BOSTON (AP) – Martin Lapointe scored three goals in 5:15 to drive goalie Martin Brodeur from the game, and the Boston Bruins beat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 Thursday night.
Lapointe, with just two goals in his other 47 games, got the second hat trick of his 10-year career as part of Boston’s four-goal flurry in the second period.
The Bruins improved to 4-1-0-1 after going winless in nine games. The Devils dropped to 1-3-0-1 after going unbeaten in five.
After a scoreless first period, Jamie Langenbrunner gave the Devils a 1-0 lead at 4:11 of the second with a shot from high in the slot.
But just 34 seconds later, Lapointe began Boston’s barrage of four goals in 5:15.
He scored on a shot from the left point to the far side of Brodeur at 4:45, then put the Bruins ahead 2-1 at 8:40 on a slap shot from the top of the right circle that flew past Brodeur’s glove.
Mike Knuble got Boston’s next goal, his 22nd, at 9:18 when he came up the right side, faked Scott Stevens to the outside then fired a 20-footer past Brodeur.
Lapointe completed his hat trick at 10:00 for his fifth goal of the season when he tipped in Michal Grosek’s pass from the right of Brodeur into the slot.
That made it 4-1, ended Brodeur’s night and brought on Corey Schwab.
New Jersey got back in the game with two goals in the next 6:02 to cut the lead to 4-3.
Patrik Elias scored his 19th goal at 12:50 when he collected the rebound of his own shot and beat goalie Jeff Hackett. And at 16:21, the Devils ended a streak of 32 power plays without a goal when Scott Gomez put the puck over Hackett’s right shoulder from the blue line for his 11th of the season.
Notes: Boston’s streak of six games with a power play goal ended. … Defenseman Ian Moran, in his first game with Boston since Tuesday’s trade with Pittsburgh, assisted on Knuble’s goal. … Grant Marshall, in his second game with New Jersey since being acquired from Columbus, got an assist on Gomez’s goal.
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