The Devils’ goaltending insurance policy paid off again.
Johan Hedberg once more proved the perfect backup, blanking the Kings during his 45 minutes of relief of the injured Martin Brodeur, then stifling the visitors in the shootout to give the Devils a 2-1 victory in Newark tonight.
Hedberg had a winning record when Brodeur didn’t last season, relieved the injured record-holder last night and won his second straight game when he stopped both Simon Gagne and Anze Kopitar in the shootout, while Ilyua Kovalchuk and Zach Parise scored on Jonathan Quick.
Brodeur, who was seeking his first victory of the season, left the game after the first period with an apparent right shoulder injury, which the team termed “upper body soreness.”
Hedberg held the Kings scoreless over the final two periods and overtime.
The game was two shifts old when the Kings opened the scoring, 1:47 into play. New Jersey’s top line of Zach Parise, Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora chose the wrong side of play to change, and left a sudden 3-on-2 that Andy Greene and Adam Larsson had little hope of halting, left out of position for the unforeseeable attack.
Justin Williams dealt to the right wing to Anze Kopitar, around Greene, and Kopitar returned the puck to the right circle for Williams to relay left past Larsson. Ex-Flyer Simon Gagne was alone to skate across the goalmouth for his first of the year — and 22nd in 54 career games vs. the Devils.
The Kings threatened to blow the Devils away, and Brodeur needed momentary treatment on his right shoulder following on desperate, no-stick dive across the goalmouth against an Alec Martinez shot from the blue line at 11:30 of the first.
Brodeur landed on his right arm and when play finally stopped, he went to the bench where his right arm was manipulated. Brodeur finished the period before yielding to Hedberg to open the second.
The Elias line atoned for its early gaffe by squaring the score at 13:03 of the first, shortly after Brodeur suffered his injury.
Parise set up Elias for an entry shot, then collected the rebound to eventually go behind the net for a right post wrap. Sykora shot that rebound into Jonathan Quick, but Elias converted the rebound for his first of the season.
Brodeur watched from the bench as the Devils took over play in front of Hedberg. David Clarkson squandered a breakaway in the second, and Sykora missed a golden backhand early in the third while double-shifted Kovalchuk fired into Quick on a semi-breakaway.
Hedberg managed to keep Williams from scoring with 6:13 left in regulation, the struggling save steering the puck just wide of the left post. In overtime, he made his finest saves in a right wing-left wing combo from Williams and Drew Doughty.
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The Devils visit Nashville tomorrow, then are off until San Jose comes to Newark next Friday, and they visit Pittsburgh next Saturday. … Eric Boulton and Adam Henrique sat out last night after playing first two games, and Cam Janssen and Rod Pelley made their season debuts. … The Devils’ three-game opening homestand was the longest in their history. They didn’t win at home until their eighth game in Newark last season, Nov. 8, starting 0-5-2.
mark.everson@nypost.com