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Rolston, Elias help Devils double up Rangers

Dec 28, 2008 - 3:57 AM By Larry Fleisher PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- The New Jersey Devils crossed the Hudson River looking for some offense and it took them little time to find it.

Brian Rolston scored a power-play goal and Patrik Elias had a shorthanded tally as the Devils built a two-goal lead in the opening five minutes and posted 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday night.

Entering without a goal for 156 minutes, 22 seconds and coming off consecutive blankings for the first time in nearly three seasons, the Devils had 17 shots in the opening period and two goals on their first six shots.

"We couldn't score for two games, and it's not like we didn't have chances," Elias said. "But it helps when you score quickly."

"We got that over with pretty quickly," New Jersey coach Brent Sutter said. "I'm sure it was on some guys minds. So it was nice to get that off of our minds."

Travis Zajac netted what would turn out to the be the game-winner midway through the second period for the Devils, who had dropped their previous five regular-season visits (0-3-2) to Madison Square Garden.

"It was very important, especially coming off getting shut out the last two games," said Zajac, who tied a career high with three points.

"Getting that on the power play - it's a very big boost for us."

Zajac also had a pair of assists as he set up Elias' goal and Zach Parise's insurance tally in the third.

Scott Clemmensen also helped the Devils avoid their first three-game losing streak since they dropped four straight November 8-14. He made 17 of his 31 saves during the second period and improved to 8-2-1 in his last 11 appearances.

"I felt that we played well right from the start," Clemmensen said. "Tonight was just what we needed. To score two goals early was big."

Nigel Dawes scored a power-play goal and defenseman Dmitri Kalinin also tallied for the Rangers, who dropped their season-high third straight contest and second in a row to the Devils, who posted an 8-5 victory at the Prudential Center on December 12.

"It's the same thing that as been bugging us all year," captain Chris Drury said of the Rangers failing to play for 60 minutes. "We had spurts of it tonight."

"I think it's as simple as working," New York's Markus Naslund added. "They outworked us. We tried to come back both times but they put us too deep in the hole."

Henrik Lundqvist allowed four goals for the second straight contest and fell to 14-4-4 lifetime against New Jersey.

"Awful, it's brain dead hockey," Rangers coach Tom Renney said. "You try and cheat your way in to a win right off the bat. If we don't start the game down 2-0, we have a chance to win. We would have something to build on. It's a tough way to start.

New Jersey had gone scoreless in its last seven periods but saw its team-record drought end at 159 minutes, 18 seconds when Rolston netted his fourth goal by putting a slap shot from the point past Lundqvist, who was screened by David Clarkson.

Just 80 seconds later, the Devils capitalized on a miscue by Brandon Dubinsky on the power play. Dubinsky had trouble handling Drury's cross-ice pass at the right point and saw it get poked away by Zajac.

Zajac quickly fed it to Elias in the neutral zone, springing the former New Jersey captain on a breakaway. Elias finished the play by beating Lundqvist to the stick side and it was New York's league-worst 11th shorthanded goal allowed.

"Travis did a helluva job on the wall to battle for it," Elias said. "I slowed it down but it worked out."

"We let in another shorthanded goal," Lundqvist said. "Mentally it is tough to let in goals like that. We know that every goal is crucial."

The Rangers halved their deficit by scoring on the man advantage one minute later. Defenseman Paul Mara's right point shot was deflected by John Madden and the puck caromed to Dawes, who put a backhander past Clemmensen.

Clemmensen allowed two goals or fewer for the fifth straight start and was at his best during the middle session. He preserved the one-goal lead with a nice save on Drury and kept it two-goal contest during a New York power play when he made 10 saves in the final 2:50 of the period.

Before the late flurry, Clemmensen had some breathing room when Zajac scored his 10th goal with 8:48 remaining, beating Lundqvist with a blistering slap shot from the left circle.

New York made it a one-goal game 8:01 into the third when Kalinin netted his first in 56 games, beating Clemmensen with a blast from the left point.

Parise sealed it by converting a centering pass from captain Jamie Langenbrunner at the right doorstep.

"Tonight to get rewarded with goals is kind of carryover from the last two games and how we've been playing," Sutter said.