The coach coaxed and cajoled another two points out of the Devils, but the way they keep requiring his loud corrective voice suggests this might not really be Brent Sutter’s type of spit-and-vinegar team.
They were sleepwalking again, in danger of keeping the Penguins perfect through three in Newark. Sutter again laced into them, this time behind locker-room doors during the second intermission instead of visibly on the bench, as he had a game earlier on Jamie Langenbrunner.
What followed was another Penguin goal, then their a comeback from the two-goal hole and a 4-3 victory on Zach Parise’s tip 37 seconds into overtime.
“We found a way to win tonight, and a way to win the last two [games],” Sutter said. “I didn’t like the way we were playing in the second period at all.
“They responded the way you’d like them to respond and expect them to respond.”
The victory left the Devils, Penguins and Flyers all at 63 points atop the Atlantic Division. It was only the Devils’ fourth victory of 10 home divisional games.
“Eventually, you need to do something in your own division,” said goalie Martin Brodeur, who made 31 saves. “We’ve given them so much – the Rangers, Islanders and Pittsburgh – in our building.”
The smallest house in the Devils’ 25 games in Newark, announced at 13,012, saw New Jersey come back from the two-goal deficit with goals 1:44 apart midway through the third period.
After a scoreless first period, Ryan Malone put the Penguins in front by jabbing Evgeni Malkin’s Power-play rebound under Brodeur at 2:26 of the second.
Malkin picked up his second assist of the period at 11:50, leaving a drop for Petr Sykora, whose left circle shot went in off the chest of Devil defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski.
Langenbrunner put the Devils on the board with 41.7 seconds left in the second, converting Parise’s power-play rebound, but Jordan Staal’s PPG 4:30 into the third reopened Pitt’s two-goal lead.
New Jersey started back again when Patrik Elias’ soft shot from then right side went in off Penguin defenseman Kris Letang at 9:37 of the third. David Clarkson then tied the game with 8:39 left in regulation, rebounding Johnny Oduya’s shot.
It remained for Parise to cut across Conklin’s sight line as Elias shot from right wing and tip home his team-best 20th for the victory.
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Jay Pandolfo returned after missing two months and 28 games with a sprained abdominal ligament.
The Devils failed to take advantage of his absence to sign him away from upcoming unrestricted free agency.
Pandolfo said he wasn’t interested in talking contract while he was out. He would not comment on whether he’ll engage in negotiations now that he’s playing, an increasingly unlikely scenario as the season hits crunch time.
The 33-year-old is earning $836G, a bargain for a Selke Trophy finalist in his 11th season. He has made it clear he wants to remain a Devil, but this summer may be his last chance for a big contract, and that factor may affect his decision whether to test the market.