NEW YORK – The beauty of the playoffs is that one day’s goat can be the next day’s hero.

It’s something Marc Staal learned firsthand in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

Just three days – and one contest - after John Madden’s overtime game winner went in off Staal’s skate, the rookie defenseman put the puck in the right way tonight when his shot from the point beat Martin Brodeur with 3:13 left in the third. It broke a 3-3 tie in the Rangers eventual 5-3 win over the Devils.

“It felt really good,” Staal said. “To score the winning goal after the last game went off my skate felt really good. Marty made a great play and I wanted to get it off as fast as possible.”

“It works out that way sometimes,” said forward Chris Drury, who had a goal and an assist on the night. “I am sure he wasn’t feeling too good watching it go off his foot and that was obviously a huge goal tonight.”

What’s even bigger is the win, which gives the Rangers a 3-1 lead in the series and put the Devils against the wall. For those not checking at home, the Blueshirts never lost a seven game playoff while 3-1 and over 91% of teams with that lead go on to victory.

But it won’t be easy.

“The biggest game to win, number four,” said Henrik Lundqvist, who came up big in the third and finished with 28 saves. “We just have to focus and keep playing our game. I think we did a pretty good job tonight. We like to play in New Jersey and hopefully we can keep playing well there.”

If they get another game like this, the Rangers will take it. Both Scott Gomez and Drury, the franchise’s big ticket signings from last summer came through for the team. Gomez had two goals, including the empty netter, while Drury had an important second period tally, which gave the Rangers the momentum – and the lead for the third time on the night - after coming up empty on a four minute power play opportunity.

“We hung in there,” said Drury. “It’s tough getting a lead and losing it and getting another and losing it, especially in the third. We thought we were going to shut them down in the third and win 3-2. When we didn’t, we didn’t panic. Instead we hung in there and stayed in our system.”

After a good first period, the Rangers made their miscues in the second, getting into the penalty box and giving the Devils their chances. It was something coach Tom Renney saw and felt the team could improve upon for Game 5.

“I would have liked to be able to control a little bit better like we did in the first,” Renney said. “New Jersey is after this win like we are. That is hockey and it got into a little bit of a track meet. I liked our first period and they I liked the fact we kept pushing it.”

The Blueshirts outshot the Devils 12-5 in the first and led 1-0. In the second, though, the Devils came back.

Yet, it was the Rangers style of playing which caused Brodeur to make mistakes, in the period, like Marty Straka’s goal – his first off a give and go with Brandon Dubinsky which gave the Rangers their second lead. The Rangers also forced Brodeur to make 34 saves.

Until Staal came through, Ranger leads were short lived, since two goals by Patrik Elias and then one by Mike Mottau brought New Jersey back and kept the Blueshirts, with the Garden crowd on edge.

Although they now have a 3-1 lead, the Rangers know this series is far from over and the Devils will ready for a Game 5.

“They are never going to quit,” said Drury. “Their organization has never been known to. They have a lot of character over there and we know that. They have a lot of Stanley Cups over there. The next game is going to be tougher.”

Notes: Gomez’s two goals were his first of the playoffs and he was 15 of 24 on faceoffs…Jaromir Jagr had 10 shots on the night and fourth assist of the series…Game 5 will start at 7:30 on Friday instead of the usual 7 p.m. start time…No new NHL rules are expected after this match.

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