NEWARK, N.J. _ It doesn't seem right that, with more than half the regular season remaining, the Devils and Rangers are scheduled to play just once more.
Because Thursday night's game at Prudential Center was everything that was fun about this longstanding rivalry, even if it took most of the Rangers other than goalie Henrik Lundqvist two periods to show up.
With both teams vying to playoff position in the bunched up Metropolitan Division, the Devils topped the Rangers, 4-3, in a four-round shootout with top-six left wing Marcus Johansson returning to the Devils after a four-game absence because of an ankle bruise.
Lundqvist stopped a season-high 45 shots, including 22 in the second period for the Rangers (19-12-4), who had a three-game winning streak snapped as the Devils (20-9-5), who have won three straight, took a season-high 48 shots while Cory Schneider made 25 saves.
Brian Boyle, who had scored a power-play equalizer, scored the decisive shootout goal and then Schneider denied Kevin Shattenkirk to clinch the game.
The Devils, who have 22 division games remaining over their final 48 of the season, are now (2-3-0) in divisional play after splitting their first two games with the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The teams play next on April 3 at The Rock.
The Devils won, 3-2, on Oct. 14, leaving the Rangers at 1-5-0, but were thoroughly outplayed in a 5-2 loss on Dec. 9, after which a disgusted Devils coach John Hynes described his team's play as "soft" and "loose."
Johansson, who had also missed 13 games in November because of a concussion, injured his ankle blocking a shot in that game.
But with Johansson back in the lineup, and top-line wings Kyle Palmieri and Taylor Hall returning from injury absences in Monday's 5-3 win over the visiting Ducks, Hynes wants his veterans to lead the team into the thick of its schedule.
"I'm looking for more from our veteran group," Hynes said. "I think your veteran group has to drive your team in the stretch of the season we're going into. When you get into divisional games late in the season, everything starts to tighten up and get gritty. This is when your leaders have to grab the team and drag them into the battle, drag them through the season."
The Devils dominated the game's opening minutes with their forecheck and speed, culminating in John Moore's goal to make it 1-0 at 7:22 of the first period as the Devils took a 9-2 shot advantage. Taylor Hall started the sequence with a hard check to separate Mats Zuccarello from the puck and No. 1 overall pick Nico Hischier, with his first point in seven games, found Moore open in the slot.
But another five minutes passed, two shots that Schneider could not control led to a 2-1 Rangers lead.
First, Schneider could not hold on to Ryan McDonagh's wrist shot from the left circle and his teammates could not clear the puck from the crease, allowing Jimmy Vesey to punch in the puck to tie the game at 9:55. Then, Schneider did not control Chris Kreider's wrist shot and Nick Holden pounced on the rebound at the crease for a 2-1 lead at 11:59.
The Devils couldn't have played a better, more relentless second period, taking the first eight shots and outshooting the Rangers, 23-8, in the middle 20 minutes. But it appeared the Rangers would preserve their one-goal lead, especially after Hischier's apparent backhander on a rebounder was waved off because Palmieri slashed Holden at 15:15.
However, Blake Coleman, with the Devils' sixth short-handed goal of the season, tied for the NHL, tied the game at 2 at 16:24 of the second period.
