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Lightning-Devils Preview

Jan 8, 2010 - 2:29 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Tampa Bay (16-16-10) at New Jersey (30-10-1), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The New Jersey Devils have never won three straight at home via shutout. The way Martin Brodeur is playing, they definitely have a chance at accomplishing this feat.

With Brodeur expected to be in net, the Eastern Conference-leading Devils will try to win their seventh straight at home and 11th in a row over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night.

After making 32 saves in his previous home start - a 2-0 victory over Pittsburgh on Dec. 30 - Brodeur stopped 28 shots and extended his league record with his 106th career shutout in Tuesday's 4-0 win over Dallas. Brodeur, who leads the NHL with 27 wins, has three shutouts in his last seven starts and is among the league leaders with five.

New Jersey (30-10-1) has posted back-to-back shutout wins at home for the sixth time in franchise history.

"(Brodeur is) probably playing at his best," said Devils coach Jacques Lemaire, whose team has won 16 of its last 20 games. "You can tell. He's playing with confidence."

Brodeur, 3-0-0 with a 1.91 GAA in three starts versus the Lightning this season, has won six consecutive starts in this matchup. He anchors a defense that is among the best in the NHL, allowing 2.15 goals per game.

New Jersey, which has outscored opponents 19-6 during its home winning streak, has won all three matchups with the Lightning this season by one goal.

The last five games between these clubs have been decided by one goal, with six of the last eight finished after regulation.

After New Jersey pulled out a pair of shootout wins at Tampa Bay in October, the Devils extended their winning streak in this series as captain Jamie Langenbrunner deflected in the game-winner with 38.1 seconds left in a 3-2 victory at the Prudential Center on Dec. 4.

Langenbrunner, second on the Devils with 37 points, has five goals and three assists during his five-game point streak.

While New Jersey is continuing its push for a third consecutive division title, Tampa Bay (16-16-10) is trying to bounce back from a loss in what has been a solid stretch of hockey for the club.

With a chance at winning three straight on the road for the first time in two seasons, the Lightning opened their three-game trip Wednesday with a 5-3 loss to Buffalo. Tampa Bay, which is 5-2-1 following a five-game losing streak, gave up three goals to the Sabres in the opening 2:11.

"Obviously not the way you want to start a game," Mike Smith said after making 30 saves in his seventh straight start. "That put us behind the 8-ball right off the bat. I didn't even have a chance to get a sweat in."

In his only appearance against New Jersey this season, Smith made 31 saves in a 4-3 shootout loss Oct. 8. Smith will likely get the start with Antero Niittymaki still in Tampa due to the premature birth of his daughter last month.

With three goals against New Jersey this season, Martin St. Louis will try to extend his point streak to nine. He has four goals and seven assists during this stretch.

Second-year center Steven Stamkos has not enjoyed as much success lately, going six straight games without a goal. Stamkos leads the Lightning with 21 goals and has found the back of the net three times versus the Devils this season.

Tampa Bay's last victory over New Jersey was 3-1 on Oct. 4, 2007.