2001 Nhl Playoffs Series Lead Back

Arnies a big guy. We need him to finish his checks, and be in front of the net where hes going to use his size.

After struggling earlier in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Devils A line is back on the same wavelength.

Members of the A line, made up of Patrik Elias, Jason Arnott and Petr Sykora, each had a goal and an assist Saturday afternoon and had a hand in every goal as the Devils routed the Penguins, 5-0, in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.

2001 Nhl Playoffs Series Lead Back

The Devils took a three-games-to-one series lead back to East Rutherford, N.J., for Tuesday nights Game 5.

Over the first four games of the conference finals, members of the A line combined for eight goals and six assists, outplaying the likes of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Aleksei Kovalev.

Lemieux has two assists, Kovalev has a goal and an assist, and Jagr, who won his fourth consecutive scoring title this season, has yet to record a point.

Elias, the Devils crafty left wing, has scored a point in each of the Devils past nine playoff games, a team record, and Sykora, the sleek right wing, has four goals in this series.

Over the past seven playoff games, the line has delivered 14 goals and 17 assists.

Thats awesome, said Elias, who has five goals and eight assists during his scoring streak.

When were at our best, we probably are the best line in the league.

Arnott, the rugged, 6-foot-4, 225-pound center from Collingwood, Ontario, might not have grown up speaking the same language as his wings, who are both from the Czech Republic.

But the three have forged a common vocabulary on the ice, almost to the point where they share a telepathic bond.

At least that was what it sounded like when Arnott described Sykoras goal Saturday, 15 minutes 34 seconds into the second period, which gave the Devils a 3-0 lead.

I just knew he was there, Arnott said, referring to his no-look deflection.

I guess we just have that feel right now for where each other is.

That feel was missing for the first four games of the Devils second-round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Arnott, who injured his left knee with a week to go in the regular season, reinjured the knee during Game 5 of the Devils first-round series with the Carolina Hurricanes before sitting out the series-clinching Game 6.

When Arnott returned for the second-round opener, it was clear that the knee was still bothering him.

As was Shayne Corson, the Maple Leafs best defensive forward, who blanketed Arnott over the first three games of the series.

Devils Coach Larry Robinson had become so frustrated with Arnotts line that he accused his top line of becoming passengers on the Devils playoff ride.

So Arnott called a meeting before Game 5 at Continental Arena.

It was a line-only meeting, where each member aired his feelings.

We just said what we had on our minds, said Elias, who urged Arnott to bull his way to the net more to open up the ice for Elias and Sykora, the better to let their skills shine through.

Arnies a big guy.

We need him to finish his checks, and be in front of the net where hes going to use his size.