By Joe Starkey  TRIBUNE-REVIEW 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - When the Penguins took their morning skate Saturday, defenseman Darius Kasparaitis hit the ice for the first time since his memorable overtime goal two days earlier in Buffalo. 

He couldn't recapture the magic. 

"He was missing the net again or hitting the goalie in the chest, and everybody was yelling, "Back to reality!" said teammate Ian Moran. 

Kasparaitis went into Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final against the New Jersey Devils last night with just two goals in 56 playoff games - but that second one gives him bragging rights forever. 

He wasted no time exercising those rights. 

"He says I'm jealous of him now," said defenseman Bob Boughner, who had no goals in 49 playoff games as of yesterday. "I said, 'Let's get one thing straight: I'm jealous of the goal you scored, but I am not jealous of you. I never will be.' " 

Said Moran: "He can one-up all of us right now. That was a huge moment for him. As a kid growing up, you always dream of scoring in overtime, Game 7, and he gets it." 

Kasparaitis spent a lot of time Friday answering phone calls. 

"A lot of people were calling me - friends, family, everybody from all over the place," he said. "It feels good. ... I kept the puck and the stick." 

Kasparaitis watched several replays of the goal, when he beat Dominik Hasek on a wrist shot from the edge of the left circle. Everybody enjoyed his unusual celebration, when he dived on his stomach and kicked his feet like an Olympic swimmer. 

"I usually kick my feet when I get hurt," he said. "The last time I did it was when I got hit with the puck in the face." 

As exciting as the moment was, Kasparaitis knew it wouldn't matter when Bobby Holik & Co. came barreling into the Penguins zone last night, looking to rattle his brains. Holik dumped Kasparaitis into the Devils bench with 6.5 seconds left in the first period. 

No doubt Kasparaitis will deliver his share of hits before the series is out. Who knows - maybe he'll score another goal, too. 

"I'm not a goal scorer, and I never will be," he said. "I got lucky, probably, but we won the series. That's what counts. Now, we have a new goal. If you don't achieve the whole thing, probably nobody will remember that goal. I think you have to win everything to remember things like that." 

Chances are, Kasparaitis and a whole bunch of other people will remember that goal no matter what.