Devils' shot at NHL record book halted by van Riemsdyk, Flyers

by Bob Herpen
The Phanatic Magazine

James van Riemsdyk netted the winning goal midway through the third period, as the Philadelphia Flyers denied the New Jersey Devils a share of the NHL record books with a 3-2 victory at Wachovia Center.

Darroll Powe and Scott Hartnell also tallied for the Flyers, who have won six of their last seven games. Claude Giroux had a pair of assists and Ray Emery allowed two goals on 35 shots for his 11th win of the season.

David Clarkson and Zach Parise scored for the Devils, who had won their first nine games of the season on the road, and were bidding to tie the league mark of 10 straight away from home set by Buffalo to kick off the 2006-07 campaign.

Martin Brodeur yielded three goals on 35 shots in defeat for New Jersey, which also saw its eight-game win streak snapped.

Van Riemsdyk notched an insurance goal with 9:22 left in regulation on a quick wrister in the slot after stripping Jersey defenseman Bryce Salvador, and the Devils were not able to respond until Parise's score in a goalmouth scramble with less than a second to play.

Powe, who despite his third-line grinder status attended Princeton, wrecked any chance of Brodeur tying Terry Sawchuk's career shutout record by converting a Giroux pass from the slot 7:11 into the first period.

Hartnell doubled the advantage on a power play 44 seconds into the second period, scoring as his backhanded centering pass hit a Devils defenseman's skate in the crease and slid by Brodeur.

A 5-on-3 advantage produced the Devils' first goal, a Parise to Clarkson connection with 4:18 left in the second but the visitors didn't capitalize on the one-man advantage.

Notes: The Flyers improved to 11-2-1 in games where they have scored first...Powe's goal was his sixth of the season in 17 games, tying his career-high set in 60 games last year...Prior to the contest, the Flyers inducted former pugilist Dave Schultz into their Hall of Fame. Schultz played from 1972-76 in Philadelphia, winning two Stanley Cups (1974-75), and set the NHL single- season record for penalty minutes in one season with 472 in 1975. He totaled 51 goals, 115 points and 1,386 PIMs over 297 games with the franchise.