Devils 3, Bruins 1 (FINAL)
Zach Parise and the Devils shook off a wintry blast in Beantown to notch their first win in three games.


newjerseydevils.com (Dec. 13) – Snowy Boston proved a winter wonderland for Jamie Langenbrunner and the Devils.

Langenbrunner scored twice, including an empty-net goal, and the Devils took the final leg of their three-game road swing with a 3-1 win over the Bruins at the TD Banknorth Garden on Thursday night.

Langenbrunner's power-play tally at 14:34 of the second period was the first goal for the Cloquet, Minn., native since he was named captain on Dec. 5 and held up as the game winner.

Brian Gionta added his 10th of the season for the Devils (17-11-3), who grabbed three of a possible six points on the trip and were set to return home for a pair of weekend matchups.

Phoenix visits Prudential Center on Saturday for a 1 p.m. matinee, followed by Philadelphia on Sunday at 5 p.m.

Martin Brodeur (15-10-2) got the call for his 27th start of the season and turned in 19 saves for his second win versus Boston this season. The three-time Vezina Trophy winner also closed in on league leader Evgeni Nabokov, who entered Thursday's action with 16 victories.

After a scoreless first period, Gionta put New Jersey ahead.

The former Boston College Eagle was deep inside the Devils' zone when he took a pass from Johnny Oduya and skated up ice. Gionta outraced a pair of Bruins' defenders down the right wing before snapping a shot through Alex Auld from the right faceoff circle at 10:57 of the second period.

New Jersey handed Auld his first loss in four games since being acquired by the Bruins. Auld dropped to 0-3-0 lifetime against the Devils.

The Devils later capitalized on a two-minute 5-on-3 with Boston's Andrew Alberts serving a four-minute double-minor and Zdeno Chara off for slashing.

With the Devils set up in the Bruins' zone, Langenbrunner crept down to the top of the right circle and one-timed a Zach Parise feed inside the left post for his third of the season at 14:34.

The goal snapped a 12-game goal drought for Langenbrunner, who had not scored since returning from a groin injury on Nov. 14 against the Rangers.

Gallery

Marc Savard cut the Devils' lead in half with a power-play goal at 1:31 of the third period, but it was only one of five shots that Boston would manage in the final frame.

The Bruins pulled Auld with a minute to go in regulation. Chara mishandled the puck in his own zone, allowing Langenbrunner to step in and bury his fourth to ice the New Jersey victory.


NJD NOTES
The Devils remain undefeated when leading after two periods (12-0-0)... After being outshot 8-7 in the first period, the Devils recovered to outshoot the Bruins 21-12 over the game's final 40 minutes... Rod Pelley had a golden chance in the third period to give the Devils a two-goal lead while killing off a Karel Rachunek minor. Pelley scooped up an Andrew Ference miscue at the Bruins' point and skated in alone on Auld, but was denied... Patrik Elias played in his 700th career game... Jay Pandolfo missed his seventh contest with a groin injury... Sheldon Brookbank and Mike Rupp were healthy scratches.