The Devils have gone from losing the first two games of this series at home to winning the next three and now they have the reeling Rangers on the brink of elimination.
Even after another win — this one in convincing fashion in a 4-0 victory on Thursday at Prudential Center — the Devils insisted the most difficult task was still ahead of them.
“As the series goes on, the hardest win is always the fourth one,’’ said Erik Haula, who scored twice on Thursday.
They’ll meet again Saturday night at Madison Square Garden and the Devils know they will be in for a hard fight.
“This is the first time this series is on the line,’’ Haula said. “We know we’re gonna get their best. We’ll get everything they’ve got. We need to prep now.”
Whatever they’ve done since the first two games in the series, which were both convincing wins by the Rangers, has worked, as the Devils answered with a pair of hard-fought wins before Thursday’s complete victory in which they outshot the Rangers, 42-23.
It was also the first time a team in this series won on its home ice.
“I really think getting that first goal was a big deal,’’ Devils head coach Lindy Ruff said of Ondrej Palat’s goal just 39 seconds into the game.
“That set the tone, as tight as the games have been — even the last two at the Garden,” Ruff said. “When staring at a one-goal game, getting one goal meant they had to score two right away.”
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The Rangers couldn’t score at all, but with no margin left for error, the Devils are expecting a fierce battle from them back across the Hudson on Saturday night.
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Asked how to keep his team focused for Game 6 after three consecutive wins, Ruff said, “We’re gonna talk about how hard it is to win Game 4.”
Ruff said of finishing the series, “When a team is backed up against the wall, Game 4 is a tough game to win, whether at home or on the road. We know the energy in that building will be tremendous and we know we’re gonna have to play as good — or better — as we did tonight.”
That will be hard to do, as they dominated from start to finish in front of a raucous crowd that only grew louder after the early goal.
Want to catch a game? Tickets for all upcoming Rangers games can be found here.
Before the game, defenseman Damon Severson believed the fate of the series would come down to which team finally took advantage of playing in its own arena.
“Someone’s got to win on home ice,’’ Severson said. “I’d prefer it to be us.”
And with a chance to move on, Severson thinks this is the kind of series that could have a lasting impact on a team that hasn’t done much winning over the last decade.
“Playing our rival from across the river is huge and could leave a pretty good legacy on the Devils organization if we beat them and go from there,’’ Severson said.
