The troubling thing for the Islanders is that Brodeur was only slightly more active than he was on Monday. Four goals in 40 minutes chased Brodeur to the bench in the Islanders win in that contest, though the Hall-of-Fame bound Devils goalie extracted revenge in the rematch to lead New Jersey to a 4-2 win.

The Islanders mustered just three shots in the final period, losing for the first time in six home games after Zach Parise scored twice and Bryce Salvador broke a 2-all deadlock with a left point shot 13:11 into the third for the game-winner.

Kyle Okposo and Jack Hillen scored twice during a five-minute match penalty in the second period to hand the Isles a temporary lead.

But Parise tied it at 2 heading into second intermission with a final-minute goal that set the tone for a final period in which the Devils forged a 14-3 edge in shots.

“In the third period, we didn’t have it,” Okposo said. “I don’t have any explanation for it. We had a bad period and we need to correct some things.”

The Islanders lost for just the second time in seven games. Colin White’s game misconduct and major penalty for driving Sean Bergenheim into the sideboards galvanized the power play, which saw Okposo and Hillen score in a 2:02 span midway through the second period.

Rookie John Tavares picked up an assist on Okposo’s goal at 9:34. Okposo did most of the legwork, driving a shot that beat Brodeur glove-side at the low right post.

Tavares, the Islanders second leading scorer, has scored just one goal in his last 14 games and said the Islanders allowed New Jersey to dictate play in the last 20 minutes.

“We didn’t get any momentum to allow us to generate our forecheck,” Tavares said. “That allows them to set-up and they’re good at closing lanes. They have a goaltender who plays the puck very well, so it makes it difficult if we have no speed to get on it.

“When we don’t do that, we don’t get any shots on net. That was the difference.”

Brodeur made 20 saves as the Devils looked like a much-improved group than six days ago when the Islanders surged to a 4-0 win in front of a sold-out crowd. The arena was filled to capacity again before New Jersey scripted a different ending.

The Devils were coming off three straight road wins and also lost to Montreal at home the night before. Islanders coach Scott Gordon said his team failed to take advantage of an opponent who was less rested than his team.

“We didn’t push the pace to allow ourselves the opportunity to win the game,” Islanders coach Scott Gordon said. “We played the game not to lose.”

Sportsday Islanders vs. Devils Post-Game Recap January 2010

The Devils and the Islanders played 20 minutes of scoreless hockey to open up Tuesday’s game, and the Islanders killed off the one power-play opportunity afforded to the Devils.

“Two good shifts, two bad shifts. One good shift, one bad shift,” New Jersey coach Jacques Lemaire said. “The thing that is happening is that we don’t have five guys working together.”

A pre-season mistake of too-many-men put the Devils down a man 41 seconds into the second period, and the Isles took advantage.

New York scored 1:12 into the second on a shot by Jack Hillen that careened behind Martin Brodeur into the far corner of the net.

But the Devils were not defeated, as the goal seemed to open up the game.

With a little more than five minutes past in the second, Zach Parise forced a turnover in the Devils offensive zone. He dug the puck out from the left boards and found Travis Zajac left of Islanders goalie Dwayne Roloson, and Zajac passed to Jamie Langenbrunner on the right corner of the crease.

Langenbrunner fired, and Parise met the rebound and poked it past Roloson to tie the game at one.

“Most importantly for our line is getting the chemistry back,” Parise said. “Tonight we were a lot sharper, we were making smart plays, and it showed for us on the scoresheet.”

Poor decisions put the Devils down two men half-way into the second period.

On a 5-on-3 opportunity, Mark Streit fired from the right circle and the puck went over Brodeur, off the crossbar and into the net to reinstate the New York lead. First-overall draft pick John Tavares added an assist on the goal.

The power play remained key for both teams, as Brian Rolston evened the game at 14:21 in the second, driving up the left side of the ice, passing to himself between Radek Martinek’s legs and firing his signature shot past Roloson. Rookie Cory Murphy assisted on the play.

The “ZZ Pop” line continued to regain their regular season playing level when Zajac forced a turnover at the blue line. He sent the puck in deep behind the Islander net, and Parise sent it back to Zajac for the perfect give-and-go combination.

Another well-executed pass between Brendan Shanahan and Nicklas Bergfors resulted in a 4-2 lead in the third period.

Bergfors sent a pass up ice to Shanahan in the left faceoff circle, and Shanahan one-timed the puck past Roloson. Dainius Zubrus, who switched centering lines with new-acquisition Rob Niedermeyer earlier in the game, was credited with the secondary assist.

The Devils played a conservative third period to ensure that they took a win and a healthy roster into the regular season.

New Jersey opens the regular season at home on Saturday, Oct. 3, against the Flyers at 7 p.m. Lemaire said after the game that Saturday’s line-up would be very similar to Tuesdays, with, “maybe one or two guys are changed.”

NOTES: Matt Halischuck switched from #63 to #16, Joel Rechlicz was sent to the showers early for 3 fights in one game and for blindsiding Colin White after the play… The two teams racked up a total of 88 penalty minutes including two game misconducts and 10 five-minute fighting penalties… David Clarkson fought Brendan Witt because he respects Witt and wanted to get a fight in before the regular season… Mike Mottau was an unexpected member of the lineup. He was originally considered out from the upper body injury he got Thursday in Philadelphia, but Mottau said that he was strong enough to play, and that the injury was just sore after the game… Jay Pandolfo was scratched with a groin injury.

The Devils used solid goaltending from Yann Danis and a surprise scoring output by David Clarkson to defeat the New York Rangers 3-2 in a shootout Wednesday night.

The pre-season opener featured Danis in net the whole game. With starting goaltender Martin Brodeur not suiting up for the game, initially Jeff Frazee was supposed to split ice time with Danis. But Lemaire changed the game plan after two shut-out periods by the free-agent acquisition.

“I thought he was doing well, and I hate to pull a goalie … when you’re having a good game,” explained Lemaire.

In all, Danis stopped 29 shots during regulation, one in overtime, and five of the six shots he faced during the shootout.

“Guys did a good job in front of me all night,” Danis said. “I saw the puck all night. I cleared a few rebounds here and there, but they definitely made my job easier.”

Travis Zajac solidified Danis’ first win as a Devil by firing top-shelf over Rangers’ goaltender Chad Johnson in the sixth shootout round.

“When I looked up, it looked like he was cheating a little to left,” Zajac explained. “He was giving me high blocker, so I just took a quick shot.”

The Prudential Center crowd rose to their feet after both teams scored a goal in the third round. Zach Parise made a double move in front of Johnson to the right, and then slipped in left to deposit the puck behind the goalie. This counteracted rookie Matt Gilroy’s five-hole goal against Danis.

“I felt good throughout,” Danis said. “I think I was reading their moves pretty well.”

The Atlantic-Division adversaries were pushed into extra time when the Rangers’ young-guns dissolved the Devils’ two-goal lead.

Three minutes into the third period, Gilroy netted his first goal of his professional career on a pass from Aaron Voros. Sean Avery, who made his presence known early with a goalie interference and unsportsmanlike conduct double-major in the first period, was credited with the secondary assist.

With less than nine minutes left in the period, Jordan Owens slipped the puck past Danis, assisted by rookie Michael Del Zotto.

The Devils took control of the game early. Clarkson, splayed out in front of the net, shoved the puck past the Rangers’ starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist at 13:31 of the first period on the power play.

Clarkson added his second goal on the power-play half-way through the second period.

“The puck was going in for me, and I was feeling good on the ice, and it’s something that I’ve been working on all summer to get ready,” Clarkson said.

Lemaire praised Clarkson for his work ethic and attitude during training camp, which opened Saturday, and rewarded him with the assistant captaincy for Wednesday’s game.

“I liked what he did at camp,” Lemaire stated. “He works hard and tries to do what we want, and is positive.”

The designation was special for Clarkson.

“It’s an honor, to be someone that’s chosen as one of those guys he considers a leader,” Clarkson explained. “I used to be a junior captain in juniors and in the American League a little bit, but to get a chance to do it in the NHL, I never thought I’d be in this league, never mind wearing the “A” one day, so it was pretty special to me.”

Lemaire said he was impressed with his veterans, and liked some of what he saw from the younger players. He also commented on how the different training camp styles benefited the Devils against the Blueshirts, who lost to Boston, 2-1, Tuesday night.

“We practiced a little bit, but I heard they didn’t practice much at all,” Lemaire said.

With one pre-season game in the books, the newest chapter in Jacques Lemaire’s Devils history is starting to take shape.

Notes: Lemaire sent a shock through the media when he explained giving Brendan Shanahan the captain’s “C” for the game as “When your captains injured, you won’t give the ‘C’ to anyone because you don’t have any more leaders on the team?” He later confirmed Jamie Langenbrunner was not injured, just routinely sitting out the game… Shanahan took Langenbrunner’s spot on the top line with Zajac and Zach Parise, and sported the number 14 on his sweater … up-and-coming defenseman Cory Murphy played well, but Lemaire said if he’s going to play in the NHL, he’ll have to score points … Free-agent acquisition Ilkka Pikkarainen also garnered praise for his work on the ice and in camp… the Devils out-shot the Rangers 4-1 in overtime, but could not convert, even with two minutes of 4-on-3 when Del Zotto was called for tripping… Next game: Wednesday, Sept. 23, at Nassau Coliseum against the Islanders.

In related news, Islander fans declared they want the Cup after seeing John Tavares at rookie camp while Ranger fans took to the streets demanding Glen Sather be fired. Hey. One can dream.

So, is bringing back Lemaire the right move for the Devils? That depends on how much he learned from his Minnesota experience along with final days from the previous New Jersey stint. He gets to coach another talented player in Zach Parise, whose fresh off a 45-goal, 94-point season. What does this mean for Parise along with ZZ Popp linemates Travis Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner?

Knowing that writing off the Devils is like killing Michael Myers, I’m not about to jump the gun. If being a Ranger fan has taught me anything, it’s that you just can’t count out the Devils. They had plenty of success under Lemaire the first time and one Brian Rolston should be quite familiar with what to expect. He played his best hockey under the defensive mind in St. Paul.

I’m more curious to see how Patrik Elias performs. He was a rookie the last time Jacques was there and the subject of controversy in a first round upset loss to immortal Damian Rhodes and the Sens. A lot’s changed since with Elias now the all-time Devils leading scorer supplanting former assistant  turned Lowell coach John MacLean. He also has won two Stanley Cups including the memorable set up of Jason Arnott’s sudden death clincher.

Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski accurately points out that Lemaire’s return pits him against former pupil Marian Gaborik, who signed with the Hudson rival Rangers. That should give a little extra juice to the rivalry. Why am I not the least excited?

Lemaire is bringing Wild assistant/former Habs coach Mario Tremblay and Tommy Albelin will be his other assistant with Hall of Famer Scott Stevens expected to play a bigger role as a special advisor. What that means exactly who knows. I’ll leave that to our resident NJD blogger Hasan.

There’s really not much else to say. This was expected once  Brent Sutter predictably quit to be with older brother Darryl in Calgary. At least the Devils brought in a coach who is passionate about the job and knows what to expect. Say what you will about Lemaire’s system but you’ll at least see more grins on that bench and a little more persona during the postgame.

Maybe it’s not all that bad a move. The Devil D didn’t exactly get the job done against Carolina. I guess we’ll leave the final verdict to Hasan.

Mottau’s second goal of the season started the playoff scoring for the Devils on Wednesday, but Gleason’s tally pushed the series back to Carolina for Game Three even at one win apiece.

Gleason fired a one-timer from Joseph Corvo while Eric Staal screened Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur. The puck bounced past the goalie 2:40 into the overtime session.

“It was high, it went off somebody’s leg or skate. I don’t know,” Brodeur said.

The Hurricanes dominated the overtime period, outshooting New Jersey 4-0 and trapping the Devils in their own zone.

Ray Whitney and Matt Cullen each had repeated attempts at the net, including a shot by Whitney that bounced off the crossbar.

“That was closer to the game that we’ve been playing for a long time,” Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice said of his team’s overtime performance.

The Devils had to switch lines up at the end of the second period and throughout the rest of the game when captain Jamie Langenbrunner left the game with an unspecified lower-body injury.

Patrik Elias moved from the second line to the first with Zach Parise and Travis Zajac, and Brian Rolston shifted from third line to second with Brian Gionta and Dainius Zubrus, forcing the fourth line out of the rotation.

“We prefer a three line rotation over the course of the regular season, so I’d say maybe that evened the game,” Maurice said.

The Devils looked out of place without Langenbrunner, and although the team had shaken up lines throughout the season, adjusting to the new rotation seemed difficult.

“When you’re used to playing with someone for that long and to mix it up and constantly changing on the bench at the same time,” defenseman Paul Martin said. “Guys should know what they’re doing but obviously the chemistry is not there when you’re not playing with the guys you usually play with.”

The first line of Langenbrunner, Zajac and Parise worked well in the first period, but a disallowed goal may have been the deciding factor in pushing the game to extra time.

Travis Zajac knocked a shot by Langenbrunner down and into the net with a high stick at 10:18 in the first while the Devils were on a power play. A referee watched Zajac’s stick climb above the crossbar to bat at the puck, and immediately waved the goal off for high-sticking.

Not letting themselves get wrapped up in the no-goal, the Devils did score on the power play at 10:44, when Martin fired a shot from the right point and Parise deflected the puck into the top left corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.

New Jersey had seven more power play opportunities, but was unable to connect.

“We were able to get the puck in and get opportunities, we just weren’t able to capitalize,” Martin said.

Devils coach Brent Sutter agreed with the quality of the power play, but felt the missed chances were a bigger part of the game.

“You look at it now, it would’ve been nice to get another one or two on it. Still, our power play was still pretty good. We still had scoring chances on it, we created some things on it,” Sutter said.

With the series tied at 1-1, both teams travel to Carolina on Saturday for Sunday’s Game Three. New Jersey has not played its best at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C., losing both regular season games played there this season.

“We reset. We know we’re facing a great hockey team in Carolina. It wasn’t going to be a cakewalk,” Brodeur said.

The Devils will need to win at least one game to regain a true home-ice advantage the rest of the series.

“You have to win on the road in the playoffs. We have nothing to feel bad about. We played hard here tonight against a very good hockey team,” Sutter said. “Yeah, you lose home ice, and you go down there and you have to get it back. If you want to have success you have to win on the road, too.”

Games Three and Four will be played in North Carolina, and then the series returns to the Prudential Center for Game Five on Thursday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m.

Until then, it will be a long trip to Raleigh, where the Devils will try to everything the Hurricanes can do, but a little bit better.

Martin Brodeur has led the Devils to three championships and four finals appearances. But while New Jersey claims a battle-tested netminder, Carolina counters with Cam Ward, who has also taken a team to the top and beaten the Devils in a postseason series.

So who is better? A sold-out Prudential Center crowd chanted for their choice Wednesday night, and it was hard to argue as the Devils raced to a three-goal lead before posting a 4-1 victory against the Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Mike Mottau, Zach Parise and Patrick Elias scored to build a 3-0 lead before the second intermission as Brodeur turned aside 18 shots. Parise and Jamie Lagenbrunner each finished with a goal and an assist to start the opening round.

Following Elias’ tally, derisive chants of “Cam Ward” reverberated through the Rock.  Soon the throngs yelled “Marty’s better,” even as the Hurricanes made it difficult on the goalie by allowing 39 shots. Ward finished with 35 saves thanks to the Devils boasting a 20-shot advantage.

“All night long, they didn’t sustain too much offense,” Brodeur said. “It’s a credit to the way we were able to move the puck. We didn’t turn the puck over and that makes a big difference. They’re a quick team and a transition team. We played a good game and [my teammates] made my job a lot easier.”

The Devils established momentum in the first period, forging a 15-7 edge in shots while attempting to control time of possession in Carolina’s end. Mottau parlayed that pressure into a goal when the defenseman used his stick to keep the puck from crossing the blue line before wristing a shot from the right point that skipped past a screened Ward for the opening goal at 16:03.

Mottau scored just one goal in 80 regular season games. His shot didn’t light up the radar gun, though it had enough speed and some dip to elude Ward’s glove.

“I think it was from a lack of velocity,” Mottau joked about his shot’s movement. “I don’t score too many and the other guys took over after that. It was good to get some momentum. We were really strong in the danger area and got pucks out when we needed to.”

Carolina suffered an early set back coming out of the first intermission. Travis Zajac helped Parise dig the puck out of the corner along the board’s bench-side. The gritty play allowed Parise to snap off a sharp-angle shot before Erik Cole could skate over, beating Ward stick side from the crease’s right side just 59 seconds into the period.

Elias provided another insurance marker almost 10 minutes later, firing a slapper that built the 3-0 lead. After Elias moved the puck behind the net, Brian Gionta collected the puck with two defenders providing heavy pressure while Elias circled back. Gionta then slid a backhand pass right to Elias, who was left all alone at the top of the left circle to take a full windup.

The Hurricanes didn’t support Ward defensively or at the other end, mustering just 13 shots through 40 minutes and five shots in the second period.

Carolina cut it to 3-1 on Ray Whitney’s goal 9:22 into the final period. Whatever intrigue the Hurricanes generated dissipated quickly when Parise picked up his second point of the night, assisting on Langenbrunner’s hard shot in the slot that re-established a three-goal lead 29 seconds after Whitney’s marker.

“It’s step one,” Parise said. “It’s a long series but you have to start somewhere. The effort was there from everyone tonight.”

Both goalies entered the series boasting impressive track records. Brodeur’s playoff ledger would be considered a decent career record for most goaltenders. Entering Game 1, the future Hall of Famer claimed 95 postseason victories and 1.96 goals against average in hockey’s most pressure-packed games.

But while Ward can’t match Brodeur’s overall body of work, he can claim a resume matched by few goaltenders engaged in the NHL’s tournament.  The 25-year-old picked up a Stanley Cup ring in his rookie season, going 15-8 in the 2006 playoffs, which included a series win against Brodeur’s Devils before culminating with the Conn Smythe Award.

Brodeur set a new record when he earned regular season victory No. 552 and doesn’t look close to retirement. While Ward is barely old enough to rent a car at a reasonable price, the Saskatoon native already claims 120 regular season victories. Since 2006, he has averaged almost 65 games played per season and almost 35 victories, giving me him more wins than Brodeur at the same age.

Regardless of future milestone, the records are re-set once the playoffs start. Brodeur and Devils lead 1-0 in the most important category: the best-of-seven series count.

“We were solid in our own zone and the neutral zone,” Brodeur said. “Offensively, guys had a lot of jump. We had a lot of good chances.”

Notes: Brendan Shanahan left the ice with 3:19 left in the first period after getting hit by the puck in the Carolina zone. He returned to start the second period…Despite the announced sellout crowd of 17,625, there were many half-empty rows at center ice in the lower level and pockets of empty seats in the upper levels…The Devils allowed Carolina just two power play chances and killed off both…Game 2 is Friday and will feature a 7:30 p.m. faceoff time in Newark.

Martin Brodeur took home the net he guarded during the third period of his 552^nd win, the win that pushed him past Patrick Roy to first on the all-time victories list.

The Devils beat the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday night, 3-2, in a special night for New Jersey’s net minder.

“It was an exciting night, I’m definitely happy its over, it’s been a little chaotic for me the last few days but it was an awesome night. It was a great reception from the fans… it was pretty cool. I thought it was pretty cool in Montreal and this topped it,” said Brodeur after the game, referring to tying Roy’s record Saturday.

Brodeur leapt off the ice as the final buzzer sounded, and began dismantling the net with help moments later. As his teammates finished the equipment surgery, Brodeur took a lap around the rink, waving to the delirious Prudential Center crowd.

“Jamie (Langenbrunner) came over and said, ‘Go take a lap, we’ll cut it down. The fans deserve it,’” explained Brodeur. “I’ve done it with the Stanley Cup on top of my head, and that was a team thing, but that was really a personal thing. It was really cool.”

Chants of “Marty! Marty!” began early in the night, and with each of his 30 saves the crowd’s approval grew louder.

His teammates showed their dedication to the pursuit of the record early in the contest. Langenbrunner took a backhand pass in the slot from Zach Parise 38 seconds into the game and fired a shot past Chicago goalie Nikolai Khabibulin.

At six minutes, just after a power play ended, Paul Martin sent a pass to Parise deep in the right corner. Parise found Travis Zajac set up on the left side of the crease, and Zajac put the puck behind Khabibulin.

Another Devil hit a milestone in the second period. With Johnny Oduya in the penalty box for closing his hand on the puck, Patrick Elias cleared the puck out of the
Blackhawk’s offensive zone to Brian Gionta on the left wing. Gionta put the puck over Khabibulin’s outstretched leg.

Elias’ assist marked his 702^nd career point as a Devil, moving past John MacLean for first all-time in the organization. The crowd gave Elias a standing ovation for accomplishing the mark, and did not stop despite the fact that Chicago converted on the remaining power play time at the other end.

Cameron Barker fired a shot from the point, and the puck went past Brodeur on the left side. Brodeur, sprawled on the ice, banged his stick in disappointment.

The Blackhawks made the game interesting, making sure Brodeur worked the entire 60 minutes for the record, by scoring with 2:03 left on the clock.

The Devils were unable the clear the puck out of the Chicago offensive zone, and Dustin Byfuglien fired the puck over Brodeur’s glove hand.

Chicago kept the pressure on by pulling the goalie, but Brodeur made a final kick save as the final horn sounded, and the celebration began.

“It’s special, obviously. There’s so much emotion in the building again tonight, this obviously being a home game and having the tremendous support that the fans give this hockey team and to see the way it was here tonight, and obviously everyone was aware of what was going on,” said coach Brent Sutter.

“It’s a special night. There’s not question about it. And to be part of it is pretty neat,” he added.

Brodeur’s family was in attendance, including his father, Denis, who photographed the game from his seat. The goaltender was anxious to see his children after his media duties were complete.

Commissioner Gary Bettman was in attendance, but declined to comment in person. He released a statement through his office to congratulate Brodeur.

In nine games since returning from injury, Brodeur won eight games to reach the milestone.

The Devils traveled to Carolina to face the Hurricanes Wednesday. Kevin Weekes will start in goal in relief for Brodeur.

Brodeur has been the safety net for the Devils for 552 victories since he entered the league 17 seasons ago. Tuesday, the net was for him alone.

Sutter could have been referring to a few different things happening in the Devils organization.

The win over Phoenix marked a team-record ninth straight home win, which comes after the team has clinched its 17^th straight winning season and 12^th straight 40-win season.

New Jersey is in second place in the Eastern Conference with 91 points, and has 15 more games to reach the 100 point plateau.

Individually, Martin Brodeur is one win away from tying the all-time record for career wins, making 26 saves against the Coyotes for his 550^th career victory.

Zach Parise notched his 40^th goal of the season 18 seconds into the game, giving the league’s second-leading goal scorer a 40-goal, 40-assist season.

All four lines scored against the Coyotes, and the defense is a collective +25 over the last seven games.

Sutter was not kidding when he said that “things” can be accomplished.

Standing in the path of the storming Devils were the extremely young Phoenix Coyotes.

To put in perspective how young the Coyotes are, the team’s average age is 25.68, with Ken Klee (37), Shane Doan (32), Steven Reinprecht (32) and Ed Jovanovski (32) being the team’s elder statesmen.

On the Devils, the age of 32 would make you a junior senator.

New Jersey used that experience to control the puck and the game from the beginning.

With the early 1-0 lead, defenseman Johnny Oduya pushed the puck up the right wing to John Madden at 2:56. Madden stuck his stick out and tipped the past goaltender Josh Tordjman to extend the lead.

“I got pretty lucky. Johnny Oduya made a great play to get us on net. I was going hard to the net, I actually thought their goalie was going to poke-check the puck before I got there so I stuck my stick out hoping I would beat him to it and I found the lane on that shot and I was pretty lucky,” Madden explained.

Phoenix made things interesting in the first period when Dainius Zubrus was called for a double-minor high sticking penalty when his stick caught Jovanovski in the mouth at 8:58.

Less than a minute later, Devils’ defenseman Colin White attempted to clear the puck out of the New Jersey zone with his skate, but Scottie Upshall took the puck away and fired past Brodeur, who was still recovering from stopping a previous shot.

The score remained 2-1 through the end of the first period, despite the Devils out shooting the Coyotes 16-5.

“It helps when guys are scoring goals and you don’t have to worry about the next goal being maybe a game-changer,” Brodeur said.

The Devils used the middle of the second period to insure their lead and remove any pressure from their goaltender.

Zubrus fired a one-timer from the right circle off of a backwards pass from Brendan Shanahan. Tordjman did not have a chance.

“Once Shanny got it, he cycled it quickly, and he put it on his backhand with a lot of guys around him. I bounced off and he read what I was going to do and put it right on my tape, so it was an awesome play by him,” Zubrus said.

Turnovers were key to New Jersey’s control of the game. The Devils took the puck away 11 times from the Coyotes, using the puck control to get a head start on the offense.

At 13:03, Brian Gionta and Patrick Elias forced an odd-man rush, and Gionta on the left side passed the puck through the wide open middle of the ice to Elias on the right. Elias fired a wrister that Tordjman initially stopped, but the puck took a bounce and trickled into the net.

Sutter had switched up his second and third lines during the second period of Tuesday’s game against Calgary, moving Zubrus to the third line with Shanahan and David Clarkson and bringing Brian Rolston up to the third line to center Gionta and Elias.

Another recent development in the Devils game plan has been using Rolston at the point for one of the power play lines instead of a defenseman. That move paid off for New Jersey’s fifth and final goal of the game.

Upshall was penalized for hooking at 3:39 in the third period, and at 4:41 Dmitri Kalinin put the puck over the glass and was called for a delay of game penalty, giving New Jersey a 5-on-3 situation for 55 seconds.

It only took 18 seconds for Rolston to fire a shot from the left point that went on net. Travis Zajac was ready on the opposite side and pushed in the rebound for his 19^th goal of the season.

With the game in hand, the Coyotes got frustrated and began to instigate the Devils.

Clarkson crashed the Phoenix net with only six minutes to go, and the Coyotes took exception, shoving Clarkson around after the whistle. But it was Clarkson who ended up in the penalty box for roughing.

Immediately after serving his time, Clarkson got on the ice and found Brandon Prust, who had already fought Bryce Salvador in the second period, and began an altercation. Clarkson got in the majority of blows on Prust, and once the two were separated, they immediately reported to their respective locker rooms to serve their five minute penalties.

The Coyotes seemed to be invigorated by their teammates’ boxing match, and Steven Reinprecht tried to make the score more respectable at 17:52 by putting the puck past Brodeur.

But the comeback attempt was thwarted, and the Devils did reach nine straight wins at home, the longest current streak in the league.

“We certainly have been a focused group here through this. I still think it’s a very good accomplishment to do what we’ve done, but we’re not patting ourselves on the back. There’s a lot of hockey left to be played here. We want to be a good team down the stretch,” Sutter said.

The Devils go on the road this weekend to face the Montreal Canadiens, Brodeur’s hometown team, on Saturday. If New Jersey wins with Brodeur in net, he will tie Patrick Roy’s career win record.

New Jersey then returns to the Prudential Center for a St. Patrick’s Day game with the Chicago Blackhawks, a possibility for Brodeur to make history at home.

If Brodeur does take the record on Tuesday, they may have to switch the holiday to “St. Marty’s Day.”

In a game that some predict may be a Stanley Cup Final preview, the Flames took an early lead while the Devils continued to figure out what the rarely-seen Western Conference opponent had in store.

“That’s a pretty patient team. When you play teams you don’t see often, you don’t know what they’re going to do,” said Zach Parise.

Trade deadline acquisition Ollie Jokinen, one of the biggest names involved at the deadline, continued to make a positive impact for the Flames, scoring at 10:22 in the first.

Jokinen positioned himself on the far post, and was able to put a pass from David Moss behind Martin Brodeur.

Down 1-0, New Jersey began to respond with increased energy and physicality.

Mike Rupp and Andre Roy dropped gloves at 12:58 after Rupp hit Roy into the side boards. Rupp, who was out of the line up for the previous five games, over powered Roy and sent the Prudential Center into a frenzy.

When asked about how Rupp responded to returning to the lineup, Head Coach Brent Sutter said he was pleased.

“Exactly what I wanted. We need that aggression and we need that physicality, and I’m not talking about the fight. I’m talking about finishing checks,” Sutter said.

Despite having to switch up the forward lines because of Rupp’s time in the penalty box, the Devils tied Calgary in shots on goal by the end of the period.

“Later in the first period, we started moving better. In the second period, our game went to another level,” explained Head Coach Brent Sutter.

At 5:10 in the second period, with the Flames on a power play, defenseman Colin White cleared the zone and had Jamie Langenbrunner with him on a odd-man rush.

White brought the puck up the left side of the ice, and passed to Langenbrunner in the slot. Langenbrunner fired, and the puck bounced pass goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff to tie the game.

“Whitey was able to freeze the ‘D’, and I was able to get a quick shot off,” said Langenbrunner. “I got a pretty good shot off there.”

The goal marked the 22^nd of the season for the Devils’ captain and the 11^th shorthanded goal of the season by New Jersey.

The special teams did it again for the Devils at 18:01 in the period.

On the power play, Niclas Havelid passed the puck from the point to the left face-off circle, where Brendan Shanahan was waiting. With Dainius Zubrus and Brian Rolston positioning themselves on each post, Shanahan threw the puck on net, and while Kiprusoff was sprawled in the crease, Rolston controlled the rebound and scored on a wide open net.

“Brendan made a really smart play. He found the seam to put the puck towards the net. He was patient there. That’s why he’s so effective,” Sutter said of Shanahan’s assist.

The secondary assist for Havelid marked his first point as a Devil in his second game with the team.

With a 2-1 lead, it did not take long in the third period for the Devils to establish their control of the game.

With just over a minute gone in the third, a pile-up occurred in front of the Flames net. Langenbrunner pulled the puck out and fired a shot from the right side that was saved, but Parise was able to poke the puck under Kiprusoff before he fell on top of the goaltender.

The goal was reviewed, but was upheld after video judges deemed the puck had crossed the red line before Parise toppled onto Kiprusoff.

Kiprusoff was pulled in favor of Curtis McElhinney after the goal, ending his night allowing three goals on 28 shots.

At the other end, Brodeur was challenged often but, after the first goal allowed, he stopped opportunity after opportunity.

With 4:33 gone in the third, Jamie Lundmark had two point blank shots on Brodeur, who stacked his pads make the saves. That would be his biggest challenge until the final moments of play.

Calgary made the game a 3-2 final with .9 seconds left. With White in the penalty box for a delay of game and the Flames having an empty net, Curtis Glencross put the puck past Brodeur as the final buzzer sounded.

Brodeur finished with 35 saves on 37 shots faced.

When asked if he was upset with the last second goal, Brodeur responded, “A little, you don’t like to get scored on, but it doesn’t matter. We’re here to win.”

The team first approach gave Brodeur his 549^th career win, two short of Patrick Roy’s record. His first opportunity to tie the record will come on Saturday in Montreal, his hometown.

But that would mean the Devils would need to continue to win, a “snowball” effect in the right direction.

Martin Brodeur, Jamie Langenbrunner and Brian Gionta all achieved career milestones in a 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers Sunday afternoon.

Brodeur reached the 100 career shutout plateau, only the second goaltender ever to reach that mark. He was stellar Sunday, stopping 27 shots in his third game back from injury.

Brodeur now has three shutouts to go before tying Terry Sawchuk’s all-time record, and six wins away from tying Patrick Roy’s all-time wins record.

“It’s remarkable. It really is,” said Devils Coach Brent Sutter. “Marty is a special player and he’s been able to rise to the occasion.”

His teammates also rose to the occasion against the Flyers, treating the crowd to a fast start for the third game in a row.

Nearly four minutes into the game, Zach Parise found Langenbrunner in the left circle and Langenbrunner put the puck in the net for his 200th career goal.

The Devils’ offense was sparked by the defensemen moving the puck up the ice more aggressively than opponents are used to.

“Good defense is good offense, and good defense isn’t just when you’re in your own zone. Good defense is how you play in your zone but also how you forecheck and how you create opportunities in your offensive zone,” explained Sutter.

Thirty-seven seconds into the second period, Johnny Oduya rifled a shot and Brian Gionta was able to redirect the shot behind Flyers goalie Martin Biron for his 300^th career point.

“Johnny made a great play getting it through to the net. It makes things a lot easier for us when the D is getting it through. Just tried to get in position and tipped it by him,” described Gionta.

Oduya, playing plus-nine hockey during the three-game homestand along with Paul Martin, was rewarded for his aggressive offensive play in the third period.

Brendan Shanahan dug the puck out of the corner and fed a wide-open David Clarkson in the middle of the ice. Clarkson saw Oduya flying up the ice and made a tape-to-tape pass, allowing Oduya to get past the last defender and fire a shot from the slot. Biron could not get to the puck in time.

Biron made 39 saves on 42 shots Sunday when every Devils player on the ice with the exception of Bryce Salvador got a shot on goal. Parise, Gionta and Langenbrunner each had five scoring attempts.

On the other end, the Devils blocked 15 shots, including five by Oduya and three by Salvador.

Brodeur only saw 27 shots, including only six in the second period.

“He does a good job stopping that first one, then it’s up to us to let him see it or not let it go through at all, and when it happens to go through he does a good job getting it to places where we can get it, and we’re trying to get the puck up and out of the zone as quick as we can,” Martin said about playing in front of Brodeur.

Despite the small amount of shots Brodeur faced, he was more challenged against Philadelphia than he had been the previous two games.

In the first period, about half way through, Brodeur found himself on the left post as the puck was being moved around to his right side. He dove over onto his right side to stop the puck, leaping off of his skates and landing hard on the ice.

At 15:42 in the first, Scottie Upshall of the Flyers tested Brodeur from the right wing, and was able to try again on the rebound, but Brodeur stopped both shots.

At 14:14 in the third period, Brodeur made a terrific save on Mike Knuble, twisting his body to entrap the puck. The Devils turned the puck over right in front of the net, and

Knuble swiped it up and put it on goal from the left post.

As the final horn sounded, the Devils soaked up the cheers of the home crowd for the last time until March 10, when they return from a road trip to face the Calgary Flames.

The Devils were 1-2 on their last road trip, getting shut out twice.

“We weren’t happy with the Southern road trip obviously, those three games we didn’t play very well. But this week we’ve been playing pretty good hockey and so we just have to carry it through,” Gionta said.

If the Devils are able to continue the current level of play, expect them to roar straight through to the playoffs.