WASHINGTON — This is the one, the victory that could start turning this rebuilt bunch of Devils into the sort of real team they were last season. They just have to keep it up.
“We’re learning as we go along,” said Jamie Langenbrunner, whose shootout decider gave the Devils a comeback 3-2 victory over the powerful Caps here last night. “When you have a new team, it takes some time to feel confident, some time for guys to get their role.
“We’re still feeling our way, but we’re starting to find our way a lot better.”
They left Newark 0-2 and return with a sweep of their three-game road trip, this victory the most impressive of the bunch as they defiantly turned around a game that was threatening to overwhelm them.
“It was a great road trip for us, just great,” coach Jacques Lemaire said. “We were a little discouraged at the start [of the season], but our game is getting better and better. Hopefully it’s going to stay like this.”
The Devils trailed by two in the first and it looked like NHL scoring leader Alex Ovechkin was going to add plenty more to the two points he already had. But the Devils started their comeback in the second on Brian Rolston’s goal, and forced overtime on David Clarkson’s second third-period point-maker in as many games.
Then in the shootout, Zach Parise and Langenbrunner duplicated their feat of their first victory of the season, Thursday at Tampa, both scoring again to give Martin Brodeur all he’d need.
Nicklas Backstrom had put his in for Washington, but Brodeur thwarted Alexander Semin and, finally, Ovechkin, to give Jersey its first three-victory road start since 1989.
“Night and day,” Brodeur said of the sea-change in the atmosphere. “Three games, you just hope to do well, and we did great.”
They didn’t start that way. Washington grabbed the lead on its second shot of the night, after Ovechkin’s right corner feed into the crease for Mike Knuble. Brodeur kept that puck away from Knuble, but the puck went to the left circle for Mike Green to fire long and high, over Brodeur’s glove at 9:06.
Knuble made it 2-0 for Washington at 14:16, when the Caps caught Paul Martin rushing the puck. Rolston couldn’t convert Martin’s pass from the left side to the front of the crease, and Ovechkin took the rebound the other way. From left wing, Ovechkin passed into the right circle, and Knuble’s shot went off Brodeur and in.
Rolston pulled New Jersey back into the game at 8:18 of the second, scoring 3-on-2 from the right circle off Rob Niedermayer’s pass from the left side, as Jay Pandolfo drove the middle, preoccupying both Caps defensemen.
Clarkson, who scored the third-period winner against Florida Saturday, tied the game at 13:34 of the third, on a monster shift that saw Mike Mottau put Washington on its heels with a carry behind Jose Theodore’s net. After ex-Devil Brendan Morrison failed to clear, Dainius Zubrus hit Niclas Bergfors in the right corner for the relay in front, which Clarkson whacked under Theodore.
In overtime, the Devils were awarded a power play and Parise failed in three quick chances at the crease, hitting the post, fallen Theodore’s outstretched arm, and the glass behind the net.
That sent the game to the shootout, where Parise and Langenbrunner combined again.
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The Post has learned that no signing bonus was included in the official $1 million contract registered with the league and players association that Brendan Shanahan signed August, indicating that Shanahan did not receive anything other than training camp money for his camp efforts. He was cut Oct. 1, waived, assigned to the minors and then terminated when he didn’t report, allowing the Devils to not pay him, and remove him from the salary cap.
Lemaire said he was surprised that Scott Stevens has become an effective assistant coach.
“I never thought he would be part of the coaching staff because he was quiet, a different sort of captain. He showed his leadership by working, not with his mouth. He was giving everything he had, and that’s why he was such a good example to everyone on the team. But he has a way of delivering his message that’s really good.”
Lemaire also Called Ovechkin “unique.”
Ovechkin shared the league lead with 10 points in five games entering last night. “He’s a player different from any other player in the league, very explosive. The defense will need help from the forwards. One defenseman, I don’t think can control a player of his caliber,” Lemaire said. “Even if you put a truck in front of the net, he’s going to get chances.”
Jersey sat out Cory Murphy, Pierre Leblond and Matt Halischuk.