The Devils are squandering this series, just the way they squandered a three-goal lead last night.
It may be too late, now that the Devils have given back home-ice advantage to the Panthers. Worse, they have given these longest-ever playoff absentees reason to believe they actually can win their first series in 16 years.
The cold-hard numbers say the Devils have won just 3-of-15 series they have trailed by the 2-1 deficit they take into Game 4 tomorrow at the Prudential Center.
Last night’s 4-3 loss to the visiting Panthers was far worse than a one-goal defeat. It was a devastating and shocking collapse from a three-goal lead 6:16 into play that resurrected the memory of many such failings earlier this season.
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LONG NIGHT: Martin Brodeur makes a sprawling save, but was pulled from the game after he allowed three goals in the Devils’ 4-3 loss to the Panthers in Game 3 of their best-of-seven series.
Martin Brodeur
“If we are shocked, we shouldn’t be,” Devils center Ryan Carter said. “That’s a good team over there. And they can score quickly.
“We shouldn’t be shocked because we did it to ourselves.”
Both teams replaced their starting goalies, with ex-Devil Scott Clemmensen blanking his former team on 19 shots after Jose Theodore allowed those quick three on six shots.
“I was just going to get some experience, and get going in this series. Before you knew it, we’d scored some goals,” said Clemmensen, whose only prior playoff action was that last relief of Martin Brodeur. “Then, you don’t want to give up a goal because that would kill our momentum.”
Devils coach Pete DeBoer said he yanked Brodeur to try to change that momentum, but the Devils didn’t score again.
“We got overexcited about our three-goal lead,” Brodeur said. “We let them back in the game. We got a little undisciplined.”
The Devils set the NHL record for the most effective penalty killing (89.6 percent) during the season, yet they gave up three power play goals last night, and six on 10 times short in this series.
“We’ve got to learn, as a group, how to play in that situation. It starts with not taking penalties,” DeBoer said.
The loss left the Devils 3-8 in Newark playoff games, after they went 21-7 in their final 28 playoff games at the Meadowlands.
One team has taken a 3-0 lead in each game of this series, the Devils in the opener and again last night. They needed 14:56 of the first period for their three Thursday and only 6:16 last night, chasing Theodore on six shots.
Zach Parise, Stephen Gionta (first career playoff goal) and Patrik Elias provided the lead they couldn’t hold.
Sean Bergenheim started Florida’s rally after Brodeur left a long rebound on Scottie Upshall’s shot from center. It was Bergenheim’s 11th goal in 19 playoff games, second of this series. He has nine in 27 regular season games against the Devils.
With 7.4 seconds left in the first, Jason Garrison pulled the Panthers within one on a blue line power play slap.
Brodeur was replaced after Mike Weaver tied the game at 2:18 of the second through the screen of Anton Volchenkov and Upshall.
Just 4:16 later, the Panthers had the lead. Brian Campbell made the Panthers 3-for-3 on the power play with his right circle shot through Bryce Salvador’s screen.
* Panthers coach Kevin Dineen ripped the ice surface in Newark after yesterday’s morning skate.
“If the quality of ice is anything tonight like at the morning skate, Prudential’s customer service would probably be pretty embarrassed to see that’s what they’re putting out for people to see,’’ Dineen said. “If the ice is anything like it was at the morning skate, it will make for a very sloppy game, which is no fun for the fans to look at.”
mark.everson@nypost.com
Martin Brodeur, The Devils, Panthers, Panthers, Panthers, Prudential, Scott Clemmensen, playoff games
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