Final
Shanahan, Devils dump Thrashers
Jan 20, 2009 - 4:53 AM By Jim Diamond PA SportsTicker Contributing WriterNASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- Brendan Shanahan did not waste much time making an impact in his season debut as the New Jersey Devils recorded a 3-1 triumph over the Nashville Predators on Monday.
David Clarkson also tallied and All-Star Zach Parise added an empty-net goal for New Jersey, which concluded its six-game road trip by winning four in a row to finish with a 5-1-0 record.
"Anytime you go on a six-game road trip and go 5-1, you've done a lot of things pretty well," New Jersey coach Brent Sutter said. "As the trip went on, we got better and better."
Brian Rolston and John Madden notched two assists apiece and Scott Clemmensen picked up his 18th win following a 33-save performance for the Devils.
"We have been playing some good hockey lately, and obviously this road trip was a huge success for us," Rolston said.
Radek Bonk scored and Pekka Rinne turned aside 32 shots for Nashville, which dropped its ninth in its last 12 games.
"We just haven't been able to bury any pucks to get some points in games lately," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "Hopefully our fortunes will change over the final 36 games."
After a scoreless first period, New Jersey struck early in the second.
With the Devils on a 5-on-3 power play, Shanahan carried the puck in along the goal line from the left side, deked defender Greg Zanon to the ice and slid the puck by Rinne on the far side.
"I was thinking pass, but the defenseman left his feet a little early, so I just put the puck on net," Shanahan said. "The goal certainly gave me a bit of a boost."
Shanahan was playing in his first game this season after signing as a free agent with New Jersey on January 15. He picked the right foe to face in his debut, as his 23 goals scored against the Predators are the most of any Nashville opponent.
"I was able to get a few good shifts in the first period to find my legs and then put one away in the second," said Shanahan, who recorded a game-high six shots on goal in 13:59 of ice time said.
"I probably played a bit more than I expected, but I felt good."
Sutter was pleased with the performance.
"Shanny played great for us," Sutter said.
Clarkson doubled the New Jersey lead at 3:21 of the second.
Rolston fired a slap shot from the high slot. Clarkson, who was stationed just to the left of Rinne, tipped the puck by the Finnish netminder for his 10th goal of the season.
The goal extended Clarkson's point-scoring streak to a career-high five games.
Bonk put the Predators on the scoreboard with 5:48 remaining in the third with a power-play goal.
With Bonk and New Jersey defenseman Bryce Salvador in front of Clemmensen, former Devil Jason Arnott fired a slap shot from above the left circle. The shot appeared to strike Salvador and then squeezed between the pads of Clemmensen, just trickling across the goal line inside the left post.
"The effort was there, but we just didn't win," Arnott said. "We battled, but we just didn't get the outcome, and that is the bottom line."
Parise's empty-net goal capped the scoring for New Jersey.
- NHL
FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
NEW JERSEY 0 2 1 3
NASHVILLE 0 0 1 1 FINAL
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: NONE
2ND PRD: NJD - (PP) BRENDAN SHANAHAN 1 (BRIAN ROLSTON, JAMIE
LANGENBRUNNER) 1:38
NJD - DAVID CLARKSON 10 (BRIAN ROLSTON, JOHN MADDEN) 3:21
3RD PRD: NAS - (PP) RADEK BONK 5 (JASON ARNOTT, RYAN SUTER) 14:12
NJD -
Jan 19 10:36 PM - NHL
NEW JERSEY 3
NASHVILLE 1
3RD PRD: NJD - (EN) ZACH PARISE 27 (PATRIK ELIAS, JOHN MADDEN) 19:46
Devils 3, Predators 1 3rd - 0:14Jan 19 10:35 PM - NHL
NEW JERSEY 2
NASHVILLE 1
3RD PRD: NAS - (PP) RADEK BONK 5 (JASON ARNOTT, RYAN SUTER) 14:12
Devils 2, Predators 1 3rd - 5:48Jan 19 10:24 PM - NHL
END OF THE 2ND 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
NEW JERSEY 0 2 2
NASHVILLE 0 0 0 END OF THE 2ND
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: NONE
2ND PRD: NJD - (PP) BRENDAN SHANAHAN 1 (BRIAN ROLSTON, JAMIE
LANGENBRUNNER) 1:38
NJD - DAVID CLARKSON 10 (BRIAN ROLSTON, JOHN MADDEN) 3:21
SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -
Jan 19 9:37 PM - NHL
NEW JERSEY 2
NASHVILLE 0
2ND PRD: NJD - DAVID CLARKSON 10 (BRIAN ROLSTON, JOHN MADDEN) 3:21
Devils 2, Predators 0 2nd - 16:39Jan 19 9:07 PM - NHL
NEW JERSEY 1
NASHVILLE 0
2ND PRD: NJD - (PP) BRENDAN SHANAHAN 1 (BRIAN ROLSTON, JAMIE
LANGENBRUNNER) 1:38
Devils 1, Predators 0 2nd - 18:22Jan 19 9:04 PM - NHL
END OF THE 1ST 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
NEW JERSEY 0 0
NASHVILLE 0 0 END OF THE 1ST
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: NONE
SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
NJD 8 8
NAS 14 14
GOALIES: NJD - SCOTT CLEMMENSEN
NAS - PEKKA RINNE
Jan 19 8:42 PM
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