• Brodeur is first goalie to score on power play since 2002
• Colin Horgan: Five things we learned in NHL this week
Martin Brodeur scored his third career goal and made 17 saves in his first game in a month as the *New Jersey Devils* downed the *Carolina Hurricanes* 4-1 on Thursday. Brodeur had been out since 21 February with a pinched nerve in his upper back and neck. Peter Harrold, Adam Henrique and Andrei Loktionov also scored to help the Devils end a three-game losing streak.
Brodeur got credit for the game's first goal when Carolina's Jordan Staal passed the puck to the point from behind the net after a delayed penalty call against New Jersey's Marek Zidlicky. The pass missed intended target Tim Gleason and bounced off the boards near center ice. Ellis had already skated toward the bench because of the delayed penalty and couldn't get back in time to prevent the puck from sliding into the net. Because he was the last Devils player to touch the puck, Brodeur got credit for the score. With Carolina's Alexander Semin in the penalty box, it counted as a power-play goal.
Jeff Skinner had the Hurricanes' lone goal while Dan Ellis made 19 saves in Carolina's fifth consecutive loss. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Brodeur is the first goalie to score a power-play goal since Evgeni Nabokov for San Jose in 2002.
Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney scored 4:22 apart in the third period, lifting the *Dallas Stars* over the *Los Angeles Kings* for their fourth straight win at Staples Center. The 41-year-old Jagr and 40-year-old Whitney scored in the same game for the second time this season. On 19 January against Phoenix, they became the fourth pair of team-mates age 40 or older to score in the same game since 1942-43.
Jacob Markstrom made 44 saves and just missed his first NHL shutout to help the *Florida Panthers* get a 3-1 win against the playoff-hopeful *New York Rangers*. The Rangers had gotten back into eighth place in the Eastern Conference with wins on consecutive nights this week after a three-game skid. But Markstrom was sharp and shut down offensively challenged New York. Brian Campbell scored in the first period, and Scottie Upshall made it 2-0 in the second against Henrik Lundqvist, who faced 23 shots.
The *Boston Bruins* earned a late 2-1 win over the *Ottawa Senators* after Dennis Seidenberg scored with 1:04 left. Daniel Paille also scored for the Bruins and Anton Khudobin made 27 saves. The Bruins pulled within three points of Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh. Kaspars Daugavins scored for Ottawa.
Jordan Schroeder scored midway through the third period and Cory Schneider stopped 33 shots as the *Vancouver Canucks* ground out a 2-1 win at the *Phoenix Coyotes*. Schneider allowed a tying goal to Antoine Vermette in the third period, but Schroeder put the Canucks back up by punching in a rebound after a redirect by Jannik Hansen trickled past Coyotes goalie Jason LaBarbera. Christopher Tanev also scored.
Braden Holtby made 20 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and Alexander Ovechkin had a goal and two assists in the *Washington Capitals*' 4-0 victory over the *Winnipeg Jets*. Nicklas Backstrom added a goal and an assist for Washington, while Troy Brouwer and Marcus Johansson also scored.
In other games, the *Montreal Canadiens* downed the *New York Islanders* 5-2, the *Buffalo Sabres* defeated the *Toronto Maples Leafs* 5-4 in a shootout, and the *Nashville Predators* were 5-3 winners over the *Calgary Flames*. Reported by guardian.co.uk 19 minutes ago.
• Colin Horgan: Five things we learned in NHL this week
Martin Brodeur scored his third career goal and made 17 saves in his first game in a month as the *New Jersey Devils* downed the *Carolina Hurricanes* 4-1 on Thursday. Brodeur had been out since 21 February with a pinched nerve in his upper back and neck. Peter Harrold, Adam Henrique and Andrei Loktionov also scored to help the Devils end a three-game losing streak.
Brodeur got credit for the game's first goal when Carolina's Jordan Staal passed the puck to the point from behind the net after a delayed penalty call against New Jersey's Marek Zidlicky. The pass missed intended target Tim Gleason and bounced off the boards near center ice. Ellis had already skated toward the bench because of the delayed penalty and couldn't get back in time to prevent the puck from sliding into the net. Because he was the last Devils player to touch the puck, Brodeur got credit for the score. With Carolina's Alexander Semin in the penalty box, it counted as a power-play goal.
Jeff Skinner had the Hurricanes' lone goal while Dan Ellis made 19 saves in Carolina's fifth consecutive loss. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Brodeur is the first goalie to score a power-play goal since Evgeni Nabokov for San Jose in 2002.
Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney scored 4:22 apart in the third period, lifting the *Dallas Stars* over the *Los Angeles Kings* for their fourth straight win at Staples Center. The 41-year-old Jagr and 40-year-old Whitney scored in the same game for the second time this season. On 19 January against Phoenix, they became the fourth pair of team-mates age 40 or older to score in the same game since 1942-43.
Jacob Markstrom made 44 saves and just missed his first NHL shutout to help the *Florida Panthers* get a 3-1 win against the playoff-hopeful *New York Rangers*. The Rangers had gotten back into eighth place in the Eastern Conference with wins on consecutive nights this week after a three-game skid. But Markstrom was sharp and shut down offensively challenged New York. Brian Campbell scored in the first period, and Scottie Upshall made it 2-0 in the second against Henrik Lundqvist, who faced 23 shots.
The *Boston Bruins* earned a late 2-1 win over the *Ottawa Senators* after Dennis Seidenberg scored with 1:04 left. Daniel Paille also scored for the Bruins and Anton Khudobin made 27 saves. The Bruins pulled within three points of Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh. Kaspars Daugavins scored for Ottawa.
Jordan Schroeder scored midway through the third period and Cory Schneider stopped 33 shots as the *Vancouver Canucks* ground out a 2-1 win at the *Phoenix Coyotes*. Schneider allowed a tying goal to Antoine Vermette in the third period, but Schroeder put the Canucks back up by punching in a rebound after a redirect by Jannik Hansen trickled past Coyotes goalie Jason LaBarbera. Christopher Tanev also scored.
Braden Holtby made 20 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and Alexander Ovechkin had a goal and two assists in the *Washington Capitals*' 4-0 victory over the *Winnipeg Jets*. Nicklas Backstrom added a goal and an assist for Washington, while Troy Brouwer and Marcus Johansson also scored.
In other games, the *Montreal Canadiens* downed the *New York Islanders* 5-2, the *Buffalo Sabres* defeated the *Toronto Maples Leafs* 5-4 in a shootout, and the *Nashville Predators* were 5-3 winners over the *Calgary Flames*. Reported by guardian.co.uk 19 minutes ago.