Devils 6, Panthers 2: Patrik Elias recorded his 51st career two-goal game - and first of the season - as host New Jersey netted six unanswered tallies to keep its slim postseason aspirations alive.

Fourth-liner Ryan Carter scored for the second straight game and David Clarkson, Stephen Gionta and Dainius Zubrus also tallied. Martin Brodeur (11 saves) denied Quinton Howden on a penalty shot early in the third period for the Devils, who have won two straight following a 10-game winless skid (0-6-4) and moved within six points of the eighth-place New York Rangers. New Jersey has four games remaining on its schedule - including a pair at New York.

Marcel Goc and defenseman Brian Campbell scored 54 seconds apart in the first period and Jacob Markstrom turned aside 27 shots for the Panthers, who suffered their fifth straight loss and sixth in seven outings.

After Elias scored twice to erase an early two-goal deficit, Travis Zajac skated in from the right wall before patiently sliding the puck to Clarkson in the slot. Clarkson netted his team-leading 14th goal - and fourth in 30 games - by beating Markstrom with a one-timer at 10:45 of the second period.

Carter batted a loose puck past Markstrom nearly 3 1/2 minutes later before Gionta capped the four-goal second period with a wrist shot from the slot.

GAME NOTEBOOK: New Jersey RW Ilya Kovalchuk returned following an 11-game absence due to a shoulder injury. He was held off the scoresheet despite registering three shots in 22:43 of ice time. ... Elias trimmed the deficit with 5:38 remaining in the first period after squeezing between a pair of players before wristing a shot from the slot. He forged a 2-2 tie after taking advantage of Florida D Dmitry Kulikov's turnover before converting Clarkson's centering feed on the doorstep.