NHL

DEVILS, BRODEUR WALLOP STARS

As much as they could, six months later, the Devils shut up Sean Avery by shutout. Do not doubt that it was important to them.

“He made a mockery of our goalie and team last year, a little. I don’t think that’s ever going to happen again,” Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner told The Post after last night’s 5-0 trouncing of Avery and his new team, the Dallas Stars, in Newark.

It does little to erase the spectacle and embarrassment of last year’s 4-1, first-round playoff series loss to the Rangers, when Avery took Martin Brodeur off his game with antics and trash talk, but it was as much as the Devils could accomplish last night.

“[Avery] not scoring is [big]. You can’t shut guys like that up,” Brodeur said. “I’m just glad it didn’t get carried away. You expect things, but you never know what’s going to happen. No suspensions. One thing I’m happy about is that he didn’t take anyone off their game.”

Brodeur was strong in his second shutout in the Devils’ six-game (5-1) season, now with 50 percent more shutouts (98) than Avery has goals (65), and just five behind Terry Sawchuk’s record.

Avery, who didn’t speak afterward, avoided confrontation during warmups, but jawed at some fans wearing Devils jerseys fans as he returned to the Stars’ locker room. He took two of the Stars’ five first-period shots, and missed the net with another, absorbed a poke from Brodeur and drew a power play when David Clarkson grabbed him, seeking a fight.

“He said something, and I said, ‘Let’s go.’ I tried to fight him early. Later in the game, he said something else and I dropped my stuff,” Clarkson said of Avery’s refusal to engage, even when the Stars needed a spark.

In the second, Avery skated through the crease behind Brodeur’s back without incident, but later, Brodeur hit Avery with a clearance, as Avery rushed from right wing. In the third, a few fans were politically incorrect with a chant questioning Avery’s orientation.

The game became the sideshow, and the Devils chased Marty Turco with three on 15 shots in 30:17. Langenbrunner opened the scoring 1:59 into play, and John Madden, a whirlwind of smarts and precision, chased Turco with a pair 1:12 apart in the second. Turco yielded a long rebound from Bryce Salvador’s shot from center ice and Madden was first there, skating around Turco to hit the open net for his third this season at 10:17.

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Bobby Holik (pinkie surgery) and Brian Rolston (ankle) each will miss a couple weeks for the Devils.

mark.everson@nypost.com

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