Dwayne Roloson didn’t let the symbolism become foreshadowing. The netminder stopped 14 shots in the final period while Trent Hunter and John Tavares scored just 1:30 apart in the second period to lead the Islanders to a 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday evening.

Roloson blocked out the electrical malfunction behind him and a slew of quality Toronto scoring chances with the clock ticking down. That included a pad save on Lee Stempniak’s close-range shot from the slot late in the final stanza as the Islanders ended a four-game homestand 1-3.

Tavares broke a six-game goal-less streak with his tally just 90 seconds after Hunter opened the scoring on a wrist shot. Tavares, the NHL’s leading rookie scorer, notched his 16th goal to move past Matt Moulson for the team lead.

“It’s great for his confidence,” said Roloson, who finished with 26 saves. “He works hard day-in and day-out. He’s only going to get better. For him to get an important goal, it’s great.”

Tavares’ netted one of his easiest NHL goals, slamming home a shot from the slot into an empty net after Toronto goalie Jonas Gustavvson moved over to stop Blake Comeau’s rush. Comeau also was awarded a goal when he was taken down with an empty Maple Leafs net at 19:25 for the clinching goal.

The 19-year-old center was drafted first overall due to his prolific scoring ability as an amateur. Though six games hardly qualifies as a prolonged slump, Tavares said he is just trying to become a consistent player at the highest level after scoring 215 goals in just 247 games in the junior-level OHL.

“You don’t go through it as much in juniors,” Tavares said. “You play so much, you just need to move on and get ready for the next game.

“Tonight I tried to focus on keeping my feet moving and just having lots of intensity and hopefully it creates opportunity. I thought it was a better effort, not just for myself, but for everyone else.”

Islanders coach Scott Gordon said he’s been impressed with Tavares’ maturation as he leads the club with 28 points.

“When you make that jump for junior or college to the pros, you feel it’s going to continue and when you have those dry spells, it’s probably harder on guys like him,” Gordon said. “He needs to learn to relax a little. Every players has their stretches where they’re not going to get points. The only thing you can control is your effort.”

The Islanders snapped a four-game losing streak at Nassau Coliseum and moved one-point ahead of the Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference standings.

Tavares ended his streak while former first-round draft pick Kyle Okposo continue to be mired in a scoring funk. Okposo’s goal-draught reached 18 games. The winger’s last goal came Nov. 14 against Florida.

Gordon said his team looked better as it enters a two-day Christmas break with momentum. The team’s next game is Saturday against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The Isles currently occupy the 12th spot and sit just four points behind the Blueshirts for the eighth and final play position.

“The two points are always going to be important,” Gordon said. “Realistically we have to aim for that eighth spot and there are a lot of teams bunched in that area.”

Gordon said the power play looked sharper even though it officially finished 0 for 4. Hunter’s goal came three seconds after a Maple Leafs penalty expired and Toronto was whistled for a penalty with just 23 seconds remaining. The Islanders are 1 for 27 on the power play in its last six games.

Continuing to roll, the Blueshirts took care of business last night as the downed the hapless Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Center, 4-1.

For all the goodness that has gone on this season at 33rd Street, Tortorella put a caveat on the season. “We’re teetering on going the wrong way here,” he said to reporters before his Rangers went out against the Leafs to reporters. “I don’t want to punch holes into the team, it did win another hockey game, but we have to be aware how we play at all times no matter if we win or lose. I just see us teetering a little bit here, and it’s up to us to try to get on the right track and more consistent.”

These are the terrible Leafs though and there was no trouble from them as the Rangers rolled.

There was no trouble in the first as Brandon Dubinsky opened the scoring with four minutes left in the period.

There was no trouble in the second with the blue line coming through with goals from Marc Staal and Michael Del Zotto – who also assisted on Dubinsky’s goal. To give the Rangers a 3-1 lead.

And yes, there was no trouble in the third with Enver Lisin getting his first Rangers goal 2:26 into the period.

In fact, the only trouble the Rangers had was the way Henrik Lundqvist was treated getting bowled over a number of times by the Leafs again after they did it at MSG earlier in the week.

“I asked the refs in between periods, ‘What do you want us to do? What do you want the coaches to do in this type of situation when they’re not being called, when it’s not being enforced?’” Tortorella said. “We’re eventually going to have to protect him somehow, and we’re hoping that the refs do their job there. This is three games in a row that he’s been hit a couple of times.

“I don’t believe you need to protect him completely from being hit, but some of the hits that are coming on him right now, it’s ridiculous. Something has to be done, or we have to do it our way.”

Even with the brutal treatment, Lundqvist went on to have 34 saves and seemed unfazed, saying the charging just made him “angry” and he plays better when he is ticked off.

No matter, the Rangers are now done with the Leafs for a while and come back home for two more game, against the Sharks on Monday and Devils on Thursday. If the team can win both games, they will match their best start at 9-1 set in the 1983-84 season.

“As much as you can get it going right the one way, it goes pretty quickly the other way,” Tortorella said. “That’s something we need to be cognizant of.”

The Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t know what hit them.

So much so that the Blueshirts scored four third period goals, including two by Sean Avery, to lead the team to a 7-2 laugher.

“We came out and had a good first period. I think with any team you get that comfortable mindset,” Avery said. “Torts told us before the game, great teams are the teams that stay consistent no matter what the score is or who you are playing. I think we pulled our socks up and came out and had a good third.”

Besides the two by Avery, Dan Girardi scored two and Wade Redden had a goal with two assists. As the Rangers were in control for almost the whole game.

Yet, that’s what good teams do against inferior opponents. Much like a mismatched college football game, John Tortorella’s team ran up the score and kept the pressure going, even with the game pretty much in hand. The Rangers were able to outstate their opponents due to being well conditioned, especially after the really tough training camp the coach put his team through.

“We have had some good third periods and we had another one tonight and I think the conditioning had something to do with it,” Tortorella said. “That is an important part, finishing the game. We felt we were fortunate, Hank made some good saves there in the second. We just wanted to get back on the attack and try to play in their end zone. I don’t know if it is conditioning related but we had another good third period so that is good news.”
“Some of that is going through the hard camp we went through,” said Rangers captain Chris Drury. “You don’t go through a hard camp and come out on the other side as mentally and physically demanding as it was, it forces you to come together. You can’t do it alone.”

And that’s the difference in these Rangers, they don’t rely upon just a few guys. Everyone gets involved. Ten different Rangers had points in last night’s match coming from forwards and defensemen. No matter who is on the ice, the team always feels they have a chance to score.

Part of that is the system Tortorella put in place, which emphasizes the backliners joining into the play when they see a chance. As a result Girardi and Redden had three of the seven goals, and since the beginning of the season, all of the defensemen have gotten involved, while also improving on keeping pucks out of the net.

“Our defensive game actually improved,” said Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist, who had 27 saves on the night. “It is tougher for teams to create scoring chances, I think, when we stay aggressive, when we play the way we want to play. We can see that already last year when Torts came in and we changed our style of play. It is tougher for teams to create chances. When we play the way we play, we are great offensively and defensively. It has been good. They have done a great job the last couple of games.”

So much so that the Rangers are on a roll and look very tough to beat right now.

Notes: The main event happened at 10:18 of the night when former Ranger enforcer Colton Orr met current tough guy Donald Brashear. The fight went to the judges and it came out to be a draw…The last time the Rangers scored seven goals was back on April 1, 2007 (no fooling) also against the Toronto Maple Leafs…The Blueshirts complete their three game home stand on Wednesday as the team takes on the Los Angeles Kings.

Jimmy Bubnick – RW – (6-2/194)
CS: # 55NA —– THN: # 68 —– McK: # 85
ISS: # 86 (Not Available) —– RLR: # 51 (Michael Ryder or Trent Hunter)
ISS: “Bubnick has great offensive vision and natural scoring ability. His skating ability is not pretty, but he does get to where he needs to be. His big question is his grit and willingness to pay the price at times. Did battle the inconsistency bug. With adding a physical dimension, he will create more room and put up better numbers.
McK: “Bubnick was one of the most highly-touted prospects coming out of bantam after playing on a line with Brayden Schenn and carter Ashton. His time in Kamloops has been frustrating due to very inconsistent play. He has a goal scorer’s instincts and will attack the net with his stick ready for a pass.
RLR: “Has the body and strength to be effective physically down low, but changed to a more finesse style this season. Has a very quick release and accurate touch. Needs to put together the finesse skills from this season with the grinding style from last season.
2008/2009 – Kamloops (WHL) – 72-25-32-57-41

Anton Burdasov– RW – (6-3/202)
CS: # 20E —– THN: # 56 —– McK: # 118
ISS: # 48 (Erik Cole) —– RLR: # 70 (Ryan Malone)
ISS: “Good hands and vision with the puck. Powerful and quick skater. Burdasov is very strong on [the] puck and once he gets his feet moving he scares opposing defenders with his great blend of speed and intensity with the puck. The biggest knock on Burdasov is that he follows the team, if the team is playing bad, so does Burdasov and if the team is playing well so is Burdasov.
McK: No scouting report available.
RLR: “Bit of an enigma with all the physical tools to become a good one, but we expected more. Big winger has great size and is a smooth skater with fine physical tools. Good puck skills and controls the puck well down low with long reach. Shows fine touch around net, where he can bury his chances. Initiates contact, finishes checks, and competes for loose pucks along the boards. However, he’s inconsistent and effort level can be spotty.
2008/2009 – Traktor Chelyabinsk 2 (Russia) – Statistics not available.

Alex Chiasson – RW – (6-4/187)
CS: # 34NA —– THN: # 76 —– McK: 47
ISS: # 85 (Not Available) —– RLR: # 67 (Jochen Hecht)
ISS: “Chiasson has all of the tools to become a productive prototypical power forward. He will accumulate points through hard work, crashing the net and paying the price. A very good skater for his size who can finish with flash or grit.
McK: Chiasson embodies all the attributes of a prototypical power forward. A feared checker with strength to run through his opposition, Chiasson often took the frustration of a losing season out on opposing defencemen. He uses his speed on the forecheck and is becoming a nightmare for defencemen as he finishes his checks with considerable force. Chiasson is committed to Boston University [and has] the most upside of any USHL prospect forward in the 2009 Draft.”
RLR: “Huge winger with fine offensive tools. Still shows some inconsistency in his game, but has improved in a lot of departments since his prep season last year. “Has good knack around the net and will outmuscle defenders for space around the crease. Good puckhandler with exceptionally long reach – uses his body to shield the puck. Not the quickest skater in terms of lateral movement and change of direction, but effort and straight line power are there.
2008/2009 Des Moines (USHL) – 56-17-33-50-101

Jerry D’Amigo – RW – (5-11/196)
CS: # 67NA —– THN: # Not Rated in Top 100 —– McK: # 84
ISS: # 40 (T.J. Oshie) —– RLR: # 36 (Alex Burrows)
ISS: “he has great speed and great offensive anticipation and wins most races for pucks. With his scoring touch, he will be a top-two-line player with his skill. His outstanding play in the International scene coupled with the fact he kept elevating his game throughout the year has secured his ranking here at ISS. He makes good smart, quick plays, takes contact well and drives the net without hesitation. Has great leadership traits that should translate very well at the next level.
McK: “A multi-purpose forward that can do many things well. He enjoys playing in traffic and can make uncanny plays with limited space. He is the type of player who will make his living in the dirty area [and] plays a similar game to Ryan Smyth.
RLR: “Lacks top end speed, but shows good burst in short areas. Works very intelligently down low on the PP where he stations himself beside the net and makes some power moves out front showing strength and balance. Not a pure finisher, but he generates offense with effort and desire.”
2008/2009 – USA U-18 (NTDP) – 44-19-24-43-53. Will play at RPI next season.

Kenny Ryan – RW – (6-0/204)
CS: # 56NA —– THN: # 66 —– McK: 29
ISS: # 59 (Brooks Laich) —– RLR: # 47 (Andrew Ladd)
ISS: “Honest two-way player who is not going to hurt you when he is on the ice. An agile two-way skater, Ryan is another U.S. forward who must keeps his feet moving all the time. Plays [to] his size and physical style very well. Ryan is a very good skater with good anticipation to break to open ice. He plays very hard and intense and makes good decisions with the puck. Has verballed to Boston College.
McK: “Ryan may not be the flashiest player but is a gifted natural goal scorer with a sniper’s instinct. His skating is average but complemented well by his non-stop motor. Ryan will need to add strength to be more effective physically but it’s already encouraging how much he engages in traffic.
RLR: “Strong on the puck and tough to separate from it. Has a hard, heavy shot but must work on getting it on net more consistently. Likes to initiate contact and will lay on the body. Average hockey sense, gets by on his natural tools rather than taking a cerebral approach. Does have the tools to be a top power winger, but only flashes them occasionally.
2008/2009 – USA U-18 (NTDP) – 53-21-20-41-44

While the first round selection was a difficult one, the second round selection is an empty net goal. Alex Chiasson has the tools to be a second round steal – much like Brandon Dubinsky was. Ranking the rest of the potential second round picks is not as easy.

Jimmy Bubnick and Anton Burdasov represent high-risk/high-reward players. Normally I don’t mind taking that type of player in the second round, but this time I would suggest going with the safer picks.

My alternate second round choices, in order, are: Jerry D’Amigo, Kenny Ryan, Burdasov, and Bubnick.

Toronto scored three goals in the first period off of Devils miscues to start them on a 4-1 victory in Newark.

“Three straight goals, you can’t let it happen,” coach Brent Sutter said.

The Devils outshot the Maple Leafs 48-18, but turnovers in their own zone and solid play by Toronto goalie Martin Gerber prevented New Jersey from winning a team-record 50^th game and clinching the Atlantic Division.

Half-way through the first period, defenseman Colin White was unable to clear the puck out from behind goaltender Martin Brodeur. His giveaway ended up in the glove of Mikhail Grabovski, who dropped the puck and scored from the slot.

Moments later, Brian Rolston turned the puck over in the neutral zone, and Boyd Devereaux swooped in to grab it. Devereaux fed Jamal Mayers in the middle of the ice, and Mayers slid the puck over to Jeffrey Hamilton, who fired into the top right corner of the net.

The third Maple Leaf goal came at 15:56 of the first, when Christian Hanson scored on a weak-side rebound off of a shot by Jason Blake. There was not a single red jersey surrounding Hanson, whose tally was the first of his career.

“When someone makes a mistake, you try to bail them out. Today it wasn’t the case,” Brodeur said.

Toronto gave New Jersey an ample opportunity to end the period on a positive note when, while Luke Schenn was already in the penalty box for tripping Bobby Holik,  Jay Harrison got a high-stick under Brian Gionta’s visor, drawing blood. Harrison took the automatic four-minute double-minor penalty, giving the Devils a 5-on-3 advantage for 37 seconds.

New Jersey fired several shots against Gerber, and Brendan Shanahan had two open looks at the net, but shot into the only part of the net being blocked by Gerber.

“I’m sure Shanny would want that one back on the 5-on-3,” Langenbrunner said.

The restless fans showed their displeasure at the home team not capitalizing on a golden opportunity, although hope was restored in the second period, while Harrison was still in the penalty box.

Paul Martin poked the puck out from a Leaf, and fed Jamie Langenbrunner in the right circle. With two seconds remaining on the power play, Langenbrunner found an opening and slid the puck five-hole under Gerber.

“We definitely still had a mountain to climb, but we were heading in the right direction. We had been shooting pretty well and creating some opportunities, making them taking penalties. We thought we were ready for the third period, thinking we’d shut them down and go. And then we made a mistake that ended up in our head again, and from there it was definitely tough sledding,” Langenbrunner said.

That fourth goal came 1:34 into the third period when defensemen Johnny Oduya and Mike Mottau were caught up behind the net, and another failed clear-out turned into a goal.

Niklas Hagman passed the loose puck out from behind Brodeur to John Mitchell, who was waiting at the left post for an easy shot.

“I missed the shot. I was moving but it slid between my pads,” Brodeur explained.

Despite outshooting the Leafs 13-4 in the final period, New Jersey lost a chance to take more momentum into the playoffs.

The Devils’ disappointment in their play hung over the locker room, as well as a feeling of apprehension about the post season.

“Right now, we’re not thinking about clinching the division, we’re thinking about not playing well enough to be two games from the playoffs,” Holik said. “Winning the division important? Yeah. Playing well in the playoffs more important? Yeah … Right now we have more on our plate than just winning the division.”

The final two courses on the Devils’ plate are an away game in Ottawa on Thursday and the regular-season finale at home against Carolina Saturday afternoon.

Currently, New Jersey is sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference, and would match up against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs, but there is still a possibility Carolina or Philadelphia could be in the sixth spot.

Against any of those teams, for a chance to win, New Jersey will need to find a way to play 60 good minutes of hockey again like they did for most of the regular season.

It was time to change the coach.

“I’ve been thinking about it probably the last couple of week,” Sather said in a conference call. “I could see the team starting to slide and, after the start that we had at the beginning of the year and the way we were playing and moving and controlling the puck, the game just started to erode and I thought sooner or later we were going to have to do something. I wish that it hadn’t have come to this, but it did. The last two or three games it was pretty obvious that we had to have something done.”

So when Sather arrived at the MSG Training Center, he dismissed coach Tom Renney and assistant Perry Pearn and began the negotiations with former Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella. In a matter of hours,  a “multi-year” deal was hammered out and the 50 year-old Boston native became the 34th coach of the Blueshirts.

“Torts is certainly a lot more fiery and a lot different as a coach,” Sather said. “I think that he’s going to bring that fiery attitude and a lot of games we seemed to be missing it. It’s certainly not a sleight against Tom. It’s two entirely different styles.”

Make no mistake, Tortorella is a perfect coach for the Rangers. Not only does the new coach give the team a much needed kick in the pants, he’s perfect for New York. Outspoken, and willing get in the players and the media faces, it’s Sather’s hope he can jumpstart the Rangers this season, while building a foundation for years to come.

Even more importantly, he goes against type for Sather, who seemed to like coaches who won’t challenge his authority. During his almost nine years on 33^rd Street, the general manager hired a buddy [Ron Low], a rookie [Bryan Trottier], a company man [Renney], and, of course, himself. It remains to be seen if Tortorella will mesh with Sather, but the general manager doesn’t seem concerned.

“I think he has a reputation that proceeds him,” Sather said. “He also has a history with Jim Schoenfeld. They know each other very well and Jim, of course, knows me very well. He thinks our attitudes and desires are going to mesh quite easily. Our philosophies are the same. I know that John works hard. He’s very demanding. I like that. He’s going to bring some of those things back to our game on the ice. We need it at this stage.”

Tortorella was actually Schoenfeld’s assistant coach with Phoenix during 1997-99, now the situation will be reversed as the Rangers assistant general manager will take Pearn’s place on the coaching staff on an interim basis. Sather said Schoenfeld was never a candidate for the job, although his name was rumored to be one.

As was Tortorella’s, who was with the Rangers organization where he was John Muckler’s assistant during 1999-2000.  After Muckler was fired with four games left, the new Rangers coach took over the team for the rest of the year, going 0-3-1. Sather was hired shortly afterwards and Tortorella was let go.

“I didn’t know John at all at that point,” Sather recalled. “I talked to John a little bit, and one of the things I thought was he was really honest and said that they’d done such a poor job, they deserved to be fired. I liked that approach  that he was honest and accepting what happened. I guess in retrospect you can look back and say, you know, that it would have been smart to keep him.

“But that was eight and a half years ago now. Things have a way of coming full circle. I know that he’s always been interested in the Rangers and he’s always loved to be here and coach here, so I’m looking forward to getting to know him very well.”

Moving away from the Rangers gave Tortorella a chance to become an accomplished head coach. During his seven seasons in Tampa Bay, he amassed a -222-36-38 record in 535 games with four consecutive playoff appearances and one Stanley Cup win in 2004. That season he also won the Jack Adams Award for top coach in the league.

Now, Tortorella will take over the slumping Rangers. The new coach will have to figure out how to get slumping veterans Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, and Wade Redden. He may also have to contend with Sean Avery, whom the coach blasted in TSN in Canada when Avery was suspended back in December.

“I think you always have to be cognizant of the fact that coaches have opinions about players and people in different organizations at different times can have the history with Sean that we do, Sather said. “I think that, over time, you learn to love him just like I have. That’s going to be something we’re going to have to deal with.”

As will the Ranger players as they get to meet their new coach tomorrow, when Tortorella runs his first practice.

And maybe it was more fitting that the current Rangers and Leafs were set to battle after Bathgate’s No. 9 and Harry Howell’s No. 3 were raised to the Garden rafters.

Yet maybe that’s what made this day so special for the two former Rangers, as their great wait is now over and their day in the sun finally arrived.  The ceremony, like all the other Garden celebrations, was fitting for the honorees, while distinctive in its own right.

For these two distinguished gentleman, the night was about the Original Six, a brushed aside era for the Rangers due to the futility of the team on the ice. “When it happens, you never expect it,” Bathgate said. “When you don’t win any Stanley Cups, there’s sort of a gap there and you get forgotten.”

But even with no cups to show for their efforts in New York and a second class treatment by Garden ownership, which evicted them during the playoffs in favor of the circus, both seemed to love New York.

“Is there a better place to play hockey in the whole damn world than in New York?” inquired Bathgate as he began his speech.

“I played 1,160-plus games for the New York Rangers and I always wanted to be a New York Ranger,” Howell, who also said he grew up a Ranger fan in Maple Leafs territory, Hamilton, Ontario. “After I left New York, no matter where I played, I always said I played in New York and for the New York Rangers.”

Both players had reason to brag, since they were two bright spots.  With Bathgate, the Rangers had that star forward that could compete with the other star scorers in the league, while Howell was that stay at home defenseman, which every team needs to succeed.

Yet, even with Hall of Fame credentials, the Rangers seem to forget about them over the years. With almost 20 percent of the 1994 team had their numbers retired, the organization did the right thing for once, giving Howell and Bathgate their due.

While honoring the two former greats, the Rangers also honored the Original Six era by inviting eleven of their former teammates and Hall of Famers Red Kelly (Detroit), Dick Duff (Montreal), Frank Mahovlich (Toronto), and Stan Mikita (Chicago) to represent the Rangers opponents. (Milton Schmidt was supposed to be at the Garden to represent the Boston Bruins, but could not attend due to an illness).

And there were gifts with both men receiving Panerai watches from the organization, and a seven day Alaskan cruise.

Of course there were speeches, with Rod Gilbert introducing Howell and the other No. 9 Adam Graves saying a few kind words about Bathgate.  But the guests of honor were the highlight of the night, both of which reflected upon their careers.

The actual number retirement followed and Michal Rozsival also came out to relinquish jersey No. 3 to Howell, now going with No. 33.

“I was very nice of him,” Howell said. “I asked him what number he was wearing and he turned around with No. 33. So he’s No. 33 on the ice and I am No. 3 in the sky.”

But one major difference tonight, as Mark Messier didn’t break down and cry. So the honorees had to get choked up for The Captain.

“My wife gave me a shot in the ribs,’ Howell said. “I can understand why people get emotional. I was not an emotional player, but I was emotional tonight.”

“I’m disappointed. Disappointed in how we played tonight. Obviously, a lot of the players in there have to play better than they have the past three games,” said New Jersey coach Brent Sutter.

Niklas Hagman put the game-winning goal through goaltender Martin Brodeur’s legs on the first sudden-death shot.

Devils right winger Jamie Langenbrunner then lined up against goaltender Vesa Toskala to try to force another round.

Langenbrunner’s shot was deflected over the net, ending the back-and-forth game.

“You pick a hole and hit it. I didn’t get it high enough,” said Langenbrunner.

The team captain was not expected to play Wednesday, after not skating for five days with a lower body bruise.

“I was a little rusty,” he said.

Langenbrunner needed to shake off the rust quickly, as the under-manned Devils were down another forward when Patrick Elias was taken to the locker room 3:46 into the game.

Sutter said Elias was hit in the face with a puck, and was out for almost 20 minutes, forcing Langenbrunner into more ice time.

Without several offensive stars, New Jersey’s defensemen picked up the offensive slack in the first period.

Toronto had kept the puck in their offensive zone for most of the first few minutes, but when the Devils finally had a chance, they capitalized.

David Clarkson scored a tip-in goal 2:32 seconds into the game off of defenseman Mike Mottau’s shot from the right boards.

“I got the puck back to the point, and kept going back to the net,” said Clarkson. “Mottau got a great shot off.”

Defenseman Andy Greene was also credited with an assist, the first of a career-high three helpers on the evening.

Dainius Zubris added another first-period goal, crashing the net and poking in a Brian Gionta rebound.

Toronto seemed to have a renewed fire in the second period. The Leafs continually sent a player to crash the net and screen Brodeur, and the strategy paid off.

Matt Stajan scored two deflected goals within a 1:15 span, including one power play goal, tying up the game.

The Maple Leafs took the lead on a power play when Pavel Kubina moved the puck across the blue line to John Mitchell. Mitchell let a shot rip, and it bounced off of Alexander Steen into the net.

“We didn’t play our system. When we start running around, that’s what happens,” said Greene about Toronto’s offensive outburst.

Sutter called a time out after the third goal, and New Jersey answered with two goals, by Langenbrunner and Collin White.

The Devils seemed to have regained control of the roller-coaster game.

White was assisted by John Madden and rookie forward Matt Halischuk, playing in his first NHL game. Halischuk is the fourth Devil to make his first NHL start this season, replacing another rookie, injured Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond.

With four minutes left in the second period, Zach Parise took a big hit from Toronto left winger Ryan Hollweg. Fans begged the referees to call an elbow on Hollweg, but instead of answering to the penalty box, Hollweg had to answer to Clarkson.

“A guy goes out and hits on of our players, he’s going to have to answer to somebody,” said Clarkson of defending his teammate. “If I hit one of their players, I’d expect him to come after me.”

In the third period, the Devils would not allow Toronto to put together anything in the offensive zone for the first 10 minutes.

But halfway through the period, the Leafs stormed Brodeur, putting five shots on goal within a minute and a half, tying the game.

Mayers was able to lift the puck over Brodeur on the fifth SOG while the goalie was sprawled on the ice.

A minute later, the Leafs again took the lead, when Alexi Ponikarovsky fired from the left wing through the five-hole of Brodeur. It was the Maple Leaf’s third power-play goal of the night.

Without showing any signs of giving up, Zach Parise knocked in a Paul Martin shot from the right goal post less than a minute later. The goal would eventually force overtime.

During regulation, Toronto threw 48 shots on goal, while Toskala only faced 25 from the Devils.

New Jersey had an early opportunity in the extra session to end the game when Luke Schenn was penalized for playing with an illegal stick.

The Devils put six shots up against Toskala, including several close-range shots by Langenbrunner, and the goalie was able to make a save on each one. New Jersey was 0-8 on the power play.

During the shootout, both Elias and Tomas Kaberle got the puck into the net, forcing the sudden-death shootout.

Sutter refused to use the extended days between games or injuries as an excuse for his players.

“All that is irrelevant. The bigger picture is we weren’t very good tonight. That’s the biggest picture of all.”

The Devils next play Atlanta at home on Saturday, 7 p.m. start.