Devils prolong Penguin misery

Millions spent to improve the team haven't paid off.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Brian Gionta scored two goals for the second time in as many games against Pittsburgh this season, and the New Jersey Devils ran the Penguins' start-of-season winless streak to a franchise-record seven games by winning 6-3 Thursday night.
Scott Gomez added a goal and assisted on Gionta's goals in a near-replay of the Devils' 5-1 win over Pittsburgh on opening night Oct. 5, Penguins rookie Sidney Crosby's long-awaited debut game. The only difference was Crosby, who got an assist that night, went scoreless for the first time in his seven-game NHL career in the rematch.
Mario Lemieux scored one of two Penguins goals during a 29-second span of the second period that briefly tied it at 2, but he drew a tripping penalty eight seconds after scoring to set up a 4-on-3 advantage for New Jersey.
Vladimir Malakhov scored his first of the season 23 seconds after Lemieux went off -- and the third goal in a minute's time -- with a slap shot from the high slot, and Gionta scored again on the power play seven minutes later to make it 4-2. Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik decided not to pick up Gionta along the goal line, and Gionta steered a shot past goalie Jocelyn Thibault to the stick side.
Woeful record
Gionta and rookie Zach Parise also scored 27 seconds apart early in the third, Parise's second goal in as many games against Pittsburgh and third overall. Gionta has six goals in 13 career games against the Penguins, who lost their eighth in a row at home to New Jersey. The Devils have won 14 of 18 from Pittsburgh over the last four seasons.
Thibault was pulled after allowing the sixth goal and has given up 11 on 66 shots in his two starts this season, both against New Jersey. He had been out with a knee injury that occurred during a game day skate Oct. 8.
The Penguins spent millions during a month-long buying binge meant to rapidly improve what was the NHL's worst team in 2003-04, but the money hasn't paid off. They are 0-3-4 after never previously going more than the first six games of a season without winning.
Not only are they not winning, they're not even leading -- the Penguins have been ahead in only one game, a 7-6 overtime loss to Boston on Oct. 8, and they followed that pattern by falling behind 2-0 on goals by Jay Pandolfo and Gomez in the first period.
The Devils, winning their first in three road games, also got a goal and an assist from Alexander Mogilny, giving him five points in two games. He had a goal and two assists in a 4-3 victory over Florida on Tuesday that followed a 6-1 Devils loss to Carolina on Saturday.
Notes
Four of Gionta's five goals are against Pittsburgh. ... Thibault is 3-10-4 against New Jersey. ... Lemieux also had an assist in his third multi-point game of the season. ... Pittsburgh has been outshot in all but one game. The Devils led 36-33 in shots. ... The Penguins are 0-2-1 at home. ... Crosby failed to match Washington rookie Alexander Ovechkin by scoring in his first seven games. No NHL rookie had done so since Ottawa's Alexander Daigle in 1993-94.
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