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Brodeur sets single-season wins mark by edging Flyers

Apr 6, 2007 - 8:10 AM PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Martin Brodeur continued to add to an impressive resume as one of the best goaltenders to play in the NHL.

Brodeur turned away 34 shots as he set the league's single-season record for victories with 48 as the New Jersey Devils posted a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Surpassing Bernie Parent, who set the mark with the Flyers in 1973-74, Brodeur (48-23-7) added another distinguished mark to a Hall of Fame career that includes two Vezina Trophies, three Stanley Cups, six 40-win seasons and nine All-Star Game appearances.

"Any time that you come close to their records or surpass them, it's almost unbelievable," Brodeur said. "As you grow up, you hear these names as a part of the history of the game. I'm still playing and getting closer to their records. Especially for this record, it was held for over thirty years.

"It's not an easy thing to do. I understand that shootouts are on the goalie's side now, but that's part of it. I wish that anyone that ever looks at the record has to mention Bernie Parent and his effort with a 78-game season and no shootouts, still having 47 wins."

Parent was in attendance for Brodeur's achievement, as was his retired No. 1 jersey in the rafters. However, the Hall of Famer never got a chance to personally congratulate Brodeur.

"No, I just got a note from him," Brodeur said. "I'll read it by myself when I get back home." The 32-year-old netminder collected 13 saves in the first period, eight in the second and stopped all 13 shots he faced in the third as the Devils took control of the game.

Afterward, Brodeur was thrilled that the record had been broken so that he and the team can return their focus that the playoffs and their quest for their first Stanley Cup title since 2003.

"We've been playing well lately, but whenever you have something like that playing over your head, it's a little distracting for everyone," he said. "It's nice to have done it in the way that we are accustomed to playing. It's nice that it's over with so that now we can move on and get ready for the playoffs."

"This is quite accomplishment for him," Devils coach Lou Lamoriello said. "I didn't think that something like this could happen with the type of season you have to play and the number of games to play in. He is deserving of it and so are the guys in the locker room that play in front of him."

Jim Dowd's shorthanded goal 8:46 into the third snapped a 2-2 tie en route to New Jersey clinching both an Atlantic Division title and the second seed in the Eastern Conference for the upcoming playoffs.

Although the Flyers were on the power play, Dowd picked up a loose puck in his team's zone, found Sergei Brylin streaking up the right boards and wristed a shot that beat Philadelphia goaltender Martin Biron to the right side.

"It was one of those where we got a lucky bounce at the blue after they tried to make a play," Dowd said. "Serge (Brylin) came back and stopped. I knew that he was coming over to me sooner or later, so I had to catch up to the play. It's a good thing that I didn't one time it or I would have missed the net."

"It was just a real poor decision with the puck," Philadelphia coach John Stevens said. "You can tell people for 10 years that they (the Devils) are going to take away the middle of the ice and expose the outside lanes. You have to skate the puck down the outside. Those soft plays in the middle of the ice are unacceptable and ended up costing us the hockey game."

With the win, the Devils captured their franchise-record 49th victory of the season, surpassing the mark accomplished in both 1997-98 and 2000-01. They have won their last four games, including two under Lamoriello since he replaced fired coach Claude Julien on Monday.

Jamie Langenbrunner had a power-play goal in the first period and Sergei Brylin finished with a goal and an assist for the Devils, who captured their fourth straight win, wrapping up a 7-0-1 record in the series with the Flyers.

Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne scored for Philadelphia, which lost for the fourth consecutive time.

Biron finished with 30 saves in falling to 5-8-2 in 15 starts with the Flyers.