Brodeur, Devils Hang On To 4-2 Win Over Lightning
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Martin Brodeur held the Tampa Bay Lightning scoreless for 51 minutes, David Clarkson had a goal and an assist, and the New Jersey Devils hung on for a 4-2 victory Saturday night.
Brodeur lost out on a bid to extend his NHL record to 117 shutouts when Martin St. Louis scored from in-close and cut the Lightning's deficit to 3-1 at 8:24 of the third period. Brodeur made 21 saves en route to his NHL-best 629th career win.
Ryan Shannon's first goal in 15 games, which came 90 seconds after St. Louis scored, got Tampa Bay within 3-2.
Dainius Zubrus, Patrik Elias and Ryan Carter, who scored with 2:03 to play in the third, had the other New Jersey goals.
Tampa Bay had its six-game home winning streak snapped.
Zubrus put the Devils up 1-0 at 1:09 of the second. He made a nifty stick-handling move and then beat goalie Dwayne Roloson from the left circle.
Elias made it 2-0 off a nice pass from Clarkson during a power play 6:05 into the second. The Devils have scored with the man advantage in a season-high three straight games.
Brodeur stopped an in-close backhander by St. Louis during a mid-second period power play.
The Devils took a 3-0 lead with 2:16 left in the second when Clarkson scored a lunging, back-handed power-play goal.
Clark's goal came after Roloson misplayed the puck behind the net. Roloson finished with 20 saves.
New Jersey outshot the Lightning 10-3 during a scoreless first. Steven Stamkos got Tampa Bay's first shot, which was easily turned aside by Brodeur 8 minutes into the game.
Notes: Roloson (42 years, 1 month) and Brodeur (39 years, 6 months) are a combined 81 years, 7 months old. ... Tampa Bay LW Ryan Malone was in the lineup after missing four games due to an undisclosed upper body injury. ... Carter got his first assist in 27 games on Zubrus' goal. ... Lightning D Mattias Ohlund, who hasn't played this season because of right and left knee injuries, has resumed limited on-ice practice. ... Tampa Bay C Tom Pyatt left with an upper body injury.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
