Penguins suffer another OT loss
NEWARK, N.J. — For the first time in a while, Ilya Kovalchuk wasn’t at his best.
It didn’t stop the $100 million man from scoring yet another winning goal for the New Jersey Devils.
Kovalchuk scored on a power play with 24.9 seconds left in overtime and Martin Brodeur made 25 saves as the Devils continued their remarkable playoff push with a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins Friday night.
“Marty was really good,” Devils coach Jacques Lemaire said. “Not as much Kovy. Kovy scored the big goal. That’s what he is getting paid for, but tonight I know he can play better. He can play better.”
The goal was the second straight winner for Kovalchuk, his sixth in the last 12 games and his ninth of the season.
“I’m not doing anything differently,” said Kovalchuk, whose giveaway set up the Penguins’ goal by Tyler Kennedy. “I just knew we would get our chance in the end. I gave the puck away on the goal in the second period and I felt like I had to do something to get it back.”
Kovalchuk’s 23rd goal of the season gave New Jersey its 19th win in 23 games (19-2-2) and handed the injury ravaged Penguins their eighth loss in 10 games (2-5-3).
New Jersey is nine points behind eighth-place Carolina.
“We’re playing our game right now,” said Travis Zajac, who got the Devils’ other goal.
The winner came with the Devils on their only power play of the game. Zbynek Michalek was sent off for hooking at 2:46 of the overtime and the exhausted Penguins blocked most of the Devils chances until Brent Johnson made an amazing sliding save on Patrik Elias near the left corner of the net.
Johnson could not regain his footing and Elias made a diving pass to get the puck to Kovalchuk between the circles for a shot into a wide-open net that allowed the Devils to celebrate again.
The Penguins played well despite still being without Sidney Crosby (concussion).
“We thought we deserved better,” Pittsburgh forward Mike Rupp said. “The bottom line is things haven’t gone our way so we are going to keep building off it and keep going and eventually we’ll be able to get out of the little funk we are in and start winning these games.”
The Penguins played most of the game with five defensemen after Kris Letang got an early game misconduct for not tying down his jersey.
“Losing a defenseman early is never easy but I thought the guys stepped up and really played well,” said Johnson, who had 28 saves.
Both teams had chances to break the tie in the third period with Brian Rolston coming closest when he hit the crossbar with just over 4 minutes to play after being set up by kick pass from Dainius Zubrus.
Kennedy probably had the Penguins best chance, handcuffing Brodeur with a shot from the right circle early in the period.
