New York, NY (Best E Casino) - John Madden scored at the 6:01 mark of overtime as the
New Jersey Devils grabbed a big 4-3 win over the
New York Rangers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden.
In the extra session, a left circle faceoff draw resulted in the puck going into the left boards. Madden got the puck and from the boards threw a shot out front that hit off the right skate of Marc Staal and made its way past Henrik Lundqvist for the win.
"I'm not going to lie, it was a lot of luck," said Madden. "The guy was right there and it went off his foot and went in. We got back into the series and we have to use this momentum in the next game. It's nice to get back in the series."
Zach Parise, Sergei Brylin and Patrik Elias each scored a goal for the Devils, who now trail in the series, 2-1, and will look to even the series in Game 4, set to take place on Wednesday at the Garden. Martin Brodeur finished the game with 27 saves.
Brandon Dubinsky scored a pair of goals while Sean Avery also lit the lamp for the Rangers. Lundqvist made 29 saves in the loss.
"A lot of weird bounces in this game, but I still felt good," said Lundqvist. "I just have to keep playing my game. I'm not going to change anything. Unfortunately we didn't get the win. I thought we played good tonight."
The Devils jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 3:01 into the contest. Arron Asham fired a shot from down low that Lundqvist whacked out of the air with his glove. The puck then bounced to the slot and went off the skate of a charging Brylin. The goal was initially waved off due to the referee thinking that Brylin kicked the puck into the net, but a review of the play overturned the on-ice call and the Devils grabbed their first lead of the series.
The Rangers, though, tied the game with 7:43 left in the first. Jaromir Jagr had the puck behind the right side of the net and threw a backhand pass out front where Dubinsky grabbed the disc and swept it into the net.
On a 5-on-3 power play opportunity, the Rangers grabbed a 2-1 lead. Jagr had the puck at the right point and sent it down low to Scott Gomez, who centered it to Avery for a tap-in past Brodeur at the 6:50 mark of the second. Before the goal, Avery was parked in front of the net, waving his stick in the face of Brodeur and trying to distract the goaltender as much as possible.
"I'm just trying to look around him and it was just impossible with his stick so close to my face," said Brodeur. "I've been in this league for a long time and have been watching hockey a long time and this is the first time I've seen something like this."
However, the Devils used a pair of power-play goals to take a 3-2 lead into the locker room.
New Jersey tied the game at the 12:56 mark of the second as New York tried to clear the puck out of its zone from down low, but Elias grabbed the puck, put it down on the ice and blasted a shot over the glove of Lundqvist.
Just 2:23 later, the Devils again found themselves on the man advantage and used it to grab the lead. A scrambling sequence in front of the net resulted in Jamie Langenbrunner grabbing the puck near the left side of the net and sending it to Parise, who backhanded a shot that Lundqvist, sprawled out on the ice, slowed down, but not enough to keep it out of the net.
Dubinsky, though, tied the game on the power play just 55 seconds into the third period. Martin Straka threw a shot from the right circle that Brodeur stopped. Straka grabbed his own rebound and sent the puck to the front where Dubinsky banged it in.
The action was fast and furious for the remainder of the contest, but the goaltenders stopped everything that was thrown at them and the game headed to overtime.
Game Notes
Avery has scored a goal in all three playoff games...Brodeur is 11-19 in overtime playoff action...Jagr finished the game with three assists...New Jersey went 2-for-8 on the power play while New York finished 2-for-5.
