Rangers-Devils Game 5 Preview
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Jim McIsaac/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — After being outplayed throughout game 4 on Monday night in New Jersey, the New York Rangers will look to take back home-ice tonight against the Devils in their game 5 Eastern Conference Finals matchup.
New York will enter tonight tied at two apiece for the third straight time this playoff run and it should get interesting after Rangers forward Mike Rupp gave Devils goalie Martin Brodeur a left jab at the end of game 4, which sparked both benches and coaches.
“It’s all forgotten,” Brodeur said of the push. “It’s the playoffs. I think you need to put everything in check. What happened in one game usually doesn’t carry in the other ones. We know that it’s going to be emotional. It’s a hostile environment in the Garden. They’re going to try to be a little more physical the way they were late in the game.”
The Rangers have scored nine goals in four games with the Devils and are hoping for an offensive spark in the first period, where they have struggled.
“Pray,” Rangers coach John Tortorella said. “I don’t know what else to tell you. We’re going to keep on trying to play, pray, and hopefully something good happens to them.”
One plus for the Rangers is that they will have Brandon Prust back tonight following his one-game suspension for elbowing Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov in the back of the helmet in game 3.
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