Devils can tie NHL road mark tonight

NEWARK, N.J. -- There's no place like the road for the New Jersey Devils these days.

The team will try to tie the NHL record for consecutive road wins to start the season when it plays the Philadelphia Flyers tonight. A victory would be New Jersey's tenth straight road win, equaling the mark set in 2006 by the Buffalo Sabres.

"For whatever reason we're comfortable on the road," left wing Zach Parise said. "It's not as if you go into other rinks so much anymore where you get intimidated. We play pretty smart. It's all the same size ice surface. We are just playing smart and easy hockey, and it is working for us."

The streak almost never got going. After losing their first two games at home, the Devils played the Tampa Bay Lightning and needed a last-second goal by Travis Zajac in regulation to tie the game, which they won in a shootout.

Three of the nine wins on the road have been in shootouts, and three others have been decided by a goal.

"It's not a normal streak where you're in it all the time," veteran Jamie Langenbrunner said. "We go back home, and there's a lot of things in between. I don't think we've paid any attention to it, which is probably a good thing."

While the Devils downplay the streak, they admit road trips have been important for a team with a lot of new faces this year.

Veterans John Madden, Brian Gionta, Mike Rupp and backup goaltender Scott Clemmensen were lost to free agency, and Bobby Holik retired. Brendan Shanahan and the team parted ways just before the season started.

Langenbrunner, who is in his 13th season, said road trips early in the season can be good.

Since losing their first two games, New Jersey has posted a 13-2 record, winning its past eight, the longest win streak in the league this season.

Latest Comment View all comments