NEW YORK – To paraphrase Pedro Martinez: The Rangers are the Devils’ daddy.

Much like the Mets ace, who couldn’t master the Yankees when pitching for the Red Sox, the Devils have yet to figure out the Rangers.

For the seventh time this season, New York pulled out a win over New Jersey. This time it came in regulation after Nigel Dawes was hooked by Travis Zajac, knocking him into the net with the puck, with a little over three minutes to play. It was good enough for a 3-2 Blueshirt win.

“It tried to get to the net and I kind of yelled at the last second for [Chris] Drury to pass it over as he heard me. I thought I had a pretty good chance to put it in. I think it hit my shoulder. Sometimes that just happens when you drive to the net. It was good luck.”

After a lengthy review to make sure the puck did not rebound off Dawes’s hands, the Rangers fended off a Devils attack, which was coming on hard all night to secure the victory.

And the Devils are wondering when the Rangers bleeding will stop. Although it happened six times this season already, this victory was equally as sweet as the rest and the Rangers ended up very satisfied. “They are divisional rivals and obviously they are a great team,” said Chris Drury, who had two assists. “Well coached, great goalie and ahead us most of the point-wise, so it feels good.”

Even though they got the two points, the Rangers were even happier to see Scott Gomez back in the lineup. After being knocked out last Friday and then, subsequently missing the game against Philadelphia on Tuesday with bruised ribs, the center took his place between Brendan Shanahan and Sean Avery when the puck dropped and proceeded to have two assists.

“He’s been telling us to call him ‘Blood and Guts’ so maybe tonight we have to start,” said Drury of Gomez. “He was great. He made two great passes on the power play goals.”

Gomez wasn’t surprised he was able to play. “This is the time of year when you want to be out there,” he said. “If you can’t get up against the Devils, then there is something wrong with you. I am just part of the team and there is a lot more ahead of us.”

They will also need the power play, which came alive tonight, going 2-3 and giving the Rangers their first two goals, one from Brendan Shanahan and then Christian Backman scored early in the third to tie the game at two, right after he almost booed off the ice in the second by giving the puck to Zach Parise in the Blueshirts zone and having the Devils leading scorer beat Henrik Lundqvist, who stopped 32 shots on the night.

“[Backman] is a good player and he is going to be very good for the New York Rangers,” said coach Tom Renney. “Christian displays courage and character in his own way and I think you saw that tonight.”

Especially the Devils who now know, who is their daddy.

Notes: This is the most wins the Rangers had against any team since 1967-68, when they beat Toronto more times…This is the Rangers third consecutive 40-win season, their longest streak of 40-win years since 1970-74…Tom Renney is now tied with Herb Brooks for fifth on the all-time wins list with 131.

  E-mail this story |  Printer-friendly |  Discuss