New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur, right, challenges Buffalo's Paul Gaustad during Saturday's game in Buffalo, N.Y. (Don Heupel/Associated Press)Martin Brodeur stopped 35 shots to turn back a furious Buffalo Sabres rally and secure the New Jersey Devils' 3-2 victory Saturday night.
Jamie Langenbrunner had a goal and an assist, putting the Devils on the verge of clinching their fifth Atlantic Division title this decade. New Jersey enters the final week of the regular season one point or a Philadelphia loss away from winning the division.
Zach Parise and David Clarkson also scored in helping the Devils snap a six-game road skid (0-5-1).
New Jersey (49-26-4) also matched a franchise record for victories, set in 2006-07.
Jochen Hecht and Clarke MacArthur scored for the Sabres, who had a 4-0-1 skid snapped and squandered a great opportunity to put themselves firmly in the hunt for the Eastern Conference's eighth and final playoff berth.
With four games left, Buffalo remains in 10th place, four points behind the eighth-place New York Rangers, who lost to Boston earlier in the day.
Brodeur stops 21 straight
Brodeur was solid in stopping the first 14 shots he faced in helping the Devils build a 3-0 lead through two periods. Then he shut the door as the Sabres peppered him with 23 shots in the final 20 minutes. Both Buffalo goals came in the third period.
Brodeur made a great glove save on Thomas Vanek at the right post late in the first period. Then he made a sprawling save on Adam Mair's deflection of Paul Gaustad's shot from the right boards early in the third.
The Devils, coming off a 5-4 overtime win against Tampa Bay on Friday night, got off to a quick start by scoring twice on their first four shots on net.
Clarkson opened the scoring 2:28 in when his shot from the top of the right circle floated through a crowd to beat Ryan Miller. Parise made it 2-0 with a power play goal by tipping in Paul Martin's shot from the blue-line.
Langenbrunner sealed it with a workmanlike goal seven minutes into the second period. He set up the goal by first checking Andrej Sekera off the puck to the left of the Sabres net. After attempting to set up Bobby Holik in front, Langenbrunner got to the loose puck and slipped it in through Miller's legs.
Miller pulled
Miller was pulled after two periods, in which he allowed three goals on 22 shots. Coach Lindy Ruff may have been trying to spark his team and give Miller a rest with the Sabres preparing to close their season by playing four games in six days.


