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Brodeur, Elias propel Devils past Sabres

Jan 9, 2008 - 5:05 AM NEWARK, New Jersey (Ticker) -- On Tuesday morning, Martin Brodeur was named the Eastern Conference's starting goaltender for the fourth time in his career. Hours later, he once again showed why he was worthy of such distinction.

Brodeur made 23 saves - and stopped two more in the shootout - and Patrik Elias scored the decisive goal in the third round of the bonus format to lift the New Jersey Devils to a 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.

After Brodeur made a glove save on Clarke MacArthur and denied Thomas Vanek with a right pad save in the shootout, Elias wristed the puck past netminder Ryan Miller to end the game.

"I don't feel I shot the puck well tonight," Elias said. "I missed the net quite a bit. I just kind of tried to move (the puck) across and it went just inside the right post."

All in a day's work for Brodeur, who will be making his 10th All-Star appearance at the midseason gala on January 27 in Atlanta.

"It was a tough one," Brodeur said. "Everybody regrouped real well and we stayed composed. Thank God for shootouts."

"It was a hard-fought game," Devils coach Brent Sutter said. "It was a game where both teams didn't give up much."

The Devils remained red hot at the Prudential Center, winning their fifth straight and 10th of their last 11 at their new home.

"I think we've (been) playing good here," Brodeur said. "Now we're going on the road and we've got to be better."

"It was a tough game, a difficult game," Elias said. "I don't think we played a great hockey game, but we found a way to win. Once again, Marty made great saves, especially in the second half of the game."

The Sabres, however, fell to 0-5-2 in their last seven, having scored just 11 goals in the process.

"We started out the first period pretty even," Miller said. "I thought for the most part, we did a good job competing. For the most part, it's just disappointing to go to a shootout and lose."

With New Jersey leading, 1-0, late in the third period, Jason Pominville leveled the game with 1:47 remaining in regulation.

MacArthur made a goal-mouth pass that Pominville redirected into the net for his 10th goal of the season.

"The team earned a point," Pominville said. "We didn't give up, we capitalized in the last two minutes, which is good. We didn't quit. That's a good sign."

Defenseman Andy Greene opened the scoring with 3:37 to go in the first period.

With New Jersey on the power play, Elias fired a pass from the right faceoff circle to Greene on the doorstep. The blue-liner redirected the puck past Miller for his second goal of the season and first since October 6 at Florida - a span of 37 games.

"It's good to get back on the board there," Greene said. "Patty made an awesome pass. I was just trying to find the lane there and obviously, he put it right on the tape and all I had to do was just direct it in."

Miller finished with 29 saves.