Toronto, Canada – NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - Patrik Elias and Niclas Bergfors scored a pair of goals and netminder Martin Brodeur recorded his 577th career victory as the New Jersey Devils beat the slumping Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 on Saturday.
Elias followed two powerplay tallies by Swedish rookie Bergfors with the 300th goal of his career in the first period and added another score in the second.
The scores enabled the Czech left wing to become the second New Jersey player to reach 300 goals.
"It's obviously a nice little mark and a nice little achievement," Elias told reporters. "To do it for this organization is even more special."
The milestone came in the 839th game for Elias, who is now in his 13th season of an NHL career played exclusively with the Devils.
Bergfors, 22, reached 11 goals for the season in his 41st NHL game.
"Right now he's just Johnny on the spot," Brodeur said of Bergfors. "He's making plays and he's got that sneaky shot."
Bergfors reached out with his stick and chipped the puck past Flyers netminder Brian Boucher for his first goal.
"I came with speed," Bergfors said of his opening goal. "I don't know what their 'D' (defense) was doing. I got through."
Brodeur stopped 22 shots for his 20th victory of the season but lost a bid to become the NHL's all-time shutout leader when Philadelphia's Claude Giroux scored on a power play 15:03 into the second.
"It was just a bad angle shot that I wish I could get back," Brodeur said. "I stand up on these shots and sometimes it just gets through and that did."
The Devils netminder and Hall of Famer Terry Sawchuk share the all-time lead with 103 career shutouts.
The loss was the 10th in 12 games for Philadelphia.
Atlantic Division leader New Jersey has won eight of its past 10.
(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina. Editing by Ian Ransom; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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