All-world talents Jaromir Jagr and Alexi Kovalev assisted on Jan Hrdina's first goal of the season with less than 3 minutes to go in the game. Unfortunately, it was also Pittsburgh's first goal of the contest and Martin Brodeur and the Devils withstood the Pens' late assault, winning the game 2-1.
Here is an excellent account of the game from AP:
"The Pittsburgh Penguins aren't well liked in New Jersey.
Nothing personal, the Devils are still bitter after being knocked out of the playoffs in the first round last year.
The Devils got a touch of revenge Tuesday night as Claude Lemieux set up goals by John Madden and Randy McKay to lead New Jersey to a 2-1 victory that sent the Penguins to their third straight loss and sixth in nine games.
"Pittsburgh might be a little out of the way, but we, the players, have a big rivalry with Pittsburgh," said Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur. "We want to beat them every time and we don't like the way they are."
"When you get beat in the playoffs it hurts you," Brodeur added. "It was the same way with Ottawa.
There are a few rivalries in a season and you have to look forward to them, or it can be a long season."
Brodeur made 24 saves in winning an entertaining goaltending battle with Jean-Sebastien Aubin, who made 39 stops in filling in for the suspended Tom Barrasso.
Brodeur lost his shutout on a power-play goal by Jan Hrdina, his first of the season. But preserved the win in the closing seconds, stopping a German Titov shot from the left circle.
"I'll trade my 39 saves against his 22 (actually 24) and get the win," said Aubin, who was called up from the minors earlier in the day. "That's all I want."
Madden, who was kept out of the lineup the last four games, gave the Devils the lead at 2:55 of the second period, just seconds after being stopped on a breakaway.
Scott Stevens kept the puck in the Penguins zone and fed Lemieux for a shot in the circle. Aubin made the save, but Madden got the rebound and backhanded it into the net.
One of the reasons Madden was able to do that was Pittsburgh defenseman Hans Jonsson had left the ice to get a new stick.
"It couldn't come at a better time," Madden said. "I sat out four games and came back in the lineup. I wanted so much to contribute. To get a goal in a close hockey game like that, it helps."
Brodeur was at his best late in the second period maintaining the lead. He first made a sliding pad save on Martin Straka right in front and then stopped Jaromir Jagr on a semi breakaway.
"We didn't get much traffic in front of him," said Hrdina, whose goal ended a streak of four straight for the Penguins by Alexei Kovalev. "He saw all the shots. He played good but ‘See-bass’ was unbelievable, too. He played great. It's too bad we didn't get a win for him."
Aubin was defenseless on McKay's ninth goal of the season.
Lemieux turned the puck around the boards to Scott Niedermayer and he just sent the puck right on goal. McKay was all alone there and redirected it into the net.
The Devils took a season-high 20 shots in the second period.
Barrasso received a four-game suspension on Monday for a slash that broke the arm of Toronto's Yanic Perreault on Saturday."
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