Devils goalie Martin Brodeur credited with goal

Devils goalie Martin Brodeur returned to the lineup for the first time in a month last night to face the Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., and was credited with his third NHL goal when Carolina's Jordan Staal accidentally put the puck in his own empty net.

Brodeur had been out since Feb. 21 with a pinched nerve in his back and neck.

With a delayed penalty call pending against New Jersey's Marek Zidlicky, Staal passed the puck back to the point from behind the net.

The pass missed intended target Tim Gleason and bounced off the boards near center ice.

Carolina goalie Dan Ellis had already skated toward the bench because of the delayed penalty and couldn't get back in time to prevent the puck from sliding into the net.

Because he was the last Devils player to touch the puck, having swept it to his left side from the crease, Brodeur got credit for a power-play goal.