Panthers, Devils ready for Game 7

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The numbers could not be more even: Three wins apiece, 15 goals per team.

As such, the first six games of the Panthers-Devils matchup decided nothing.

Welcome to Game 7.

Looking for their first series victory in 16 years, the Panthers will have home ice tonight for the ultimate game of their Eastern Conference first-round series with the Devils, who forced the winner-take-all matchup with a 3-2 overtime victory in Game 6. It's only the second Game 7 in franchise history for Florida, which won one of these in Pittsburgh in the 1996 East finals.

"It's do or die," Panthers goalie Jose Theodore said yesterday. "These are the kind of games you want to be part of. I mean, everybody when you're a kid and you play hockey, you always imagine that it's Game 7 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. So obviously it's a game everybody wants to be part of and help the team win."

Theodore did not play in Game 6 because of an unspecified injury. He worked out at the Panthers' practice facility yesterday, taking shots from a few teammates for about 35 minutes, saying afterward that he felt better than he did the day before.

"Theo has been our go-to guy," coach Kevin Dineen said after watching a few minutes of Theodore's workout. "And if he's available, he'll be the one running with it."

The sense in the Florida dressing room was that being at home for Game 7 is a huge boost, given how much energy the team says it gets from its fans.

A Devils loss Thursday night could usher in the end of goaltender Martin Brodeur's career, because he'll be a free agent this summer and will be 40 on May 6.

"I plan on coming back," Brodeur said. "It's a decision that we'll make later on. I know a lot of people have asked me about it being my last game. You never know. I'm just going to enjoy the moment. It's Game 7. It's why we all play hockey."