Patrik Elias collected a goal and an assist and Ilya Kovalchuk returned from a five-game absence to net a power-play tally as the New Jersey Devils recorded their fifth win in seven outings with a 5-3 road triumph over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday.

After being sidelined with a groin injury, Kovalchuk ended a seven-game goalless drought to give New Jersey a 2-0 advantage at 5:21 of the first period. The Russian stickhandled around a defender, skated into the left faceoff circle and wired a shot into the top right corner of the net.

Elias, who assisted on Kovalchuk's tally, collected his seventh of the season just 3:09 into the third period to give the Devils a 4-1 lead. Petr Sykora slid the puck into the right faceoff circle for Elias, who blasted a shot past Jhonas Enroth.

Captain Zach Parise recorded his second shorthanded goal of the season, rookie Adam Henrique notched two assists and Martin Brodeur turned aside 29 shots for New Jersey.

Tyler Myers tallied twice - his first two goals of the season - after serving as a healthy scratch on Monday for the first time in his career.

Enroth fell to 6-1-0 on the season and 13-1-1 in the calendar year of 2011 after stopping 14 shots on Wednesday. The Swede, who was pulled midway through the third period, is expected to start multiple games while former Vezina Trophy winner Ryan Miller recovers from a concussion.