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PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The New Jersey Devils are beginning their playoff flop a little bit early.
Alexei Kovalev scored a tiebreaking power-play goal and Matthew Barnaby had his first multiple-goal game in more than three years as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Tuesday night.
|  | | Pittsburgh's Matthew Barnaby, left, is congratulated by Aleksey Morozov and Tyler Wright after his second goal. |
The Penguins, playing without injured star Jaromir Jagr, strengthened their hold on the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. They have 80 points, three more than eighth-place Buffalo.
The Devils, who have lost in the first-round of the playoffs in each of the last two years, have seen their large lead atop the Eastern Conference shrink to just one point over Washington.
"I think our team needs to be a little more committed," new coach Larry Robinson said.
New Jersey has lost five of seven, part of a 6-12-1 fade that cost coach Robbie Ftorek his job. The team is 1-2 since Robinson took over last Thursday.
"We didn't work hard enough," Bobby Holik said of the Devils' latest loss. "The intensity was not there. Why? I don't know. There were times when we turned up the intensity and we were the better team but they weren't often. They wanted to win more than we did."
Maybe that was because the Penguins are in a more desperate state. New Jersey is in the playoffs and is just determining its position. The Penguins are scrambling just to get in.
"It was obviously a huge win for us and now we have to do it again against Washington (Thursday)," Pittsburgh coach Herb Brooks said.
The Penguins have 80 points, three more than eighth-place Buffalo.
Goalie Martin Brodeur figured the Devils were in trouble when they played a sluggish first period.
"Usually when you're in a slump, you come out and hit," he said. "We came out and just played a period. That's not a good sign."
Kovalev scored at 5:08 of the third, beating Martin Brodeur with a shot from the left point for his 23rd goal. Brodeur didn't see the shot because a Pittsburgh player skated in front of him.
Jagr missed the game because of a bruised upper back and shoulder sustained when he was checked from behind by Philadelphia's Dan McGillis on Sunday. The Penguins are 5-10-3 this season without Jagr.
Penguins general manager Craig Patrick said "We're hoping he's ready for Thursday."
The Devils got a power-play with 2:29 left in the third and pulled Brodeur for the last part of it to gain a two-man advantage. New Jersey got three shots on goal but didn't score.
Both of Barnaby's goals came on deflections as he set up in front of the net and screened Brodeur. Tyler Wright took a shot from a bad angle at 14:57 of the first period and Barnaby redirected the puck.
Barnaby made it 2-0 at 7:43 of the second. While being checked by defenseman Ken Daneyko, Barnaby spun around, kept his balance and deflected in Peter Popovic's shot from the left point for his
12th goal.
It was Barnaby's fifth career two-goal game and first since Nov. 21, 1996.
New Jersey tied the game on two power-play goals by Alexander Mogilny. Mogilny kept the puck on a 2-on-1 at 11:36 of the second and wristed a 35-foot shot through Ron Tugnutt's pads.
He then beat Tugnutt from the top of the left circle at 1:45 of the third. Mogilny had scored just once in six games since he was acquired from Vancouver on March 14.
Tugnutt made his second start since being acquired from Ottawa on March 14 and won his first game for the Penguins.
"I felt like I got to know the guys pretty well but I felt like I hadn't contributed in any way," Tugnutt said. "Until you get the first win, it makes you feel like you're part of the team."
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
New Jersey Clubhouse
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
Ailing Jagr won't play against Devils tonight
RECAPS
Washington 5
Atlanta 2
Ottawa 5
Philadelphia 2
Pittsburgh 3
New Jersey 2
Dallas 4
Tampa Bay 2
Nashville 3
NY Islanders 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Alexander Mogilny beats Ron Tugnutt for the goal.
avi: 334 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Mathew Barnaby re-directs a shot past Martin Brodeur for the score.
avi: 462 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Alexei Kovalev fires the slap shot past Martin Brodeur for the goal.
avi: 489 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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