Newark, NJ – Craig Anderson turned aside all 33 shots he faced, and the Ottawa Senators extended one of the longest losing streaks in New Jersey Devils history with a 2-0 win at the Prudential Center.
Rookie Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Milan Michalek both had second-period goals to back Anderson's third shutout of the season, with Pageau's the first of his NHL career and Michalek's his first since Jan. 29.
Michalek had not played since Mar. 8 due to a right knee injury that required surgery and kept him out of Ottawa's last 15 contests.
The victory moved the Senators into sole possession of sixth place in the Eastern Conference, one point behind idle Toronto, and dealt the free-falling Devils a ninth straight loss that now stands one short of a franchise record for consecutive defeats.
While Anderson was razor-sharp between the pipes, counterpart Martin Brodeur stopped just 9-of-11 chances as New Jersey fell to 0-5-4 since Mar. 25.
"Our goalie was big part of the game, as was our penalty kill, and we found a way to win the game," Ottawa coach Paul MacLean said. "The Devils probably played better than we did and probably deserved a better fate. But we've been there before where the stat sheet looked good for us but the scoreboard wasn't, so we'll take it."
The Senators managed a mere three shots in the first period and six more in the second, but were still able to carry a 2-0 lead into the final frame when Pageau and Michalek scored less than four minutes apart in the middle session.
Pageau, playing in just his second NHL game after being recalled from the minors on Wednesday, redirected a backhand attempt by Colin Greening from the right circle past the 19-year veteran Brodeur to break the scoreless tie 3:08 into the period.
"That goal is going to stay in my memory for all my life," Pageau said. "Marty Brodeur is great goalie. He's a legend, and to score my first one against him, for sure, I'm going to remember for a long time."
Michalek made it a 2-0 game not long afterward by forcing a New Jersey turnover and finding the back of the net on a 2-on-1 rush with Daniel Alfredsson at the 6:52 mark.
Anderson also did his part by coming up with 14 saves in the second and helping kill off four New Jersey power-play chances over the initial 40 minutes -- including a 5-on-3 opportunity that lasted nearly 90 seconds midway through the opening stanza.
The Devils had a decided advantage in shots for the third period as well, putting up 10 to Ottawa's two, but still failed to solve Anderson even after pulling Brodeur with more than two minutes to go.
"The guys, offensively, are getting chances," Brodeur remarked. "They're getting shots, they're getting looks, but nothing's going in. I'm really disappointed with the result. What's not disappointing is the effort and the way we've been playing."
Game Notes
New Jersey lost 10 in a row from Oct. 14-Nov. 4, 1983 ... Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov served the first of a four-game suspension for an illegal elbow to Boston's Brad Marchand in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Bruins, while fellow blueliner Bryce Salvador sat out with a bruised wrist sustained in the Boston game ... Anderson picked up his first win since Feb. 19, having gone 0-2-0 in a pair of starts since returning from an 18-game absence caused by a sprained ankle ... The Devils dropped to 3-15-6 this season when failing to score the game's first goal ... Michalek, Ottawa's leader in goals (35) in 2011-12, was playing in just his 16th game of the season.
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