NEWARK, N.J. _ Travis Zajac missed the season's first 17 games after undergoing offseason surgery to repair a torn left pectoral muscle and even after making his way back into the lineup, he wondered when his scoring touch would return.
But the 32-year-old center is again becoming a difference maker.
Zajac scored twice _ snapping a nine-game goal drought _ as the Devils defeated the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins, 3-1, on Saturday night at Prudential Center.
The Devils (27-16-8) moved past the Penguins (29-22-3) into second place in the Metropolitan Division as they won their third straight while snapping the Penguins' four-game winning streak.
Keith Kinkaid, starting his third straight for an injured Cory Schneider, stopped 15 shots.
Casey DeSmith made 35 saves for the Penguins were playing on back-to-back nights after a 7-4 win over the first-place Capitals on Friday night at Pittsburgh. It was the second straight game the Devils faced an opponent playing for a second straight night after rallying with two third-period goals to defeat the visiting Flyers, 4-3, on Thursday night.
But for all the Devils dominated the first 40 minutes, the Penguins gave themselves a chance by keeping their deficit to two goals and outskating the Devils in the third period.
Evgeni Malkin, with his eighth goal in four games after he scored twice with two assists against the Capitals, cut the Devils' lead to 2-1 as he got to the crease for a backhander past Kinkaid at 6:16 of the third period.
Zajac's second goal, and his seventh of the season, gave the Devils a 3-1 lead at 9:51 as he got to the crease to redirect Damon Severson's shot from the right point. Taylor Hall got the secondary assist and now has at least one point in his last 10 games.
Sidney Crosby, who had an 11-game point streak snapped, had his potential 400th NHL goal waved off because of goalie interference on Bryan Rust at 12:54. The on-ice, no-goal call survived a challenge from Penguins coach Mike Sullivan.
Zajac's third line with Blake Coleman and Stefan Noesen initiated a dominant second period for the Devils with two goals in the opening 3:05.
Zajac opened the scoring 30 seconds in after Coleman did yeoman work in the left corner to keep the puck moving. DeSmith erred as the puck came toward his crease, just pushing it away with his stick and right on to Zajac's stick. Zajac skated across the crease and deposited a forehand for his first goal.
Zajac had also energized the Devils against the Flyers after fighting Flyers tough guy Radko Gudas as payback for Gudas' leaping first-period hit on Kyle Palmieri.
Noesen, who fought Penguins defenseman Ian Cole at 13:26 of the first period, set up his fellow Plano, Texas native Coleman for a quick shot below the right circle to make it 2-0 at 3:05.
The Devils took 13 of the second period's first 14 shots and outshot the Penguins, 16-4, over the middle 20 minutes.
DeSmith stopped all 13 shots he faced in the first period and the Penguins blocked eight other first-period attempts as the Devils started the game as the aggressors.
DeSmith's best save came as he stoned Nico Hischier's power-play try at the crease at 15:16 after the No. 1 overall pick got free. DeSmith also closed his pads to stop Taylor Hall's backhander at the net at 14:09 as Kris Letang slashed him on the way to the crease.
The Penguins were without Patric Hornqvist, who did not travel to New Jersey after suffering a lower-body injury against the Capitals. That allowed left wing Zachary Aston-Reese, 23, an undrafted free agent out of Northwestern who grew up on Staten Island and played youth hockey for the New Jersey Rockets at The Rock, to make his NHL debut after being recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) earlier in the day.
