Devils win 7th straight on road, beat TB in shootout
Last Updated: Saturday, October 31, 2009 | 7:49 PM ET
The Associated Press
David Clarkson scored the lone shootout goal in the fourth round of the tiebreaker and the New Jersey Devils extended their season-opening road win streak to seven games with a 2-1 victory over the host Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
The away-game run at the start of the season equals the second longest in NHL history, matching Toronto (1940-41), Philadelphia (1985-86) and Detroit (2005-06).
Buffalo holds the league record of 10 in a row, set at the beginning of the 2006-07 season.
"We've played pretty good the whole time on the road, but I thought we played such a tight game," Devils coach Jacques Lemaire said.
"We didn't give much to their top guns. They have good talent, they've got skills and if you give them room you're in trouble."
Travis Zajac scored in regulation for the Devils. Martin Brodeur stopped 18 shots, but had his bid to tie Terry Sawchuk's NHL shutout record of 103 end just under five minutes into the third period.
Stamkos on streak
Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos scored in his fifth straight game and backup goalie Antero Niittymaki made 37 saves. The Lightning dropped to 4-3-4 and lost for the fourth time in a shootout.
"Shootout, what do you do?" Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said. "I don't know."
Stamkos tied it at 1-1 from along the right circle boards at 4:34 of the third. Martin St. Louis assisted on the goal for his 600th career NHL point and extended his season-opening point streak to 11 games.
Zajac put the Devils ahead 1-0 on a rebound goal 50 seconds into the second.
Niittymaki was superb during the first period, stopping all 13 shots he faced.
He made a nifty glove save on an in-close chance by Cory Murphy, turned aside Ilkka Pikkarainen's shot during a 2-on-1 and made saves on a short-handed breakaway during a delayed penalty call and the ensuing penalty shot by Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner.
"Nitty grabbed a point for us," Tocchet said. "Three, four guys didn't come to play. You get flat. Niittymaki was incredible."
Tampa Bay had three shots in the first period and was outshot 28-9 through two periods.
