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Caps G Johnson earns first win in more than two months

Feb 24, 2007 - 9:33 PM EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Brent Johnson's parting gift in his final regular-season trip to the Meadowlands was his first win in more than two months.

Johnson made 29 saves and Alexander Semin collected a goal and an assist as the Capitals snapped a seven-game road losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils.

With Olaf Kolzig sidelined with a knee injury, Johnson made his fifth straight start for Washington. He was beaten by Cam Janssen midway through the second period and Jay Pandolfo in the third but held on for his first win since December 15.

"I've been feeling better every game," Johnson said. "When you get repetition - everything is memory-based - you feel good, you feel comfortable."

Matt Pettinger chipped in a shorthanded goal and Boyd Gordon picked up a pair of assists for the Capitals, who won for just the second time in their last 15 road games (2-12-1). They halted a six-game losing streak against the Devils and a seven-game slide in New Jersey, where they had not won since March 29, 2002.

"No one's quitting here," Johnson said. "A quick five (wins) in a row and we're nipping at someone's heels."

The first-place Devils were coming off an emotional home-and-home sweep of the archrival New York Rangers but could not take advantage of Janssen's first NHL goal and had a three-game winning streak snapped. It was New Jersey's fifth regulation loss in 26 games (19-4-3).

"Obviously, we didn't have our best game," Devils coach Claude Julien said. "It took us a couple of periods to get going and by that time, the damage was done."

Washington managed just one shot in the first 8 1/2 minutes of the game, then took the lead on its second. Defenseman Milan Jurcina's wrister from just inside the blue line appeared to hit Devils defenseman Brad Lukowich and deflected past goaltender Martin Brodeur. It was Jurcina's first goal in 10 games since he was acquired from Boston on February 1.

"I was just trying to get the puck at the net," said Jurcina, whose goal initially was credited to Alex Ovechkin.

Semin made it 2-0 at 2:18 of the second. Kris Beech banked a pass from inside his own blue line off the right boards that the 22-year-old Russian corraled in the Devils' zone. Semin darted to the net and lifted a backhander over Brodeur, who made an unsuccessful poke check.

Pettinger scored the Capitals' 12th shorthanded goal of the season just over two minutes later, beating Brodeur on a breakaway after Gordon intercepted a pass from Jamie Langenbrunner.

"They had the jump," said Brodeur, who made 26 saves. "They created a lot of stuff out of nothing, throwing the puck at guys with a lot of speed all night. They had a lot of quality chances, especially in the second period."

Janssen got New Jersey on the board at 10:33 of the second. After coming out of the penalty box, he got a pass from Pandolfo and fired a blast from the top of the right faceoff circle into the top left corner of the net.

"It was awesome, it was awesome. My mom and dad were in town," Janssen said. "But we didn't win and that (stinks)."

Johnson blunted any Devils' momentum when he stopped John Madden on a 2-on-1 with just over a minute to go in the second and smothered Zach Parise's deflection during a delayed penalty early in the third.

"When we started to claw and get back in it, their goalie made some big saves," Julien said.

New Jersey could not convert on the ensuing power play and Tomas Fleischmann sealed the win at 4:22. A day after he was recalled from Hershey of the AHL, he came out of the penalty box and was sent in on a breakaway by Gordon. Brodeur again came out to challenge the shooter, but Fleischmann chipped the puck over the sliding goalie for his first NHL goal.

"I was scared in the penalty box," Fleischmann said. "It was 3-1 and if they score, it's 3-2. ... But I'm happy that the goal helped (us) to win. Now I finally know the feeling of scoring in the NHL."

Pandolfo got the Devils within 4-2 with 5:58 remaining, but New Jersey could not convert on its fourth power play before Langenbrunner took a hooking penalty at 16:52.