Brodeur has surgery to repair torn biceps

New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur is on the road to recovery after undergoing surgery Thursday to repair his torn left biceps near the elbow.

"According to the doctors, his surgery was 100 per cent successful," Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said in a statement. "The timetable for his return remains three to four months."

Brodeur injured his elbow in Saturday night's 6-1 win over Atlanta.

"I just extended my arm real quick, and I just felt a pop and a tapping kind of feeling in my biceps," he told reporters earlier this week.

Saturday's game was his 51st consecutive start, dating back to last season. His longest previous absence was six games, for a leg injury in 2005.

Kevin Weekes was in net for New Jersey's 2-0 loss to Buffalo on Monday. He followed that with a 4-3 win over Tampa Bay on Wednesday.

Brodeur has been a workhorse in his career, never appearing in fewer than 67 games in a season over the last 13 years.

Brodeur got his first taste of the NHL during the 1991-92 campaign, with four appearances.

The Montreal native has since gone on to win the Vezina Trophy as top goaltender four times, all within the last five seasons, and backstopped New Jersey to three Stanley Cups. In October, he moved to within five of tying Terry Sawchuk's hallowed mark of 103 career shutouts.

He also has 544 career wins, eight shy of breaking Patrick Roy's NHL record of 551.