NHL : Back-to-back goals net victory for New Jersey
Scott Gomez and Sergei Brylin scored power-play goals 28 seconds apart in the third period Friday night to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 2-1 win over the Atlanta Thrashers in East Rutherford, N.J.
Martin Brodeur made 25 saves, and New Jersey won for the fourth time in five games. The Devils also ended a six-game losing streak against the Thrashers.
The victory gave the Atlantic Division-leading Devils 56 points, pulling them even with the Thrashers – the top team in the Southeast Division – for second place in the Eastern Conference.
Scott Mellanby scored for the Thrashers. Atlanta held the lead entering the third period in each of the last four defeats.
The Devils made the most of a 5-on-3 advantage, scoring the tying and winning goals against Kari Lehtonen during the power play.
Atlanta’s goal came late in the first period. Mellanby, who had missed 10 games with an upper body injury, celebrated his return by scoring at 17:12.
Mellanby deflected Ilya Kovalchuk’s point shot over Brodeur just as an Atlanta power play expired.
Predators 2, Blue Jackets 0: At Nashville, Tenn., Shea Weber had a goal and an assist, Tomas Vokoun stopped 22 shots, and Nashville beat Columbus.
Jason Arnott also scored in the game in which each team had a goal waved off in the opening minutes because of goalie interference.
Wild 4, Oilers 2: At Edmonton, Alberta, Marian Gaborik scored twice and Minnesota beat Edmonton.
Brian Rolston and Keith Carney also scored for Minnesota, which moved into a second-place tie with Vancouver in the Northwest Division, one point behind Calgary.
It was the second consecutive two-goal night for Gaborik.
Off the ice
Los Angeles goalie Dan Cloutier underwent hip surgery in Colorado and will be out indefinitely, the Kings reported. … Brent Johnson signed a two-year contract extension with the Washington Capitals that will pay the backup goalie $1.625 million. … The New York Rangers claimed center Jason Krog off waivers from the Atlanta Thrashers.