Devils on brink of playing for Cup
The Los Angeles Kings await. But the New Jersey Devils still have some work to do.
Sixth-seeded New Jersey is within one win of going back to the finals for the first time since the Devils won their third Stanley Cup in 2003.
After blowing a 3-0 lead and then pulling out a 5-3 victory over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night, the Devils can wrap it up with a win on home ice Friday night.
If they win, the Devils host the Kings next Wednesday in Game 1 of the finals. If they lose, they have to go right back to the Garden and try to win there for the third time in this Eastern Conference final series.
"It's a good feeling," goalie Martin Brodeur said of being up 3-2 and going home. "We worked really hard to get in that position. (There's been) a lot of unsung heroes and guys producing at different times. Players are playing well. We've just got to keep going.
"Nothing is done yet."
The Devils were thrilled to get out of MSG with this victory that easily could have gone the other way.
"I think giving up a three-goal lead and coming back and winning a game late shows a lot," said Brodeur, who, like counterpart Henrik Lundqvist, did not have his greatest game. "I thought we stayed composed even though we had a few bad breaks. Even the second goal, I'm still debating if he (Ryan Callahan) kicked it in or not, but we just kept on going.
"We didn't play our best game, but we got a win."
Center Stephen Gionta, left wing Patrik Elias and center Travis Zajac scored to give the Devils their 3-0 lead after just 9:49. And, after the Rangers erased a three-goal deficit for the first time this season, left wing Ryan Carter scored the winner with 4:24 left. Left wing Zach Parise hit the empty net and the Devils were in the driver's seat in the series.
Fans of both teams, though, have to remember 1994 when the Rangers, down 3-2 and heading to New Jersey, got a guarantee from captain Mark Messier, who scored a hat trick in the Game 6 Rangers win before New York brought it home and won Game 7 (in double overtime) and went on to win the Cup.
