Noesen scores 2 late goals as Devils rally to beat Ducks

NEWARK, N.J. » So much was made of this being first game between New Jersey and Anaheim since the late November trade that sent Sami Vatanen to the Devils for the popular Adam Henrique that most people forgot about Stefan Noesen.

The Devils claimed Noesen on waivers from the Ducks in January, and this also was the fourthline right wing’s first game against his old team.

Guess show?

Noesen scored on a rebound with 4:07 to play and added an empty-net goal as surprising Devils rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Ducks 5-3 on Monday night.

Myles Wood had two goals, Jesper Bratt also scored and Brian Boyle added three assists as the Devils continued their worst-to-first run by moving into first place in the Metropolitan Division. Cory who stole the Schneider had 21 saves and was helped by a goalpost on a shot by Rickard Rakell during a power play before Neosen scored the go-ahead goal. BRUINS 7, BLUE JACKETS 2 » Led by their young players, the Boston Bruins put up their highest scoring game of the season.

Rookie Jake DeBrusk set up second-period powerplay goals by David Backes and fellow rookie Charlie McAvoy and added a goal of his own, Tuukka Rask stopped 16 shots to keep up his hot stretch, and the Bruins beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-2 on Monday night.

Brad Marchand, Danton Heinen, Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron also scored for the Bruins, who halted a two-game skid. Rask improved to 6-0-1 in his last seven starts. McAvoy also had an assist and his first career NHL fight. AVALANCHE 4, PENGUINS 2 » Defenseman Tyson Barrie scored twice, Semyon Varlamov stopped 30 shots — even getting a little help from the posts along the way — and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 on Monday night.

J.T. Compher also scored and Mikko Rantanen sealed the win with a late emptynetter as the Avalanche knocked off the Penguins for the second time in a week to sweep the season series.

Barrie scored his first goal since Oct. 13 in the first period. He followed that up with another in the second for his fifth career two-goal game.

Chad Ruhwedel and Evgeni Malkin found the net for the Penguins, who finished a three-game trip with a 1-2 mark. Pittsburgh was a little unfortunate in the second period when Josh Archibald’s shot trickled through the pads of Varlamov, clanged off the post, stood on its edge for a moment and fell down on the line for no goal.