Elias' late goal leads Devils past Pens

Patrik Elias ended an 11-game slump without a goal exactly when New Jersey needed him to, scoring with 5 1/2 minutes remaining as the Devils couldn't hold a two-goal lead but came back to beat the slumping Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 Monday night.

Penguins defenseman Jarkko Ruutu briefly left Elias undefended in the Devils' end, allowing Elias to take the lead on a 3-on-2 break. He beat goalie Dany Sabourin cleanly off Brian Gionta's cross-ice pass. Elias' goal was his third of the season and his first since he scored twice against Atlanta on Oct. 13.

Despite goals by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins lost their fourth in a row and sixth in seven games to fall behind New Jersey and into last place in the Atlantic Division.

Zach Parise also scored for New Jersey and set up Travis Zajac's goal during the Devils' two-goal first period against Sabourin, who turned aside only 18 shots as coach Michel Therrien again benched inconsistent starter Marc-Andre Fleury.

Kevin Weekes won his second in three decisions for New Jersey as Martin Brodeur, one victory away from becoming only the second NHL goalie to win 500 games, was held out before the Devils return home to play twice. Brodeur was a 2-1 loser to the Islanders on Saturday night.

Crosby made it 2-1 only 26 seconds into the second period with his 10th goal, working a give-and-go with Ryan Malone with a drop pass between his legs before cutting toward the net and putting a shot between Weekes' pads.

Malkin tied it with his seventh goal midway through the third period on a power play, one-timing Sergei Gonchar's pass to the top of the right circle inside the near post. Malkin has at least one point in 11 consecutive games.

The Devils, 5-0 losers at home to Pittsburgh a week ago Monday, opened their 2-0 lead midway through the first period. It was the fourth time in nine home games the Penguins have trailed by two goals or more.

Zajac scored his fourth of the season slightly less than five minutes in, taking an on-the-tape pass from Parise and faking a shot inside the post before beating Sabourin between the pads from the left circle. Sabourin started after getting his first career shutout in that Nov. 5 game at New Jersey.

Parise, who has five points in three games against Pittsburgh, made it 2-0 about six minutes later with New Jersey's first power-play goal in 20 chances over six games.

Parise got his fourth goal in 17 career games against Pittsburgh as Gionta carried the puck from behind the net and slid a cross-crease pass to Parise, left uncovered at the right side of the net when defenseman Rob Scuderi fell down.

Notes:@ The Penguins have trailed in all but three home games They are 3-5-1 at home. ... Crosby has at least one point in all 17 Penguins games since opening night. ... Brodeur didn't start after allowing nine goals in his first two games against Pittsburgh. He started the Devils' previous eight contests. ... The Penguins are 7-10-1 after being 9-7-2 through 18 games last season, when they finished 47-24-11. ... The Devils had lost their last five road games.