The New Jersey Devils can now add a shootout win and another stellar performance by goaltender Martin Brodeur to their seven-game wining streak.  Brian Gionta scored the only goal in the shootout and the Devils held on for a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers.

Make that seven in a row for Brodeur (12-10-1) who made 23 saves in regulation and overtime.  He earned the victory in style, stopping the dangerous trio of Hossa, Kozlov, and Kovalchuk on their shootout shots.

After last game's star Zach Parise was stopped in the first round, Brian Gionta entered the ice for the Devs.  Gio lifted a backhander over netminder Johan Hedberg, the most consistent Thrashers player in the loss.  Hedberg saved 34 of 36 Devils' shots but fell to 8-7-0 on the season.

The Devils were not as fortunate on special teams as they have been rolling on their seventh win in a row.  They failed to score on five opportunities and allowed the Thrashers to score on one of their two chances, the game's first goal.

However, Sergei Brylin tied the score with 51 seconds left in the first period.  The Devils needed that goal because their were 1-4 in games in which they were losing after the first 20 minutes of play.

John Madden captured the Devils' first lead of the game with less than fives remaining in the second period before Ilya Kovalchuk netted the equalier in the third on a thunderous one-timer.

Not to get off topic, but Kovalchuk is among the premier hockey players today.  He leads the league in goals scored with 22 and is on pace for 67, which would destroy the 52 goals he scored during the 2005-6 season.  Let's also not forget the 41 and 42 tallies he managed in between the 52-goal season.  Nobody could have stopped his goal on Sunday, not even Patrick Roy.

Brylin's goal was his third of the season.  Madden, a former Frank J.Selke award-winning defensive forward, tallied his seventh goal thus far and is on pace for 22 goals, which would be his highest total since 2000-2001's 23-goal campaign.

I was very pleased with the Devils defensemen, who were aggressive yet careful about attacking the net. Paul Martin and Karel Rachunek were credited with assists, Martin on Brylin's goal and Rachunek on Madden's tip-in and were effective blocking shots and handling the puck.

Rachunek is among league leaders in the plus/minus category with a +13 after Sunday afternoon's contest.  Teammate and rookie Andy Greene is not far behind him at +10 and leads all rooks in that department coming into this game.

I was also happy with the team's mentality throughout the game, agreeing with Bill's assessment from last game.

David Clarkson bothered and irritating Kovalchuk from the start and was efficient enough of getting under the sniper's skin (TG).  The Devils committed only two minor infractions preventing Atlanta from using the special teams to their advantage.

The Devils host Boston on Wednesday as part of their five-game home stretch and Atlanta players can visit the NHL Store while they wait for Wednesday's road date with the New York for the Islanders.

Notes:

Mike Rupp and Sheldon Brookbank took the day off, as head coach Brent Sutter went with the same lineup from Friday night.  Pandolfo missed his second consecutive game with a lower body injury after playing 307 straight games.

Brylin and Madden teamed up twice in this contest, assisting on each other's goals.

The Devils should play all their home games on weekends as 14,978 fans bared the nasty weather.  The Prudential Center was at 85 percent capacity for Friday's game as well, as an announced crowd of 15,081 watched Parise and Brodeur steal the show.

Don't forget to check out Frank Caliendo as John Madden (the Hall of Fame-football legend).

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