New Jersey Stops Slide Even Without MacLean

The New Jersey Devils figured out a unique way to reverse a 1-4-0 slide: They left the most prolific scorer in franchise history home.

With John MacLean left behind while the team tries to trade him, Martin Brodeur stopped 28 shots for his third shutout of the season as the Devils ended the Pittsburgh Penguins’ eight-game unbeaten streak with a 4-0 victory Thursday night at Pittsburgh.

“We didn’t do it to send a message,” Coach Jacques Lemaire said of MacLean’s exile. “We did it because we just feel it’s the right thing to do.”

The Penguins had been 7-0-1 with six consecutive wins since losing 3-1 to the Rangers in New York on Nov. 14.

Brodeur’s NHL-leading goals-against average is 1.67 and it was his 25th career shutout.

Colorado 2, Chicago 1--Adam Deadmarsh scored with 4:10 to play, taking advantage of a mistake by Tony Amonte, as the visiting Avalanche defeated the Blackhawks.

Patrick Roy made 29 saves for his 361st victory, moving him past Andy Moog into sixth place on the NHL career list, as the Avalanche earned a fourth consecutive win.

Joe Sakic gained control of the puck in the right corner and sent a blind, backhanded pass into the slot. Amonte stopped the puck and momentarily had control. But he lost the puck right onto the stick of Deadmarsh, who wristed a shot over Jeff Hackett’s glove.

St. Louis 4, Toronto 3--Craig Conroy had a goal and an assist during the same short-handed situation to lead the host Blues.

Conroy, who also had an assist on the Blues’ first goal, has six points in his last two games. Before that, Conroy had eight points in 27 games. Both of Conroy’s goals this season have come short-handed.

Blair Atcheynum, Geoff Courtnall and Pavol Demitra also scored for the Blues, and Brett Hull extended his scoring streak to four games with an assist.

The Blues have recorded 24 points at home (11-4-2), tops in the NHL. St. Louis won only 17 games all last season at Kiel Center.

San Jose 3, Vancouver 2--Stephane Matteau capped a three-goal burst in less than five minutes in the third period, leading the visiting Sharks.

After trailing the Canucks 1-0 through two periods, the Sharks got goals from Jarrod Skalde at 3:32, Jeff Friesen at 7:59 and Matteau at 8:29 of the third to break a five-game winless streak.

Defenseman Dana Murzyn opened the scoring for the Canucks at 10:36 of the opening period. Vancouver’s other goal, by David Scatchard, came at 14:51 of the final period and cut the Sharks’ lead to 3-2.

The Canucks (9-15-4) lost for the first time in five games.