New Jersey Devils 4, St. Louis Blues 1 FINAL

ST. LOUIS (AP) _ Brian Gionta scored two goals, and Martin Brodeur made 30 saves in the New Jersey Devils' 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.

Sergei Brylin and Patrik Elias added goals for the defending champion Devils, 6-2-1 in their last nine games.

Keith Tkachuk scored for the Blues, winless in their last four games against the Devils. This was the only meeting this season between the two clubs.

St. Louis is 0-5-1 in its last six games. The Blues have scored just 11 goals in their last eight games, and have two goals or fewer in 13 of their last 15 games.

St. Louis goalie Reinhard Divis sustained his first career loss, dropping his record to 5-1-1.

The Devils went ahead 3-1 on two goals in a 31-second span of the second period.

Jamie Langenbrunner ripped a slap shot from the top of the slot that went through traffic. Brylin deflected the shot in for the go-ahead goal at 12:51.

Scott Gomez set up the second goal, intercepting Jamal Mayers' pass intended for Chris Pronger. Gomez fed Elias, who scored on a breakaway at 13:38 to make it 3-1. Elias' 19th goal came on a wrist shot from the slot that went over Divis' shoulder.

Gointa added an empty-net goal in the final minute.

Despite being outshot 13-3, the Devils scored first for a 1-0 lead at 12:09 in the first period. New Jersey's John Madden flipped the puck in the zone and the puck bounced over Pronger's glove. Jay Pandolfo got the puck in the corner and threw it to the middle of the net. An onrushing Gointa pushed it past a prone Divis.

Tkachuk scored his 21st goal on the Blues' 15th shot of the period, tying it at 1-all. From the right faceoff circle, Scott Mellanby threaded a cross-ice pass to Tkachuk, who wristed the puck past Brodeur at 17:14.

The Blues outshot the Devils 16-5 in the first period. After that, New Jersey shut down St. Louis. The Blues had six shots in the second period. St. Louis did not get a shot for the first 7:45 of the third period and New Jersey outshot the Blues 11-9 in the period.

St. Louis failed to score on two power-play chances and is 2-for-35 in its last seven games.