Sports

SEVENTH HEAVEN – DEVILS REMAIN PERFECT IN ‘06

Devils 5

Blues 3

ST. LOUIS – In a mediocre Devils season, this has been a very good year.

Perfect, in fact, even if last night’s triumph wasn’t.

The Devils are 7-0 in ’06, but that streak nearly slipped away against the Worst of the West.

Grant Marshall salvaged a 5-3 victory over the Blues by scoring the game-winner with 8:39 left, after his team blew a three-goal lead. The Devils climbed back to .500 and now stand six points behind the Rangers.

The last time the Devils enjoyed a streak this long, they won 13 straight in 2000-01.

Martin Brodeur took over fifth place on the all-time victories list, passing Tony Esposito with his 424th triumph, and Lou Lamoriello improved his record to 9-5 since taking over from Larry Robinson on Dec. 20.

Brian Gionta put the Devils in front with a first-period pair, raising his team-leading total to 28 goals. He steered Patrik Elias’ sliding pass over the glove of Curtis Sanford at 3:24, then wrapped a power-play goal past Sanford’s long side from the left post at 11:20.

Scott Gomez stretched his career-best points streak to 10 games with an assist on Gionta’s first. Gionta, threatening Pat Verbeek’s team record of 46 goals (1987-88), put up his eighth two-goal performance of the season. He has five in the past three games.

John Madden chased Sanford at 8:28 of the second with the Devils’ third goal on 11 shots. Jamie Langenbrunner chipped the puck from the left boards to the slot, where Madden shot against the flow over Sanford’s waffle for his eighth. Jason Bacashihua replaced Sanford.

Dennis Wideman put the Blues on the scoreboard with a power-play goal at 10:35, his left-circle shot hopping off and over Brodeur’s glove, just sliding over the goal line.

The Devils endured a scare when Elias slid into the boards and struggled off the ice two minutes into the third. Their winning streak began when Elias made his season debut Jan. 3, coming back from hepatitis.

The Devils visibly sagged, and Doug Weight pulled St. Louis within one at 4:58 with his 10th.

Elias returned to action, but the Blues still pressed.

Marshall turned the tide back in the Devils’ favor with his fifth, after Elias shoved Colin White’s rebound into the crease for Marshall to nudge home.

Jay Pandolfo completed the scoring into an empty net with 9.6 seconds to go.

*

St. Louis native and resident Cam Janssen was the local flavor of the day, making his first pro appearance in his hometown. He fought Barret Jackman evenly in a fist-filled bout, Jackman scoring lefty and Janssen rapid fire with rights … Lamoriello, who earlier ruled out John MacLean as head coach because of lack of experience, declined to answer yesterday whether that was still the case.

mark.everson@nypost.com