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Devils sneak past Thrashers
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ATLANTA — New Jersey lifted pulled record-setting goalie Martin Brodeur after he allowed three first-period goals, then rallied for three second-period goals and the Devils went on to a 5-4 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday night.

Dean McAmmond scored two goals for the Devils (25-8-1), who won their fourth straight and eighth in nine games in moving to a NHL-best 12-2-1 on the road. The Thrashers (18-13-3) fell to 8-7-2 at home.

One night after Brodeur played in his 1,030th regular-season NHL game Friday night to set a record for goalies, passing Patrick Roy, the New Jersey star was lifted after allowing three goals on six shots in the first period. The last time Brodeur was removed early from a game was last season on March 7 in a 7-3 loss to the New York Islanders. He gave up six goals on 26 shots that night.

Yann Danis replaced Brodeur and stopped 19 of 20 shots in the last two periods. He allowed Slava Kozlov’s power-play goal with 3:56 in the third that pulled Atlanta to5-4. Danis is 3-0 in four games this season.

The Devils, who trailed 3-1 after the opening period, scored three straight goals in the second period to go ahead 4-3.

Brian Ralston scored at the 2:46 mark, beating Ondrej Pavelec for his 13th goal. Less than four minutes later McAmmond scored his second goal to tie it at 3 on a power play. Rod Pelley put the Devils in front 4-3 with his first goal at 10:04 of the period.

McAmmond scored his third goal with 8:25 left in the final period to put the Devils up 5-3.

The Thrashers, who had won three of four, opened the scoring on a goal by Ron Hainsey 7:15 in to the game. It was his third goal.

The Devils tied it on a goal by Rob Niedermayer, his fifth, at 12:55 before Atlanta took the lead again on a goal by Nik Antropov, his seventh.

The Thrashers made it 3-1 less than 3 minutes later on a goal by Pavel Kubina, his fourth. Kubina also assisted on Hainsey’s goal.

New Jersey outshot Atlanta 24-6 in the opening period and 42-26 overall.

NOTES: Ilya Kovalchuk had an assist and has nine points (3 goals, 6 assists) in his last five games. ... The Thrashers were 11-1 when they scored first. ... The Thrashers beat New Jersey 4-2 in their first meeting this season on Oct. 16. ... Brodeur still has 103 career shutouts, tied with Terry Sawchuk.

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