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Jagr makes history with hat trick as Devils down Flyers

Jan 4, 2015 - 7:08 AM Newark, NJ (SportsNetwork.com) - Jaromir Jagr recorded his first hat trick in almost nine years and set a league record in the process, Cory Schneider came up with 18 saves, and New Jersey pounded Philadelphia by a 5-2 count at Prudential Center.

Jagr became the oldest player in NHL history to score three times in one contest, doing so at 42 years, 322 days. Gordie Howe held the previous mark on his three-goal effort at the age of 41. The Czech veteran also crept closer to Phil Esposito (717) on the league's all-time goals list, finishing the night with 714 career tallies.

"I like to score a hat trick but I don't like to be the oldest guy. I don't want to be the oldest," Jagr quipped.

Scott Gomez added a goal and two assists with Patrik Elias providing the other marker for the Devils, who won for just the third time in their last 13 games.

Andrew MacDonald and Vincent Lecavalier scored once each for the Flyers, who finished their eight-game road trip at 3-4-1 after losing their final five dates.

Ray Emery allowed three goals on 10 shots in the first period to take the loss. Steve Mason finished up with just six saves on eight shots.

"We didn't do any justice to ourselves these last couple games," said Mason. "These are points that were there for the taking. We should've had four points from them, and came up with some pretty flat efforts. At this point of the year, we don't need to keep saying it, but it's completely unacceptable."

Team captain and second-ranking scorer Claude Giroux did not play, one night after suffering a skate cut to the back of his left leg in Carolina. It ended his streak of 168 consecutive regular-season appearances.

The Devils recorded the game's first goal with 6:40 remaining in the opening period. Emery played the puck behind his net, but a backhanded clear instead found the stick of Adam Henrique, and Jagr poked it home with a backhander from behind the goal line.

Elias scored just over two minutes later from the right side on a power play, after all four Flyers penalty killers drifted to the left side to watch Martin Havlat's cross-ice pass.

It was 3-0 for the hosts on a Jagr wrister with less than four seconds to go. He stripped Flyers defenseman Mark Streit near the blue line and within the span of several strides, uncorked a trademark wrister from the right wing.

New Jersey went up by four just before the midway point of regulation, as Gomez buried a low shot inside the right post to finish off a 4-on-2 break.

The rout continued and history was made at the 12:32 mark, when Gomez set up behind Mason and flipped a pass in front where Jagr, sliding towards the crease, was able to direct the puck in to cap his trifecta.

MacDonald finally punctured Schneider on a blast with 3:22 remaining before intermission, and Lecavalier fired through an R.J. Umberger screen at 5:59 of the third for a power-play strike.

Game Notes

Jagr recorded his 15th NHL hat trick and first since March 22, 2006, when he scored all three goals for the Rangers in a 6-3 loss to the Flyers at Madison Square Garden ... Prior to the contest, the Devils recalled defenseman Mark Fraser from Albany of the AHL ... Philly had not dropped five in a row without gaining a point beyond regulation since Nov. 27-Dec. 7, 2009, a losing skid which included the removal of John Stevens and installation of Peter Laviolette as head coach ... The Flyers also played without forward Scott Laughton, deemed day-to-day with a lower-body injury.