Associated Press
Updated: December 24, 2007, 12:37 AM EST
RSS digg blog email print
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) - Patrik Elias gave Martin Brodeur all the support he needed to beat the Calgary Flames - and leave George Hainesworth behind.

Brodeur broke a tie with Hainesworth for second place on the NHL's career shutout list, making 30 saves in the New Jersey Devils' 1-0 overtime victory over the Flames on Sunday night.



Brodeur has three shutouts this season to push his career total to 95. Terry Sawchuk tops the list with 103.

"It was a weird game. A lot of power play time for the Flames and that's probably where they got most of their chances and most of their shots," Brodeur said. "We did a great job on our special teams. It was definitely nice to come through in overtime."

Elias scored the lone goal, beating Miikka Kiprusoff at 25 seconds of the extra period. Kiprusoff finished with 21 saves.

"You know that the opposing goalie isn't going to give up much, especially when he's one of the top guys, and that everybody has to work hard and I have to be sharp," Brodeur said.

The Devils won after a Calgary turnover deep in the New Jersey end.

Calgary defenseman Cory Sarich dropped the puck back to Craig Conroy, who mishandled the pass and was stripped by Elias. Elias moved the puck ahead to Brian Gionta, then raced up to join Gionta on a 2-on-1.

Gionta crossed the blue line and slid the puck back across to Elias. With Sarich and Conroy desperately trying to catch him, Elias one-timed the pass into the open side before Kiprusoff could slide across.

"(Conroy) wanted to shoot it and faked it and left the puck behind," Elias. "I moved the puck right away to Brian and Brian made a great pass right back to me."

Conroy accepted full blame for the loss.

"That was totally my fault. I should have just shot it quick," Conroy said. "I tried to pull it and it bounced over my stick and away they went. I've got to be smarter than that."

With the victory, New Jersey improved to 13-3-1 in its last 17 games and moved into sole possession of second place in the Eastern Conference behind Ottawa.

"We had a tough start to the season," Brodeur said. "We can't hide it, we started 3-6-1, but we came out of it and now hopefully we'll be a little more consistent."

Calgary was 0-for-6 on the power play.

"Certainly we did have opportunities, particularly with six power plays and didn't capitalize," Flames coach Mike Keenan said. "We weren't able to score a power play goal, which would have been paramount in this particular contest in view of the way Martin Brodeur was playing."

Calgary is 1-2-4 in its last seven homes games and 7-7-6 overall the Saddledome.

"We have to improve especially with the race being as tight as it is right now. You have to win hockey games and you have to do it consistently," defenseman Robyn Regehr.

Notes
Calgary D David Hale has played 180 career games without scoring a goal, the longest active goal-less streak in the NHL. ... Calgary is 7-0-4 in December. ... The Devils have played an NHL-high 22 road games.

I hope this goes to help build his case as best goalie in NHL history. He's been awesome throughout his career. Just think what all the other GMs who passed on him are thinking right about now.