Devils Hold Off Bruins Late Surge; Win 3-2

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Newark, NJ (Sports Network) - Zach Parise scored the eventual game-winner late in the first period, as the New Jersey Devils held off the Boston Bruins, 3-2, at Prudential Center.

David Clarkson had a goal and an assist for the Devils, who have won three of four to move within two points of the Penguins, who lead the Atlantic Division with 87 points. Rob Niedermayer also lit the lamp for New Jersey, which got 34 saves from Martin Brodeur.

"As a team were starting to mold and that's when it gets exciting," Clarkson said. "This is when you're going into war. This is the playoffs coming up. I believe we have a group of guys that I would take everyone of them with me."

Blake Wheeler finished with a goal and an assist for the Bruins, who fell to 2-3-1 on a seven-game road trip that ends Tuesday in Carolina. Patrice Bergeron also scored for Boston, which has 72 points and sits in eighth in the Eastern Conference.

Tim Thomas allowed three goals on 12 shots in the first period before being pulled for Tuukka Rask, who turned aside all 16 shots he faced.

Down 3-1 in the third, the Bruins went on the power play at the 14:43 mark. Brodeur held strong in net, though, to keep it a two-goal game.

Boston then pulled Rask for an extra attacker. With 1:03 to go, Dennis Seidenberg's one-timer from the right point was deflected in by Bergeron to cut the gap to 3-2. But New Jersey held on from there.

"We dug ourselves a hole in the first period," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "I thought we played better from the second period on."

The Devils got on the board at the 9:58 mark of the first period. Clarkson's shot from the slot was deflected in by Niedermayer, who was screening Thomas.

Clarkson's goal with 2:37 remaining made it a 2-0 game. Brodeur slid a beautiful tape-to-tape pass to Clarkson, who gathered the disc at center and used a backhander to score on a breakaway.

Parise lit the lamp less than a minute later to give New Jersey a three-goal cushion. A shot from the top of the slot left a rebound in front for Parise, whose backhander beat Thomas.

Boston cut the gap to 3-1 on Wheeler's score 43 seconds into the second. Mark Stuart's shot from along the goal line was deflected into the back of the net by Wheeler.

The Devils had a goal called off with 11:07 remaining due to a high stick.

The Devils have won four straight at home...Boston was without defenseman Andrew Ference (groin)...New Jersey leads the season series with the Bruins, 3-0...New Jersey has won five of six and nine of its last 12 overall versus Boston as well as five of the last six played in the Garden State...Brodeur's assist was his third of the season.