NHL

REVERSING THE CURSE

The Devils who must score, did. Now their New York, New York hex is half-foiled.

The failing common to the Devils’ 10 losses to the Islanders and Rangers this season was their inability to manage more than three goals even once. They finally accomplished that minor feat yesterday, their four leading goal-scorers each connecting once against the Isles to give Brent Sutter his first coaching victory over his first NHL playing team, or any other named New York, a 4-2 triumph in Newark.

“We all knew what our record was against them. Our focus wasn’t that. It was just to keep playing well, and it would take care of itself,” Sutter said.

Zach Parise’s team-best 25th put the Devils ahead for good in the third, while Patrik Elias and John Madden each scored their 17th, and Brian Gionta his 16th.

“The coach has been saying that players need to play and scorers need to score, and more importantly, do their jobs,” Parise said. “We’ve all responded — not only scoring but doing what we need to do.

“That’s why we’re winning games.”

New Jersey extended its winning streak to four and point streak to seven (6-0-1) to keep the Atlantic and Eastern races aboil. The loss blunted the Islanders’ charge into playoff contention, snapping their first six-game winning streak since 2003.

Finally beating their second-closest rival, the Devils are 1-4-1 against the Isles and 0-3-2 against the Rangers this season. They will try to end the Rangers’ half of the hex March 19 in Newark.

“Nice to get that monkey off our backs, that’s for sure,” Martin Brodeur said. “After all that time. . . . We heard about it from our fans. A lot. We had our skate with the season ticket holders the other day and there were a lot of comments.”

The matinee provided the Devils’ sixth announced sellout of the season and second of this unusual stretch of 15-of-18 in Newark, which they completed with an 8-6-1 home record, 2-0-1 on the road. New Jersey opens a run of 8-of-10 on the road this afternoon in Washington, before Tuesday afternoon’s trade deadline and Tuesday night’s visit to Carolina. The Islanders don’t play until the Penguins visit Nassau Tuesday night.

Josef Vasicek put the visitors in front 7:55 into play, tipping in Andy Hilbert’s shot from the left boards. Vasicek’s 13th of the season was also his ninth career goal against the Devils in 24 regular season games.

That lead lasted 2:22, until Elias scorched Rick DiPietro with a power play goal from the top of the right circle, beating the Islander goalie’s glove.

Madden put the Devils in front 1:19 later with his third shorthander of the season, his 2-on-1 pass going in off Marc-Andre Bergeron.

Brodeur made his 21st straight and 57th of 62 starts for New Jersey, and gave up a softie as Ruslan Fedotenko tied the score 1:53 into the second. Fedotenko came off the right boards into the circle and short-sided Brodeur with his off-wing shot inside Brodeur, who left far too much room off the right post.

Parise’s swooping stunner proved the game’s pivotal goal at 2:30 of the third. Parise chased a lead pass 1-on-1 on right wing, helping Isles defenseman Aaron Johnson sweep the puck into the middle, where Parise beat DiPietro’s waffle. Gionta made it 4-2 2:23 later, rebounding Colin White’s left point shot.

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Sutter said he was leaning towards using Brodeur again today, but said he could change his mind. . . . Mike Sillinger is slated to undergo hip surgery this week and will not return to action this season. The 36-year-old centerman initially suffered the injury in December and played hurt for more than a month, missing only one game, before he tried the rest cure starting Feb. 5. At the time, expected to be idle 2-3 weeks. Sillinger ranks seventh in the league this season at faceoffs, winning 56.3 percent. . . . White returned to Devils lineup after missing one game with an upper body injury. . . . Bruno Gervais returned to Isles’ lineup from a back strain, while Chris Campoli (shoulder), Brendan Witt (knee), Andy Sutton (hamstring) Shawn Bates (hip) and Jon Sim (knee) remained out.

mark.everson@nypost.com