Madden Hat Trick Propels Devils, Lead Rangers 2-0

The Devils are halfway home to finally beating the Rangers in a playoff series. John Madden's first career playoff hat trick lifted them to a 4-1 win over the Rangers in Game Two at Continental Airlines Arena Monday night.

The Devils lead the best-of-seven Eastern Quarterfinal series two games to none. In their postseason history, they have never lost a playoff series when winning the first two, going a perfect 9-0 in those situations.

They made the most of a shorthanded Rangers squad who were without Jaromir Jagr, Darius Kasparaitis (groin) and Henrik Lundqvist. Jagr sat out with an upper body injury suffered late in Game One due to an attempted hit on Scott Gomez. Without their leading scorer, the Rangers' offense fizzled.

"He's [Jagr] one of the best players in the world," Steve Rucchin told the AP. "I don't care what team it is in the league, you lose a guy like that it's going to be difficult."

Lundqvist, who was shaky in allowing 11 goals in two games since his return from a hip flexor was replaced by former Devil nemesis Kevin Weekes. It was Weekes four years ago who lifted the Hurricanes past the Devils in the same round. With Ranger Coach Tom Renney looking to recreate some of that same magic, the results were different thanks in large part to Madden, who tied a playoff record by scoring twice shorthanded.

With his team down a man for the second consecutive time early in the first period, the dangerous penalty killer made the Rangers pay to open the scoring. After Ranger defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh's unsuccessive pinch, Madden and Brian Rafalski came in two-on-one on Tom Poti. Rafalski feathered the puck thru a sliding Poti to Madden, who one-timed it home for his first of the night at 7:47.

After the Rangers' failure on two power plays, the Devils capitalized on their first man-advantage due to a Chad Wiseman penalty. Recalled from Hartford to replace Jason Ward who is out for the remainder of the series with an MCL sprain, Wiseman boarded Jamie Langenbrunner to give New Jersey the opportunity. Brian Gionta would notch his first of the postseason with a beautiful redirection of a Paul Martin pass to give the Devils a 2-0 lead with 5:47 left.

Though they were down two, the Rangers kept coming in the second and threatened to make it a game. On a breakaway, Jed Ortmeyer was stoned by Martin Brodeur with just over five minutes left.

Shortly after, they had their best opportunity to get back in it. With Grant Marshall already off for an undisciplined doubleminor, Madden was sent to the sin bin for a dubious hook with 2:13 remaining giving the Rangers a full two-man advantage. But after a Renney timeout, the game swung dramatically. After ex-Devil Petr Sykora blasted one off the post, it was the Devils' three penalty killers who were hungrier to the puck. In particular, Rafalski who outmuscled two Rangers behind the net to clear a puck all the way down.

As the power play expired, Jay Pandolfo fed Madden out of the box for a breakaway with 10 seconds remaining. Weekes appeared to stop Madden but the puck trickled through and hung on the goal line. Unfortunately for the Rangers, a hustling Ozolinsh accidentally put the puck in his own net to give Madden his second SHG of the night with only six seconds to spare. He became the 10th player to score twice while a man short in the postseason. The backbreaking goal gave the Devils a three-goal cushion heading to the locker room.

"I was pretty much up for the last 40 seconds," Madden said. "I can't say enough how good of a job they did whether we score a goal or not."

"I was trying to get there and sweep the puck away," Ozolinsh said. "It was an unfortunate mistake and took our momentum away."

Down three, the Rangers continued to attack in the third. They finally got on the board when Blair Betts one-timed a Ryan Hollweg pass upstairs past Martin Brodeur to cut it to 3-1 at 5:41. It was Betts' first NHL career playoff tally.

Betts missed a chance to cut it to one when his one-timer sailed over the net with under nine minutes to go. With the Rangers activating their D, the Devils finally took advantage to put it out of reach. After Ranger defenseman Michal Rozsival failed to keep the puck in, it led to a three-on-one. Grant Marshall setup Madden, who one-timed the puck for his hat trick through Weekes five-hole to put the Devils up by three with 7:14 left.

Devil fans showed their appreciation by tossing hats on the ice and Thundersticks which were given away before the game.

"This won't happen again for a long time, it would be nice if it did," Madden said of the hat trick. "In reality, I have to get back to checking and getting the puck deep and winning faceoffs and killing penalties."

Brodeur made his best save with under 30 seconds to go, diving across to deny a late Ranger PP chance. He finished with 25 saves, allowing just one goal for the second straight game. Both resulting in wins.

"We came out and only got one on Marty [Brodeur]," Weekes said. "Earlier in the year maybe we get four or five but they are playing differently now. They are playing Devils hockey."

Notes: Devils defenseman Colin White sat out with a groin injury. His status remains uncertain for Game Three. ... Dating back to the regular season, it was the Devils' 13th consecutive victory. Conversely, the Rangers have now dropped their last seven. In the Rangers' last four losses, they have been outscored 19-4. ... Sykora had a goal wiped out with 5:23 left in the third when the officials blew the whistle prematurely to force a faceoff. ... Subbing for Lundqvist, Weekes turned aside 21 of 25 shots. ... Devils blocked 18 shots compared to just seven for the Rangers. ... The series shifts to Madison Square Garden Wednesday night where the Rangers will host their first postseason game in nine years.