Newark, NJ (Sports Network) - Jamie Langenbrunner scored a short-handed goal and added an assist while Marty Brodeur moved closer to history with 35 saves, as the New Jersey Devils defeated the Calgary Flames, 3-2, at Prudential Center.
Brian Rolston and Zach Parise also scored for New Jersey, which has won five of its last six games overall and maintained its seven-point lead over Philadelphia atop the Atlantic Division. The Devils will host Phoenix on Thursday. Brodeur is two wins away from tying Patrick Roy for the all-time victory mark by a goaltender in league history.
Newcomer Olli Jokinen scored for the third time in four games since his trade to Calgary, but the Flames fell to 2-3-0 on their season-high seven game road trip that will continue in Detroit on Thursday.
Miikka Kiprusoff started for the Flames and allowed three goals on 28 shots but was removed in favor of Curtis McElhinney, who stopped all three shots he faced in relief.
The Flames opened the scoring midway through the first period. After a shot from the left point, the puck got caught up in traffic and a scramble for control ensued before David Moss gained control inside the lower left circle. Moss then spun around and sent a pass through the low slot to the right post, where Jokinen was in position for a successful one-timer at the 10:22 mark.
A short-handed tally by Langenbrunner 5:10 into the second period created a 1-1 tie. With Brendan Shanahan in the penalty box for slashing, the Flames had several good shots from the point during the 5-on-4 advantage, but a deflected puck created a 3-on-2 rush for the Devils.
Colin White streaked down the left-wing side and passed into the slot for Langenbrunner, whose wrist shot from near the inner rim of the left circle hit Kiprusoff before the puck trickled over the goal line behind him.
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Midway through the second stanza, Parise hit the right post on a backhander amid a flurry of New Jersey scoring chances and several minutes later Langenbrunner's slap shot from the left circle slid inches wide of the far post.
Late in the period, though, the Devils solved Kiprusoff. Shanahan released a shot from the top of the left circle and the puck deflected off of Dainius Zubrus and landed directly on the stick of Rolston, who was all alone at the right post and easily tapped the puck into the back of the cage at 18:01.
Early in the final period, Parise's 39th goal made it 3-1. A scramble in front ensued due to a loose puck, and after Langenbrunner kept the play alive with a backhand attempt near the right post, the disc was finally poked over the goal line by Parise from the goal mouth 1:15 into the frame.
Curtis Glencross scored with less than one second remaining in regulation after the game was essentially decided.
