New Jersey 3, Pittsburgh 1
When: 3:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 31, 2011
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Referees:
Kyle Rehman, Paul Devorski
Linesmen:
Pierre Racicot, Derek Nansen
Attendance:
17625
By SportsDirect Inc.
Martin Brodeur turned aside 29 shots as the host New Jersey Devils defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 in a Saturday matinee.
Brodeur was sharp from start to finish as he earned his 43rd career victory against the Penguins. His only blemish came on a Chris Kunitz power-play goal near the midway point of the third period.
The Devils gave him all the offense he would need with a pair of first-period goals.
Ilya Kovalchuk opened the scoring on a penalty shot at 14:43 - his 12th goal of the campaign - and David Clarkson extended the advantage with 24 seconds remaining in the period by banging home a rebound of a Patrik Elias shot with New Jersey on a power play.
Zach Parise added an empty netter with 49 seconds remaining as the Devils won for the seventh time in the last nine games.
Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 18 shots for the Penguins, who have lost two in a row following a four-game winning streak.
Top Game Performances
| Pittsburgh |
|
New Jersey |
|
Chris Kunitz 1 |
Points |
Ilya Kovalchuk 3 |
|
Chris Kunitz 1 |
Goals |
Ilya Kovalchuk 1 |
|
Matt Niskanen 1 |
Assists |
Ilya Kovalchuk 2 |
|
Chris Kunitz 1 |
Power Play Goals |
David Clarkson 1 |
|
N/A |
Short Handed Goals |
N/A |
|
Marc-Andre Fleury .900 |
Save Percentage |
Martin Brodeur .967 |
|
Marc-Andre Fleury 18 |
Saves |
Martin Brodeur 29 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
| Pittsburgh
|
30 |
1 |
1-4 |
5-6 |
12 |
25 |
| New Jersey
|
21 |
3 |
1-6 |
3-4 |
8 |
26 |
Upcoming Games
-
New Jersey will play their next game on the road against Ottawa. The Devils have a W/L % of .524 after a win and .625 after a loss.
-
Pittsburgh will play their next game at home against NY Rangers. The Penguins have a W/L % of .524 after a win and .588 after a loss.