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Rangers spoil Langenbrunner's debut, Brodeur's bid for 500

Nov 15, 2007 - 5:37 AM NEWARK, New Jersey (Ticker) -- The scene was set for a signature night at the Prudential Center. Unfortunately for the New Jersey Devils, it was mostly downhill after the opening minute.

Jaromir Jagr had a goal and an assist and Scott Gomez set up a pair of tallies in his return to New Jersey as the New York Rangers held on for a 4-2 victory over the Devils on Wednesday.

Entertaining the Rangers for the first time in their new home, the Devils bolted to a 1-0 lead when Jamie Langenbrunner scored 35 seconds into the game on his first shift of the season. But New York answered less than a minute later when Nigel Dawes finished off a 2-on-1 rush.

The rest of the night belonged to Jagr, Gomez and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist as the Rangers denied Martin Brodeur his 500th career victory while defeating the Devils for the third time in as many meetings this season.

"We didn't want to see him get it tonight," Gomez said. "It's going to be a great moment for him, but in a selfish way, I'm glad he didn't get it tonight."

Just over a minute into the second period, Jagr peeled off the right wing boards, stickhandled past checking specialist Jay Pandolfo and threw the puck at the net. Brandon Dubinsky got the rebound and flicked a backhander past Brodeur for his second goal of the season - both in the last three games - and a 2-1 edge.

Asked about the Rangers getting goals from three rookies, Jagr said, "I play with a rookie, so I'm glad he scored. They're all getting better and better every game."

The Devils did not get a shot for the first 9 1/2 minutes of the second and needed a stellar effort from Brodeur just to stay within a goal. He stopped defenseman Fedor Tyutin breaking down the slot with 10:45 remaining, then, while seated in the crease with 7:19 left, got his left arm on a wrister by Jagr that appeared ticketed for a gaping net.

"(Brodeur's) had so many great games against us," Jagr said. "I respect him so much. It's not easy to stay on top for so many years. We were taken in the same draft, we're the same age. ... I gotta feel for the kid. The game is changing, they're changing the rules."

New Jersey showed signs of life as the period wound down, but Lundqvist got his right pad on Zach Parise's rebound chance with 6:37 to play, then snared a backhander by Parise off another rebound during a power play with 3:51 left.

The Rangers, however, took the momentum into the locker room on an strong individual effort by Jagr. After his centering pass from behind the net hit the twine and Brodeur, New York's captain retrieved the puck and backhanded it inside the left goalpost for his fourth tally of the season.

"It was a lucky bounce," Brodeur said. "It went up in the air, hit Karel (Rachunek), went up in the air again, hit Jagr and hit the side of the net and just fell right on Jagr's stick."

Gomez, who signed a seven-year contract with the Rangers last July after seven seasons with the Devils, was booed every time he touched the puck. But he helped set up Jagr's goal to extend his points streak to seven games, then got the primary assist on defenseman Marc Staal's first NHL tally at 4:13 of the third.

Langenbrunner scored again just over three minutes later, but Lundqvist blunted New Jersey's comeback attempt when he denied Brian Gionta on a shorthanded breakaway with 5:52 remaining.

"Hank is playing great for us, no doubt about it. But the team is playing better defense than last year or the year before," Jagr said.

The Devils could not have asked for a better start. Langenbrunner, who missed the first 17 games following offseason hernia surgery, got the rebound of defenseman Johnny Oduya's one-timer from the left point and beat Lundqvist from the top of the crease.

"It felt good to get on the ice with the guys again and contribute a little," Langenbrunner said. "But it wasn't successful because we were here to get a win, and we didn't do that."

Before the goal was announced on the public-address system, Dawes raced down the left side on a 2-on-1. Using Petr Prucha as a decoy, he put a wrister from the left side between Brodeur's skates for his fourth goal, three of which have come against New Jersey.

"That's the momentum of the game," Gionta said. "But it was a 1-1 hockey game at that point. We just had to stick with it. ... We need to start stringing wins together and stop this win one, lose one (trend)."