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Elias leads Devils over Flyers

Dec 5, 2008 - 5:13 AM PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Patrik Elias tied the game with 90 seconds remaining in the third period and scored again 2:46 into overtime as the New Jersey Devils recorded a 3-2 triumph over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday in a battle of Atlantic Division rivals.

Zach Parise notched a goal and an assist and Scott Clemmensen made 29 saves for New Jersey, which improved to 6-1-0 in its last seven games.

Scottie Upshall and defenseman Kimmo Timonen scored and Martin Biron turned aside 28 shots for Philadelphia, which is 8-1-3 in its last 12 contests.

In overtime, Parise wristed a centering pass in the slot to Elias, who quickly shifted the puck to his backhand to avoid defensemen Ossi Vaananen and Andrew Alberts before lifting it past Biron for his 10th goal of the season.

"(Defenseman Colin) White made a great play to keep the puck in," Elias said of the play. "Most of the time, you would see him back up. The last four or five games, he has done a good job of closing the gap. He stayed there and they turned the puck over, and he made a nice pass.

"I just tried to freeze the defensemen with my move. I cut to the inside and stayed with it and just threw it in there."

With the tally, Elias tied Jaromir Jagr and Mats Sundin with an NHL-best 15 career overtime goals.

"I like to be in that position when the game is on the line," Elias said. "When I've been on the ice the last couple of times, it has been with Zach. You try to settle the play down and wait for the right chance. With the 4-on-4, you have more ice. We take chances and they take chances. You have to wait for the right time."

Elias leveled the contest late in the third after the Flyers failed to clear the defensive zone. Elias accepted a feed from Brian Gionta and unleashed a shot from just inside the blue line that trickled between the pads of Biron.

"It should have been a routine play, and it wasn't. We work on that every day," Flyers coach John Stevens said. "There is not a day we get on the ice that we don't work on exchanges there. That should be as automatic as reaching for the break when you see a red light."

Biron clearly was flustered on the play.

"Gionta was coming out of the box, and they dumped the puck," Biron said. "At first, I thought it was going to be icing, but then they waived it off. I went out to play the puck, but it bounced away and went in that area where I can't touch it. I waited for it to cross over the line.

"By the time it got there, I really didn't know who was behind me anymore, so I played it to the corner. I didn't know where my guys were, so I just tried to make a simple quick play to the corner. It was the wrong side to play it, and the puck came back in our net."

Three minutes prior to Elias' goal, Upshall gave the Flyers a brief 2-1 lead.

Upshall collected the puck behind the net and attempted to feed Mike Knuble on the doorstep. Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador collapsed down on the play, and the puck caromed off his stick and past Clemmensen for Upshall's fourth goal of the season.

With his team on the power play, Timonen opened the scoring 6:48 into the second period.

After blocking a clearing attempt by Salvador, the Finnish blue-liner grabbed the puck just inside the blue line and unleashed a blast that sailed past Clemmensen for his third tally. Scott Hartnell was unmarked in front and thoroughly screened the netminder on the play.

Parise forged a 1-1 tie with 2:43 remaining in the second after Biron was unable to freeze the puck during a spirited sequence. The 24-year-old Parise gained possession, skated around net and - on his second attempt - wristed a shot past the goalie for his 14th goal of the campaign.

Biron's path in the crease was blocked by New Jersey captain Jamie Langenbrunner, who was knocked into the net by Vaananen.

"This is an experienced group. They see the situation as well as anybody - we need to get points and we need to win hockey games," New Jersey coach Brent Sutter said. "There is a lot of things that you've got to able to do to get that win and do it well to be successful. We were able to do that tonight."