Devils blank Rangers for 1st series win since 2012

NEWARK, N.J. — The New Jersey Devils won their first playoff series in 11 years, eliminating the rival New York Rangers in Game 7, 4-0, with a dominant defensive effort to claim victory in the Battle of the Hudson.

Rookie goaltender Akira Schmid made 31 saves for his second shutout of the playoffs, having taken over as starter in Game 3 with his club trailing 2-0 in the series at the time.

“He played a heck of a game. I mean, he had a heck of a series. You envisioned things, but you don’t really envision what he did,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said.

The Devils advance to take on the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, starting Wednesday in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes eliminated the New York Islanders in six games.

For the Rangers, it was a frustrating end to a promising season. New York made the Eastern Conference finals last season and loaded up at the NHL trade deadline with star wingers Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko, both pending free agents. The Rangers had a deep pool of talented offensive players, but coach Gerard Gallant said that wasn’t enough.

“Talent doesn’t mean a thing. It’s great to have talent, but when you got to play together and work hard together. The four games that we lost, we had two goals. So that’s the bottom line. You’re not going to win if you get two goals in four games,” he said. “Like I said, I love to have talent, but you love to have a work ethic and we just didn’t get it done.”

Gallant said the effort from his top players was “not enough” against the Devils.

Some of those stars took the loss personally. Rangers forward Chris Kreider, who led the series with six goals, was despondent after the game, having been on the ice for all four Devils goals.

“I’m beating myself up pretty good,” he said. “I think we had an opportunity tonight in a Game 7, and I personally feel responsible for some of the goals they scored. Being a veteran guy, I’m supposed to be defensively responsible. I can’t be on the ice for all four goals against and hurt us like that.”

The Rangers won the first two games of the series in New Jersey, only to see the Devils roll off three straight wins. New York pushed it to a seventh game with a win at home in Game 6, only to fall short.

The Devils took a 1-0 lead on a spectacular bit of penalty killing by Ondrej Palat.

With Jesper Bratt in the penalty box for tripping, Palat hounded both defenseman Adam Fox and forward Kreider in their own zone, eventually forcing a turnover. The Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad made a desperation slide to cut off Palat from the Rangers’ net, but he found teammate Michael McLeod with a pass. McLeod sent a slow-motion backhand shot into the net at 9:53 of the second period.

“An incredible effort. I mean, that is just playoff hockey. The first, second and third effort. To stay on it. To create the turnover and get it to Michael. That’s why we have him there,” Ruff said.

New Jersey made it 2-0 on a play that started with a brilliant rush to the net by defenseman John Marino. Igor Shesterkin made the save, but Marino controlled the puck and sent it back toward the crease. That’s where Tomas Tatar quickly flicked the puck behind Shesterkin at 15:39 of the second, and the Devils carried that lead into the second intermission.

The third period saw emotions run hotter after Rangers captain Jacob Trouba administered yet another thunderous hit in the playoffs, as he did several times last postseason. As the Devils’ Timo Meier cut through the middle of the Rangers’ zone, Trouba tucked his arm in and laid Meier out. The Devils winger was flat on his back until finally leaving the ice on his own for the dressing room. Trouba wasn’t penalized.

Ruff didn’t have an update on Meier but summed up his view of the hit, saying, “I thought there was contact with the head, but I’d have to look at it again.”

The Devils put a dagger in their rivals at 14:27 of the third period on an Erik Haula goal, which sent many of the Rangers fans who had invaded Prudential Center walking toward the exits. Bratt added an empty-netter to cap off the scoring.

“I kind of felt the tension between the two fan bases. It’s a pretty big deal here, so everybody was excited for this round and I thought it was a great round. I’m so happy we won,” Palat said.

For the Devils, the game was a microcosm of the rest of the series — for better and for worse.

They exhibited the lack of discipline that helped the Rangers use their power play to win three games in the series, including the first two in New Jersey. The Devils handed their rivals four power-play chances in the first two periods. They weren’t just tempting fate; they were also keeping their best offensive players off the ice while killing those penalties.

But kill them they did, which was indicative of another series-long trend in the Devils’ wins: Controlling play with their speed, puck possession and defense. They were careful with the puck and patient on their passes.

When they needed him, Schmid was there for several key saves. His highlights included high-danger chances by Artemi Panarin and Kane, and a flashy glove stop on a Vincent Trocheck late in the third period.

For Ruff, a season that started with fans chanting “Fire Lindy” ended with him coaching the Devils to their first playoff series win since 2012.

His message to the fans after Game 7? “Time to have that beer,” he said.

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