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Devils shutout Rangers in Game 5, take 3-2 series lead

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Devils Rangers
The Devils celebrate a goal in Game 5 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Rangers on April 27, 2023.
amNewYork/Kyle Sweeting

NEWARK — It had been nearly 23 years since the Devils shut out a team in the postseason. The last time it occurred Martin Brodeur was still in net for New Jersey. 

But that changed on Thursday as the Devils took Game 5 at Prudential Center 4-0 over the Rangers and now sit one win away from advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Erik Haula had a three-point night, Devils starter Akira Schmid put up another strong effort, and Dawson Mercer recorded his first career playoff goal.

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The Devils became the first home team in the series to win in their own building after they dropped the first two games at Prudential Center and defeated the Rangers twice at Madison Square Garden. Prudential Center was as loud as either building had been all series on Thursday night as the Devils jumped to an early lead, and the home crowd quickly turned to taunt Rangers’ starting goaltender Igor Shesterkin with chants of his name. 

“I really think getting that first goal was a big deal,” Devils head coach Lindy Ruff said. “Kind of set the tone as tight as the games have been, even those last two games in the garden when you’re staring at a one-goal game. Just getting that first goal meant they’re gonna have to score two (goals) and we’ve been defending well. So the energy in the building, getting your fans, I think that elevates the players’ play.” 

Haula’s points came at crucial times in the game for New Jersey, first deflecting a shot for the power play goal to put the Devils up by two, setting up the shorthanded goal later in the second period, and sealing the win with the empty netter at the 14:48 mark. Thursday marked the first time in his career that he had three points in a playoff game and it was his first multi-point game in the postseason since April 26, 2018, when he was with the San Joe Sharks. 

“Haula’s been a big part of our team the whole year,” Nico Hischier said. “What he’s been doing defensively and now obviously offensively, It’s huge. And he’s stepping up in big games. He’s a veteran, he has a lot of playoff experience. So I think he enjoys these games and it can rely on him a lot. So that definitely helps”

Schmid finished the night with 23 saves in the win and has given up a mere two goals in three starts since taking over in net after Game 2. Shesterkin finished the night with 38 stops in a game where he did just about all he could to keep his team in it. 

The Rangers had entered Thursday’s game having gone the previous 23 straight games allowing only three or fewer goals. 

For the second consecutive game, the Devils hit the Rangers early to grab control of the momentum and jump into the driver’s seat. It took only 39 seconds for them to take their first lead of the night after the Devils put a puck on net off a faceoff. 

Devils Rangers
Devils fans cheer after New Jersey scores during the second period of Game 5 against the New York Rangers on April 27, 2023.amNewYork/Kyle Sweeting

Shesterkin made the stop, but the rebound went skipping back out and Ondrej Palat threw the loose puck on net and over the glove of the New York netminder. The goal was the second of the series for Palat and whipped the Prudential Center into a frenzy. 

New Jersey extended their lead to two goals in the second period. Haula scored in the closing seconds of a power play early in the middle frame.

The winger was parked in front of the net and deflected a shot from the point past Shesterkin. The Devils continued to pound away at the Rangers when they scored a shorthanded goal later in the period to make it a 3-0 lead. 

A turnover at the blueline allowed the Devils to charge the other way on a 2-on-1. Haula sped up the ice with Dawson Mercer on his wing and found Mercer with the cross-ice pass for the one-timer goal. 

“Me and Haulsy went on the two on one and I just opened up,” Mercer said about the goal. “We had a lot of these chances earlier on in the year and everything, but we finally connected on it. It was a good time for that to happen.”

Haula sealed the win with an empty netter in the third. 

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