Devils open a can of whoop ass on the Flyers, Brodeur records 100th career shutout

Devils netminder Martin Brodeur recorded his 100th career shutout and 547th career win in New Jersey's 3-0 skunking of the Flyers at The Rock this afternoon. Brodeur's win leaves him only 4 behind Patrick Roy for winningest goalie of all time in NHL history. It will be a well deserved mark when it arrives. Brodeur, unlike Roy, isn't prone to histrionics and poor sportsmanship. He plays the game the way it was meant to be played.

As for the game, the Devils got goals from Jamie Langenbrunner (20th), Brian Gionta (14th) and Johnny Oduya (5th), one in each period. The Devils defense kept Philly off balance and bottled up in the neutral zone allowing only 27 shots. The Devils had an impressive 9 takeaways helping jump start their offense and won the faceoff battle 36-26. If you want a key to the upcoming playoffs for the Devils, keep an eye on the faceoff numbers. If New Jersey can control the play from the beginning, and start with the puck it'll keep the offense fluid and also allow them to get pucks deep in the opponents zone and let their impressive forechecking game go to work. It's an often overlooked stat by fans but coaches and players will tell you, it's a vital part of winning close games.

The Devils travel to Toronto on Tuesday for the next game (and last before the trading deadline), and are out on Long Island next Saturday night.