BOSTON (AP) – Martin Brodeur’s latest shutout has the New Jersey Devils a win away from the second round and the Boston Bruins wondering how to get the puck past him.

Brodeur posted his 14th shutout in 70 career playoff wins Sunday when the Devils beat the Bruins 3-0 for a 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven, first-round series.

“They have, basically, an unbelievable wall back there and that weighs on you,” Boston’s Mike Knuble said.

It should bother New Jersey’s potential playoff opponents, especially with the confidence and sense of near-invincibility that Brodeur brings to the playoffs.

“I still have a long way to go and many more shutouts to get,” he said.

New Jersey can sweep Tuesday night in Boston and send the Bruins to another first-round exit. Seeded first in the Eastern Conference last year, they lost in six games to Montreal.

Now they face a daunting task. In the 13 series in which they trailed 3-0, the Bruins never made it to a sixth game. They lost seven of those series 4-0 and six 4-1.

“Anything’s doable,” said Boston’s Brian Rolston, who managed just one shot Sunday and has no points in the series.

The Devils got goals from Scott Stevens in the second period, Jay Pandolfo in the third and John Madden into an empty net with 1:06 left.

The Bruins got none of their 29 shots past Brodeur, who led the league with 41 wins and nine shutouts and was fourth with a 2.02 goals against average.

“He’s a big-time goalie and thrives on games like this,” Madden said. “He plays just well enough to be better than everybody, but when big games come he takes it to another level.”

Last season, the Devils lost in the first round in six games to Carolina, which reached the Stanley Cup finals. It was a big disappointment to a team that won the championship in 2000 and lost in the finals in 2001.

“Last year, we weren’t 100 percent (healthy) going in,” Stevens said. “We just look at this as another year.”

This season, New Jersey tied Philadelphia for the fewest goals allowed. And the Devils don’t rely on a single line as much as the Bruins do.

“Every time we get in their end it seems like they dump it out and we have to come back, regroup and then get back in,” said Joe Thornton, Boston’s first-line center., “They’re a patient team.”

Boston goalie Jeff Hackett, who missed the previous 12 games since breaking his right index finger March 15, played well and saved 19 of 21 shots. He started in place of Steve Shields, who played in the 2-1 and 4-2 losses in the first two games.

“I felt good,” Hackett said, but “sometimes one goal is too much against New Jersey.”

All the offense Brodeur needed was Stevens’ 24th career playoff goal and first this year at 1:11 of the second period.

Stevens shot from the left point into a crowd. Boston defenseman Ian Moran inadvertently pushed Hackett toward the left side, and the puck sailed by the goalie’s right side.

“I didn’t see the puck,” Hackett said.

Pandolfo made it 2-0 at 12:00 of the third when he flipped the puck over a diving Hackett. Madden assisted on both goals

At 7:04 of the second period, defenseman Dan McGillis blocked a puck at his own blue line and broke in alone. He shot from 10 feet, but Brodeur blocked the puck with his left shoulder and caught it in his left hand before tumbling backward in his crease.

Brodeur frustrated the Bruins again early in the third period. He stopped P.J. Axelsson’s shot from the right circle with his right pad and the rebound went to his left.

“I thought Axelsson had me on the first shot but I reacted quickly and got lucky,” Brodeur said.

Axelsson took another shot, but Brodeur slid across the crease to catch it with his left glove at 1:50.

“That was probably the save of the game,” Devils coach Pat Burns said.

The Bruins started aggressively in a well-played first period. But they were called for the first four penalties of the game, including two against Michal Grosek for interfering with Brodeur.

But the Devils had the NHL’s worst power play in the regular season and were 0-for-5 with the extra man Sunday.

Notes:Brodeur made his 107th straight playoff start. … Boston is 3-6-3 under coach Mike O’Connell, including 3-3-3 in the regular season. O’Connell, the general manager, took over after firing Robbie Ftorek. … In Brodeur’s last previous game in Boston, he was benched with 10 minutes left in the second period after allowing Martin Lapointe’s third goal. Boston won 4-3 on March 13.

AP-ES-04-13-03 1937EDT