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Madden, Brodeur help Devils hold off Flyers

Dec 17, 2007 - 2:52 AM By Joe Rizzo PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NEWARK, New Jersey (Ticker) -- A 40-second span in the second period made all the difference for the New Jersey Devils.

Martin Brodeur stopped a penalty shot and John Madden snapped a tie with his second goal of the game as the Devils posted a 4-2 victory over the Flyers on Sunday.

Madden's goal - which came shorthanded - snapped a 1-1 tie moments after Brodeur denied Daniel Briere's penalty shot.

With the Flyers on a power play, Briere skated into the Devils' zone on a partial breakaway and was tripped up by defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski at 9:32 of the second. On the penalty shot, he aimed between Brodeur's pads but the reigning Vezina Trophy winner got down and got the paddle of his stick on it.

"The key moment in the game and it turned out to be the game-breaker," said Brodeur, who stopped 29 shots. "You're killing off a four-minute penalty, stop a penalty shot and then score shorthanded. You like to write it that way but it usually doesn't happen."

"I don't decide before I go what I'm going to do," Briere said. "I try to lead with what's available and keep every option open. Marty took my decision away at the last second. You try to do the unexpected. I tried to surprise him by going to the 5-hole and it didn't work."

After the key stop Madden forced a turnover and pushed ahead the puck to Jamie Langenbrunner, who exploded down the left wing and found Madden in the right slot for a perfect one-timer that blew by goaltender Antero Niittymaki with 10:48 left in the period.

"It was a great pass," Madden said. "I could not believe it got over to me. It went through two sticks."

Arron Asham then broke a long drought with his fourth goal of the season 3:45 after Madden's tally to increase the lead to 3-1.

The Devils needed the insurance because Briere connected for his 15th goal of the season to cut the deficit to 3-2 with 13:16 remaining in the third period. Briere ripped a wrist shot over Brodeur's glove from the bottom inside edge of the left circle.

Brodeur, who beat the Flyers for his 500th career win on November 17, held them off the rest of the way to register his 39th win vs. Philadelphia. He also has beaten the Rangers and Islanders 39 times - his best totals against any team. Langenbrunner added an empty-net goal in the final seconds to seal the win. Madden stole the puck and skated it out of the zone, but passed on a chance for the hat trick.

"I saw Zach ahead of me and Jamie ahead of me, so I just made the right play," Madden said. "I did not even think about (the hat trick)."

Mike Richards put the Flyers up 1-0 when he scored on a rebound 40 seconds into the second period, but Madden knocked home a rebound of his own to knot the game at 1-1 just 2:09 later. Niittymaki stopped 34 shots for the Flyers, who have lost three of the last four meetings between the clubs. The Flyers have dropped three straight games overall and four of their last five.

"Before it was that we were taking nights off," Briere said. "Now it's like we're taking a period off. We're not making the plays and in a daze or something. I don't know how to explain it."