Fire & Ice

No practice today; Langenbrunner makes team history

Sorry. I failed to mention earlier that the Devils had the day off today. The team will get back to work Sunday morning, but their next game isn't until Tuesday against Washington.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, Jamie Langenbrunner is the first Devil to score overtime goals on consecutive nights or in consecutive games.

Langenbrunner has scored the winning goal in the Devils' last three games (one in regulation and two in OT) and has three consecutive two-goal games.

Shanahan can't lose

The Devils not only have won eight consecutive games, but also all five that Brendan Shanahan has played in since signing with the team.

In fact, he has not seen the team lose since he joined them in Columbus for his first practice on Jan. 15 and has scored three goals in his five games.

"It's been fun," he said. "It's been good timing, fortunate for me. Obviously, I came at a good time. I think also you've got to look at some of the guys we have out of the lineup. They're really good players and they're going to be very important for us down the stretch and there's not a guy in the lineup that doesn't recognize the importance of those guys and I think that competition and knowing that there are very good players that deserve to be in the lineup pushes everybody harder."

That seemed to be a nod toward Jay Pandolfo who came out of the lineup when Shanahan played in his first game in Nashville on Jan. 19 and has not played since.

Devils smoking in overtime

Apparently, it takes a smoke bomb to beat the Devils in overtime this season.

Tonight's 4-3 win over the Penguins was the Devils' seventh in overtime this season and they have lost only once in the extra session. As some of you probably remember, that loss came on Oct 25 in Philadelphia. Jeff Carter scored the winning goal 30 seconds after play was stopped because a fan threw a smoke bomb on the ice that slid to a stop near the Devils' bench. (The alleged culprit was finally arrested by Philadelphia police last week).

Other than that, the Devils have been perfect in overtime this season.

"I think the advantage we have is we roll four groups and when you have that many guys going, you're fresh the whole way," said Jamie Langenbrunner, who scored his second overtime winner in as many nights tonight. "Our D are such good skaters and are good at moving the puck and getting up with the play, that that's a huge advantage. Two on two is tough, but when the D joins in that makes it a lot harder on the other team."

Langenbrunner does it again in 4-3 OT win over Pittsburgh

So, what exactly did Jamie Langenbrunner do during the all-star break?

That was the question I asked the Devils captain after he scored the tying and winning goals in a 4-3 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at Prudential Center.

"I just relaxed I guess," Langenbunner said of his all-star break. "The first half of the year I was gripping the stick really tight. It wasn't that I wasn't getting the opportunities. It's just that when you're gripping it tight, you seem to miss them. And for whatever reason I  feel just a little more relaxed out there and the puck is finding its way in the net." 

After scoring the tying goal with 30.1 seconds left in regulation, Langenbrunner completed the Devils' comeback from a 3-1 third period deficit with his winning goal with 1:00 left in overtime to extend the team's winning streak to eight games..

Travis Zajac set it up with a cross-ice feed from the right circle to Langenbrunner in the left circle for a one-timer past goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Zajac looked shot first, which froze Fleury, before passing to Langenbrunner, who had a half-empty net to shoot into. 

"That was unbelievable," Langenbrunner said. "I just watched the replay doing an interview with Stan (Fischler) and he froze him completely and it was right on my tape. I had pretty much the entire net to shoot at."

Langenbrunner has three consecutive two-goal games since the all-star break after scoring only eight goals in 47 games before the break. It was his second OT winner in as many nights. He scored 1:11 into overtime in Thursday's 4-3 win in Boston.

The Devils came back from a 3-2 deficit late in that one.

Langenbrunner credited his turnaround to some conversations with former Devils massage therapist Juergen Merz, who often used mind relaxation techniques to help struggling players get out of slumps during his time with the team.

"I've been getting phone calls from my buddy Juergie and we talk things through all the time and sometimes it eventually kicks in," he said. "He does a good job of just settling you down...I have to give a lot of credit to him."

Langenbrunner said he saw Merz during the Devils' trip out west ealier this month, "and then I talked to him a few more times."

Live blog: Devils trail 3-2 in third

Brendan Shanahan's power-play goal at 11:59 of the third period has pulled the Devils within 3-2 of the Penguins tonight.

Evgeni Malkin scored at 8:35 of the third to up Pittsburgh's lead to 3-1. He beat Scott Clemmensen between the pads with a wrist shot from the right circle for his 20th goal of the season and the 100th of his career. That was a bad goal for Clemmensen.

Shanahan beat Marc-Andre Fleury with a slap shot from the top of the left circle that went through a screen provided by Dainius Zubrus. Zubrus started the play by winning a left circle draw from Maxime Talbot.

The Devils could not convert on the remainder of Sidney Crosby's slashing penalty with 53 seconds left in the second.

The crowd turned out to be a pretty good one.

It was hard to tell what happened to Evgeni Malkin on that collision with Mike Mottau in the left corner 1:29 into the period, but  he appeared to be hurting. He's still on the bench, though.

Marc-Andre Fleury made a good glove save on Bobby Holik's shot from the right circle at 3:23. That might have been his best save of the night.

Malkin is back out there. He did not miss a shift.

Fleury seems to have some strange mystical force over the Devils. He leaves pucks all over the place, but the Devils can't put them in the net.

The shots were 7-6 Devils in the second period.

Devils bracing for Penguins; Clemmensen to start again

Scott Clemmensen will start in net again and there will be no other lineup changes for the Devils tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins Prudential Center.

That means left wing Jay Pandolfo and defensemen Jay Leach and Sheldon Brookbank will be the healthy scratches again. It will be Clemmensen's sixth consecutive start.

Marc-Andre Fleury will start in net for the Penguins.

The Devils have won their last seven games and are coming off a wild, 4-3 overtime victory in Boston on Thursday night. Devils coach Brent Sutter said he is not worried about his team having a letdown tonight after an emotional win 24 hours before.

Why?

"I guess the biggest thing is there is experience in the room, there's quality leadership  and I think the way we've responded so far for a lot of different reason in a lot of different ways," Sutter said this afternoon. "I'm not worried about us not playing well tonight. Coming off a big win like last night, you don't want to have a letdown and we know our opponent is a divisional game and they've been playing pretty well recently too. So we have to be ready to play."

Strange night for calls and non-calls, too

Devils coach Brent Sutter tried to bite his tongue when asked after tonight's game about the interference penalty called on Mike Rupp with 8:31 left in the third period, but it was clear he did not like it. It was definitely a questionable one with Marc Savard helping to sell it to the officials.

And Dennis Wideman scored the goal that gave Boston a 3-2 lead only one second after the penalty expired.

"I don't really want to get into it," Sutter said. "You guys saw it as well as I did. I looked at as it's pretty big game and at a critical time and you've got two very good teams, but I'm not going to into the refs' situation. But I think everyone could see it."

Clemmensen savors win in Boston

It was far from pretty, but Devils goaltender Scott Clemmensen was pleased to come away as the winning goaltender in tonight's 4-3 overtime victory over the Bruins at TD Banknorth Garden.

Clemmensen improved to 2-1 in his career in three NHL starts at the new Garden, where he often played during his four years at Boston College.

He had to survive blowing a 2-0 third period lead and falling behind 3-2 to get tonight's win, though.

"It's always tough to win in this league and I'll take the wins any way I can," Clemmensen said. "To come here in Boston, just the city itself, will hold a special place for me, always. I had four good years at BC and have a lot of good friends in the area still. A lot of great memories in this building as well. It's always special to come to Boston and play here against one of the best teams in the league right now, the Boston Bruins."

Langenbrunner's OT goal caps wild night in Boston

Well, that was one crazy third period and overtime tonight in the Devils' 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins at TD Banknorth Garden.

Jamie Langenbrunner scored on a rebound 1:11 into overtime to extend the Devils' winning streak to seven games and put them one point ahead of Washington and into second place in the Eastern Conference.

Langenbrunner's winning goal was the only clean goal the Devils scored all night. Colin White took the initial shot from the left point. Tim Thomas made a pad save, but left a rebound in front. Travis Zajac battled to keep the puck alive and got it over to Langenbrunner on his right. Langenbrunner spun around and swept in into the right side of the net for his second goal of the game and fourth in the last two games. 

"I took a swing at it and then (Zajac) tipped it and it just kind of sat right there and I spun around," Langenbrunner said.

Live blog: Savard pulls Boston even at 2-2 in the third

Marc Savard's goal at 7:11 of the third period has pulled the Boston Bruins into a 2-2 with the Devils tonight at TD Banknorth Garden.

The Devils led 2-0 entering the period.

After Milan Lucic's initial shot hit the right side of the net, Phil Kessel got the puck behind the net and passed out to Savard, who beat Scott Clemenensen to the short side with a shot from outside the left side of the creaes.

A goal credited to Chuck Kobasew 2:19 into third period cut the Devils' lead to 2-1.

After getting some bounces to go their way in the first two periods, this time the Bruins got the break.

It started with Scott Clemmensen mishandling Patrice Bergeron's dump-in behind the Devils' net. Kobasew stole the puck and tried a wraparound into the empty net, but hit the left post.

The puck was still loose, however, and in an attempt to clear it, Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador knocked it inside the right post. Although the on-ice officials signaled no goal, the video replay clearly showed that the puck was in the net before before Clemmensen reach in and pulled it out with his catching glove.

Colin White was holding his throat as he went off  with trainer Richard Stinziano with 13:21 left in the period. Boston's David Krejci hit White in the throat with his stick.

White came back on the bench by the next whistle, though.

Zach Parise's power-play goal with 6:21 left in the second period had increased the Devils' lead to 2-0.

The Devils played a strong second period, outshooting the Bruins, 13-5.