- (Sports Network) - Patrik Elias scored the eventual game-winner and Martin Brodeur was his usual stingy self as the New Jersey Devils came away with a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders in the season opener for both clubs. Brodeur saved all but one of the 26 shots he faced and set the NHL record for most consecutive season-opening starts with one team (14). Zach Parise tallied the other goal for New Jersey, which moved to 12-0-5 in season openers played at home. Joey MacDonald got the starting nod over regular netminder Rick DiPietro for New York, stopping 27-of-29 shots. The Islanders failed to get head coach Scott Gordon a victory in his NHL debut behind the bench. Doug Weight recorded a goal in his first game with the Islanders, who were just 1-for-6 on the power play.

Final Score: NY Rangers 4, Chicago 2 New York, NY (Sports Network) - Brandon Dubinsky scored and had two assists, and the Rangers won their official home opener, 4-2, over the Chicago Blackhawks. Aaron Voros and Nikolai Zherdev each had a goal and an assist for New York, which beat Tampa Bay twice last weekend in the Czech Republic. Wade Redden also scored and Henrik Lundqvist made 30 saves for the Rangers, who have won their last four Madison Square Garden openers. They're 3-0 for the first time since 1989. Patrick Kane, last year's Calder Trophy winner, and Duncan Keith scored in the season-opener for Chicago. Cristobal Huet, who was signed to a four-year deal over the summer, made 25 saves in defeat.



Final Score: Carolina 6, Florida 4

Raleigh, NC (Sports Network) - Carolina got goals from six different players and erased an early two-goal deficit with a 6-4 win over the Florida Panthers in a Southeast Division battle and the regular-season opener for both squads from the RBC Center. Dan LaCouture wound up with the eventual game-winner in the third while Tuomo Ruutu and Ray Whitney had first period goals. Rod Brind'Amour and Joni Pitkanen tallied in the second for the Hurricanes, who won the franchise's first-ever Stanley Cup title in 2006 but missed the postseason in the two years following that triumph. Cam Ward halted 29- of-33 shots to get the win while Tim Gleason notched a pair of assists. Former Hurricane Cory Stillman and David Booth had a goal and assist each for Florida, which has the league's longest current postseason drought, having last made the playoffs in 2000. Tomas Vokoun allowed five goals on 23 shots and the Panthers lost in head coach Peter DeBoer's debut behind the bench.



Final Score: Buffalo 2, Montreal 1 (SO)

Buffalo, NY (Sports Network) - Ales Kotalik scored the decisive goal in the shootout, as the Buffalo Sabres opened the 2008-09 season with a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens at the HSBC Arena. Thomas Vanek tallied in regulation for Buffalo, which followed two straight conference final appearances with a disappointing 10th-place finish in the East in 2007-08. Ryan Miller made 27 saves to get the win. Robert Lang lit the lamp and Carey Price stopped 35 shots for the Canadiens, who are celebrating their 100th year of existence. The Canadiens defied the odds by finishing atop the Eastern Conference standings last season. Montreal then survived a grueling, seven-game opening-round series against the Bruins before Philadelphia eliminated the Canadiens in five games in the semifinals.



Final Score: Atlanta 7, Washington 4

Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Bryan Little started a three-goal outburst in the third period as the Atlanta Thrashers downed the Washington Capitals (web|news), 7-4, in the season opener between two Southeast Division rivals. Little finished with a pair of goals and an assist for the Thrashers, who picked up the first win for new head coach John Anderson. Atlanta went 34-40-8 last season, one year after reaching the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Vyacheslav Kozlov, Todd White and new signee Ron Hainsey each notched a goal and assist for the Thrashers, while Niclas Havelid recorded three assists. Kari Lehtonen stopped 39-of-43 shots for Atlanta. Mike Green had two goals and an assist for Washington, which won the division last season and lost to Philadelphia in the opening round of the playoffs. Alexander Semin had a goal and two helpers in the loss. The Capitals' starting netminder, Jose Theodore, was underwhelming in his debut with the club after joining in the offseason. He allowed four goals on 17 shots, and was replaced by Brent Johnson, who gave up three tallies on 14 shots.



Final Score: St. Louis 5, Nashville 2

St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Keith Tkachuk recorded a pair of goals, and St. Louis had four power-play tallies en route to a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators in the season opener for both Central Division clubs. Barret Jackman, Brad Boyes and David Backes had a goal apiece for the Blues, who last season went 33-36-13 and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year. Manny Legace stopped 20-of-22 shots for St. Louis, which hadn't opened the season at home since 2002 and was winless in its previous 10 season openers. The Blues last won their first game of the season in 1996, a 4-2 triumph over Colorado. Joel Ward and Ryan Suter each scored for Nashville, which made the playoffs last season for the fourth straight year with a 41-32-9 record before being ousted in the first round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Red Wings. Dan Ellis gave up all five goals in net for Nashville, seeing just 22 shots.



Final Score: Columbus 5, Dallas 4 (OT)

Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Rick Nash scored with 21 seconds remaining in overtime, as the new-look Columbus Blue Jackets opened the 2008-09 season with a 5-4 victory over the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. Jakub Voracek, a winger taken seventh overall by Columbus in the 2007 draft, notched a goal and an assist in his NHL debut. Jason Chimera collected two assists for the Blue Jackets, who finished 13th in the West last season. Pascal Leclaire stopped 27-of-31 shots to get the win. Brad Richards and Trevor Daley lit the lamp late in the third period to tie the game for the Stars, who last season reached the Western Conference finals for the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign. Stephane Robidas recorded three assists and Mike Ribeiro had two helpers. Marty Turco allowed five goals on 27 shots in defeat.







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