Devils 4, Penguins 1 FINAL

Brodeur, stopping Chris Kunitz, came within 10:24 of tying Terry Sawchuk for the NHL's all-time mark for shutouts (103).

The Devils did more than measure up well against the defending Stanley Cup-champion Penguins. They made history.

In a game that head coach Jacques Lemaire said would be a "good measuring stick" for his team, the Devils jumped out to a 3-0 before cooling the surging Penguins with a 4-1 win Saturday in Pittsburgh.

Zach Parise, Travis Zajac and Niclas Bergfors each recorded a goal and an assist, and Mark Fraser scored in his season debut as the Devils improved to 5-0 on the road for the first time in team history.

Martin Brodeur carried a shutout into the third period and came within 10:24 of making history of his own. Brodeur's bid to tie Terry Sawchuk for the all-time shutout record (103) was broken up midway through the final frame, when Alex Goligoski notched Pittsburgh's lone goal.

Evgeni Malkin was held without a shot in the game, and Sidney Crosby was held off the scoresheet. Marc-Andre Fleury recorded 22 saves.

New Jersey (6-3-0) snapped the Penguins' (9-2-0) seven-game winning streak by handing the defending champs just their second loss of the season. Lemaire's squad has won six of its last seven since losing two in a row to start the year.

The Devils' current three-game winning streak includes back-to-back victories within the Atlantic Division. Having matched Pittsburgh for the best road record in the League, Jersey's Team is off until Wednesday, when it hosts Buffalo.

Fraser made his first NHL appearance since 2006-07 because of an injury to Mike Mottau (lower body), who did not make the trip. Fraser, 23, capitalized on his opportunity with his first career goal.

The Devils were getting outshot 6-0 when Fraser put them ahead, 1-0, at 9:50 of the first period. Dainius Zubrus worked the puck behind the Pittsburgh net to Bergfors, who set up Fraser's one-timer from the left circle. Fraser muffed the shot, which rolled up on Fleury, who knocked it into his own net as he tried to grab it out of the air with his catching glove.

"We've been practicing a lot of our shots from the point lately," Fraser told MSG. "I just saw a chance to step up, Bergfors had it, looked for me, and it was perfect. I kind of fanned on it a bit, but it still went in."

In the second period, Bergfors notched his second tally of the season – and second in as many games – to stake New Jersey to a two-goal cushion.

Fraser celebrates his first NHL goal with Parise.

Bergfors snapped the Devils' power-play drought with the team's first goal in 17 chances with the man advantage. He fired on Fleury from the left circle, then skated around the net to swat his own rebound over the line at 14:31.

It was some measure of payback to former Devil Mike Rupp, who was in the box at the time for boarding Jay Pandolfo. After the hit, Pandolfo headed straight off the ice under his own strength, but did not return (upper body).

Devils penalty killers were superb in the contest, eliminating three straight Penguins power plays. Pittsburgh wound up 0-for-4 with the man advantage, managing just five shots.

Colin White came off the bench on a line change late in the second, and made a diving stick check on a Crosby scoring chance with 45 seconds left.

Zajac put the contest out of reach 26 seconds into the third period, burying a Parise rebound to temporarily tie Parise for the team lead in goals with five.

Goligoski pounced on a Pascal Dupuis rebound to beat Brodeur from the bottom of the right circle at 9:36 of the third. The Devils then escaped two minutes of a 4-on-4 with Andy Greene and Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke in the box, and the Penguins looking to climb back within a goal.

Parise netted his sixth goal of the year to retake sole possession of the team lead after Zajac found him all alone in front of Fleury. Parise skated across the front of the net before popping in a backhander for a 4-1 lead with 3:28 left in regulation.

NJD NOTES
The ZZ Pops line of Parise, Zajac and captain Jamie Langenbrunner was reunited in Pittsburgh after Lemaire had split them up for the previous two games. Langenbrunner added an assist to round out a five-point night (2g-3a) for the trio. … Zubrus centered Bergfors and David Clarkson; Rob Niedermayer centered Pandolfo and Brian Rolston. … Fraser was paired with Greene. The Devils' other pairings were White-Johnny Oduya and Bryce Salvador-Paul Martin.