(Monday, December 28th)

Final Score: New Jersey 3, Atlanta 2

Newark, NJ (Sports Network) - Zach Parise scored a pair of goals as New Jersey shut down Atlanta, 3-2, at Prudential Center.

Colin White added a score for the Devils, who won their sixth game in seven and took over the top spot in the Eastern Conference with 55 points, one more than Washington, which lost to Carolina.

Martin Brodeur made 24 stops for the win.

"We've just gotta keep it going. Right now, we're moving up and down depending on whether certain teams win or lose, but it's important to keep winning," Brodeur said. "Our next matchup with Pittsburgh will be interesting."

Ilya Kovalchuk and Marty Reasoner tallied for the Thrashers, who lost their fifth in a row. Johan Hedberg allowed three goals on 26 shots in defeat.

Parise extended the Devils' lead to 3-1 with 59 seconds played in the third period, when he tipped in a cross-ice pass from Patrik Elias for a power-play score.

Atlanta climbed within a goal when Pavel Kubina fed Reasoner for a wrist shot goal at 7:28 but could not net a tying score.

Kovalchuk opened the scoring at 9:43 of the first period, and Parise struck to tie the game 1:03 later.

White's left-point shot zipped through traffic and past Hedberg for a 2-1 Jersey edge with 3:26 left in the first, and Brodeur protected the lead through two periods.

"They don't really get flustered in tight games. Experience is a big factor in that, Reasoner said of the Devils. "It's not that we played bad. We had good chances but seemed to play from behind, and it was just too late for us."

Game Notes

New Jersey has won two of three meetings this season...The Devils improved to 14-3 in one-goal games in 2009-10...All five of Atlanta's losses have been by two goals or less.

12/28 23:38:31 ET