NHL

New Jersey beats Tampa Bay 5-2 for rare road win

TAMPA, Fla. — Brian Rolston and Travis Zajac each had a goal and an assist during a four-goal first-period, Ilya Kovalchuk scored twice, and the New Jersey Devils beat the Southeast Division-leading Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 on Friday night.

Patrik Elias also scored to help the Devils snap an 11-game road losing skid. The slide by the team with the NHL’s worst record (12-29-2) was just one off the franchise record of 12, set from Oct. 19 to Dec. 1, 1983.

Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos scored his 32nd goal of the season to tie Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby for the NHL lead. Martin St. Louis added a goal for the Lightning, 2-12 against New Jersey since the start of the 2007-08 season.

After Stamkos scored a power-play goal on the Lightning’s first shot at 5:06 of the first, the Devils scored four straight goals — Kovalchuk (7:59), Rolston (9:19), Elias (11:44) and Zajac (15:54) — to take a 4-1 lead after the opening period.

Zajac’s short-handed effort gave New Jersey its 80th goal this season, with nine coming in two periods against Tampa Bay. The Devils scored five times during the third period in their previous game Sunday, a 6-3 win over the Lightning.

New Jersey has won consecutive games just two times this season.

St. Louis cut the deficit to 4-2 when he lifted a backhander over Martin Brodeur during a breakaway with 5:05 left in the second.

Stamkos assisted on St. Louis’ goal for his 200th NHL point, coming in his 206th game.

Kovalchuk extended the New Jersey advantage to 5-2 at 13:40 of the third.

Tampa Bay goalie Dwayne Roloson, bidding for his 200th NHL victory, was pulled with 4 minutes left in the first after allowing four goals on nine shots.

Brodeur improved to 33-15-7 in 57 games against the Lightning. He has an NHL-best 609 wins overall.