Ottawa @ New Jersey 2-5 - The New Jersey Devils will soon find out if they're finally starting to play with some consistency or if they're just experiencing more short-lived success. The test will come Friday, when they play the Anaheim Ducks, the second-best team in the NHL standings. For now, though, the Devils at least appear to be on their way to establishing the way they want to play for the rest of the season. They showed it Saturday in a shutout against the Tampa Bay Lightning and again in their rout of the Senators. Martin Brodeur made 23 saves for his first two-game winning streak in a month, and the Devils got goals from five players, including one shorthanded and one on the power play. Ottawa scored twice on the power play but failed to build on its 3-2 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues on Monday. Robin Lehner, in his third straight start, made 28 saves, but the Senators could not beat Brodeur at even strength. The Senators held a closed-door meeting following the game with management, coaches and players in the room. The message was clear. The Devils brought it Wednesday, even though the Senators felt the home team got away with two penalties that each led to a goal. Ottawa coach Paul MacLean was yelling for a tripping penalty on Michael Ryder in the first period that never came. Instead, the Devils had an outnumbered rush with defenseman Joe Corvo down on the ice in the far end, and rookie forward Reid Boucher cashed in with his first NHL goal to give New Jersey a 2-0 lead at 12:08 of the first period. MacLean was similarly incensed when Damien Brunner scored to make it 4-1 at 19:32 of the second period. MacLean wanted a slashing penalty on Brunner that he didn't get, and instead the Devils forward scored a highlight-reel goal. Brunner knocked Ottawa defenseman Jared Cowen's stick out of his hand, gathered the puck on his backhand, moved it to his forehand, and waited for Lehner to slide over before he quickly switched it to his backhand to slide the puck into the left side of the net. It was Brunner's fourth goal in four games after he went his previous 17 without one. The Devils set the tone when forward Stephen Gionta, who missed the previous 11 games with an ankle injury, gave them a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal 2:02 into the first period. Corvo failed the keep the puck in at the left point, springing Adam Henrique and Gionta for a 2-on-1 against Erik Karlsson. Henrique fed Gionta, who had time to gather the puck and shoot from the right hash marks. New Jersey scored again on special teams early in the second period to make it 3-0. This one was a historic power-play goal that came off Jagr's stick. The goal moved Jagr into sole possession of eighth place on the NHL all-time goals list (693, breaking a tie with Steve Yzerman) and would eventually give him the NHL record for most game-winning goals (122). Jagr's next goal will tie him with Mark Messier for seventh place on the goals list. Ottawa got a power-play goal from Colin Greening less than three minutes after Jagr scored and started to control play. The Devils took momentum back when Brunner scored in the final minute of the second period. Ottawa would again slice the lead to two when Milan Michalek scored a power-play goal 8:35 into the third period, but Gelinas scored 45 seconds later to give the Devils the distance they needed and the opportunity to start preparing for what lies ahead.
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