Staal strikes late to lead Rangers past Devils

By Steve James

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Rangers beat the New Jersey Devils 5-3 on Wednesday to take a commanding 3-1 lead in their NHL Eastern Conference quarter-final playoff series.

The Rangers' winning goal was scored on a booming slapshot by rookie defenseman Marc Staal for his first career playoff goal with just over three minutes to play. Staal had inadvertently diverted the puck into his own net in the third game on Sunday to give the Devils their only win.

Scott Gomez, who joined the Rangers this season after playing for the Devils for seven years, scored the first goal and added the fifth into an empty net directly from a face-off with 12 seconds left at Madison Square Garden.

Martin Straka and Chris Drury also scored for New York and Patrik Elias had two goals for New Jersey. Mike Mottau claimed the visitors' third.

The Rangers can wrap up the best-of-seven series with a win in game five in Newark, New Jersey on Friday.

The first period was a defensive stalemate except for Gomez's powerplay goal which he swatted in from a right-wing pass by defenseman Dan Girardi.

The game opened up in the second period when both teams scored twice and unusual penalties were called, including coincidental minors on Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg for goalie interference and Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur for diving.

LOOSE PUCK

New Jersey's Czech winger Elias got his team back into the game 31 seconds into the period, sweeping the loose puck home after Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist failed to hold a sharp shot by Jamie Langebrunner.

Rookie center Brandon Dubinsky set up Straka on a 2-on-1 breakaway to give the home side the lead, but Elias scored again after the Rangers were short-handed for having too many men on the ice.

New York wasted a four-minute powerplay opportunity after Travis Zajac high-sticked Michal Rozsival, but they went ahead again when Drury tipped in Fedor Tyutin's slapshot.

Four minutes into the third period, former Ranger Mottau waltzed around a defender to tie the scores again.

But Staal's shot left the Devils needing to win three straight games against their cross-river rivals, who won seven of the teams' eight regular-season meetings.

(Editing by Ed Osmond)