EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Oct. 18 (UPI) -- After being caught using an illegal stick late in the third period, Patrik Elias scored 76 seconds into overtime Friday night to give the unbeaten New Jersey Devils a 3-2 triumph over the winless Nashville Predators.
Elias was in the penalty box for his stick violation when Andreas Johansson banked a shot off Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur with 1:59 left in the third period to forge a 2-2 tie and force overtime.
But early in the extra period, Scott Gomez carried into the Predators' zone and left the puck for Elias. He moved down the right side, got around defenseman Francis Bouillon and chipped a backhander over the outstretched glove of former New Jersey goalie Mike Dunham.
Defenseman Colin White and Sergei Brylin scored second-period goals for the Devils, who are off to the sixth 3
0 start in team history and the first since the 1995-96 season.
Nashville went down to its second straight overtime loss and at 0-2
2 is off to the worst start in its five-year history.
White started the scoring 2:26 into the second period with his first goal in 15 games since March 20. The stay-at-home defenseman flipped a harmless-looking wrist shot from the blue line that trickled past Dunham, who was screened by Brian Gionta and teammate Andy Delmore.
Nashville nearly tied it four minutes later. Off a two on one, rookie Scottie Upshall charged to the net and got a cross-ice pass from Greg Johnson but rang a shot off the right goalpost.
A tripping penalty on Scott Hartnell gave New Jersey its second power play of the game and the Devils needed just 52 seconds to register its first goal of the season with the man advantage.
John Madden's long pass sprung Brylin on a two on none with Jamie Langenbrunner. Brylin was stopped on a breakaway by Dunham but knocked in the rebound for his second goal of the season.
The Predators got on the board during a two-man advantage with 3:31 to go in the period. With Jay Pandolfo and White in the penalty box, rookie Adam Hall crept in from the left side and flicked the puck past Brodeur for his first NHL goal.
Nashville was still on the power play less than a minute later when Denis Arkhipov backhanded a rebound over the net with Brodeur out of position.
