Newark, NJ (Sports Network) - Travis Zajac scored the winning goal in the fifth round of the shootout, giving the New Jersey Devils a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at the Prudential Center.
Patrik Elias and Brian Rolston scored in regulation for New Jersey, which has won three straight and is 7-1-1 in its last nine. Scott Clemmensen made 27 saves in the victory.
Jeff Carter and Joffrey Lupul each notched a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who were coming off a 7-1 victory over Washington on Saturday and fell to 6-1-1 in their last eight. Antero Niittymaki stopped 24 shots in defeat.
Mike Richards scored in the second round of the shootout to give the Flyers the advantage and Jamie Langenbrunner tied it in the third round to keep it going. After both goaltenders came up with stops in the fourth round, Clemmensen turned aside Lupul to start the fifth and Zajac beat Niittymaki with a wrister from in close to end it.
The Flyers tied it at 2-2 with 4:44 remaining in the third period. Carter had the puck in the left corner and whipped a backhand pass toward the crease. Lupul was battling for position and managed to get his stick on the puck, directing it past Clemmensen for his 12th goal.
Carter had the best chance in overtime, with a point-blank shot from the low left circle, but Clemmensen anticipated the play well and made the save with 1:53 to play in the extra period.
Clemmensen stopped three shots in overtime, while Niittymaki turned aside the only shot New Jersey mustered in the five-minute period.
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The Devils took a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal by Elias at 7:30 of the second period. Paul Martin fired a shot on net from the center point and both Zajac and Zach Parise had whacks at the rebound before Elias picked it up and deposited his 16th goal of the season.
Rolston added to the advantage just 66 seconds later, as David Clarkson freed up the puck for the veteran, who snapped a low wrister from the right circle past Niittymaki for his third goal.
The Flyers picked up their play soon after and were rewarded with a power play for the first time when Andy Greene went off for high-sticking with 3:30 to play in the second. They capitalized less than a minute later when Carter backhanded the rebound of a Lupul shot past Clemmensen for his league-leading 25th goal.
Philadelphia nearly scored while shorthanded just over five minutes into the third, as Scott Hartnell broke into the New Jersey zone and had a backhander stopped by Clemmensen.
