Blandisi's OT goal pushes Devils past Rangers
NEWARK, N.J. -- Joe Blandisi scored with 54.6 seconds remaining in overtime to give the New Jersey Devils a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night at Prudential Center.
After a frantic three-on-three session, John Quenneville and Blandisi escaped from their zone for a two-on-one rush. Quenneville fed Blandisi, who deked goaltender Antti Raanta and scored on his backhand to end the game.
Quenneville collected his first NHL goal, and Taylor Hall also scored for the Devils. Cory Schneider made 38 saves.
Oscar Lindberg and Rick Nash scored for the Rangers. Raanta made 25 saves.
After 35 scoreless minutes, the Devils and Rangers combined for three goals in the final 4:44 of the second period.
Quenneville converted from the left faceoff circle during a power play to give the Devils a 1-0 lead. Blandisi found Quenneville with a cross-ice pass and Raanta was unable to get across in time to deny the wrist shot.
Lindberg tied the score 1:37 later when Pavel Buchnevich found Lindberg for a shot that deflected off a Devils player in front of the net and through Schneider.
Hall put the Devils back on top 2-1 with 1:38 left in the period. Kyle Palmieri froze the Rangers with a shot fake from the right wing and threaded a cross-ice pass to Hall, who scored a goal reminiscent of Quenneville's earlier in the period.
That ended the scoring, but three fights broke out in the final seconds after Rangers defenseman Nick Holden checked Devils left winger Miles Wood near the New Jersey bench. Wood charged after Holden, setting off a melee that left the Devils short-handed to start the third period.
Nash tied the score 1:21 into the third period on the power play after taking a pass from Kevin Hayes and beating Schneider with a backhand shot from just outside the crease.
NOTES: Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist, out since March 7 with a hip injury, practiced Tuesday. His original timetable to return was 2-3 weeks and there's a chance he could return against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. ... Rangers D Steve Kampfer was a healthy scratch. ... Devils LW Miles Wood was back in the lineup after a one-game absence with an upper-body injury. ... Devils LW Michael Cammalleri (upper body) missed his ninth straight game.