Elias etches name as Devils' great

Mar 18, 2009 - 2:56 AM By Brian Fitzsimmons SportsTicker Staff Writer

NEWARK, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Though it was Martin Brodeur's night, St. Patrick's Day joyfully became St. Patrik's Day with a backhanded pass.

Patrik Elias assisted on Brian Gionta's shorthanded goal with 3:04 remaining in the second period of New Jersey's 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, recording his 702nd point with the Devils to surpass John MacLean for the franchise's all-time lead.

"It's my day, right?" Elias quipped. "So, why not? It was a very exciting night."

Elias picked an odd time to steal the stage - momentarily - since Brodeur did some record-breaking himself by becoming the NHL's wins leader, earning No. 552 just three days after pulling even with Hall of Fame legend Patrick Roy.

It'll always be Brodeur's boys and Scott Stevens' Stanley Cup teams, but Elias has officially etched his name as one of New Jersey's greats.

"As soon as he scored, it was pretty exciting," Elias said. "I had a couple opportunities and didn't bang them in. But it was very exciting. It was a great crowd; you could sense it."

The 32-year-old left wing had whiffed on several scoring chances before reaching the memorable milestone. Elias failed to convert a hard slap shot on a 2-on-1 rush where he ended up with the puck behind the defense. Chicago's Nikolai Khabibulin, however, used his blocker to stall Elias' quest.

Elias claimed he wasn't pressing too much, just "maybe once on a power play with (Dainius Zubrus)."

Elias' achievement comes at a time of rejuvenation, during which he has registered his highest point-total (74) since the 2003-04 campaign (81).

"I've played with him a long time and he has a lot of respect for the guys," Gionta said. "He shows patience, he sucks guys to him and I was very happy to be a part of that. It shows what a great career he's had."

Elias, who also holds franchise records for most points in a season (96) and most career game-winning goals (60), has survived a myriad of obstacles along the way.

He played hockey in Russia during the NHL lockout in 2004-05. There, he contracted Hepatitis A from the food he ate. The disease severely weakened him, resulting in a weight loss of 30 pounds and being confined to a bed for a month.

Upon returning to the ice, he was a far cry from the player that helped the Devils to two of their three Stanley Cups in 2000 and 2003, resulting in coach Brent Sutter stripping Elias of his captaincy prior to 2007-08.

However, Sutter and his team have been preaching about teamwork this season and Elias has clearly responded.

"It was one of my most important (points) of my career," Elias said. "I was trying to celebrate with (Gionta) after the goal, but he ran away from me to get the puck."

At the end of the night, Brodeur was given a thunderous ovation. Elias was given one during the game that nearly made his eyes fill up with tears.

For several moments, it was solely about the star in the background.