CHICAGO — The past three games have been good to the Blackhawks. Not so much for the Devils.
Brent Seabrook beat Martin Brodeur from the blue line at 3:36 of overtime to give the Blackhawks their third straight victory, 3-2, over the Devils last night. Seabrook, who also had an assist, scored on a 55-foot drive with two Devils players in the path of the shot.
Zach Parise scored his 42nd goal of the season, and Paul Martin also scored for the Devils, 0-2-1 in their last three. The points moved the Atlantic Division-leading Devils eight points ahead of second-place Philadelphia. New Jersey is now one point behind Washington, a 5-3 winner over the Lightning last night, for second place in the Eastern Conference.
Chicago’s Martin Havlat had a goal, and set up Kris Versteeg’s power-play score in regulation and Seabrook’s winner.
Chicago’s Nikolai Khabibulin was sharp in blocking 28 shots. Brodeur made 39 saves, including several close-in stops. The Blackhawks had five power plays in the first and dominated early, but Brodeur kept it close with several sharp saves.
Versteeg’s power-play goal opened the scoring 5:51 in. Left untouched at the left edge of the crease, Versteeg took Havlat’s pass, spun and fired a shot over Brodeur’s glove.
Parise tied it at 7:23 on a rising shot from the right circle that may have deflected off the stick of Chicago defenseman Aaron Johnson.
Martin gave the Devils a 2-1 lead on a rebound with 18 seconds left in period. Havlat tied it at 2 with 5:37 left in the second.
B’hawks 3 Devils 2
