EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., June 9 (UPI) -- The New Jersey Devils captured their third NHL championship in nine years Monday night with a 3-0 blanking of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
Martin Brodeur broke a record with his seventh playoff shutout and Jeff Friesen scored two more goals.
Faced with the prospect of squandering a three games to two lead in the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in three years, the Devils relied on Brodeur, who bounced back from a sub-par effort in Game Six and recorded his third shutout of the series.
Friesen again victimized his former team with his fourth and fifth goals of the series. But the game-winner was scored by rookie Michael Rupp, who also had a pair of assists in just his fourth career playoff game.
For the third time in NHL history, the home team won all seven games in the Stanley Cup Finals. New Jersey tied the record set by the 1984 Edmonton Oilers with their 12th home win of the playoffs.
