2003–04 New Jersey Devils season
| 2003–04 New Jersey Devils | |
|---|---|
| Division | 2nd Atlantic |
| Conference | 6th Eastern |
| 2003–04 record | 43–25–12–2 |
| Home record | 22–13–5–1 |
| Road record | 21–12–7–1 |
| Goals for | 213 |
| Goals against | 164 |
| Team information | |
| General Manager | Lou Lamoriello |
| Coach | Pat Burns |
| Captain |
Scott Stevens Scott Niedermayer (Jan–Apr) interim |
| Alternate captains |
Patrik Elias John Madden (Jan–Apr) interim Scott Niedermayer |
| Arena | Continental Airlines Arena |
| Average attendance | 15,059 |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Patrik Elias (38) |
| Assists | Scott Gomez (56) |
| Points | Patrik Elias (81) |
| Penalties in minutes | Colin White (96) |
| Plus/minus | Patrik Elias (+26) |
| Wins | Martin Brodeur (38) |
| Goals against average | Martin Brodeur (2.03) |
The 2003–04 New Jersey Devils season was the team's 22nd season in the National Hockey League since the franchise relocated to New Jersey. Like the 2001–02 NHL season, the Devils finished 6th in the Eastern Conference and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The team started the season really impressive, winning 17 of its first thirty games. However, in the 2004 calendar year, they were 24–19–4–1, causing them to finish sixth in the conference, second in the division and lose to one of their division rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers in five games in the quarterfinals. They were also marred by injured defenseman Scott Stevens and Brian Rafalski which also caused them to be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
The defending Stanley Cup champions, the Devils only allowed 164 goals, the lowest total ever allowed by a team under the 82-game regular-season format. The Devils also shut out their opponents 14 times, a league-high. Furthermore, they were the most disciplined team in the League, finishing with the regular season with the fewest power-play opportunities against (266) and the fewest power-play goals allowed (39).
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points
Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast
Z- Clinched Conference; Y- Clinched Division; X- Clinched Playoff spot
The series opened at Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, and the Flyers won both games 1 and 2 3-2 over New Jersey. Games three and four were played at Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey. The Devils won game three 4-2, but the Flyers were victorious in game four by a score of 3-0. Game five was played back in Philadelphia, and the Flyers won that game 3-1 and won the series 4 games to 1.
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