The Flyers have become such welcome guests in New Jersey since the 2004-2005 NHL lockout. They bring plenty of paying fans, but they have gone home losers for 10 consecutive games.
“It’s unbelievable,” John Madden said after scoring twice to help the Devils sink Philadelphia again, 4-2 in Newark last night.
It’s been a month since the Devils caught fire, winning 11 (11-2-1) in 14 since Nov. 16, and last night was another test of their mettle. The Flyers sought to catch them atop the Atlantic Division, and the Devils were coming off a nasty loss at home a day earlier.
Instead, the Devils boarded their flight to Vancouver last night holding the second seed in the East and stretching their lead over the Flyers and Rangers (5-1 losers to the Coyotes) to four points.
“See the division [standings] on the board? And the conference? We knew exactly what was at stake,” said Martin Brodeur, who stuffed Daniel Briere’s second-period penalty shot as he ran his record to 13-1-1 in his past 15 games against the Flyers and is 3-1 this year.
The Flyers haven’t beaten the Devils in New Jersey since March 9, 2004 in the regular season, and April 14, 2004 in the playoffs. The Devils’ 10-victory home streak over the Flyers includes two shootout victories, and both games this year in Newark.
The win salvaged a split of the Devils’ back-to-back home pair after losing 4-1 to Phoenix Saturday, when they were ripped by Brent Sutter.
“It’s still going to be a long flight, but it will be fun now, anyway,” Brodeur said.
It was the Devils’ last game in Newark until they play host to Buffalo on Dec. 28. They visit Vancouver tomorrow, Edmonton Friday, and Calgary Sunday.
After a scoreless first, the Flyers took the lead on Brad Richards’ 15th goal, as the Devils allowed a power-play goal for the fourth straight game. Madden answered 2:09 later with New Jersey’s second power-play goal in five games, driving to the net to put away Karek Rachunek’s point rebound.
The crucial sequence came after Patrik Elias took a double minor, and just as the Flyers eventually went on their power play, Vitaly Vishnevski hooked Briere off a breakaway. Brodeur dropped his right knee and thwarted Briere’s penalty shot with his stick at 9:32, then Madden burned Briere for a short-hander and the lead.
“It was a key moment of the game, somewhat of a game-breaker, to make that save and then turn around and score a short-handed goal,” Brodeur said.
Briere knocked Madden down during the Flyer advantage, but Madden rose to join Jamie Langenbrunner on a 2-on-1, whipping the feed from the left wing past Antero Niittymaki at 10:12 for his 10th, and second short-handed. It was the second straight game the Devils scored a short- handed goal.
Arron Asham scored the eventual winner at 13:57 on a glove-side slot wrist shot off Zach Parise’s pass from behind the net.
Briere pulled the Flyers within one at 6:44 of the third, but Jamie Langenbrunner scored the empty-netter with 4.4 seconds left, after Madden selflessly passed away his chance at a hat trick.
Devils 4 Flyers 2