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Devils-Rangers Preview

Oct 22, 2009 - 3:25 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

New Jersey (4-3-0) at New York (7-2-0), 7:00 p.m. EDT

With their backup goaltender having a poor game, the New York Rangers were unable to extend a lengthy winning streak.

Getting No. 1 netminder Henrik Lundqvist back between the pipes against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden could help them get back in the win column.

Lundqvist, expected to be back in goal, looks to win his seventh straight start and continue his home dominance of the Devils on Thursday night, while New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur tries to tie the all-time shutout record.

The Rangers (7-2-0) entered Monday's game against San Jose riding a seven-game winning streak - their longest since the 2005-06 season - but allowed more than three goals for the first time this season in a 7-3 loss.

New York jumped out to a 2-0 lead less than 10 minutes into the game, but the Sharks responded with six straight scores.

"We have some things to work on," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "The first two periods, we weren't as bad as what the score was at that point. I don't think we were terrible."

Tortorella opted to give the red-hot Lundqvist a night off, but the strategy didn't work. Backup Steve Valiquette allowed five goals on 18 shots, including three on 10 shots in the second period. Lundqvist, who posted a 2.00 goals-against average while winning his previous six games, replaced Valiquette at the start of the third and stopped 10 of 12 shots.

Prior to Monday, the Rangers had given up a total of five goals in their previous four games.

They could see a return to that sort of success Thursday. Lundqvist is 10-1-1 with a 1.32 GAA and three shutouts in 12 career starts against the Devils (4-3-0) at Madison Square Garden, yielding one score or fewer in five of the last seven meetings.

He also made 25 saves in a 3-2 win at New Jersey on Oct. 5, victory No. 2 of the Rangers' winning streak.

On the offensive end, Marian Gaborik has been instrumental to New York's impressive start.

Gaborik, who signed a five-year, $37.5 million free-agent contract in July, was held without a point Monday after opening the season with an eight-game scoring streak (six goals, six assists). The former Minnesota Wild star had an assist against the Devils earlier this month and has four goals and two assists in his last four games against them.

New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur made 23 saves in the loss to the Rangers 2 1/2 weeks ago to fall to 0-2-0 on the season, but has gone 4-1-0 with a 2.15 GAA since.

Brodeur is coming off his best outing of the season, stopping 26 shots in a 2-0 victory over Carolina on Saturday night for career shutout No. 102, moving within one of tying Terry Sawchuk's NHL record.

"Marty was just great," Devils coach Jacques Lemaire said. "That's how we know him, the type of game he can play. You could tell right at the start."

Brodeur, who has started all seven games for New Jersey this season, has also played well at Madison Square Garden but hasn't had the same luck as Lundqvist.

Brodeur has a 2.30 GAA in 13 games at the Garden since 2005-06, but is just 3-8-2 in those contests. He has never recorded a shutout in 40 career games there.