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Devils looking to even series with rival Rangers

Apr 16, 2008 - 1:24 PM New Jersey at NY Rangers 7:00 pm EDT Eastern Conference quarterfinals Rangers lead, 2-1

NEW YORK (Ticker) - Luck appears to be on the visiting teams' side during the Eastern Conference quarterfinals series between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers.

After winning in overtime on Sunday, John Madden and the fourth-seeded Devils will now hope to even the series at two wins apiece when they visit the fifth-seeded Rangers on Wednesday in Game Four.

Madden scored the game-winning goal just over six minutes into the extra session to lift New Jersey to a 4-3 triumph over New York in Game Three on Sunday.

"Now it's 2-1 instead of 3-0," Devils coach Brent Sutter said. "Yet we still just need to take it one game at a time. Tonight was our biggest game of the year to date. We will enjoy it for the next 24 hours and start focusing on our next game."

Madden he was not afraid to admit the Devils caught a break in this one as his passing attempt deflected off Rangers rookie defenseman Marc Staal's right skate before heading into the net for the game-winner.

"I'm not going to lie," Madden said. "It was all luck. I threw the puck in front of the net hoping Sergei (Brylin) was going to be there and it hit off their guy's foot and went into the goal."

"It was a fortuitous bounce but they did what they had to do," New York coach Tom Renney said. "They had people going at the net and we didn't quite have the body position and it was in the net. That's the way it goes - you make your breaks."

The Devils beat the Rangers for the second time in 11 meetings this season and first time in New York. Their other win over the Atlantic Division rival was a shootout victory in the regular season finale.