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Rolling Devils host cellar-dwelling Senators

Mar 8, 2011 - 4:06 PM (Sports Network) - The sizzling New Jersey Devils will aim for a fifth consecutive victory this evening, when they host the cellar-dwelling Ottawa Senators tonight at Prudential Center.

The Devils' four-game winning streak gives the club an amazing 20-2-2 record over the last 24 games and has helped New Jersey pull within eight points of the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot.

The Senators, meanwhile, are currently last in the Eastern Conference, a spot that was occupied by New Jersey for much of the season before the Devils went on their stellar 24-game stretch.

New Jersey's last six games have been decided by just one goal and the Devils have earned their last two victories after regulation. Jacques Lemaire's club recorded a 2-1 overtime win against Pittsburgh on Friday and claimed a shootout decision Sunday against the New York Islanders.

Brian Rolston scored in the sixth round of the shootout to lift the Devils to the 3-2 road win at Nassau Coliseum. After Matt Martin was stopped by Martin Brodeur, Rolston skated down the middle and moved to the left before snapping the puck past Isles goaltender Al Montoya for the win.

"It seemed like he was moving pretty well to the backhand side," said Rolston. "So I just tried to freeze him and got around him to the forehand. But if Marty (Brodeur) doesn't make all those saves we don't have the opportunity to win."

Rolston also scored in regulation while Ilya Kovalchuk, who scored the OT winner against the Penguins on Friday, had a goal and an assist. Kovalchuk has scored a goal in three straight games and has five points (3 goals, 2 assists) over that stretch.

Brodeur stopped 20 shots in Sunday's win and is expected to get the start again tonight.

The Devils have won six straight on home ice to improve to 16-13-3 as the host this season. New Jersey's last home loss came in overtime against Florida on Feb. 4 and its last regulation defeat as the host was on Jan. 6 against Philadelphia.

Ottawa, which is 11 points behind New Jersey in the standings, has lost two of its last three games and is coming off Friday's home loss to the New York Rangers. Mats Zuccarello and Artem Anisimov scored 12 seconds apart in the second period to help the Rangers claim the 4-1 victory at Scotiabank Place.

Sergei Gonchar scored for the Senators, while Craig Anderson allowed all four goals on 27 shots in defeat.

Anderson has started the last seven games for Ottawa and is expected to get the call again tonight. He is 4-3-0 with a 1.56 goals-against average since coming to the Senators in a trade with Colorado last month.

"It's the law of averages, you're going to have some good games and some bad games," said Anderson. "Going forward, we have to put this one behind us and get back on the horse."

Tonight's test marks the first of four straight on the road for the Sens. Ottawa has won three of its last four as the guest, but is still just 11-16-4 on the road this season.

The Sens and Devils have split a pair of games this year, with each club earning a victory on home ice. New Jersey has taken 13 of the last 17 meetings in this series overall and Ottawa has lost six straight and eight of its last nine games in the Garden State.