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Brodeur, Devils down Rangers to even series

May 22, 2012 - 3:29 AM Newark, NJ (Sports Network) - The New Jersey Devils got 27 saves from Martin Brodeur to tie their Eastern Conference Finals series with a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers in Game 4.

Coming off a shutout at the hands of Henrik Lundqvist on Saturday, Brodeur carried a shutout late into the third period and goals from Bryce Salvador, Travis Zajac and Zach Parise, who also added an empty netter, helped the team keep pace in this best-of-seven set.

"I think our guys responded with a big effort from the drop of the puck," said New Jersey head coach Peter DeBoer. "We executed and stuck to our game plan, especially in the second period when they were coming after us hard."

Game 5 will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York on Wednesday.

Ruslan Fedotenko scored the lone goal while Lundqvist gave up three goals on 29 shots for the Rangers, who have won their two games in this series by shutouts.

"We have to hold on to some pucks," said New York head coach John Tortorella. "We would give it back to them and the momentum would go right back to them. It was a struggle for a number of our guys tonight. We have to have a short memory of this one."

The Devils went on top in the first period with a pair of goals.

At the 8:10 mark, it was a 1-0 game as a left point shot from Salvador went through several bodies then squeezed between the legs of Lundqvist for his third of the playoffs.

Less than four minutes later, the Devils struck again as Parise got around a defender to create a 2-on-1 and from the right circle slid the disc to the left where Zajac one-timed it home.

The second period was busy, but ultimately went scoreless as Brodeur turned away 11 shots and Lundqvist made nine saves.

A high sticking call to Derek Stepan at the 2:37 mark of the third was cashed in on just four seconds later by the Devils. The left circle faceoff draw was won by Adam Henrique back to Ilya Kovalchuk, who blasted a shot on net that Lundqvist stopped, but Parise was there to slam home the rebound.

Fedotenko spoiled Brodeur's shutout bid with 5:05 to play in the game when his wrist shot from the right circle beat Brodeur cleanly.

The Rangers got Lundqvist out of the net late for the extra attacker, but Parise put it in with Brodeur getting his fourth assist of the playoffs on the goal.

Game Notes

Parise has six goals and six assists in the playoffs. Kovalchuk leads the team with 14 points (6g, 8a)...New Jersey went 1-for-6 on the power play while New York was 0-for-1...After a series in which New York's Michael Rupp was given a 10-minute misconduct and two roughing minors, DeBoer and Tortorella were yelling at each other across the boards...Each team won three times in the season series...This is the sixth playoff series between the squads with New York winning four...Rangers forward Brandon Prust was suspended for the game due to an elbow to the head of New Jersey defenseman Anton Volchenkov in Game 3.