Newark, NJ (Sports Network) – Chris Stewart and T.J. Galiardi each scored a goal and added an assist in Colorado’s 3-2 win over New Jersey to keep the Devils winless at Prudential Center.
Cody McLeod also scored before being ejected from the game early in the first period, as the Avalanche improved to 3-1-0 this season. Paul Stastny notched two assists, while John-Michael Liles recorded an assist in his fourth straight game to begin the season.
Craig Anderson was strong between the pipes, stopping 41 shots in the win.
Ilya Kovalchuk and Matt Taormina both finished with a goal and an assist for the Devils, who have lost all three of their home games this season. Martin Brodeur allowed all three goals on 22 shots in defeat. Taormina’s tally was the first of his career.
Colorado got the only goal of the opening period.
With a four-minute double minor to New Jersey’s Colin White winding down, McLeod skated down the left side of the ice and fired a bad-angle shot that deflected off Brodeur’s right pad and into the net at 11:50.
Just 22 seconds later, McLeod was called for a boarding major and a game misconduct, giving the Devils a five-minute power play on which they could score as many times as possible. One chance saw the puck squirt just past the post as a New Jersey skater celebrated prematurely, and another saw a Colorado defenseman stop the puck from entering the net.
Despite being outshot, 17-3, the Avs held a 1-0 lead after one period.
New Jersey’s Dainius Zubrus missed a breakaway chance wide shortly into the second period, and Colorado grabbed a 2-0 lead at 11:48 on Galiardi’s first goal of the season, a rebound chance after Brodeur had stopped a Stewart slapshot.
Exactly three minutes later, the Devils finally got on the board on Taormina’s shot from the top of the slot for a power-play goal.
Colorado, though, was able to restore its two-goal margin on Stewart’s blast from the right circle with 15:29 to play, but Kovalchuk pulled the Devils to within one again on his second goal of the year with 11:11 left.
Despite outshooting the Avs, 16-7, in the third period, the Devils were unable to net the equalizer. Brodeur headed to the bench in favor of an extra attacker in the final minute, but Anderson kept Colorado in front until the final horn.
The Devils went 27-10-4 at home last year…Liles has six assists in four games…The Avs have won two straight meetings with the Devils…New Jersey will have another opportunity to win their first game at home on Saturday against Boston.