Brodeur Shuts Out Islanders As Devils Win 10th in 11 Games
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UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Martin Brodeur made 24 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and Brian Gionta scored his 29th goal to help the Devils beat the Islanders 4-0 last for their 10th victory in 11 games.
Brodeur, seventh on the NHL’s career shutout list with 79, improved to 24-15-3 and lowered his goals-against aver age to 2.59. The Canadian Olympic goalie has all four of his shutouts this season in the last 11 games.
The Devils also beat the Islanders 3-2 in a shootout on Saturday for their ninth straight victory. The season-high winning streak ended the following night with a 3-1 loss to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Jamie Langenbrunner and Scott Gomez each had a goal and an assist, Viktor Kozlov also scored, and Patrik Elias added two assists for the Devils.
The Islanders, shut out for the third time this season, are 2-4 under interim coach Brad Shaw and 3-12 in their last 15 games.
After Gomez opened the scoring on a power play midway through the first period, Langenbrunner, Gionta, and Kozlov chased Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro with goals in the first 10 minutes of the second period.
Langenbrunner scored 19 seconds into the period,taking a pass from John Madden behind the goal, skating unchecked to the edge of the crease, and putting a short forehand shot behind DiPietro. Gionta made it 3-0 at 4:34 with his 16th power-play goal, tipping Elias’s shot past DiPietro from the edge of the crease.
Kozlov completed the scoring spree at 9:56, firing a shot between Islanders defenseman Radek Martinek’s legs and past the screened DiPietro.
The Islanders had only two shots on goal in the period, both in the final 3:49.
Gomez opened the scoring on a power play at 10:41 of the first period, putting the puck into an empty net after DiPietro failed to control the rebound on Langenbrunner’s shot from just above the left face off circle.
DiPietro made 13 saves, and backup Wade Dubielewicz stopped all 11 shots he faced after taking over following Kozlov’s goal.
The Devils were 2-for-4 on the power play two nights after going 0-for-6 against the Rangers. They were 12-for-27 during their nine-game winning streak.
New Jersey is 12-6 since Lou Lamoriello, the team’s president and general manager, stepped behind the bench as interim coach following Larry Robinson’s resignation.
