The New York Post's Larry Brooks' criticism of Martin Brodeur for sticking it out as #30's game diminished has struck me as strangely personal, and today, Brooks reveals that he's known he's had Brodeur's ear all along--because Brodeur would seek out Brooks' advice earlier in his career:

The phone rang in my Boston hotel room on the night of May 6, 1994, as I was writing my column in advance of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Devils and Bruins. New Jersey trailed the series 2-1 after having won the previous match at Boston Garden with Chris Terreri in nets following two defeats at the Meadowlands behind rookie Martin Brodeur.

Jacques Lemaire, the head coach, hadn’t revealed whether he was sticking with Terreri — who had a pedigree at Boston Garden, previously excelling in the old barn when he played for Providence College — or going back to Brodeur, who had outlasted Dominik Hasek and the Sabres in a compelling seven-game first-round series that featured a Game 6 quadruple overtime 1-0 defeat in Buffalo.