NHL

Devils complete winless road trip

ST. LOUIS — Grasping at anything that looks like a lifeline, the drowning Devils played the hometown angle with goalie Mike McKenna’s first start for New Jersey. That didn’t work, either.

Disbanding isn’t an option, and with all their no-trades, a worthwhile deal looks improbable and general manager Lou Lamoriello already has said “There is no problem with the coaching.”

So the dismal Devils can’t expect much help to rectify this humiliation of a start.

“I’m certainly not quitting or giving up. I’m going to keep battling through this and find a way,” coach John MacLean said after the Devils fell to 5-13-2 with last night’s 3-2 loss to the Blues.

“No, I’m not going to say ‘Woe is us.’ No one gives a [bleep]. We have to battle through it,” MacLean said.

McKenna’s first Devils start was also his first NHL game in his native St. Louis. Betrayed by one foul bounce off the boards, he could not make winners of the worst offense in the NHL, scorers of only 36 goals in 20 games.

“It’s not very often you don’t get beaten cleanly and lose a game. It’s so frustrating,” McKenna said.

The Devils finished empty on their three-game road trip, outscored 9-3. It was also the ninth straight game in which the Devils allowed three or more goals, whether Martin Brodeur, Johan Hedberg or McKenna was in net.

Lamoriello will now conduct his review of the team’s worst opening 20 games since 1983-84. He already has absolved the coaching.

One fatal culprit on the road trip was the Devils’ failure to score on the power play. New Jersey has managed only one power play goal in its 12 (4-8) road games, and when offset by a shorthander allowed, stands a net zero on 39 road chances, including three last night.

They lost despite getting some lift from McKenna’s start, opening the scoring 26 seconds into play when David Clarkson’s shot popped up out of Jaroslav Halak’s glove, over his head, and fell across the goal line.

The Devils claimed, without effect, that play should have been blown dead before Alex Pietrangelo dug out a stopped puck from beneath McKenna and put it away, a power play goal at 9:22 of the first.

The Blues poured pressure on McKenna in the second, but the Devils regained the lead on a counterattack breakaway. Patrik Elias hit Mattias Tedenby for a goal-scorer’s backhand move that left Halak helpless as he roofed his second in five career NHL games at 9:53.

The game turned, though, on the fluke goal sent the game into the third tied 2-2. Eric Brewer’s blue line shot caromed hard off the end boards, hitting McKenna in the butt and bouncing in with 1:02 left the second.

Then the Blues extended their unbeaten home start (8-0-1) when Brad Winches ter escaped Anton Volchenkov’s grasp enough to tip down Tyson Strachan’s point shot, between McKenna’s legs at 5:15 of the third.

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Brodeur underwent an MRI exam Friday which did not show any structural damage, Lamoriello said. Brodeur consulted the same surgeon who repaired his left elbow two seasons ago, when he missed 50 games.

The 38-year-old initially suffered the injury Nov. 3 from a shot and missed the following two games. He pulled himself from Thursday’s 3-1 loss in Toronto after aggravating the injury and remained in New Jersey. He has been told to stay off the ice 4-5 days to allow the swelling to subside.

The Devils return to play host to the Capitals tomorrow and the Flames Wednesday.

mark.everson@nypost.com