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BOX SCORE
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Even playing into the hands of Peter Forsberg and the Colorado Avalanche with wide-open hockey
didn't slow down the New Jersey Devils.
|  | | Colorado's Milan Hejduk, top, crashes into New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur. |
Scott Niedermayer and Scott Gomez scored third-period goals and
the Devils extended their unbeaten streak to seven games (5-0-2) by
blowing a two-goal lead and then rallying from two down to tie the
Avalanche 5-5 Thursday night.
The entertaining game also featured two goals -- one awarded on
replay -- and an assist by Forsberg, and a shot off the goal post by Joe Sakic with 14 seconds left in overtime.
However, the surprise was the Devils' ability to go up and down
the ice instead of playing a more defensive type game.
"It was fun," said Gomez, whose game-tying power-play goal was
deflected into the net by Colorado defenseman Jon Klemm. "We can't
afford to do this in the playoffs but at the same time we have the
guns, too. But you don't want to get into that too much, I don't
think any team does."
Colorado didn't mind, especially with Forsberg back in the
lineup for the first time since sustaining a concussion Feb. 1.
He missed five games.
"I've been feeling good for a couple of days," Forsberg said.
"I was close to playing in Washington (Tuesday). I kind of knew
for a while I would play today. I felt good."
Chris Dingman, Brian Rolston and Alex Tanguay also scored for
Colorado, which has only one win in six games (1-3-2). Marc Denis,
playing with Patrick Roy out with a sore neck, made 27 saves.
John Madden, Petr Sykora and Randy McKay had the other goals for
the Devils. Goalie Martin Brodeur, who was credited with a goal on
Tuesday, added an assist and 18 saves.
Niedermayer got the Devils within a goal with a shot from the
top of the right circle at 4:03 of the third and Gomez scored on a
power play at 10:25.
Klemm, who was trying to knock down a pass from the corner by Gomez
to Patrik Elias, accidentally tipped the puck past Denis.
"The way it looked I thought Patty got it in," Gomez said.
"But hey, a game like this, put it at the net."
Until then, Forsberg had put on a show. He gave the Avalanche a
4-3 lead with his replay goal that came after the teams left the
ice after the second period.
Picking up the puck in center ice, the Swede carried it all the
way into the Devils zone, faked a slap shot, skated around Brodeur
and dragged the puck toward the goal line with 13 seconds left in
the period.
Forsberg raised his stick, but the goal light didn't come on as
defenseman Ken Daneyko seemingly cleared the puck off the goal
line. Replays showed Daneyko missed by a couple of inches. The final
13 seconds of the second period were played before the start of the
third.
Fifty two seconds after the final period started, Forsberg set
up Tanguay for a one-timer into a virtually open net.
However, Niedermayer got New Jersey within 5-4 with a slap shot
from the top of the right circle at 4:03 and Gomez tied it on the
power play.
"Coming into New Jersey you know it's going to be a tough
game," Forsberg said. "They've been playing well and it's hard to
beat them. Maybe later tonight it will feel OK to get a tie. Up 5-3
and we hit a post in OT, we're a little disappointed."
Badly outplayed for more than a period and a half, Colorado woke
up after McKay scored on a breakaway to give New Jersey a 3-1 lead
at 11:42 of the second.
Capitalizing on mistakes by the Devils and good screens in front
of Brodeur, Rolston and Forsberg scored 55 seconds apart to tie it
at 3.
Madden gave the Devils a 1-0 lead and tied a franchise record by
scoring his fifth short-handed goal of the season at 3:10. Sykora
beat Denis in close a little more than three minutes later to give
New Jersey a 2-0 advantage.
Rolston, acquired from New Jersey for Claude Lemieux on Nov. 3, banked a point shot off Dingman's leg with 58 seconds left in the
period to cut the lead to 2-1.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Colorado Clubhouse
New Jersey Clubhouse
Bruised Avs get Forsberg back but lose Deadmarsh, Roy
 NHL West: Ducks duo needs to win
RECAPS
Vancouver 2
Buffalo 1
Ottawa 6
Tampa Bay 2
Montreal 3
Carolina 0
Colorado 5
New Jersey 5
NY Islanders 2
Philadelphia 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Scott Gomez knots the game at 5-apiece.
avi: 795 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
After further view, it's a Forsberg goal.
avi: 811 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Peter Forsberg beats Martin Brodeur with the slapper.
avi: 853 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Peter Forsberg was hungry to play after returning from injury.
wav: 204 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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