National Hockey League
BOXSCORE | RECAP
New Jersey 3, Pittsburgh 2
When: 7:30 PM ET, Thursday, April 25, 2013
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Referees: Eric Furlatt, Rob Martell
Linesmen: Jean Morin, Derek Nansen
Attendance: 16122


Devils 3, Penguins 2: Ilya Kovalchuk snapped a tie with 6:10 remaining in the third period as host New Jersey erased an early two-goal deficit to defeat Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh for the third time in four outings.

David Clarkson netted his team-leading 15th goal, Travis Zajac also tallied and Patrik Elias notched a pair of assists for the Devils. Johan Hedberg turned aside 16 shots in his first action since March 19.

Matt Cooke and Jussi Jokinen scored while Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 29 saves for the Penguins, who have dropped two straight after winning 22 of their previous 24 contests.

With the score tied at 2-2, Kovalchuk's intended centering feed to Andrei Loktionov caromed off the stick of a backchecking Brandon Sutter and past Fleury for his 11th goal.

Jokinen gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead with 5:59 remaining in the second period, reeling in defenseman Kris Letang's long feed before his shot from the left faceoff circle sailed under the crossbar. Zajac answered just over 4 1/2 minutes later before Clarkson netted a power-play goal at 3:01 of the third.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Pittsburgh C Sidney Crosby will practice with the team on Friday. The Penguins' captain has been sidelined since breaking his jaw against the New York Islanders on March 30. ... Pittsburgh RW Jarome Iginla saw his four-game goal-scoring streak come to an end. ... New Jersey D Eric Gelinas made his NHL debut and registered one shot on goal in nearly 16 minutes of ice time.

Top Game Performances
 
Pittsburgh   New Jersey
Matt Cooke 1 Points Ilya Kovalchuk 2
Matt Cooke 1 Goals Ilya Kovalchuk 1
Marc-Andre Fleury 1 Assists Patrik Elias 2
Jussi Jokinen 1 Power Play Goals David Clarkson 1
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Marc-Andre Fleury .906 Save Percentage Johan Hedberg .889
Marc-Andre Fleury 29 Saves Johan Hedberg 16
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Pittsburgh 18 2 1-3 2-3 6 25
New Jersey 32 3 1-3 2-3 6 24
Upcoming Games
  • New Jersey will play their next game on the road against NY Rangers. The Devils have a W/L % of .556 after a win and .286 after a loss.
  • Pittsburgh will play their next game at home against Carolina. The Penguins have a W/L % of .800 after a win and .545 after a loss.