Rangers Use a Furious Rally and a Calm Henrik Lundqvist to Beat the Devils
NEWARK - Kevin Klein's overtime goal capped a furious three-goal rally and lifted the Rangers to a 4-3 victory over the Devils on Tuesday at Prudential Center.
The win was Henrik Lundqvist's 31st against the Devils, the most he has against any opponent.
Klein's first goal of the season at 2 minutes 42 seconds of the extra session came after Chris Mueller and Rick Nash scored in the third period to tie the game after Jon Merrill's tally gave the Devils a 3-1 lead in the opening minute of the period.
The Rangers (4-3-0) have won three straight games, while the Devils fell to 3-2-1.
Lundqvist, who made 28 saves, was strong early. He made dynamic saves on Adam Henrique and Patrik Elias during the Devils' first power play, a little more than four minutes into the game. He made another glove save on Bryce Salvador at 10:56 of the first period and denied Elias on a short-handed breakaway at 11:48 of the second.
But Henrique, who has a knack for spoiling a Lundqvist visit to Prudential Center - his overtime goal won the Eastern Conference finals in 2012 - scored a goal and assisted on another to give the Devils a 3-1 lead.
Nash then came through for the Rangers again in grand style, sending the game into overtime with his league-leading eighth goal at 14:32 after Mueller delivered the game-tying goal on the power play at 9:06.
Nash scored on a rebound after Kevin Hayes intercepted a lazy clearing pass by defenseman Marek Zidlicky and fired a shot that goaltender Cory Schneider stopped but could not contain.
Then Lundqvist denied Ryane Clowe, Henrique and Elias in rapid succession amid a flurry in the Rangers' zone late in the third.
Henrique's third goal of the season came at 14:55 of the middle period, with Ryan Malone sitting in the penalty box. The puck trickled past Lundqvist after he partially stopped it with his blocker. Henrique also assisted on Merrill's goal 36 seconds into the third.
Chris Kreider put the Rangers ahead, 1-0, at 7:34 of the opening period with the Rangers' first power-play goal of the season after an 0-for-17 start.
Jaromir Jagr tied the score on the man advantage at 13:40. On his knees in the crease, Lundqvist shook with frustration after Jagr deposited a rebound past him, the first time the former Ranger scored against Lundqvist in the N.H.L.
The goal was the 706th of Jagr's career and moved the 42-year-old forward within two goals of Mike Gartner for sixth all-time. Jagr assisted on Henrique's goal with the rookie defenseman Damon Severson. The assist was the 1,054th for Jagr, who is eighth all-time on that list. His 1,760 career points are sixth, 11 points behind Marcel Dionne.
Jagr did score against Lundqvist during the Sochi Olympics. His previous goal against the Rangers came on Jan. 26, 2003, against Dan Blackburn, when Jagr was with the Washington Capitals. He was traded to the Rangers late the next season and stayed through 2007-08.
SLAP SHOTS
The Rangers were coming off a dominating 4-0 win over San Jose at Madison Square Garden on Sunday after defeating Carolina, 2-1, last Thursday. ... Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi played after needing stitches in his lower right leg after blocking a shot against the Sharks. ... The Devils lost to the Sharks, 4-2, in their home opener on Saturday.
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