Maple Leafs 4, Devils 3 F/SO

 
NEWARK, N.J. (AP)—James Reimer made 43 saves and all three Toronto players scored in the shootout to lead the Maple Leafs to a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Friday night.

Tyler Bozak Tim Connolly and Nazam Kadri tallied against Martin Brodeur in the shootout. The Maple Leafs blew a two-goal lead in the third period before winning for only the fifth time in 22 games (5-15-2).

Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise scored against Reimer on the Devils’ first two shootout shots, but Reimer made a pad save on Patrik Elias, and Kadri got the winner with a spectacular side to side move against Brodeur.

Bozak, Kadri and former Devil David Steckel scored for Toronto in regulation. Jacob Josefson, Parise and Adam Henrique countered for New Jersey, which limited Toronto to 17 shots.

Trailing 3-1 with just over 10 minutes to play, the Devils tied it on goals by Parise and Henrique.

Parise cut the deficit to a goal with a great individual effort in front of the net. He deflected a shot by defenseman Bryce Salvador and then outfought defenseman Jake Gardiner to shove the puck into the net at 10:57 for his 29th goal.

Reimer kept Toronto in front with saves on a couple of point shots, but the goalie didn’t have a chance when Henrique tipped a shot by Andy Greene with 4:42 left in regulation to tie it.

Toronto had seemed safe when Steckel snapped a 33-game goal drought by depositing the rebound of a shot by Joey Crabb past Brodeur at 9:25 of the period.

The Maple Leafs, who had been shut out in three of their last seven games, jumped to a 2-0 lead with second-period goals 1:09 apart by Bozak and Kadri, who had been called up from the Marlies of the AHL on Thursday along with Ryan Hamilton.

Bozak opened the scoring at 13:47 with an assist from Henrique. Luke Schenn’s shot from the point hit off Henrique and went right to Bozak to the right of the net for a shot into an open net for his 16th goal.

Hamilton, who was playing in his first NHL game, made a cross-ice pass to Gardiner at the right point a little more than a minute later. The rookie defenseman’s slap shot was redirected into the net by Kardi, who had four goals in 19 games earlier this year before being sent to the minors.

Former Maple Leaf Alexei Ponikarovsky got the Devils back in the game late in the period, skating around Schenn and finding an unguarded Josefson alone in front for his first goal of the season.

Reimer was outstanding in the first period, stopping 18 shots. His best stop was a sliding pad save on Elias after the veteran took a cross-ice pass. Reimer also stopped two good chances by Ilya Kovalchuk between the circles.

Brodeur faced seven shots in the opening period, including a highlight reel stop when he lifted his pads while down in the crease to stop a close-in attempt by Matthew Lombardi.

NOTES: Kadri and Hamilton started on a line with Mikhail Grabovski at center. … The Devils’ 46 shots were a season high. Their 18 shots in the first period were three shy of their season high in a period. … There were two big hits in the third period. Schenn crushed Josefson against the boards right in front of the Devils’ bench and Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov nailed Grabovski with a shoulder to shoulder hit in the New Jersey zone. … Toronto got the only two penalties in the game, but blanked the Devils’ power plays.