NEWARK, NJ – Even though this game would not change who the Rangers will play in the first round, it’s playoff time.

You can tell it by the intensity on the ice and right down to the beards growing on the players’ faces.

The Rangers wanted this game to say the least, not just because a regulation win would give the team home ice in the first round, but to complete the season sweep of the Devils, their opponent for at least the next four games.

Coach Tom Renney even went so far as to pull Henrik Lundqvist with a minute left in the third and the score tied

But in the end, it wasn’t in the cards for the Blueshirts.

During the shootout, both Zach Parise and Patrik Elias beat Lundqvist in the third and fourth rounds, which gave the Devils the 3-1 win to secure the fourth spot in the playoffs.

“It was great; it was exciting; and it will give you a heart attack, I suppose,” Renney said. “It’s a big point we lost here, but that’s how it goes. Both teams have a lot of respect for each other to know that one game doesn’t constitute a season and the most important games are in front of us. And I am sure both teams will approach it accordingly.”

Actually this game may be a microcosm the matchup between the Rangers and Devils. It was low scoring, star driven and came down to the final play. If this game is anything like the series coming up, everyone is in for a treat.

First, though, there was a contest to play and home ice needed to be decided.

The Rangers had some trouble in the first period, giving the Devils their only power plays in regulation – they didn’t score - and their only goals. Both John Madden and Brian Rupp scored for the Devils to lead at the first intermission 2-0.

But that lead was short lived because Chris Drury scored at 19 seconds of the second to half the Devils lead. Taking a wild chase around the net, Ryan Callahan, Nigel Dawes and Drury fought New Jersey for the puck and finally No. 23 put it past Marty Brodeur.

“Both teams can say good things about this game that will carry over for each team,” said Brendan Shanahan, who played on the fourth line at times tonight in case it was something the team needed in the playoffs. “For their part, they won the game and for our part we fought back after being down 2-0.”

The comeback was complete in the third when captain Jaromir Jagr scored at 4:46 after taking a pass from Sean Avery in the right slot. It was his 25th goal of the season and 71st point, good enough to lead the team but 13 short of his vesting mark of 84 points.

“There’s nothing different,” Jagr said. “I had as many chances I had before. I just put the puck in the net.”

The tied score allowed Renney to pull Lundqvist with a minute left and the hooking penalty on John Madden with 29 seconds left gave the Blueshirts a 6-4, but they couldn’t convert. The Devils were able to get the extra point to start the series at the Prudential Center on Wednesday.

“I would have liked to won it in regulation for a chance to play at home, or at least start at home,” Jagr said. “Every game was pretty close and was decided in overtime or shootouts.”

Notes: The Rangers and Devils will open up the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Newark. Game 2 will take place on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Rock with Game 3 next Sunday at the Garden at 7 p.m. Then the two teams will get an extra day off and resume Wed. Apr. 16 at 7 p.m. at the Garden. If they series goes further, Game 5 will be Fri. Apr 18 in Newark with Game 6 on Sun. Apr 20 at MSG. A Game 7 will be at the Prudential Center on Tue. Apr. 22.

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