EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Jamie Langenbrunner scored his first two goals of the season Saturday as the New Jersey Devils routed the Chicago Blackhawks, 5-1, to produce their best start in nine years.
Langenbrunner tallied just 10 seconds into the game. Blackhawks defenseman Alexander Karpovtsev mishandled the puck in his own zone and Jay Pandolfo picked it up and shot from the left faceoff circle. Langenbrunner, at the right side of the net, tucked the puck into the corner.
The goal was two seconds shy of the fastest to start a game in team history. Kirk Muller needed only eight seconds against St. Louis on Dec. 13, 1988 and Alexander Semak matched the mark at Vancouver on March 9, 1993.
New Jersey is a league-leading 6
0 when scoring first.
Pandolfo notched his first goal of the season a little more than three minutes later and Langenbrunner put in his second with 1:41 left in the period.
Joe Nieuwendyk and Patrick Elias scored in the third period for the Devils, who at 7-2-0 are off to their best start since the 1993-94 squad began 8-1-1. They also won their sixth in a row against Chicago.
Martin Brodeur needed to make just 18 saves as New Jersey outshot the Blackhawks, 41-19.
Former Devils defenseman Lyle Odelein had Chicago's lone goal at 1:19 of the second period. He put a rebound from the slot over Brodeur for his 40th career goal.
Andrei Nikolishin and Chris Simon, acquired from the Washington Capitals on Friday, played for their new team, but the Blackhawks had their three-game winning streak come to an end and endured their first loss in five contests.
Steve Passmore made 36 saves in the loss.
