Sun Jan 20 19:54:13 2008

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Madden nets a pair as Devils hold off Leafs

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Newark, NJ (Sports Network) - John Madden scored a pair of goals as the New Jersey Devils held off the Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-2, at Prudential Center.

Travis Zajac also lit the lamp while Martin Brodeur stopped 34 shots for the Devils, who snapped a two-game losing streak.

Darcy Tucker and Pavel Kubina each scored for the Maple Leafs, who had a three-game winning streak stopped. Andrew Raycroft made 29 saves in the loss.

Holding a 2-0 lead to start the third period, New Jersey increased its lead to 3-0 just 3:54 in as Paul Martin sent a shot on net from the high slot that Raycroft stopped, but the rebound hit off the leg of Madden in front and went into the net.

The goal proved fortunate as the Maple Leafs scored twice to make it a one- goal game.

Just a minute after Madden's goal, Toronto finally solved Brodeur as Jiri Tlusty threw the puck out front from the left side and it hit off the skate of Tucker and went under the right pad of Brodeur.

Kubina then made it a one-goal game just 3:35 later as he got a rebound off his own shot and from the low left side squeezed the puck inside the left post.

The Maple Leafs pulled Raycroft with under a minute to play, but Brodeur made a couple of nice stops to help the Devils hold on for the win.

It was a scoreless first period as the goaltenders combined for 26 saves, 16 from Raycroft, to keep the teams off the board.

New Jersey got on the board with 2:32 left in the second period as Karel Rachunek blasted a shot from the right point that Raycroft stopped, but he couldn't control the rebound and Zajac swept it into the net.

The Devils got another goal with just 13 seconds left in the middle stanza as Madden skated down the left wing on a 2-on-1 break, faked the shot and slid a pass across the middle that hit off the leg of a Leafs defender and squeaked past Raycroft.

Brodeur made 13 stops in the second period to keep Toronto scoreless.

Game Notes

New Jersey plays in Philadelphia on Tuesday...The Maple Leafs host Washington for the first of a home-and-home set on Wednesday...Neither team scored on the power play as New Jersey had three chances and Toronto two.