goal and an assist as the New Jersey Devils scored three times in the
first period against Tim Thomas and held on for a 3-2 victory over the
Boston Bruins on Monday night.
Clarkson took the shot that Rob
Niedermayer deflected in and then scored on a breakaway — set up by
goalie Martin Brodeur — to make it 2-0. Zach Parise finished the barrage
that assured the Devils (41-24-3) their 18th straight .500-plus season.
Blake Wheeler scored for the third
consecutive game to cut Boston’s deficit to 3-1 at 43 seconds of the
middle period, but the eighth-place Bruins failed to stretch their lead
at the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Boston is one
point ahead of the New York Rangers and has played one fewer game.
Patrice Bergeron made it 3-2 with 1:03
left after goalie Tuukka Rask was pulled for an extra skater.
New Jersey bounced back from a
disappointing loss at the New York Islanders on Saturday and won its
third straight at home. The Devils trail Atlantic Division-leading
Pittsburgh by two points and will host the Penguins on Wednesday.
Brodeur made 34 saves for the Devils,
3-0 against Boston this season.
After a sloppy first 10 minutes that
featured several turnovers and multiple stoppages, the Devils dominated
the final half of the period and stormed to a 3-0 lead.
Niedermayer started it at 9:58 when he
tipped in Clarkson’s shot from the slot that was let go as he fell to
the ice. Clarkson pushed the advantage to two with 2:47 remaining the
period.
Brodeur fired a long pass from the
crease past the red line and onto Clarkson’s stick. Without breaking
stride, Clarkson split a pair of defenders and skated in on Thomas.
Shifting back and forth, Clarkson settled the puck on his backhand and
slid in his eighth goal.
Clarkson, who missed 23 games from
Dec. 31-Feb. 13 due to a lower body injury, scored for the first time
since Nov. 16.
His goal was still being announced
when Parise made it 3-0 just 45 seconds later. Thomas stopped defenseman Mike
Mottau‘s shot but couldn’t control the rebound. Parise found the puck
in front and backhanded in his 32nd goal. Parise was pointless in three
of four games.
Thomas didn’t make it out for the
second period, marking the fifth time this season he has been pulled.
The reigning Vezina Trophy winner made only his fifth start in 14 games
and dropped his third straight decision (0-2-1). He stopped nine of 12
shots.
It has been a tough season for
Thomas, who has lost his starting job to Rask. He also made just one
mop-up appearance for the United States at the Vancouver Olympics.
Thomas had 36 wins with an NHL-best
2.10 goals-against average last season in leading Boston to the top seed
in the East. Thomas has only 15 wins with a 2.57 GAA in 40 games this
season, a key reason why the Bruins are fighting for a playoff spot with
14 games remaining.
Rask stopped all 16 shots he faced.
Notes
Brodeur has three assists this
season and 34 in his career, tying Ed Belfour for sixth on the NHL list
for goalies. … Clarkson has multiple points in four of 32 games. …
Boston is 2-3-1 on its seven-game road trip. It will end Tuesday at
Carolina. … Bruins RW Miroslav Satan returned after missing two games
(groin). … Niedermayer had a goal disallowed in the second when he
deflected in a shot with a high stick.