NEWARK, N.J. -- Martin Brodeur stole a game from the Chicago Blackhawks with a little unexpected help Adam Henrique and a surprise participant for the New Jersey Devils in the shootout -- Travis Zajac. Zajac, who returned to the lineup Sunday after missing 37 games with an Achilles injury, scored the game-deciding goal and Brodeur made 37 saves and stopped four of five in the shootout to give the Devils to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night. The win gave New Jersey a four-point lead on Ottawa in the race for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with five games left in the regular season. "I think it was huge," said Petr Sykora, who scored the Devils goal in regulation. "I dont think it was one of our best games but I think its the best two points we got. Its a cushion right now and well take two points any way we can." It was two points the Devils really didnt deserve, but Brodeur salted them away with a sprawling stop on Andrew Shaw to end the contest "I felt good," said Brodeur, who gave up 16 goals in going 0-3-1 in his previous four starts. "I felt right on where I needed to be as far as my angles and controlling rebounds and seeing the puck through traffic. I missed that one when they scored. I dont even know where it went." Brodeur also had help. Henrique slid through the crease with roughly 2:20 to play in regulation to make the save on a rebound attempt by Patrick Sharp with the net open. After Patrik Elias scored against Corey Crawford in the third round of the shootout to give the Devils a 1-0 lead, Sharp tallied to extend it. David Clarkson and Marian Hossa were stopped in round 4 and Devils coach Peter DeBoer called upon Zajac in round five, even though he had only "messed around" in practice on his shootout attempts. "I knew they wouldnt have any film on him this year, so I hoped they didnt have a scouting report," DeBoer said. He obviously found a way to get it to stick in the net." Zajac beat Crawford over the glove with a snap shot. "I kind of had my mind made up," Zajac said. "I think I used that last year and scored so Ill keep using it until it doesnt work." Brodeur then made the goal stand up. "He has an amazing record in shootouts but I thought he had a remarkable game tonight," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. Defenceman Brent Seabrook tied the game for Chicago midway through the third period. The loss was the second in a row for Chicago after winning five straight. Crawford finished with 21 saves and the Devils were limited to 11 shots over the final 45 minutes. Seabrook tied the game at 8:34 of the third period after the Devils had trouble getting the puck out of their zone. Dave Bolland retrieved the puck above the left circle with a little help from defenceman Niklas Hjalmarsson and sent the cross-ice pass that Seabrook ripped past a seemingly screened Brodeur, who was looking for his 119th career shutout. Crawford kept the score tied less than a minute late with a save on Zach Parise after New Jersey won a faceoff. Brodeur nearly gave the game away with less than six minutes to play when his clearing pass up the middle of the ice was intercepted by Marcus Kruger. However, the goaltender gloved his one-on-one snap shot. Sykora, who was demoted to the Devils fourth line on Monday, gave the Devils the lead with 4:18 left in the opening period with his 18th goal of the season. It came with nine seconds left on a hooking penalty against Seabrook and resulted when Chicago got caught on a bad line change. Defenceman Mark Fayne found Henrique at the Blackhawks blue line and the rookie sent a pass toward the left side of the crease that a wide-open Sykora deflected past Crawford. Chicago took 23 shots at Brodeur in the opening two periods and the 39-year-old turned them all aside. His best save came early in the second period with a pad stop on a close-in rebound attempt by Viktor Stalberg. For the second straight game, the Blackhawks power play was miserable. They had three chances in the first two periods, including a 68-second two-man advantage in the second period, and failed to register a shot. In a 6-1 loss to Nashville on Sunday, Chicago had four extra-man chances and also failed to get a shot on goal, which shows how much it misses suspended defenceman Duncan Keith and captain Jonathan Toews (concussion). NOTES: Blackhawks D Steve Montador returned to the lineup after missing 22 games with a concussion. ... Devils rookie D Adam Larsson was a healthy scratch after recent poor play. ... Chicago rookie G Carter Hutton backed up Crawford with Ray Emery back home with an upper body injury. ... This was the only game between the teams this season and the first since a Nov. 3, 2010 game in Chicago. Walter Payton Bears Jersey . The 41-year-old midfielder, a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, hadnt been playing at a top level for several years and finally decided to end his career with an announcement on his Twitter and Instagram accounts. FIFAs player of the year in 1999, Rivaldo had been playing sparingly for minnow Brazilian club Mogi Mirim. Will Sutton Bears Jersey .Y. - This weekend version of New York, New York could cost the Columbus Blue Jackets the playoff spot they are desperate to grab. http://www.nflbearsus.com/Womens-Roberto-Garza-Authentic-Jersey/. Both teams have had exceptional runs so far in the playoffs and now the great test of who gets to represent the conference with a chance to win a title in the NBA Finals in June. Willie Young Bears Jersey . -- Jake Paterson made 39 saves as the Saginaw Spirit halted the Guelph Storms seven-game win streak with a 6-3 victory on Sunday in Ontario Hockey League action. Gale Sayers Bears Jersey . Pushing the pace to earn free throws, getting inside for a layup, popping a mid-range jumper, he had done it all. And the Denver Nuggets were never able to answer.ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Ryan Fitzpatrick has lost count the number of times his last names been butchered. "Do a Google search for Ryan Fitzgerald," the Buffalo Bills quarterback said shaking his head with a laugh this week. "Its unbelievable." Forget the Internet, the public address announcer at Kansas Citys Arrowhead Stadium spent much of the first quarter of the season-opener referring to him as "Fitzgerald," too. Fitzpatrick, "Fitzgerald" or even "Kilpatrick" as one Bills alum refers to him, it doesnt matter as much to the quarterback as he joked it might to his mom. What counts is that seven years into his NFL career, the Harvard graduate, journeyman backup and 2005 seventh-round draft pick is finally beginning to make a name for himself for playing a key role in getting the Bills off to a surprising 2-0 start. Hes in charge of an offence thats produced an NFL-leading 79 points. And Fitzpatricks coming off a riveting performance in which the Bills scored five touchdowns on five second-half possessions to rally from an 18-point deficit in a 38-35 win over the Raiders last weekend. "Were trying to make a name for our team," Fitzpatrick said. "The only way you get respect in this league is to go out there and play." Fitzpatricks hot start has attracted everyones attention as the Bills are showing signs they just might be relevant again in preparing for an early-season test in hosting AFC East rival New England (2-0) on Sunday. With seven touchdowns, Fitzpatrick shares the NFL lead with New Englands Tom Brady and Detroits Matthew Stafford. He now has a 10-12 record in two-plus seasons with a Bills team thats only won 12 games since he first arrived as a free agent in 2009. And the offence is producing at a remarkable rate, given that it scored 20 points only four times as part of a 4-12 season last year. It is much the result of Fitzpatrick, who has a fuller command of the offensive philosophy coach Chan Gailey first introduced last year. "He gets it," Gailey said, who handed Fitzpatrick the job three weeks into last season after benching Trent Edwards, who was cut a week later. "Its not anything different than what I was saying midseason last year. Its just weve gotten more experience with each other." For someone whos spent much of his career dismissed or discarded, Fitzpatrick is suddenly showing up everywhere. His grizzled beard (he doesnt plan to shave until the end of the season as happened last year) has become the face of these new-look Billls as hes done the rounds of essentially every NFL-themed TV broadcast: from Showtime to ESPN to the NFL Network.dddddddddddd Hes even caught the attention of quarterback-turned-broadcaster Kurt Warner, who ranked Fitzpatrick as his fifth-best quarterback two weeks into the season. "I love the way Ryan is playing right now. He reminds me a lot of me. Hes a gunslinger," Warner said on the NFL Network this week. Its fitting that the previously disregarded Fitzpatrick has emerged as the ring-leader of what Bills players have come to proudly refer to themselves as a "No-Name Offence." Its a group thats mostly made up of undrafted players (running back Fred Jackson, receiver David Nelson), castoffs (tight end Scott Chandler) or seventh-round draft picks (Fitzpatrick, receiver Stevie Johnson and left tackle Demetrius Bell). The familiar pasts arent lost among the players. "Its something we can all relate to, and its something we all embrace," Nelson said. "So thats why I think you see us enjoying this ride." Theres no one enjoying it more than Fitzpatrick, who has begun to validate the trust of his teammates and coaching staff. Now theres talk as to whether Fitzpatrick might well be the franchise quarterback the Bills have lacked since Hall-of-Famer Jim Kelly retired following the 1996 season. "Is he capable of being a guy that can play for you and win for a long time? Yes he is," Gailey said. First things first. Not only does Fitzpatrick have to continue producing, he also needs to sign a new contract, which expires at the end of the season. The Bills expressed interest in extending Fitzpatricks contract following the lockout. Though there have been discussions, its unclear how far the two sides have come. Other than to say he wants to stay in Buffalo, Fitzpatrick has declined comment because he doesnt want contract talks to become a distraction. Fitzpatrick has been somewhat caught off guard by the sudden attention hes attracted, and kidded reporters about the labels being attached to him, whether its franchise quarterback or gunslinger. "For me, I feel like right now that Im the leader of this offence. I love the guys Im playing with, and I feel like we fit well together," Fitzpatrick said. "So however you want to define that, thats what I feel I am." Theres only one label hell acknowledge hes striving for. "I want to be respected," Fitzpatrick said. "I think thats the biggest thing." Then everyone will get his name right. ' ' '