jersey felt good about its chances to win a
Stanley Cup in 1995. But something almost got in
the way. The first three months of the season were
cancelled. The team owners wanted a new business
agreement with the players. Finally, in January 1995,
the lockout ended. Brodeur and the Devils could get
back to work.
Coach Jacques Lemaire had a plan for bringing
the Devils deep into the playoffs. New Jersey would
clog up the middle of the ice. This would make it
tough for other teams to get good shots. And any
shots they got would still have to get past Brodeur.
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