EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- One really good period, a half-dozen good saves by Bill Ranford and few good bounces combined to give the Edmonton Oilers something rare this season -- a road win.

Boyd Devereaux had a goal and an assist in a three-goal first period that led the Oilers to only their second road win in 16 games, a 3-1 decision over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

	Edmonton's Boyd Devereaux beats Devils netminder Martin Brodeur for the game's first goal.

"We've busted our butts all year and our road record certainly doesn't indicate how hard we've worked," Devereaux said. "We always seem to come out a bit short, but today things went our way."

The difference was that opening period during which Ethan Moreau and Josef Beranek also scored in the 7:39 span against Martin Brodeur. Ranford then made the goals stand up, stopping 29 shots in ending the Oilers' six-game winless streak (0-5-1).

"Realistically, we've gone into most of the other teams buildings and given them great efforts," Ranford said after picking up his first win in seven decisions this season. "But we always seemed to come out on the short end of the stick."

The statistics bear out the Oilers' luck. Of their 11 road losses, seven have been by one goal and five of those have been in overtime. Nine of their 11 road losses have been by two goals or less.

Edmonton's only other road win was on Nov. 14 in a 6-3 win against Chicago. It was the only other game in which they scored three goals in a period on the road.

"We have played some good hockey on the road this year, it just hasn't been rewarded," Oilers coach Kevin Lowe said. "It's kind of ironic that it is rewarded against one of the best teams in the league."

Krzysztof Oliwa scored on a second-period deflection for New Jersey, which has lost two of its last three at home after opening the season 10-1-2 at the Continental Airlines Arena.

New Jersey had the better of the play the final two periods, outshooting Edmonton 25-10. Ranford made at least six outstanding saves, including three early in the third period on Brendan Morrison with the score 3-1.

"Who cares if we played a good 40 minutes, if the game was decided in the first 20," Devils center Bobby Holik said.

The Oilers might have played their finest period of the season in the opening 20 minutes. They outshot New Jersey 13-5, including 10-2 in the early minutes, and used their size and speed to keep the Devils out of synch.

"... We played right into their hands," Holik said. "We gave them 2-on-1s and 3 on 2s, turned the puck over and they took advantage."

Devereaux, who had one goal and seven points in 27 games, opened the scoring at 6:45 putting his own rebound past Brodeur after being set up in front by Georges Laraque.

Moreau, who had been sidelined for eight games with a rib injury, made his return a good one, beating Brodeur one-on-one with a shot from the left circle at 10:05. Devereaux started the play, backhanding a pass from center ice that deflected off Devils defenseman Lyle Odelein to Moreau.

Beranek scored on a shot from the outside edge of the left circle that Brodeur simply misplayed.

"We weren't ready to start that game like they were," Brodeur said. "We put ourselves in a hole early and didn't get out of it. We played better after that, but that first period was the worst period we've played."

Oliwa scored his fifth goal late in the second period, deflecting an Odelein shot. Ranford, who picked up his first win of the season in seven decisions, got a piece of the puck but it crawled over the goal line.