NEW YORK – Willie Randolph would have said the Devils had their ‘A-Minus’ lineup last night when Jersey suited up against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

And looking at what the Devils put on the ice, he probably would have been too kind. Playing with few regulars, New Jersey was dominated by the Rangers for the second night in a row. The 2-0 final score really meant nothing, because, if not for goaltenders Scott Clemmensen and Frank Doyle, the victory margin would be wider.

“The first period would suggest our coverage was pretty good,” said coach Tom Renney after his team outshot the Devils 21-1 in the first. “There was a few times where we broke down. We didn’t give them too many second cracks.”

The Rangers had a strong game from the line of Petr Prucha, Matt Cullen and Greg Moore, which tallied both goals. They moved the puck well and seemed to easily cut through the minor league defense the Devils put out there.

“It felt good; it looked like we controlled the game for the most park,” Cullen said. “Mooresy is a big horse, who seems to be getting better.”

Good games from Prucha and Cullen – both with a score apiece - are to be expected, but the 22 year-old Moore opened some eyes, as he assisted on both goals with great feeds to his linemates.

Cullen praised his teammate: “He’s a power forward. He seems like a big, strong, thick kid. He skates really well and won some battles out there he had no business winning.”

In other words, he was an A+.

Playing in his first full professional season, the University of Maine standout is trying to win one of the few precious open spots on the team. He’s competing with more experienced professionals like Nigel Dawes and Jarkko Immonen, but he may need some more time to develop.

“I told him the toughest position at forward is [playing the power game],” Brendan Shanahan said. “Sometimes they are like a big Marmaduke and obviously he is trying to work on his game. Basically I offered my help if he needed it.”

If he can develop, the Rangers may have a find. Last season, he scored 28 goals and 17 assists as captain of the Black Bears. He signed with the Rangers late in year and received some American League experience with Hartford.

“He’s already been on the radar,” Renney said. “I would like to see how he plays with someone else and can be an effective player for us. But this is an NCAA graduate, so we hoped he would bring his best game tonight.”

In the end, Moore earned his grade.

Notes: Change in plans, as Renney announced Al Montoya would go with the team to Puerto Rico. Saying that he wants to prepare him to play a full game, a change in plans was needed. Henrik Lundqvist will stay behind to work with Benoit Allaire.

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