Nov 29, 2008 - 6:27 AM
0 shoutsNew Jersey (12-7-2) at Pittsburgh (13-6-3), 7:30 pm EST
PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The New Jersey Devils have vanquished four teams with losing records during their five-game winning streak.
However, goaltender Scott Clemmensen and the Devils will certainly be tested when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday with hopes of extending their season-best run.
Clemmensen has stepped up enough to not only grasp the starting job over Kevin Weekes, but enable the Devils to rebound from a 1-5-0 skid in the wake of Martin Brodeur's elbow injury, which will keep him out for at least another three months.
The 31-year-old Clemmensen is 4-2-0 with a 2.48 goals-against average and notched a career-high in wins by making 35 saves in the Devils' 3-2 overtime victory against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday. He has started five of their last six contests.
Injured center John Madden did not practice Friday after missing the last three games with a bruised left ankle and will not accompany the team to Pittsburgh.
Defenseman Mike Mottau will return from his two-game suspension for a high hit on New York Islanders center Frans Nielsen during a 5-2 win on November 21.
Pittsburgh is coming off a 4-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Friday and has struggled without injured starting netminder Marc-Andre Fleury.
Fleury has not started since November 15 after suffering a lower-body injury and the Penguins are 2-2-1 since.
Dany Sabourin had started four straight games, but was lifted midway through the second period in a 5-3 win over the Islanders on Wednesday and then sat in favor of rookie John Curry against the Sabres.
Evgeni Malkin has six goals and 13 assists in the last 10 games and leads the NHL with 37 points.
Captain Sidney Crosby scored two goals against Buffalo and has eight points in his last four contests. Crosby's 30 points are tied with three other players for second in the league.
From the Bleachers
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NEW JERSEY: 1
PITTSBURGH: 4
Final
Nov 29 10:05 PM -
NHL
NEW JERSEY 1
PITTSBURGH 4
3RD PRD: PIT - (EN) SIDNEY CROSBY 13 (EVGENI MALKIN, MIKE ZIGOMANIS)
17:59
Nov 29 10:01 PM -
NHL
NEW JERSEY 1
PITTSBURGH 3
3RD PRD: NJD - MIKE RUPP 2 (PATRIK ELIAS, BRIAN GIONTA) 1:54
Nov 29 9:31 PM -
NEW JERSEY: 0
PITTSBURGH: 3
End of 2nd
Nov 29 9:09 PM -
NHL
NEW JERSEY 0
PITTSBURGH 3
2ND PRD: PIT - SIDNEY CROSBY 12 (EVGENI MALKIN) 11:29
Nov 29 8:55 PM -
NHL
NEW JERSEY 0
PITTSBURGH 2
2ND PRD: PIT - PETR SYKORA 5 (SIDNEY CROSBY, TYLER KENNEDY) 7:26
Nov 29 8:47 PM -
NEW JERSEY: 0
PITTSBURGH: 1
End of 1st
Nov 29 8:15 PM -
NHL
NEW JERSEY 0
PITTSBURGH 1
1ST PRD: PIT - SIDNEY CROSBY 11 (MIROSLAV SATAN) 1:21
Nov 29 7:41 PM
