The Rangers had the Devils exactly where they wanted them.
On the back foot. Reeling. Doubting themselves.
The Rangers had the Devils buying into the theory that their playoff inexperience was about to doom them, that they weren’t quite ready for this moment. They had the Devils forgetting about the 112 points they amassed in the regular season — five more than the Rangers, the memory of their 3-0-1 regular-season record against them erased.
And then, on Madison Square Garden home ice Saturday night with the vociferous Garden faithful willing them to take a 3-0 lead in this first-round playoff series, the Rangers did the singular thing they couldn’t afford to do.
They gave the Devils hope.
The Rangers abandoned the sell-out-at-all-cost approach that earned them the 2-0 series lead with those two road wins at a cumulative clip of 10 goals to 2 and allowed the Devils to leave their building as believers, 2-1 overtime winners and the series now standing at a nervy and tenuous 2-1 Rangers’ edge.
And now the Devils are more dangerous to the Rangers than they were before the series began, because now they know they can win.
After two timid, dip-the-toe-in-the-water performances, the Devils have joined the Stanley Cup playoff party.
The Devils celebrate their overtime winner in Game 3 against the Rangers.Getty ImagesThat makes them unwelcome guests to the Rangers.
“We’re in it now,’’ Devils captain Nico Hischier said. “We’re right back in the series. The first win is huge and we’ve got it now. We know what we’ve got to do — exactly how we played [Saturday].’’
Devils star winger Jack Hughes, who scored New Jersey’s first goal Saturday night, called the win “huge for our belief,’’ adding, “We’re back in this thing and we’re excited. Now we’re really pumped to play the next game.’’
Dougie Hamilton (r.) scored the game-winning goal Saturday night in overtime.Paul J. BereswillEven if the Rangers are able to regain the form that got them that 2-0 series lead, closing this series out will be a much more difficult task now that the Devils reminded themselves that they belong, that their talent is — at the very least — a match with the Rangers.
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And speaking of a match: The Devils, unwittingly in an act of desperation, appear to have found a match with the Rangers between the pipes in 22-year-old rookie goaltender Akira Schmid from Switzerland.
Schmid, making his first career playoff start Saturday night, was every ounce as good as Igor Shesterkin was for the Rangers — and Shesterkin is considered not only one of the best netminders in the NHL but one of the best in the world.
Goaltending was, from the start of this series, considered to be a significant edge for the Rangers.
And now — unless Schmid with his uncommonly calm demeanor and economically simplistic goaltending approach — turns out to be a one-game wonder, the Devils have found one of the most important elements a team can have in the Stanley Cup playoffs: a hot goaltender.
This all leads to a positively pivotal and fascinating Game 4 Monday night at the Garden.
“We knew we were in a hole and we’ve been in a hole before,’’ Devils coach Lindy Ruff said Sunday. “We knew it was just about focusing on one game and on one period. You can’t control bounces, but you can control effort and where are you going, and I thought our guys did a good job.
“You’ve got to be comfortable being uncomfortable,’’ Ruff said. “They’re forcing us into a game that they’re hoping we make a big mistake. We’ve got to show patience.’’
Jack Hughes scored the Devils’ first goal Saturday night against the Rangers.Paul J. Bereswill for the NY PostMonday night’s Game 4 will shape the rest of this series — and possibly the direction of a Rangers’ postseason they’re bent on taking to the Stanley Cup final.
A year ago, the Rangers trailed the Penguins 3-1 in the opening round and appeared to be dead. Then they reeled off three consecutive wins to survive and advance with a 4-3 series win.
Then, in the next series, the Rangers fell behind Carolina 2-0 and rallied to win that series 4-3 en route to the Eastern Conference final, a place many believed they got to ahead of schedule.
So, the Rangers are acutely aware of how quickly a young team can begin to believe, because they were that team last year.
The Rangers only hope they’re not watching the Devils mirror what they did a year ago.
