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Penguins extend Devils' home woes

Jan 30, 2008 - 5:20 AM NEWARK, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Ryan Malone and the Pittsburgh Penguins paid a visit to the New Jersey Devils at the right time.

Malone scored a pair of goals and the Devils' struggles at home continued as the Penguins posted a 4-2 victory over New Jersey on Tuesday in the first game following the All-Star break.

The Devils, now 14-9 at home, are 3-2 in five meetings this season against the Penguins - with their two losses coming at home. New Jersey had won nine of 10 home games before hitting the skids, dropping four of its last five contests at the Prudential Center.

"When our team's playing well, our detail is very good. When you've seen some of the mistakes we made, they're mental mistakes," New Jersey coach Brent Sutter said. "We turned the pucks over in bad areas of the ice. Our detail right now needs to improve. Your best players need to be the best players. Other teams' top players have outplayed ours."

Michael Rupp scored his first two goals of the season to give the Devils a pair of leads that they could not hold.

Rupp scored on a power play in the first period and then answered a tally by Jordan Staal with his second goal of the game with 6:11 left in the second period to give New Jersey a 2-1 edge.

"We had the lead twice today and, most of the time, that means it's a win for us," Rupp said. "It's just frustrating the way it came about at the end. We didn't generate much in the third period and that was it."

Erik Christensen brought the Penguins even again with a goal just under a minute after Rupp's second tally. The first of Malone's two goals, with 3:17 left in the middle session, gave Pittsburgh the lead for good.

"We showed some character coming back twice," Christensen said. "That's the kind of games we have to win without (Sidney Crosby). It was encouraging tonight."

Malone added his second goal just over five minutes into the third period to make it 4-2. Ty Conklin did the rest, keeping the Devils off the scoreboard in the final period.

"Playing against Marty (Brodeur), you just try to throw pucks on net and get those ugly goals," Malone said. "(If) he sees the puck, he's going to stop it - so we're just trying to shoot from everywhere and get those bounces."

Conklin made 23 saves for the Penguins, who snapped a two-game losing streak with the win and improved to 2-1-1 without Crosby. The reigning Hart Trophy winner will miss six to eight weeks with a high ankle sprain.

"They got some chances in the first period especially," Conklin said. "We were solid. That's the way we know we have to play. It's a good way for us to start the stretch run."

With their captain sidelined, the Penguins will to maintain the balance they had Tuesday against the Devils. Malone, Christensen, Petr Sykora and Maxime Talbot each had two points.

"Everyone's been coming together lately and as long as we keep winning, we keep moving on," Malone said.