NHL PLAYOFFS Also Wednesday

Rangers 5, Devils 3

NEW YORK — Marc Staal pushed the New York Rangers within a win of the second round, and he did it with a good old slap shot. No tricks or funky screens were needed to beat Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils on this night. Staal scored his first NHL playoff goal with 3:13 left in Game 4, and the Rangers earned a 3-1 lead in the series over New Jersey. Scott Gomez had two goals and Chris Drury also scored for the Rangers, who could end the series Friday with a win at New Jersey. New York took the first two games on enemy ice before splitting two at home. The rookie defenseman Staal took a pass from Martin Straka, who provided the Rangers with one of their four one-goal leads, and fired a drive from inside the blue line that got by Brodeur. Gomez sealed it with an empty-netter with 12.2 seconds left. Brodeur and the Devils kept Rangers agitator Sean Avery without a goal for the first time in the series, one game after his antics led the NHL to amend a rule on unsportsmanlike conduct. Avery faced Brodeur and away from the play during a 5-on-3 advantage in the Devils’ win on Sunday, waving his arms and stick in the goalie’s face — a move deemed illegal the following day. Henrik Lundqvist made 28 saves and the Rangers beat the Devils for the 10th time in 12 meetings this season. Patrik Elias scored twice and Mike Mottau got New Jersey even in the third period. Brodeur finished with 34 saves. The Devils have been outscored in the third period 8-2 in the series and 15-3 in 12 meetings between the teams this season. The Devils had gone 16 straight games without scoring more than two regulation goals against Lundqvist, but have done it two straight contests including their 4-3 overtime victory in Game 3.

Mottau netted the tying goal 4:37 into the third, wristing a shot from the right circle past Lundqvist, who was desperately trying to get a stick from a teammate after losing his. The frenzied home crowd that enthusiastically waved white towels after each Rangers goal groaned with extra frustration because the goal was scored moments after Avery was dumped in front. Avery was then held down by the pushing stick of Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador. New York had taken its third one-goal lead in the second period when Drury deflected in a point shot from Fedor Tyutin. That power-play goal was set up by Avery, who drew a tripping penalty from Colin White as he crashed into Brodeur.

Associated Press