Anders Carlsson scored at 16:24 of the third period to get the Devils within 7-6, but Lemieux hit the empty net with one second remaining to complete his historic night.
"It's almost impossible," Ed Johnston, the general manager who selected Lemieux with the No. 1 pick in the 1984 NHL Draft, told the Penguins website last week. "Goalie out, shorthanded … every which way that can happen, it happened. But with a guy like Mario, nothing surprises me."
Longtime Devils defenseman Ken Daneyko, who was paired with Craig Wolanin for much of the game, had an up-close view of Lemieux's achievement. He told NHL.com in October that it was a game he'll never forget.
"Even the great forwards today on occasion beat defenders 1-on-1 over the course of a game, but Mario would beat them 50 percent of the time if it was a 1-on-1 matchup; that's what I remember," he said. "Look, we're all professionals and I'd try hard to defend him, but he'd beat you with regularity, and it was pretty sick.
"It was one of those legendary-type performances for someone who eventually would become one of the greatest players to ever play the game. You know he's having a remarkable game but we're not happy about it. Now that I'm retired and can look back, it was as great a performance from any opponent I've ever played against."