The Associated Press

OTTAWA - Jeff Friesen rescued the New Jersey Devils when it looked like they couldn't hold on any longer.

Friesen got behind the Ottawa defense, took a brilliant pass from Grant Marshall and scored with 2:14 left Friday night, sending the Devils into the Stanley Cup Finals with a 3-2 victory in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The Devils led the series 3-1 before dropping consecutive games for the first time in the postseason. That got the Presidents' Trophy-winning Senators into a deciding game few thought would occur.

Ottawa took an early lead when Magnus Arvedson scored at 3:33 in the first period, but Jamie Langenbrunner scored goals 1:54 apart to put New Jersey in front.

Radek Bonk tied it for the Senators in the opening minutes of the third period, and Ottawa pressed hard for the go-ahead goal that suddenly ended up in its own net.

Marshall got a pass from the left circle between the legs of Ottawa defenseman Wade Redden and onto the stick of Friesen, who was all alone in front and got a shot by Patrick Lalime to silence a frenzied crowd that felt destiny was in its team's hands.

Instead, the Devils are the Eastern Conference champions for the third time in four years. They will face the Anaheim Mighty Ducks for the Stanley Cup with Game 1 in New Jersey on Tuesday night.

Friesen also scored the game-winning goals in Games 2 and 4 of this series.

It was a bitter ending for the Senators, who overcame bankruptcy, late paychecks and a checkered playoff history in a stirring season.

Ottawa was the NHL's top team in the regular season with 113 points and seemed poised to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in its 11-year history. The Senators won Game 5 at home, the first time they ever avoided elimination, and they took Game 6 on the road Wednesday night.

Legions of fans, including Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, packed the Corel Centre and were sent into a frenzy when Arvedson scored his first playoff goal. It seemed to bode well for the Senators, who were 7-1 when scoring first this postseason and 36-2-3 when leading after 20 minutes. Before this year, the Sens had never won a playoff series in which they were the higher seed. They dispatched the Islanders and Philadelphia in the first two rounds.

Stanley Cup Finals

All games start at 8 p.m.

Tuesday

Anaheim at New Jersey, ESPN

Thursday

Anaheim at New Jersey, ESPN

Saturday, May 31

New Jersey at Anaheim, ABC

Monday, June 2

New Jersey at Anaheim, ABC

Thursday, June 5

x-Anaheim at New Jersey, ABC

Saturday, June 7

x-New Jersey at Anaheim, ABC

Monday, June 9

x-Anaheim at New Jersey, ABC

x-If necessary