TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- The New Jersey Devils combined good goaltending and strong special teams to reach the 100-point mark yet again.

Patrik Elias had two goals and Martin Brodeur stopped 26 shots as the Devils beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 Sunday night.

The Devils lead Philadelphia and Washington by four points in the race for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. New Jersey -- with 101 points -- topped the 100-point mark for the fourth straight year.

"As we keep going, playing well defensively is important," Brodeur said. "If we keep going the way we're playing now offensively, we have the weapons to score some goals and have the special teams to do some damage in the playoffs."

Brodeur, who tied Terry Sawchuk for the most wins over a five-year span with 195, improved to 18-4-2 against Tampa Bay. He came within 3:40 of his second consecutive shutout, but Fredrik Modin scored for the Lightning.

The Devils lead the series between the teams 25-6-4.

Elias and Vladimir Malakhov scored power-play goals during a three-goal first period. Elias added his team-leading 35th goal in the third period.

The Devils, one of the NHL's top power-play teams, converted two of five chances. In the past three games, New Jersey has six goals in 13 opportunities.

"They kind of shot themselves in the foot in that they took some early penalties," New Jersey coach Larry Robinson said of the Lightning. "If we can get our power play going, it puts the other team back on its heel."

The Lightning were outshot 9-0 before Brodeur robbed Vincent Lecavalier from point-blank range midway through the period. Brodeur also stopped Mike Johnson on a partial breakaway late in the first.

"That team gets out to a two- or three-goal lead, you're going to be struggling all night," Lightning defenseman Cory Sarich said. "There wasn't anything left in the tank."

Tampa Bay played three games in four nights, going 1-1-1.

Elias scored his first goal from near the left post off a pass through the slot by Petr Sykora during a 5-on-3 power-play at 4:06 of the first period. Malakhov scored his first goal since March 18, 1999 -- a span of 25 games -- just over a minute later.

Malakhov, who missed Montreal's first 53 games with a knee injury, was traded by the Canadiens to New Jersey last month.

Scott Stevens had the other first-period goal for the Devils.

Tampa Bay defenseman Jassen Cullimore will miss the final four games after spraining his left knee in the first period.

Lightning coach Steve Ludzik said all-star defenseman Petr Svoboda, who missed his second game with a strained abdominal muscle, will also not play again this season. Defenseman Pavel Kubina -- sidelined the past five games by bruised heel -- will also likely sit out the rest of the way.

Lightning forward Todd Warriner also went out in the first period with a right hand injury and is day-to-day.