Los Angeles Kings 2, New Jersey Devils 3 FINAL OT

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) _ Whether Paul Martin ever scored in overtime before isn't known. There is no disputing that this game-winner was the most important.

``Maybe I scored one in youth hockey back in Minnesota, but I really don't remember,'' said New Jersey's rookie defenseman.

Martin netted his latest 3:53 into overtime to give the Devils a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday.

``I certainly never had one as big as this one,'' he added.

Martin, who played last year for the University of Minnesota, tallied his third goal of the season. It helped the Devils win a game they trailed 2-0 in the first period.

``I think we all took it as a challenge to come back, after we let up those two fluke goals,'' Martin said. ``A couple of bounces didn't go our way, but we showed a lot of character as a team to bounce back.''

New Jersey won its second straight and pulled within two points of Ottawa and Boston for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The Devils snapped a three-game losing streak by beating Carolina 4-1 on Saturday.

Martin was just trying to put the puck on net. He caught a break when his shot deflected in off Kings defenseman Joe Corvo.

``We had some success getting the puck to the net,'' Martin said. ``I was trying to use the player as a screen. I couldn't see anything through the two guys in front. I just put it toward the net and it somehow got in.''

Recently recalled center Pavel Rosa, playing his first NHL game this season, scored his first NHL goal in five years when his backhander sneaked past Martin Brodeur at 7:34.

Brodeur tried to stop the rolling puck with his stick and blocker, but the shot trickled in for Rosa's fifth career goal. Rosa played sparingly for the Kings in 1998-99, spent two years in Finland, and only played two games last season.

Two minutes later, defenseman Tomas Zizka, playing in only his eighth game of the season, scored during a power play for his first NHL goal. Zizka fired a shot toward the net and the drive deflected off Devils defenseman Scott Niedermayer and in at 10:00. Rosa was credited with an assist.

``That wasn't a very good first 10 minutes,'' Devils coach Pat Burns said. ``I think we were thinking that it was going to go as well as it did (Saturday) for the first 10 minutes and it didn't.''

The Devils cut the lead to 2-1 before the end of the first period, when Sergei Brylin converted on a power-play chance for his 11th goal of the season.

Jamie Langenbrunner tied it midway through the second period with his eighth goal, right after a roughing penalty to Kings forward Sean Avery expired.

Jamie Langenbrunner tied the game midway through the second period with his eighth goal of the season, right after Sean Avery's roughing penalty had expired. It was Langenbrunner's first goal since returning from a 28-game absence caused by a knee injury.

``He's definitely doing a lot more now,'' Burns said. ``He's more alert and doing more skating. Right now, you can see that his jump is back. We can use him a little more now, too.''

The game remained deadlocked through a scoreless third period.

Turner Stevenson just missed winning the game in the closing minute of regulation, when his shot trickled just to the right of Kings goalie Roman Cechmanek, who made 32 saves.

Brodeur stopped 24 saves to earn his 27th victory this season.