In all the years I’ve seen him, Martin Brodeur has never looked better than today. As a rival fan who loves to hate on Marty as much as anyone, let’s be honest. Few goalies are playing better than him since hockey returned.

At age 40, the all-time winningest goalie and shutout record holder continues to defy logic. The goaltending Devil fans got from him in the Devils’ impressive 3-1 win over the Pens was some of the best you’ll ever see. It’s not always about the number of saves he makes. But the clutch stops that spark his team. He finished with 23. Two fewer than Marc-Andre Fleury. Anyone who watched knows better.

How about that wild sequence where Brodeur was caught out of his net and Evgeni Malkin fired from 75 feet trying to catch him red handed? Incredible. He scrambled back and the puck clanged off both posts. Even if the whistle blew the play dead for an offside, it’s one of the most insane plays I’ve ever seen. And there you had the ageless wonder having a chuckle.

This man defies logic. He also saved his best for last by flat out robbing Malkin in the last minute. Paul Martin made a great pass to last year’s Hart winner. He looked to have a gimme. Instead, the lightning like glove of Brodeur snatched it back harmlessly. It’s one of the best saves a goalie can make. Even impressing Jersey pal Rob Davis, who now believes the Devils have what it takes to win a fourth Cup.

Based on how they’ve played after winning a fifth consecutive game to move to the top of the East, who could argue? They lost Zach Parise and it doesn’t matter. The team just moves on like they always do. Ilya Kovalchuk has three goals, opting to be a team player and find teammates. He can score at any moment. Adam Henrique already has four goals, including a put back with a flustered Malkin in the box. This guy was properly developed. The Devils were patient and now are reaping the benefits from the third round gem.

Travis Zajac is already fulfilling his new contract by playing smart two-way hockey. Patrik Elias is like Brodeur. He gets better with age. His 13 points and great leadership are on display. David Clarkson suddenly is one of the game’s top power forwards.

You can now add rookie Stefan Matteau to the mix after he scored his first NHL goal. It’s amazing to me that he fell to the Devils. It makes you wonder what these scouts were looking at. He was the beneficiary after helping his team win a faceoff. He finished off a great Andy Greene pass for the tying goal. The kid is not going anywhere. New Jersey decided to keep him. You can see why. Dad must be proud.

Even Bobby Butler looks like a steal. He has a great shot and Pete DeBoer isn’t shy about using him on the power play. And what happens? His first shot goes off the post right to Henrique for the game-winner cause what other kind of goal would he score. Then, Butler gets a pass from Kovalchuk and blisters one past Fleury with Steve Bernier in front. It seems that Lou Lamoriello is always a step ahead. He is miles ahead of Glen Sather, who rests on his reputation.

The Devils have also quietly worked Adam Larsson back into their D. The ’11 first round pick’s confidence is growing. He assisted on Matteau’s goal for his first point in 2013. Patience pays off. So does hiring Scott Stevens. Greene is New Jersey’s best. He’ll never receive the accolades of other blueliners but is a smart puck moving D who usually is in the right spot. His pass for Matteau was a thing of beauty. They have tough warrior Bryce Salvador as captain. The right fit to lead this team. Mark Fayne also is solid and Marek Zidlicky is turning that trade with Minnesota into a steal. The Rangers could’ve used a power play QB who can jump into the play too. But Sather sat on his hands and knees and watched our nemesis add a quality player. He was too busy zeroing in on John Scott.

If you go top to bottom, the Devils boast four lines including the fourth unit that did the Blueshirts in last Spring. Bernier, Ryan Carter and Stephen Gionta are a classic energy line. Even little used enforcer Krys Barch had a good game, getting into an early scrap with Deryk Engelland and nearly scoring.

The Devils are a cult that can’t be ridden of. They’re too resilient. Every time they’re overlooked, we look like fools. It was this team that was the Stanley Cup runner-up. Similar to ’95, they were forgotten about. This time, due to Parise leaving and Alexei Ponikarovsky departing. When assessing the East, the two best teams are New Jersey and Boston. They play strong games overall and can frustrate opponents into undisciplined penalties like we saw from Malkin today.

It’s a credit to DeBoer’s coaching, Lamoriello’s genius and Brodeur’s remarkable play. The Devils will be a handful for anyone this Spring.