Martin Brodeur stops 22 shots, Devils snap skid with 2-0 win over Panthers

Brodeur makes 22 saves, Devils beat Panthers 2-0

NEWARK, N.J. — Martin Brodeur made 22 saves for his 108th NHL shutout and Travis Zajac scored the winning goal late in the second period as the New Jersey Devils snapped a three-game losing streak with a 2-0 victory over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night.

Dean McAmmond added an short-handed, empty-net goal in the final minute for the Atlantic Division-leading Devils.

Brodeur (30-14-1), the league’s career leader in wins and shutouts, earned his seventh blanking of the season and the fifth in 14 games. Brodeur earned his 30th win of the season in New Jersey’s 48th game. He is tied with Patrick Roy with an NHL-record 13 seasons of at least 30 wins.

It was one of his easiest as Brodeur outdueled Florida’s Tomas Vokoun, who was 4-0-1 with two shutouts in his previous five games. Vokoun made 30 saves.

Florida had few scoring chances as the Devils played airtight defense. Brodeur cleaned up the few opportunities the Panthers got as Florida fell short of achieving its first four-game winning streak of the season.

The Panthers pressed for the tying goal in the closing seconds after Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner was whistled for hooking and the Florida pulled Vokoun for an extra skater. Even with the 6-on-4 advantage for the final 1:23, the Panthers didn’t come close to scoring.

Zajac broke the scoreless deadlock with 90 seconds remaining in the second period. Following passes from Zach Parise and Nick Palmieri — in his NHL debut — Zajac beat Vokoun between the pads with a shot from the right circle.

Both teams had excellent scoring chances earlier in the period. Brodeur stopped Gregory Campbell on a point-blank shot before making sharp glove saves against Cory Stillman and Rostislav Olesz. New Jersey came close when Parise bunted a shot into the crease that bounced off Vokoun.

The Devils outshot the Panthers 12-5 in the first period. New Jersey’s best chance came when Brian Rolston hit the post with 8 minutes remaining during a power play. Rolston fired a shot that deflected off Vokoun’s glove before clanging off the pipe.

NOTES: Stephen Weiss, the Panthers’ leading goal scorer, returned after missing one game with a lower body injury. … The Devils placed C Patrik Elias on the injured list on Tuesday because of concussion symptoms following a hit from Colorado D Ryan Wilson on Saturday. With RW Vladimir Zharkov also out due to a lower body injury, the Devils called up right wingers Patrick Davis and Palmieri from Lowell (AHL). It was the second NHL game for Davis. … Langenbrunner, who will be the U.S. captain at next month’s Vancouver Olympics, played in his 500th game for New Jersey.