Devils complete season sweep of Pittsburgh, 5-2

Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J.

If the New Jersey Devils get past the Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoffs, they will have beaten the defending Stanley Cup champions 10 times.

They already have six in the bag.

Patrik Elias scored a breakaway goal and set up another for the Devils, who beat the sloppy Penguins 5-2 on Wednesday night to complete a season sweep of their Atlantic Division rivals.

Whether it translates into postseason success remains to be seen.

“We hope so,” goalie Martin Brodeur said. “If it gives us any edge on them later on, well good.”

New Jersey vaulted into a first-place tie with the Penguins.

Both teams have 87 points, but the Devils have played one fewer game. Fans chanted “You can’t beat us!” as the final seconds ticked down.

“The playoffs are a different season,” Devils coach Jacques Lemaire said, “but our confidence will still dominate at that point.”

Elias assisted on Dainius Zubrus’ brilliant goal in the first period that got New Jersey even, and scored in the middle frame on the Devils’ second breakaway during the same Penguins power play. That gave them a 3-1 lead.

Defenseman Paul Martin returned to the lineup after missing 59 games because of a broken forearm and added a goal in the first. Zach Parise’s 33rd made it 4-1 and chased goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to the bench. Rob Niedermayer’s empty-netter sealed it.

Brodeur earned his 596th NHL victory, one year after breaking the league record for wins.

“It’s kind of a measuring stick a little bit because you’re playing the Stanley Cup champs,” Zubrus said. “Guys get up and play well.”

The Penguins could place more blame on themselves than the beleaguered Fleury, who was yanked with 9:43 left in the second. New Jersey registered only one assist on its first three goals, largely because of Pittsburgh turnovers.