Sun Apr 6 18:49:47 2008

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Devils top Rangers, earn home-ice advantage in first round

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Newark, NJ (Sports Network) - Patrik Elias scored the winning goal in the shootout, as the New Jersey Devils tuned up for a first-round playoff series against the New York Rangers with a 3-2 victory at the Prudential Center.

The Devils and Rangers will meet in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, starting Wednesday in New Jersey. Home-ice advantage was up for grabs entering Sunday's regular-season finale, but the Rangers needed to win in regulation and couldn't do so after falling behind by two goals.

New Jersey, which will be the fourth seed with a record of 46-29-7 and 99 points, beat the Rangers for the first time in eight tries this season. The Rangers concluded the campaign with a mark of 42-27-13 for 97 points.

The Devils needed only to go to overtime to earn home-ice advantage, and built a 2-0 lead before the Rangers rallied. The Rangers pulled goaltender Henrik Lundqvist in the final minute of the third period with the game tied, but could not score -- even with a 6-on-4 skating advantage following a late New Jersey penalty.

After the five-minute overtime session, the shootout was scoreless until the third round when former Devil Scott Gomez beat Martin Brodeur with a backhander. Zach Parise, though, kept the Devils alive with a backhander over Lundqvist's glove.

Brodeur then stopped Fredrik Sjostrom's weak backhand attempt, and Elias made his sweeping move from the right side before firing the puck under the crossbar for the winner.

"Everytime we plays these guys, it's exciting, but its nice to have the home crowd too," said Elias. "These games have been very close, and it's not going to be any different (in the playoffs). It's very important to have home ice."

John Madden and Mike Rupp scored in regulation for New Jersey, while Chris Drury and Jaromir Jagr answered for New York. Brodeur turned aside 17 shots and Lundqvist finished with 25 saves.

"It felt like a loss actually in the last minute," Lundqvist said. "We wanted to go for the eighth straight (win over New Jersey). That was something to play for. We definitely wanted to win in regulation."

The Devils opened the scoring just 4:26 into the contest. Brian Gionta chased down the puck behind the Ranger net and sent a quick pass toward an onrushing Madden, who had his first attempt stopped by Lundqvist before popping the rebound past the netminder at the right post.

Rupp made it 2-0 with just over seven minutes to play in the first period with his third goal. He one-handed a pass from Dainius Zubrus into the Ranger zone along the left wing, gained control of the puck as he skated into the left circle and snapped a shot from a bad angle that found its way through Lundqvist.

The Rangers mustered only two shots in the first period, but scored just 19 seconds into the second when Drury found a loose puck in the left circle and snapped a shot past Brodeur for his 25th goal.

Brodeur stopped the other nine shots he faced in the period, but the Rangers struck again at 4:46 of the third to tie it. Jagr dumped the puck behind the net and Steve Avery chased it down. He sent a pass back toward the slot for Jagr, who lifted a shot past Brodeur on the blocker side for his 25th goal.

Each team had chances later in the third period.

The Devils had a power play with just under six minutes to play, but the Rangers had the first good chance when Brendan Shanahan broke into the New Jersey zone 2-on-1. He kept the puck in the left circle and fired a shot that a diving Johnny Oduya blocked.

Parise then had two great opportunities on the same power play at the other end. Lundqvist robbed Parise on a rebound at the right post with a stunning glove save, before a shot from the same spot went through the crease.

Game Notes

Three of the Rangers' seven wins against New Jersey this season came in overtime or a shootout...The Devils were 0-for-5 on the power play with two chances in the extra period...New York failed on its two chances with the extra skater.