2006–07 New Jersey Devils season


The 2006–07 New Jersey Devils season was the team's 25th in the National Hockey League since the franchise moved to New Jersey. The team qualified again for the Stanley Cup playoffs, losing in the second round to the Ottawa Senators.

Regular season

The 2006–07 season saw the team attempting to maintain its position among the top teams in the National Hockey League's Eastern Conference. Behind the goaltending of Martin Brodeur and the offensive abilities of players such as Patrik Elias, Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta, the Devils once again made a drive into the playoffs. It was the team's last season in Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, as construction of the Prudential Center in Newark was completed in time for the Devils to move in for the 2007–08 season. Patrik Elias became the seventh captain in team history, following the retirement of Scott Stevens the previous season.
Brodeur, in his 13th full season of NHL play, continued his legacy as one of the winningest goaltenders in league history. On December 8, he shut out the Philadelphia Flyers to record his 462nd career victory, moving him into second place on the all-time victory list, behind Patrick Roy. Later in the month, on December 26, Brodeur recorded his 85th career shutout to move into third place on the all-time shutout list, behind Terry Sawchuk and George Hainsworth.
On April 2, the Devils surprisingly fired head coach Claude Julien with three games remaining in the season, despite a strong record of 47–24–8. Lou Lamoriello took over as coach afterwards.
On April 5, 2007, a win against the Philadelphia Flyers broke two records. One was the records for most wins in a season by a goaltender by Martin Brodeur with his 48th victory of the season. However, nine of those wins came via shootout. Making all things equivalent, Brodeur finished the season with 39 non-shootout wins to Bernie Parent's 47. The other being the New Jersey Devil franchise record of most wins by the team in a season with their 49th victory.
The Devils finished the regular season as Atlantic Division champions with 107 points, good for second place in the Eastern Conference. They also finished the regular season with a league-high 12 shutouts, all of them by Martin Brodeur.
The Devils were the most disciplined team during the regular season, with just 271 power-play opportunities against, and allowed the fewest power-play goals in the NHL, with only 40.

Season standings

Game log

The New Jersey Devils ended the 2006–07 regular season as the Eastern Conference's second seed.
On April 28, 2007 the Devils sold out the 19,040 capacity Continental Airlines Arena for the first time in the 2006–07 season in the 3–2 double overtime win against the Ottawa Senators.
The Devils' season came to an end on May 5, 2007, as they lost Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semi-finals to the Ottawa Senators 3–2, to lose the series 4–1. That defeat turned out to be the last game ever played at the Continental Airlines Arena.

Eastern Conference Quarter-finals: vs. (7) [Tampa Bay Lightning]

New Jersey wins series 4–2
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceSeries
1April 12Tampa Bay3 – 5New JerseyBrodeur14,4951 – 0
2April 14Tampa Bay3 – 2New JerseyBrodeur18,2311 – 1
3April 16New Jersey2 – 3Tampa BayBrodeur20,2191 – 2
4April 18New Jersey4 – 3Tampa BayOTBrodeur20,9402 – 2
5April 20Tampa Bay0 – 3New JerseyBrodeur18,0963 – 2
6April 22New Jersey3 – 2Tampa BayBrodeur20,0194 – 2

Eastern Conference Semi-finals: vs. (4) [Ottawa Senators]

Ottawa wins series 4–1
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceSeries
1April 26Ottawa5 – 4New JerseyBrodeur15,5120 – 1
2April 28Ottawa2 – 3New Jersey2OTBrodeur19,0401 – 1
3April 30New Jersey0 – 2OttawaBrodeur19,6361 – 2
4May 2New Jersey2 – 3OttawaBrodeur20,2481 – 3
5May 5Ottawa3 – 2New JerseyBrodeur19,0401 – 4

Television coverage was still on Fox Sports Network with Mike Emrick and Chico Resch handling the play-by-play while Steve Cangialosi handled the studio/color commentator duties. Radio coverage was still on WFAN 660, but this time, former television color commentator Matt Loughlin took the position as radio play-by-play announcer. Also, in this season, Sherry Ross returns to be the radio color commentator.

Player statistics

Regular season

;Scoring
PlayerPosGPGAPtsPIM+/-PPGSHGGWG
LW75214869381805
LW8231316230-3907
RW8223376064-91207
C72134760427401
D8284755344314
RW6225204536-31104
C80172542161602
LW8216244035-5802
C7412203214-7001
LW821314278-5011
D823232618-9100
D754812361012
D76291161-5000
LW/C71371025-3000
C7663992-10001
C6644820-5011
D6908869-8000
D231566-1100
RW73146-1201
RW48101114-2000
G78011120000
D190114-1000
D1301120000
D43011262000
G600000000
D70007-1000
LW600070000
D10000-1000
C90000-3000
LW200000000
RW30000-1000

;Goaltending
PlayerMINGPWLT/OTGAGAASOSASVSV%
469778482371712.181221822011.922
3056112163.150144128.889
Team:500282492491872.241223262139.920

Playoffs

;Scoring
PlayerPosGPGAPtsPIMPPGSHGGWG
C114101414001
LW1173108201
LW1019104100
RW118194301
RW112687101
D112688200
C111454000
D110446000
D112132001
LW111236100
C111122000
LW111014000
G110112000
D110112000
D60116000
C90117000
RW30002000
C110004000
D900010000
LW/C1100014000
D70006000

;Goaltending
PlayerMINGPWLGAGAASOSASVSV%
6881156282.441332304.916
Team:6881156282.441332304.916

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals
MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T/OT = Ties/overtime losses; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage;

Transactions

Trades

Free agents acquired

Free agents lost

Awards and records

Awards

Nominations

Draft picks

The Devils' picks at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Rd #Pick #Player NatPosTeam Notes
130Matt CorrenteCANDSaginaw Spirit
258Alexander VasyunovRUSLWLokomotiv Yaroslavl
367Kirill TulupovRUSDAlmetyevsk Neftyanik
377Vladimir ZharkovRUSRWCSKA Moscow
4107T. J MillerUSADPenticton Vees
5148Olivier MagnanCANDRouyn-Noranda Huskies
6178Tony RomanoUSACNew York Bobcats
7208Kyell HeneganCANDShawinigan Cataractes