Shootout: Devils 4 – Predators 3
NASHVILLE – It took a shootout victory, but the Devils’ streak survives.
Now they bring their eight-game charge home to force the Islanders and Rangers to do something about it this weekend.
They return as conquerors by overcoming another blown lead. The Devils handed the impressive Predators their sixth home loss this season, taking the 4-3 shootout decision here last night.
Viktor Kozlov and Brian Gionta scored in the 1-on-1, and Martin Brodeur held off Steve Sullivan and Paul Kariya.
Still perfect in 2006 and with Patrik Elias in the lineup, the Devils will hunt a ninth straight triumph at noon tomorrow at the Meadowlands against the Isles, then visit the Garden on Sunday.
The Devils saw a two-goal lead vanish before completing the sweep of their three-game road trip, raising Lou Lamoriello’s record as interim coach to 10-5. It was their second shootout victory of their road trip, winning that way in Chicago on Sunday.
Former Devil Sullivan put Nashville in front 5:04 into the game with a spinning backhand from the left slot. Sullivan was set up by Marek Zidlicky, who picked off Paul Martin’s clearing attempt up the boards. Back to the net, Sullivan scored his 23rd under Brodeur.
The Devils hadn’t managed a shot on Tomas Vokoun at that point. Nashville had the first seven before Scott Gomez’s softie was handled easily at 7:38.
The Predators, particularly Martin Erat, threatened to widen the lead against minimal Devils response, until they connected on their first power play. Jamie Langenbrunner found Patrik Elias in front, and facing away from the net, Elias redirected his third around himself at 18:23.
The Devils, whose power play had been so dreadful in December, had scored eight times with the advantage in their previous four games.
They took the lead on Langenbruner’s ninth at 11:58 of the second, when he deflected Ricahrd Matvichuk’s left-point shot under Vokoun. It was Langenbrunner’s second straight multipoint game.
The Devils power play made it 2-for-2 at 13:26 for a 3-1 lead. Grant Marshall, who scored the winner in St. Louis, helped Colin White’s left-point shot squeeze between Vokoun’s pads at 13:26, although White was credited with his third of the year and second on the three-game road trip.
Erat erased the Devils’ lead at 9:57 of the third with another PPG, hitting the open side from the right circle on Adam Hall’s feed from the left side.