NEWARK, N.J. — Martin Brodeur made 27 saves and survived a third-period punch to the chest by old buddy Mike Rupp as the New Jersey Devils defeated the New York Rangers 4-1 on Monday night, evening the Eastern Conference Finals, 2-2.
Zach Parise had two goals and an assist, and Bryce Salvador and Travis Zajac beat Henrik Lundqvist less than four minutes apart in the first period in a series in which the intensity and the emotions are picking up.
Brodeur even notched an assist in the third, on Parise’s empty netter, capping a game in which the Devils maintained their composure and bounced back from a 3-0 shutout in Game 3.
This game was one where the chippiness increased with each period. Rangers defenseman Marc Staal whacked Patrik Elias in the back of the knee with his stick in the second. New York captain Ryan Callahan and Devils wing Ilya Kovalchuk tussled, and finally Rupp jabbed Brodeur in his crease in the third after a stoppage. That almost set off a free-for-all among the players on the ice, especially after Brodeur reacted as though he had been hit by a roundhouse right.
