Kovalchuk, Parise score in shootout, Devils win
Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise scored shootout goals and the New Jersey Devils won their second straight game, beating the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 on Thursday night.
Johan Hedberg, who replaced an injured Martin Brodeur at the start of the second period, made easy stops on Simon Gagne and Anze Kopitar on the Kings' shootout chances to send Los Angeles to its second straight loss.
Patrick Elias scored in regulation for New Jersey and Gagne got his first goal as a King to open the game.
Hedberg was perfect in goal, finishing with 16 saves. Jonathan Quick, who was beaten on backhanders by Kovalchuk and Parise in the shootout, was outstanding making 36 saves.
Quick gave the Kings a chance to get to overtime and shootout with a brilliant third period and overtime. He stopped Petr Sykora and Kovalchuk on good chances in the third period and made a late save on Elias in overtime.
Hedberg also had a couple of clutch stops. He got a piece of Justin Williams' shot with 6:11 left in regulation to get the puck to roll just wide of the net and stopped a wide-open blast by Drew Doughty with 2:40 left in overtime.
Brodeur appeared to be hit by a point shot by defenseman Matt Greene with roughly 8 minutes left in the period. Brodeur then stopped a rebound attempt by Trent Hunter. Brodeur, who stopped 10 of 11 shots, also fell to the ice after seemingly getting tangled with one of his defensemen.
Brodeur seconds later dove across the crease on a shot that seemingly was just wide.
After the flurry, Brodeur bent over in the crease and later skated to the bench, where a trainer manipulated his right shoulder.
Hedberg took over in goal for the second period.
The Kings, playing their first game in the United States after opening the season by slitting two in Europe, needed less than 2 minutes to take the lead on Gagne's first goal for his new team.
Williams did most of the work, controlling the puck at the Devils' blue line and then working a give-and-go with Kopitar and carrying the puck into the right circle. Williams feathered a pass between rookie defenseman Adam Larrson's legs to Gagne alone in front and he easily beat Brodeur with a backhander.
The 39-year-old Brodeur kept New Jersey in the game in the period, stopping point-blank attempts by Kopitar and two great chances by Dustin Penner before he was hit in the right shoulder by the shot by Greene.
Elias tied it less than a minute after Brodeur was hurt. After Quick stopped Elias on a 3-on-2 break, the Devils kept the puck in the zone.
Quick stopped a wraparound attempt by Parise and a rebound by Sykora. Elias got that rebound and deposited a backhander into the net for his first goal of the season.
Brodeur returned to the bench in the second period and watched the rest of the game.
