New Jersey (12-7-2) at Pittsburgh (13-6-3), 7:30 pm EST
PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The New Jersey Devils have vanquished
four teams with losing records during their five-game winning
streak.
However, goaltender Scott Clemmensen and the Devils will
certainly be tested when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on
Saturday with hopes of extending their season-best run.
Clemmensen has stepped up enough to not only grasp the starting
job over Kevin Weekes, but enable the Devils to rebound from a
1-5-0 skid in the wake of Martin Brodeur's elbow injury, which
will keep him out for at least another three months.
The 31-year-old Clemmensen is 4-2-0 with a 2.48 goals-against
average and notched a career-high in wins by making 35 saves in
the Devils' 3-2 overtime victory against the Florida Panthers on
Wednesday. He has started five of their last six contests.
Injured center John Madden did not practice Friday after missing
the last three games with a bruised left ankle and will not
accompany the team to Pittsburgh.
Defenseman Mike Mottau will return from his two-game suspension
for a high hit on New York Islanders center Frans Nielsen during
a 5-2 win on November 21.
Pittsburgh is coming off a 4-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on
Friday and has struggled without injured starting netminder
Marc-Andre Fleury.
Fleury has not started since November 15 after suffering a
lower-body injury and the Penguins are 2-2-1 since.
Dany Sabourin had started four straight games, but was lifted
midway through the second period in a 5-3 win over the Islanders
on Wednesday and then sat in favor of rookie John Curry against
the Sabres.
Evgeni Malkin has six goals and 13 assists in the last 10 games
and leads the NHL with 37 points.
Captain Sidney Crosby scored two goals against Buffalo and has
eight points in his last four contests. Crosby's 30 points are
tied with three other players for second in the league.