Associated Press
Ryan Carter snapped a tie with 4:24 left, and the New Jersey Devils survived for a 5-3 victory over the Rangers after blowing a three-goal lead in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Devils, who led 3-0 before the first period was half over, have a 3-2 edge in the series heading into Game 6 at home on Friday night. A Game 7 would be on Sunday back at The Garden, where the Blueshirts have already won two Game 7s in this playoff run.
The Devils seemed primed for an easy win when Stephen Gionta and Patrik Elias scored within the first 4:13 of the game. Travis Zajac made it 3-0 before the Rangers began chipping away.
Brandon Prust brought the Blueshirts within 3-1 before the first period was over, and Ryan Callahan made it a one-goal game in the first minute of the second.
The Garden really rocked when Marian Gaborik tied it just 17 seconds into the third. But the comeback was all for naught. Carter put the Devils back in front, and Zach Parise sealed it with an empty-net goal.
"I thought we probably played our best game of the series tonight," Rangers coach John Tortorella said.
Once Gaborik tied it with an unassisted goal that ricocheted in off the skate of goalie Martin Brodeur, it appeared the Rangers would ride the comeback all the way to one of the most stirring wins in team history. But Carter made sure it wouldn't happen.
Ilya Kovalchuk knocked Michael Del Zotto off the puck in the right corner, and Gionta sent a pass in front to Carter -- who had just charged in front from the bench -- for a quick shot that beat Henrik Lundqvist.
• COMMENT ON BLUESHIRTS UNITED | PHOTO GALLERY
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STATS OF THE GAME
The Rangers have come back from a 3-2 series deficit to advance in the playoffs twice before -– in both the 1994 Conference Final against New Jersey, and in the first round of this postseason against Ottawa. Game 6 will mark the 20th game of the postseason for the Rangers, making them one of only seven teams in NHL history to play 20 games through the first three rounds and the first to do it since 2002. |
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| (selected by newyorkrangers.com) |
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| 1. Callahan |
2. Fedotenko |
3. McDonagh |
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[48-28-6]
[51-24-7]