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Devils beat Rangers 3-2 as Blandisi scores huge goal

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Devils' Joseph Blandisi fights off Derek Stepan here and scores a huge goal in New Jersey's 3-2 win over the visiting Rangers on Tuesday night.Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images

Devils’ Joseph Blandisi fights off Derek Stepan here and scores a huge goal in New Jersey’s 3-2 win over the visiting Rangers on Tuesday night.

The Rangers of recent years have been one of the NHL’s best teams by relying on players like Dan Girardi and Henrik Lundqvist. Watching Devils forward Joseph Blandisi torch both Blueshirts leaders for a back-breaking goal in Tuesday night’s third period was a reminder of why this season’s team has struggled.

The Rangers’ 3-2 loss to New Jersey in both teams’ first game after the All-Star break at Prudential Center turned on Blandisi’s blow-by past Girardi down the left wing and short-side rip past Lundqvist at 3:13 of the third. It tied the game at two apiece just 67 seconds after J.T. Miller had scored his second goal of the night off assists from Keith Yandle and Dan Boyle.

Alain Vigneault’s crumbling penalty kill, which entered the game ranked 23rd overall in the NHL and 29th out of 30 teams on the road, then gave up its second Devils power play goal of the night to Devils D-man David Schlemko at 11;14.

A late charge by the Rangers (27-18-5, 59 points) in their second meeting with the fiery, physical Devils (26-20-5, 57 points) was no match for the best player on the ice all night, New Jersey goalie Cory Schneider, who kept fresh during the All-Star break by playing in the showcase in Nashville.

The Rangers could be encouraged by Miller now having seven goals in his last seven games for 15 of the season. But they had to be especially concerned by Kevin Klein injuring his right wrist or hand on a slash by Devils forward Reid Boucher that sent Klein straight to the locker room with 3:02 remaining.

Klein injured his right thumb on Jan. 16 in Philadelphia blocking a shot, missed one game because of it, and now has been playing with the hand and thumb wrapped.

The Devils and Damon Severson trip up the Rangers and Mats Zuccarello Tuesday.Julio Cortez/AP

The Devils and Damon Severson trip up the Rangers and Mats Zuccarello Tuesday.

Rick Nash (left leg bone bruise) missed his third straight game. He skated on his own Tuesday morning for the first time since the Jan. 22 injury in Carolina. Alain Vigneault is hopeful Nash can return to the lineup later this week but couldn’t say for sure when he expects him back.

The game went to the third period tied at one apiece due to ex-Ranger Lee Stempniak’s goal on New Jersey’s first power play 1:34 into the second. Blueshirts center Derek Stepan committed a needless offensive-zone hooking penalty with 5.7 remaining in the first period, giving way to Stempniak’s rebound goal off an Eric Gelinas rebound and Adam Henrique’s second assist.

Vigneault challenged the play for interference, arguably unwisely since it didn’t appear Lundqvist was arguing. The goal was upheld. Stempniak also scored the Devils’ game-winning overtime goal in New Jersey’s 2-1 win over the Rangers in their first of four meetings this season Oct. 18 at the Garden.

The Rangers led, 1-0, at first intermission on Miller’s finish off the rush 13:31 in off two beautiful assists by linemates Derick Brassard and Jesper Fast. The Blueshirts walked a high-wire act with bad puck management early on, but the Devils also turned the puck over several times, and Schneider’s excellence was the only reason the game wasn’t 3-0 Rangers after 20 minutes.

Stepan’s penalty, though, gave way to Stempniak’s game-tying goal power play early in the second.

Devils' Bobby Farnhamgoes flying into the net behind Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist.Julio Cortez/AP

Devils’ Bobby Farnhamgoes flying into the net behind Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

The Rangers should get used to these nasty, tight division affairs. They emerged from the All-Star break with 33 games remaining, including just 13 prior to the Feb. 29 trade deadline, mostly against the same Metropolitan Division foes they are battling for a playoff spot.

Fifteen of their 33 remaining games will be against division opponents – seven at home, eight on the road – including three against the Devils in February (Tuesday night’s game, Feb. 8 at the Garden and Feb. 23 in Newark).

The Rangers entered Tuesday with a 7-4-4 division record, but they have all four of their meetings with the Penguins still ahead of them, two dates apiece upcoming with the Philadelphia Flyers, Islanders and Columbus Blue Jackets, and one more each against the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes.

The Rangers’ power play went 0-for-4 and, incredibly, both defensemen acquired the past two years to improve the man advantage were playing on its ineffective second unit – Yandle and Boyle – until Yandle joined the first unit in the third period.

Boyle, who played some of his worst hockey prior to the All-Star break, continued to start ahead of rookie Dylan McIlrath due to Vigneault’s insistence on playing the veteran. But the coach at least admitted pre-game he may have to more carefully “monitor” Boyle’s energy levels.

“He looked a little bit tired prior to the All-Star break and that’s definitely a sign for us to maybe monitor him a little bit better than we did in the first half (of the season), so that’s what we’re gonna do,” Vigneault said.

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