Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is 14-9-4 going into tonight's game in New Jersey. Click photo for larger image. Scouting Report: Matchup: Penguins at New Jersey Devils, 7:38 p.m. today, Continental Airlines Arena. TV, radio: FSN Pittsburgh, WXDX-FM (105.9). Probable goaltenders: Marc-Andre Fleury for Penguins. Martin Brodeur for Devils. Penguins: Are 1-2 against Devils, including 5-2 loss at New Jersey Dec. 1. ... LW Ryan Malone has five goals in past five games. ... Power play is 2 for 32 in past four games. Devils: Have gone 11-3-2 on home ice, but are 0-2-1 in past three there. ... LW Zach Parise ranks among NHL leaders in first goals (5) and winners (4). ... Are averaging 27 shots per game, third-fewest in league. Hidden stat: Penguins C Sidney Crosby has 11 goals against Atlantic opponents, tying for NHL's second-highest intra-division total.

New Jersey's Martin Brodeur is one of the finest goaltenders in recent NHL history.

And, while odds are that Marc-Andre Fleury of the Penguins never will match the success Brodeur has enjoyed -- very few goalies do, Brodeur sees a lot to like when he analyzes Fleury's work.

Which seems to happen a bit more often than many might suspect.

"I'm a student of the game," Brodeur said. "I love watching other goalies."

Fleury, he said, has impressive mobility and a competitive nature that serves him well.

"He's a good skater," Brodeur said. "He's good on his feet, moves a lot.

"I love a goalie who challenges [shooters], who loves to make saves. Who gets [upset] when he gets beat. Without making a scene, inside you can tell [he's thinking], 'I almost got it.'

"The intensity of his game is what I think is going to take him a long way and help him to battle through some tough games."

Fleury has had several of those lately -- his game has slipped somewhat after he got a strong start this season -- but Brodeur suggested that having an upgraded supporting cast from that of recent seasons will work to Fleury's benefit.

"I don't care how good you are," he said. "If your team doesn't play well in front of you, you're going to have a hard time. [The Penguins] have good defensive games whereas before, it wasn't happening.

"It's hard, especially for a young goalie, to be that consistent when you have games where you don't know which team is going to show up."

Devils' Zajac shows promise

While center Travis Zajac isn't likely to contend for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie this season, he has been a consistent and reliable contributor for the Devils.

Zajac, the Devils' first-round draft choice in 2004, has seven goals and 11 assists, along with a plus-minus rating of plus-2 (second-best on the team) after 33 games.

"This guy is a very smart individual," New Jersey coach Claude Julien said. "He's playing like a veteran. He's making really good decisions without the puck. He's scored some big goals for us. He goes to the net. He's big, he's strong, a good skater."

Big night for Hedberg

There's no guarantee that he'll do anything more than face a few shots during the warmup and spend the rest of the evening on a folding chair in the runway to the visiting team's dressing room, but the Penguins' game against Atlanta at 7:38 p.m. tomorrow at Mellon Arena still will be a special one for Johan Hedberg.

Mostly because it will be his first time there since the Penguins traded him to Vancouver in 2003.

"It's amazing, how many years it's been, and I've never come back," Hedberg said. "I'm very excited about that one. It will be fun to see what kind of feelings come back."

It's conceivable that Thrashers coach Bob Hartley, whose team faces Tampa Bay in Atlanta tonight, will start Hedberg tomorrow, but that remains to be seen.

"I don't know what's in his mind," Hedberg said, smiling. "I try to stay out of there."

Of course, Kari Lehtonen has been sensational in both games against the Penguins this season, so Hartley might be reluctant to give him the night off.

"He's been the difference both times we played them," Penguins center Sidney Crosby said.

Slap shots

Crosby has a 10-game scoring streak, matching his longest as a pro. ... Brodeur continues to move up the league's all-time goaltending lists. He has 84 career shutouts, tying Glenn Hall for third in league history, and 43 regular-season overtime victories, one shy of Patrick Roy's league record. ... Left winger Ryan Malone, on where the Penguins stand in the Eastern Conference playoff race coming out of the holiday break: "I don't think it's really where we want to be. Obviously, we want to be a few spots ahead, but the league's so tight, from top to bottom, that a win here and a win there down the stretch will be crucial."