NJD Preview: Devils at Flyers
New Jersey Devils
newjerseydevils.com – The Devils look to grab a win in the back half of the home-and-home when they face the Flyers today in Philadelphia (4 p.m., MSG Plus 2, WFAN 660 AM).
New Jersey (5-2-0) allowed a season-high six goals Friday night, including Scott Hartnell's empty-netter, to fall 6-3 to the Flyers at Prudential Center.
Zach Parise had a goal and two assists in the first period, but the Devils blew a 3-2 lead after one, allowing four unanswered goals to the previously winless Flyers (1-3-3). Parise has a goal in three straight games and leads the club with 10 points (5g-5a).
Travis Zajac (1g-1a) and
Dainius Zubrus also scored for New Jersey, which saw its run of consecutive home wins against the Flyers end at 12.
The Devils struggled to contain captain Mike Richards, who assisted on four straight Philadelphia tallies. Richards now has four goals and 13 assists in his last 10 contests versus the Devils.
Martin Brodeur entered Friday's action having allowed only eight goals in six games with two shutouts this season. He made 22 saves and remained stuck on career win No. 543. The four-time Vezina Trophy winner needs eight to tie Patrick Roy for the league's all-time wins record.
Head coach Brent Sutter said he expected Brodeur to make his eighth straight start of 2008-09 in today's contest. He has made 48 consecutive regular-season starts, overall.
After recording his first career assist Wednesday against Dallas,
Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond got into his first career fight on Friday. Letourneau-Leblond, who was called up from Lowell (AHL) after Bobby Holik sustained a broken pinkie finger, earned a draw in a second-period bout with Flyers' tough guy Riley Cote.
David Clarkson was involved in the second scrap of the night, notching a TKO against Andrew Alberts. Clarkson took
Jamie Langenbrunner's spot on Parise and Zajac's line when Langenbrunner left the game midway through the second period.
The teams split four meetings at the Wachovia Center in 2007-08. Flyers' netminder Martin Biron recorded shutouts in the Flyers' wins, while the Devils scored 13 combined goals in their victories.
NJD NOTES
Flyers center Daniel Briere is expected to miss a month with a torn abdominal muscle.
with wire services
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