The beating goes on
PITTSBURGH — The New Jersey Devils' road winning streak keeps going on and on. Or exactly how an unaccustomed run of losing feels to the beaten-up Pittsburgh Penguins.
Niclas Bergfors had a goal and two assists and the Devils closed within a victory of tying the NHL record of 10 consecutive road victories to start a season, beating the slumping Penguins 4-1 Thursday night.
Zach Parise added a goal and an assist, Travis Zajac had three assists and Martin Brodeur made 25 saves as New Jersey improved to 9-0 on the road. The Devils can tie the road streak record, set by Buffalo in 2006-07, Monday in Philadelphia.
New Jersey, 4-4 at home, won its seventh in a row overall and, with 26 points, tied idle Washington for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby ended a career-worst five-game scoreless streak by assisting on Ruslan Fedotenko's goal in the first period, but still had a frustrating night as the Stanley Cup champions lost their fourth in a row.
With the Penguins down 3-1 midway through the third, Crosby put a backhander off the left post and a wrist shot off the right post seconds apart during a failed power play — Pittsburgh's 25th in a row. Crosby then trimmed a minute off the power play by taking a holding penalty.
"Two posts was not easy (to take) right now," Crosby said. "It's a matter of time. That's how hockey works. It's not always fair and it doesn't always seem like it's right. I thought there were some chances to be had and some goals to be had."
Just not by the Penguins on the power play.
They haven't scored with the man advantage since star Evgeni Malkin left the lineup Oct. 29 with a strained right shoulder, one of six injured players currently out of their lineup. Last season's scoring champion took part in the morning skate and could return as early as Saturday against Boston.
New Jersey took a 2-1 lead late in the second after Pittsburgh's Bill Guerin went off for interference. Andy Greene's one-timer from the center point banked off Penguins rookie defenseman Ben Lovejoy, who was called up from the minors earlier in the day, and eluded goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Zajac and Bergfors both assisted.
Fleury is 2-6 after beginning the season 8-0. He has lost four in a row for the first time since Dec. 27-Jan. 5, and the Penguins are 12-7 after starting 12-3.
"We got used to winning, so it's frustrating to get those losses," Fleury said.
Notes: Penguins D Brooks Orpik is expected to be out for about two weeks with an undisclosed injury that occurred during a collision along the end boards with Bruins D Mark Stuart Tuesday. ... Brodeur remains one shutout away from tying Terry Sawchuk's league record of 103.
