Another Loss in OT
For most teams, playing at Continental Airlines Arena is a difficult proposition, but for the Rangers it has been something akin to impossible. In the past 25 regular season games in the Devils home arena, New York is just 3-19-3-0. So it was somewhat surprising perhaps that Head Coach Tom Renney elected this game to scratch Tom Poti and Jamie Lundmark, and sit starting goaltender Kevin Weekes. In their spots New York started Maxim Kondratiev, Petr Prucha and Henrik Lundqvist, the latter two making their NHL debuts. As it turned out, only Henrik Lundqvist had any real influence on the outcome of the game, though he played a limited role in the first twenty minutes of hockey.
As in the first two games of the season, it was the Rangers who got the first goal of the game. Jason Ward picked up the puck after Martin Brodeur mishandled it behind his own net and quickly brought it back for the shot. The goal was initially waved off, but at the next stoppage of play the video replay clearly showed the puck had crossed the line before Brodeur made the save and Ward was awarded his first goal as a Ranger.