New York Rangers Off To Second Round
Posted April 19, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Two years after being ushered out of their first post-season appearance in nine years by thier cross-river rivals, the New York Rangers finally got their payback against New Jersey.
“It is poetic justice to a degree,” Rangers coach Tom Renney said after finished off the Devils with a 5-3 victory Friday night.
The Rangers rocked the New Jersey Devils’ house like no other team and rolled right into the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. They trailed for 18 seconds in the first period before scoring four straight times and then holding on.
New Jersey’s John Madden was awarded a penalty shot with 7:08 left in the third period after Dan Girardi dragged him down with a sweeping dive with his stick. Madden couldn’t net the tying goal when his backhander at the right post was stopped by Henrik Lundqvist’s pads.
“I missed it,” Madden said. “I missed the opportunity between his legs. He stopped it. There isn’t much to say.”
Rangers captain Jaromir Jagr didn’t even bother to watch it, so sure was he that Lundqvist would keep New York in front.
“That’s what makes him special,” Jagr said. “In the key situations he comes up big. That was a pressure moment, and he did it.”
Brandon Dubinsky sealed New York’s second straight 5-3 win with an empty-net goal with 59.1 seconds left.
Never had a team won three road games against New Jersey in a playoff series, but the Rangers did it in the first season at the Devils’ new arena, Prudential Center, affectionately known as “The Rock.”
New York took the first two on the road before splitting two at Madison Square Garden. The Devils closed the regular season with a 4-5-1 skid, each of their wins coming after regulation.
“You don’t want to limp into the playoffs, and we did,” forward Jay Pandolfo said. “We had a tough last couple weeks of the regular season and we stayed the same way through the playoffs. We couldn’t find a way to win at home.”
The Rangers beat New Jersey seven of eight times in the regular season, with the only loss coming on the final day when the Devils secured home-ice advantage in the first-round matchup.
It was anything but.
After Brian Gionta gave the Devils a 1-0 lead 4:40 in, Michal Rozsival answered at 4:58. Jaromir Jagr and former New Jersey star Scott Gomez scored to make it 3-1 for New York, outshot 9-7 in the first period that was played largely in the Rangers zone.
Chris Drury pushed the lead to 4-1 early in the second, but a freak goal from the neutral zone by Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador and Patrik Elias’ 5-on-3 tally cut the deficit to one before the middle period expired.
“It wasn’t easy,” Jagr said. “You feel like it’s over, then they score those two goals. I’m not saying you’re scared, but it wasn’t good.”
Nashville Predators 1 @ Detroit Red Wings 2 (Detroit leads series 3-2)
Dallas Stars 2 @ Anaheim Ducks 5 (Dallas leads series 3-2)
The New York Rangers win game five of the 2008 NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals and advance to the semi-finals at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Photo credit Bruce Bennett/Getty Images.
