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Injury-plagued Devils hope to avoid third straight loss

Oct 29, 2008 - 10:20 AM Toronto (3-3-3) at New Jersey (5-2-1), 7:30 pm EDT

NEWARK, New Jersey (Ticker) -- While the New Jersey Devils have as many key injuries as losses, their hot start is slowly evaporating.

The injury-stricken Devils will be without three of their top six forwards once again when they try to snap a two-game losing streak on Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Brian Rolston (high right ankle sprain) and Bobby Holik (fractured right pinkie) were placed on injured reserve on Monday, retroactive to the dates of their respective injuries. Rolston was injured on October 16 in Atlanta; Holik went down two days later in Washington.

Captain Jamie Langenbrunner will also be a scratch due to a lower body bruise suffered in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. He did not practice on Tuesday.

Since their offense has taken such a hit, there will be more pressure will be placed on goaltender Martin Brodeur, who needs nine wins to break Patrick Roy's all-time NHL record of 551.

New Jersey, which starts a four-game home stretch, opened the season 5-1-0, but fell to the Flyers twice in a home-and-home series over the weekend.

Toronto is coming off a 3-2 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.

Matt Stajan and defenseman Mike Van Ryn each netted power-play goals for the Maple Leafs. Goaltender Vesa Toskala played well, turning aside 22 shots. He has allowed nine goals in his last five games after giving up 12 in his first three.

Toskala has never beaten the Devils, going 0-3-0 with a 3.06 goals-against average.