NEW YORK, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- Ilya Kovalchuk scored the first of three unanswered goals 64 seconds into the game Thursday and the New Jersey Devils held on to down the New York Rangers 3-2.
The Devils continued to turn their season around by winning for the sixth time in seven games. They still are tied for the fewest points in the Eastern Conference (39) with the New York Islanders.
Dainius Zubrus assisted on Kovalchuk's goal and then scored one of his own 8:01 into the second. Brian Rolston finished New Jersey's scoring with 4:56 to go in the second and Martin Brodeur made the lead stand up.
Brodeur raised his NHL career-record victory total to 614. He allowed goals by Ryan Callahan late in the second period and Vaclav Prospal early in the third.
Prospal, a 13-year veteran who has played for seven teams, was making his season debut after missing the first 53 games following knee surgery.
Brodeur made 25 saves while New York's Henrik Lundqvist was removed from the game after giving up three goals on 12 shots. Marty Biron stopped the only six shots he saw in relief.
