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Sabres-Devils Preview

Oct 23, 2010 - 4:46 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Buffalo (2-4-1) at New Jersey (2-4-1), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The New Jersey Devils haven't endured this poor a start at home in 27 years, and Martin Brodeur isn't expected to play a role in trying to end it.

Johan Hedberg will get his first start as the Devils attempt to end a four-game slide at Prudential Center against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.

New Jersey (2-4-1) is 0-3-1 in Newark so far for its worst home start since losing a club-record six in a row to open the 1983-84 season.

The Devils, however, have won two of three on the road behind shutouts from Brodeur, including a 24-save effort in a 1-0 overtime win at Buffalo (2-5-1) on Oct. 13.

New Jersey is 5-1-1 in its last seven meetings with the Sabres.

Brodeur turned in another sterling performance Thursday, making 29 stops in his hometown en route to a 3-0 win at Montreal. The four-time Vezina Trophy winner extended his NHL records with his 604th win and 112th shutout.

"It's nice to have shutouts but definitely wins is what we're looking for right now," he said.

Carrying that momentum back home will be key, but New Jersey will have to try and continue it without Brodeur, who has made it least 70 starts in 10 of the last 11 seasons and is being rested.

Hedberg's only appearance this season came in a 7-2 loss at Washington on Oct. 9, making seven saves on nine shots after replacing Brodeur at the start of the third period.

The 37-year-old Swede spent the last four seasons with Atlanta, going 21-16-6 with a 2.62 goals-against average and three shutouts in 2009-10. He's 12-2-1 with a tie and a 2.60 GAA in 17 games against the Sabres.

Ilya Kovalchuk is confident Hedberg - a former Thrashers teammate - can stay successful.

"He's going to give us 110 percent," Kovalchuk told the Devils' official website. "Every practice, every game, he gives it his all. He's a great competitor and he's going to battle hard. He's going to give us a great game. He won a lot of games for us in Atlanta. I'm sure he's going to do the same thing here."

Kovalchuk is tied with center Jason Arnott for the team lead with five points. The All-Star right wing, however, has scored four of his points at home with the only away one coming when he beat Buffalo's Ryan Miller for the game-winning goal last week.

Kovalchuk has 19 goals and 12 assists in his last 29 games against the Sabres.

Buffalo is opening a four-game road trip after dropping to 0-4-1 at home with a 4-2 loss to Ottawa on Friday.

Derek Roy has cooled considerably, getting one goal and one assist in five games. The center's sluggish stretch started with a scoreless effort against New Jersey after scoring four goals with an assist in the first three contests.

Miller, who had 28 saves Friday, will likely be in net again after a 34-save performance in the most recent meeting with the Devils. He's won his last two starts at New Jersey while allowing one goal on total 56 shots.