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Langenbrunner steals show again as Devils win in overtime

Jan 31, 2009 - 5:22 AM By Joe Rizzo PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NEWARK, New Jersey (Ticker) -- The captain of the New Jersey Devils is turning into "Captain Overtime."

Jamie Langenbrunner capped his third straight two-goal performance Friday by scoring with exactly one minute remaining in overtime, lifting the Devils to a 4-3 comeback win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The 33-year-old Langenbrunner forged a 3-3 tie with 31 seconds remaining in the third period and veterans Bobby Holik and Brendan Shanahan also tallied in regulation for New Jersey, which extended its season-high winning streak to eight games.

The Devils have posted their longest string of victories since winning nine straight from November 17-December 7, 2007.

"We were down, but there was still a lot of confidence on the bench," New Jersey coach Brent Sutter said. "There was a lot of drive and focus in the guys. You could tell they thought they could still win the game."

Maxime Talbot and captain Sidney Crosby scored in a 20-second span midway through the first period and All-Star Evgeni Malkin added his 100th career goal for the Penguins, who fell in the opener of a three-game road trip.

"You have to play right through and you have to finish teams off," Crosby said. "As long as there's time left on that clock, they still have a chance to tie it."

Coming off a pedestrian 41-point campaign in 2007-08, Langenbrunner has matched that total through 49 games this season thanks to a torrid stretch this month, during which he has registered nine goals and 17 points in 13 contests.

"I think a few playoffs, I've gotten hot," Langenbrunner said. "But it feels good because I had a little bit of a struggle finding goals early in the year. I guess I'll ride this as long as I can."

The native of Duluth, Minnesota also netted the winning goal in Thursday's 4-3 overtime triumph over the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins.

"He's the leader on this team," said New Jersey's Travis Zajac, who had two assists. "He's won before, and he leads by example. He knows how to win games. I'd keep him out there the whole overtime, the way he's going now."

Langenbrunner secured the victory in the extra session in this one with a slap shot from the left faceoff circle that sailed by goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

Fleury, who made 39 saves, also was victimized late in the third as Langenbrunner sent a backhander off the skate of defenseman Ryan Whitney and into the vacant left side of the net.

"I think it hit my blocker and then Whitney's skate and just bounced in the net," Fleury said.

In the waning seconds of regulation, Malkin streaked in on a 2-on-1 and fed Pascal Dupuis for a slap shot that goaltender Scott Clemmensen knocked away. Crosby could not get into the play and complained to the referees through the entire break before overtime about being held up by New Jersey's Patrik Elias.

"If it was a different time in the game, they might have called that," Elias said. "But they didn't."

After Malkin gave Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead at 8:35 of the third, Shanahan converted during a power play 3:24 later for his third goal of the season.

Talbot and Crosby beat Clemmensen in a 20-second span midway through the first, but Holik used a backhander from the doorstep with 8:39 left in the session to halve the deficit.

"It's frustrating because we had the two points. It's a division rivalry, and they're playing good hockey right now," Talbot said. "But we have to refocus. We have a big game tomorrow (at Toronto)."

Clemmensen stopped 13 shots in improving to 22-9-1 on the season.