9:39 PM ET: BREAKING POST-GAME NEWS!!!@! Steve Cangialosi just announced that Sidney Crosby suffered a high-ankle sprain in the Penguins game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and will be out for four weeks. In other news, the NHL simultaneously announced that they will be suspending all operations while their golden child recoups and will pick up once again in late February. See you then!

9:26 PM ET: And that’s it for me tonight, tune in as always in the coming days for some expert commentary, rants and maybe even another live-cap on Sunday! Goodnight!

9:23 PM ET: And that’s that. Panthers win 2-1. Jacques Martin gets his 500th career win as a coach so congrats to him. Devils just didn’t seem like they wanted it. They weren’t terrible, but they didn’t at any point look like they were going to get back in it after they went down.

9:21 PM ET: The devils just flounder in the ensuing play and eventually bring it back in for an offside call. 6.4 seconds left. faceoff outside the Panthers zone.

9:19 PM ET: Brodeur is pulled but the Devils are playing some uninspired hockey right now. Devils get a timeout on a bad dump for an icing by Ruslan Salei with just over 30 seconds remaining.

9:15 PM ET: Good kill by New Jersey as time ticks down here in the 3rd. 4 minutes left.

9:12 PM ET: Devils draw a penalty. Sucktastic. A holding call on Greene drawn by David Booth of the Panthers, who Chico just called ‘a phone booth on wheels.’

9:09 PM ET: Langenbrunner loses control of the puck in what would have been a three-on-one. Boo. 7 minutes left.

9:04 PM ET: Who checks a guy that was just hit in the face with a puck anyways? Bryan Allen (not Greg Campbell) is an asshat.

9:03 PM ET: Well Gio’s back on the ice after taking a Paul Martin shot to the face and then a Panther check while hobbling off the ice. So that’s awesome. Let’s hope for a slingshot in the other direction and two quick Devils goals!

8:58 PM ET: Ok so this is a blueprint for how a game can go from good to terrible in 2 minutes. Gionta takes a hard shot from Martin, looks injured, then is knocked down on his way off the ice by Greg Campbell. Yikes.

8:55 PM ET: Oh man. That turned around in a hurry. David Booth, who Doc and Chico have been salivating over for the entire game, knocks one past Brodeur off the board 100 seconds after Dvorak’s goal.

8:54 PM ET: Ouch. A good attack by the Panthers leads to a wide open rebound goal by Radek Dvorak. 1-1.

8:52 PM ET: We’re underway in the third!

8:39 PM ET: Sorry there folks. A minor computer meltdown. Brodeur was unaffected though as he makes another nutty save to close out the period. We’re still 1-0 going into the last 20 minutes of regulation. Marty is putting on a clinic so far.

8:23 PM ET: Ok, I think the Panthers just feel bad for the Devils now. They throw an extra man out on the ice and draw a too many men minor and we have ANOTHER PP for the Devils. A goal please?

8:21 PM ET: Some excellent pressure by the Devils on the power play, but once again to no avail. Have we even scored one with the man advantage in 2008? Geez. This is getting ridic.

8:18 PM ET: Fourth time’s a charm? Maybe? Hopefully? Please? Panthers take ANOTHER penalty, this time a hooking call on Nathan Horton as he takes a down Clarkson in front.

8:15 PM ET: Halfway through the second and we’re back at full strength. Not a whole lot of action on the PP and the Devs impotency on with the man advantage continues. boo.

8:12 PM ET: Rupp draws another penalty from the Panthers, who look like they’re getting frustrated with the Devils physical play. Bouwmeester takes a hooking call and we’re back on the power play.

8:10 PM ET: Some more good pressure by the Devils but to no avail. Full strength hockey at the Rock with 12 to go in the 2nd.

8:09 PM ET: The Panthers take a Johnny Oduya special delay of game penalty and we’ve got another power play!

8:05 PM ET: Clarkson tangles with Tanner Glass of the Panthers. Glass forces Clarkson up against the boards at first but Clarkie regains his footing and takes control of the fight. Man, Clarkson looks angry as hell as he heads to the box. Edge: Clarkson.

8:03 PM ET: Anderson looks frightened by a Rachunek slap shot that he barely shrugs off and Pelley is knocked down and nearly puts the rebound home anyways. Still 1-0.

8:01 PM ET: And a goal for Travis Zajac!! He takes a flipped pass from Langenbrunner and puts it home for his 5th in the last 8 games! Travis Zajac: So hot right now.

8:00 PM ET: And we’re back. Marty opens up the period with a few solid stops.

7:42 PM ET: Period over, let’s hope for some more action in 17!

7:40 PM ET: Bouwmeester snaps a rocket off the pipe from the point but the Devils get it out of the zone safely.

7:37 PM ET: Action is finally picking up in the last few minutes. Devs and Panthers are trading chances. Vishnevski takes a holding penalty though and the Panthers have a 2 minute advantage. Doc and Chico haven’t even mentioned it however, once again rambling off into the distance.

7:34 PM ET: WHOA! Crazy save by Marty to break the boredom! He breaks across the net to bicycle kick a great chance by the Panthers. Wow.

7:28 PM ET: Ahhh! A bunch of fairly neutral play turns into a near breakaway chance that’s muffed by Parise. Didn’t he hear that we just signed Erik Rasmussen!? He’s eying your spot Zach!

7:25 PM ET: No dice. Penalty over.

7:23 PM ET: Strong control so far but it hasn’t translated to a lot of shots. Chico suggests shooting in order to score on the powerplay. It just may work by golly!

7:21 PM ET: Devils powerplay! Let’s resurrect it boys!

7:17 PM ET: A couple bouncy deflections nearly get by Panthers goalie Craig Anderson and then Zajac rips a strong one into his pads. Wakey wakey guys!

7:15 PM ET: It’s early, but both teams look pretty sluggish in the first five.

7:12 PM ET: Fairly boring few minutes but Brodeur makes a sprawling save on a quick chance by the Panthers.

7:09 PM ET: And we’re underway!

7:07 PM ET: Wow I know the Devils attendance hasn’t exactly been off the charts this year, but do they really need to advertise the fact that the Giants game will be on at all the bars for Sunday’s game? Sheesh.

7:05 PM ET: In a spot of good news, Karel Rachunek is back this evening. I for one thought he was turning in a pretty damn good season before he went down, so I’m excited.

7:01 PM ET: Still no Madden tonight. Sadness.

6:55 PM ET: For this edition of master-cap theater, we’ll be chronicling the fearsome battle between the Florida Panthers, losers of 8 of their last 10, and our own New Jersey Devils, looking to rebound after losing their 23,405th straight contest against a team from the tri-state area. Join us, won’t you?