Devils rule on road, beat Rangers at MSG

October 22, 11:42 PMNew Jersey Devils ExaminerJoe Rizzo

Previous Next

5 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the New Jersey Devils Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Mike Mottau punches Sean Avery during a first-period fight

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

When you start a season with four straight road wins, it’s no longer a trend, it’s a theme. And a lucky bounce doesn’t hurt, either.

Zach Parise’s two goals helped continue the theme Thursday night and Dainius Zubrus’ fortunate goal was the clincher at Madison Square Garden for the New Jersey Devils in their 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers.

• BOXSCORE: Devils 4, Rangers 2- Oct. 22, 2009

Each period was 2-0, with the Devils winning the first and the third. Parise scored 6:11 into the game to open the scoring, and closed it with 41 seconds left when he scored into an empty net.

Zubrus’ goal made it 3-2 at 7:51 of the third period, as he came from behind the net to the bottom of the left circle and got a piece of an off-speed offering by Parise, allowing the puck to trickle past Henrik Lundqvist and helping to secure the 4-0-0 road start.

“I think it’s a lucky goal (that turned things around),” Devils coach Jacques Lemaire said. “We didn’t get a lot of chances, once we sent it at the net, we got a break there. We didn’t create a lot, which I was not happy about. “

Lemaire can be happy about the Devils starting a road campaign with four straight wins for the first time in 20 years. They beat a team outside of the Southeast Division for the first time, and won for the fifth time in their last six games overall. New Jersey handed New York a second straight defeat following seven straight wins, and closed within four points of the Rangers while playing two less games.

Martin Brodeur, who had just one win in his last 11 regular-season games against the Rangers, outdueled Lundqvist en route to 29 saves. But it was Johnny Oduya who had perhaps the game’s most important stop, nudging the stick blade of Ryan Callahan to foil a breakaway with just under two minutes left, preserving a 3-2 lead.

“It’s definitely nice to get a regulation win against these guys,” Brodeur said. “A lot of (roster and coaching) changes, roles, it takes time (to get comfortable). I like the attitude that we have.”

After a long streak in which he dominated the Rangers, Brodeur had hit hard luck against them in the years after Lundqvist arrived. Getting a two-goal lead against Lundqvist has been a rarity, and then letting New York bring it to a tie livened up the MSG crowd.

“You need to stay focused when there is a lot of noise,” Brodeur said. “You have to make sure you stay alert and stay aggressive.”

“First period was good,” Lemaire said. “We played well, we were careful when we had the puck, we made good plays and backed their defensemen up. This is a team that has a good offense, and you always have to be aware of where they are on the ice.  And that’s how they came back.”

Niclas Bergfors’ first goal of the season – in his 25th shot – made it 2-0 with 4:50 left in the first, but it only set the stage for Marian Gaborik, who scored seven seconds into a power play in the second period, and Ales Kotalik, who tied it at 14:25. Kotalik has four points in the two games against the Devils this season.

Bergfors’ effort in training camp turned heads and earned him a roster spot.  His efforts essentially cost Brendan Shanahan a job, since Bergfors grabbed a position as the second-line right wing. After a slow start, his play has begun to pick up and he was rewarded with the goal and 17:33 of ice time.

“I was happy when he did (finally) score,” Lemaire said. “The thing with him, he’s got long shifts, he had long shifts after that. It takes a lot from his legs. He’s not skating as well after long shifts. So I told him, and I guess it was better in the third. He is learning the things he has to do to be a good hockey player.”

Preceding Parise’s goal was a stunning effort by defenseman Mike Mottau, who dropped the gloves with Brodeur nemesis Sean Avery. Before getting penalized for seven minutes in this game, Mottau had just one minor penalty in the first seven contests of the season. He registered just 35 PIM in 80 games last season.

After a day off, the Devils will put their perfect road record up against the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night. The Penguins are 8-1-0, with a 3-1-0 mark at the Igloo. Along with New Jersey, Pittsburgh (5-0-0) and Buffalo (2-0-0) are the lone unbeaten road teams in the NHL.