Hall of Famer

Brodeur, who usual a long dispatch-sport applause from the surrender crowd of 21,273, can beat the vinyl if he wins at home on Tuesday night, St. Patrick's Day, against the Chicago Blackhawks.

And best of all, Roy took time away from his job as proceed coach of the inferior Quebec Remparts to be at the Bell Centre to see Brodeur rival his single. The 36-year-old has been chasing Roy's many account almost since he bankrupt into the NHL in 1992.

"This is definitely the best backdrop there was for me to tie Patrick's notation - in Montreal," said Brodeur. "With the attention of the media, people could get a test of it.

"I don't want to offend everybody, but Montreal is what hockey's all about, and for me to be here for this, it's definitely a whole day for me."

Roy, who retired in 2003 after endearing two Stanley Cups each with Montreal and Colorado, said he wouldn't have missed it for the world.

"It was important for me to come to tell to him and extract to him how content I am for him," said Roy. "I know how hard he had to get there. He deserves it all.

"I'm very glad to be here to see that minute. I think it's great for the brave of hockey."

As the ultimate bell sounded, a partner flipped him the diversion puck and Brodeur was mobbed in front of his goal.

The four-time Vezina Trophy winner qualified his teammates with plateful to keep him alert on hockey among all the excitement his chase for the proof has brought.

"The tough was so tough it didn't genuinely happen to me what was untaken on," he said. "I just required to lodge in the diversion.

"But when we scored that third goal, then I ongoing view 'wow, it's event.' That was perhaps the toughest part, but being a close contest helped me get through it."

Patrick Elias and Brian Rolston scored in the first time and Jamie Langenbrunner iced the win with a goal in the third for New Jersey (45-20-3), which remained six points behind the Eastern Conference-foremost Boston Bruins.

Tomas Plekanec scored for Montreal (36-25-9), which is now 1-1-1 since common executive Bob Gainey replaced the fired Guy Carbonneau behind the bench. The Canadiens were outshot 48-23 and were booed lustily by fans.

"We had time when we had a good condemn departure, but after that third goal, they showed us how to play with a pointer," said Gainey.

Brodeur's father Denis, a professional photographer, was seated behind the goblet near the goal line with his cameras to register his son's historic jiffy, while his mother, who never watches her son play, stayed home.

It appeared that Brodeur would get his win certainly when the Canadiens took five inferior penalties in the cavity stage, with two for stay of spirited, and the Devils scored double on the state play.

Elias blasted in a peninsula shot on a two-man help 5:27 into the pastime and Rolston fired a bullet from the left argument that trapped the top place at 11:08. Elias had points on both goals, which put him into a tie with John MacLean, now the Devils aide coach, for the party record of 701 career points.

Nevertheless Plekanec congested the gap when he beat Brodeur with a sharply wrist shot from the right surface for his 20th of the spice at 12:29.

It was Montreal's Jaroslav Halak who shone in the goal in the following frame as New Jersey outshot the home face 18-11, but Brodeur required a vivacious move with his right pad to prevent Maxim Lapierre from tying the match from the limit of the gather eight notes in.

Montreal threatened again early in the third, but some bouncing forechecking saw Travis Zajac supply Langenbrunner in front for a high shot to the glove side with 7:03 enduring to play.

"We came here to win a willing and I think that helped me keep equipment in perspective," said Brodeur. "The bearing of our players was that it wasn't a big exchange.

"My teammates barely talked to me about it and that helped me get through these things."