NHL

Devils defeat Thrashers, 3-1

The winningest goalie in NHL history can not be deposed blithely, but after a 16-year reign by Martin Brodeur, the going-nowhere Devils have goaltending decisions to make.

Johan Hedberg made the most of his chance to grab some of Brodeur’s workload Friday by snapping the Devils’ six-game losing streak with a 3-1 triumph over his former team, the Thrashers, in Newark.

“I just want him to play and see what he does. We haven’t been up to par with the goaltending. We can’t hide that. It’s a fact,” Jacques Lemaire said before Hedberg led the Devils to their second victory in 12 games.

When the Devils visit Carolina tonight, Lemaire will have to decide whether to turn back to Brodeur, loser of six straight, or stick with victorious Hedberg.

The Devils have lost nine straight road games by a combined 33-9 score, one short of their second-longest road losing streak in team history.

Hedberg made his first start in 10 games, since Dec. 6, and had lost his previous three decisions. He improved to 5-6-1 this year, compared to Brodeur’s 5-18-1 mark.

The victory completed the Devils’ calendar year 2010 at 30-42-8, 31-46-8 with playoffs. They went 2-11 in December, outscored 47-20, and finished 12-27-3 on the road in 2010.

The Thrashers, who beat Boston in Atlanta on Thursday, have scored nearly twice as many goals as New Jersey, 127-65, although they’ve played four more games.

Devils rookie defenseman Mark Fayne, who had played 15 straight before being a healthy scratch Wednesday, opened the scoring 1:18 into play with his second career goal. Jason Arnott won an offensive left circle draw back to Fayne, whose looping wrister eluded Thrashers backup Chris Mason’s glove through Arnott’s screen.

It was the second consecutive game in which the Devils scored first, after giving up the opener in five straight.

The opening period was also the first time in 19 periods that the Devils did not allow a goal, and they made it two straight in the second.

Jamie Langenbrunner made it 2-0 at 1:11 of the second with his first goal since Nov. 10, ending an injury-interrupted 12-game drought. Arnott turned back Freddy Meyer and stole the puck for the setup into the right circle for the captain’s fourth of the year.

It was the 15th time in 37 games that the Devils scored two or more goals.

They needed it when Dustin Byfulgien spoiled Hedberg’s shutout bid with his 15th with 7:46 left in regulation. Ilya Kovalchuk reopened the two-goal lead at 13:40 by stealing the puck from Brent Sopel for a left wing breakaway and his ninth of the season.

*

Colin White sat out ill and is not expected to play in Carolina tonight. … Devils returned Nick Palmieri to Albany without using him. … Patrice Cormier, part of the Kovalchuk trade Feb. 4, played his third NHL game for Atlanta. Niclas Bergfors, who has seven goals despite sitting out frequently, and Johnny Oduya, also in the Kovalchuk deal, were in Atlanta’s lineup. Anssi Salmela, who came to New Jersey with Kovalchuk, played his seventh game for the Devils this season.