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Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals between the New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings will take place Wednesday, May 30, at the Prudential Center in Newark.

All games will be played at 8 p.m. ET.

Game 1: Wednesday, May 30, in Newark

Game 2: Saturday, June 2, in Newark

Game 3: Monday, June 4, in Los Angeles

Game 4: Wednesday, June 6, in Los Angeles

*Game 5: Saturday, June 9, in Newark

*Game 6: Monday, June 11, in Los Angeles

*Game 7: Wednesday, June 13, in Newark

Recap | Box score | Photos

What it means: Eighteen years ago to the day, the Devils blew a 2-0 lead to let Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals and a 3-2 series lead slip away. But this is not 1994.

Despite a second-period rally that kept the Rangers' hope alive, the Devils knocked off their Hudson River rivals with a 3-2 overtime win to earn their first trip to the Stanley Cup finals since 2003. With the score tied at 2, rookie Adam Henrique scored the winner to send New York packing while New Jersey advances to face the Los Angeles Kings.

All tied up: A Rangers captain pulls his team even after falling behind to the Devils 2-0 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals ... sound familiar? Ryan Callahan tipped Dan Girardi's point shot for his third goal in four games, knotting the score with 6:19 remaining in the second period.

Slow starts: Trailing by two goals at the first intermission, the Rangers were haunted by yet another poor start. In the last three games of the series, the Rangers were outscored 7-1 in the first period.

Usual suspects: With yet another goal from their fourth line, the Devils took a lead midway into the first period with Ryan Carter's second goal in as many games. Carter, who scored the game winner in Game 5, buried a rebound for a 1-0 lead at 10:05. Steve Bernier also made a terrific pass to set up the Devils' rush and earned a secondary assist on the play.

Pretty power play: Devils sniper Ilya Kovalchuk completed a seamless tic-tac-toe passing sequence touched by all five Devils for a power-play goal at 13:56 of the first period. Dainius Zubrus made a terrific pass through the crease to find Kovalchuk, who scored back-door for a 2-0 lead that sent the Prudential Center crowd into a frenzy.

Fed-Ex: Clutch playoff performer Ruslan Fedotenko cut the Devils' lead in half with a goal at 9:47 of the second. The 33-year-old veteran, who has won Stanley Cups previously with Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh, put back Ryan McDonagh's wraparound attempt to spark the Rangers' second-period comeback.

Slash attack: Devils first-line center Travis Zajac was forced from the game briefly during the second period after taking a hard slash to the left hand by Rangers tough guy Brandon Prust. Prust, who was suspended for one game earlier in the series after a reckless elbow to Anton Volchenkov in Game 3, did not earn a penalty on the play.

Ouch: Both Henrique and Carter left the game during the third period after being hit by shots. Henrique returned later in the period, while Carter did not come back until overtime.

At a glance: The Devils have a chance to dispose of their Hudson River rivals and secure a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals with a win on home ice against the Rangers on Friday night in Game 6. There’s no panic from the top-seeded Rangers, however. Although the team has come back only twice in franchise history from a 3-2 series deficit, once was earlier this postseason. And the team has won all three of its games in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs when facing elimination. Can the Devils finish them off? Or will the Rangers fight back again to force a Game 7?

Not dwelling on 1994: Although both clubs are inextricably linked by their iconic meeting in the 1994 Eastern Conference finals, neither team is dwelling on that memorable series 18 years ago. According to veteran netminder Martin Brodeur, who was 22 years old when handed one of the toughest losses of his career, the coincidence has no impact: “I know if you look at it, it looks the same ... but it’s different teams and a different way of playing the game.” Said Rangers coach John Tortorella: “Not to disrespect what happened there, but that has nothing to do with how we’re preparing.”

No guarantee: Ryan Callahan wasn’t willing to go the Mark Messier route and guarantee a victory, but the 27-year-old captain’s play has inspired confidence in the Rangers. After being held off the scoresheet in the first two games of the series, Callahan has three points (two goals, one assist) in the last three games, including a pristine Game 5 performance that featured a goal and a team-leading six hits.

Parise producing: Captain Zach Parise is setting the tone for his high-octane Devils, who have scored four or more goals in five of their last nine games. The 27-year-old winger has five points (three goals, two assists) in the team’s last two games.

History against them: Only twice in franchise history have the Rangers come back from a 3-2 series deficit, although one of those comebacks was earlier this postseason when the team knocked off the Ottawa Senators in Games 6 and 7 in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

Playoff performer: While Devils superstars Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk have, at times, struggled to produce this postseason, defenseman Bryce Salvador has been one of the team’s most consistent performers. The 36-year-old veteran, who missed all of last season with a concussion, has three goals and eight assists. In 17 playoff games, he has two points more than he amassed in 82 regular-season contests.

“Best” game prediction: The boldest prediction from the Rangers camp heading into Game 6 was Tortorella’s proclamation that goaltender Henrik Lundqvist would bounce back from a pair of losses. “He’ll play his best game tomorrow night,” Tortorella said Thursday. After shutting out the Devils in two of the first three games of the series, Lundqvist has given up seven goals combined over the last two.

NEWARK, N.J. -- What a difference a year makes.

In 2011, the Devils missed the playoffs for the first time since 1996, and the Florida Panthers fired their coach, Peter DeBoer.

Now, the Devils are one game away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals, and it’s DeBoer who has guided them there.

“I feel good. I feel confident. Where else would you rather be?” DeBoer said Friday morning, several hours before Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. “I don’t think anyone predicted at the start of the season we would have a chance to play a home game to move on to the Stanley Cup Finals. We’re in a great spot. We worked awfully hard to get to this point and where else would you want to be?”

Only four Devils who will play in Friday night’s game (there are no lineup changes, DeBoer confirmed) against the Rangers have ever appeared in the Cup Finals before: Martin Brodeur (1995, 2000, 2001, 2003, New Jersey), Patrik Elias (2000, 2001, 2003, New Jersey), Dainius Zubrus (1997, Philadelphia), and Anton Volchenkov (2007, Ottawa). Only Brodeur and Elias have ever won it all -- and the last time they did that was nine years ago. (Ryan Carter also has his name engraved on the Cup, but he didn’t play for Anaheim in the 2007 Finals).

“It’s great to think about, but that’s all it is right now,” Zach Parise said of being so close to playing for hockey’s holy grail for the first time in his career. “It’s a long ways away. We have to expect them to be just as good if not better than they were last game. We have to make sure we respond and be better. We’ve got a lot of work to do before anybody can get excited about that.”

Ilya Kovalchuk would rather not think about the past. Instead, he’s focused on the present.

“That’s all history now,” Kovalchuk said of New Jersey’s disappointing 81-point campaign in 2010-11. “I’m just looking forward to playing in this game.”

The old saying goes that the hardest game to win in a best-of-seven series is the last one.

“I don’t really buy into that, that it’s the hardest to win,” DeBoer said. “It’s the hardest to win because of the pressure you put on yourself to do that, and for us it’s just business as usual. We have to play our game and win a game.”

For the first time in the series, the Rangers were the better team in Game 5, but the Devils found a way to prevail when Carter scored with 4:24 left.

“We have to clean up some areas. We weren’t very sharp last game,” Parise said. “I guess we were good enough to win, but we could’ve been better.”

The Rangers know their backs are against the wall, so they’ll likely come out with plenty of intensity. But DeBoer expects that his team will be able to match it.

“The intensity has been there all season,” DeBoer said. “Maybe it ratchets up a bit because it’s an elimination game, but I think everyone’s known from Game 1 what’s on the line, and at ice level it’s a real war out there. It’s just a matter of who handles the situation the best and who has the most composure.”

The Devils are 7-9 in Game 6's when leading 3-2, including 2-5 at home. They’ve won 11 of the 16 series in which they’ve held a 3-2 advantage.

They don’t want to go back to the Garden for a decisive Game 7.

“We have a long ways to go,” Parise reiterated. “We’re really playing for each other. You don’t get these opportunities very often.”

For a team with its back against the wall, the Rangers' room is about as calm and relaxed as on an off-day in November. Instead of feeling the crushing pressure of a potential season-ending loss, the team was loose in the hours before Game 6 on Friday.

Forward Artem Anisimov was joking about a coffee endorsement for his favorite brand, faking a stellar American accent and drawing laughs from local reporters. Brian Boyle cruised through, asking teammate Mike Rupp about his lunch plans. Players ambled off after a short morning skate in high spirits.

They did not appear hampered by any lingering doubt about how they'd respond against the Devils in their fourth do-or-die match of this postseason. After all, they have won all three previous games when facing elimination.

"It'd be exciting regardless, but I feel like we really established ourselves in that last game. We like what we saw when we did that. It's exciting. It's not going to be easy, but we know if we go out there," Rupp said, pausing, "with this team, when its back is against the wall, we just usually give our best effort, so we're pretty comfortable in that situation."

"We're a resilient group in here and we take pride in the little things that make a big difference," Rupp added. "When we're playing our way and get our momentum going, it's fun."

Even coach John Tortorella, whose fire-breathing rants have made headlines throughout this playoff run, seemed pretty serene in assessing his team's mindset.

"I think our team really embraces a challenge," he said. "You want to try to write things out the right way to have an easier road going through, but we don't. And as we've gone through the playoffs we've had some things we've had to get accomplished in tough ways. I think it's really good for the team, not only in the present but the future, so we take 'em as they come and this is just a fantastic opportunity for us."

There might be plenty of similarities between the 1994 and 2012 Eastern Conference finals, but Martin Brodeur doesn't see them.

"I know if you look at it, it looks the same," the Devils goaltender said Thursday, in between Games 5 and 6 against the Rangers. "But it's different teams and a different way of playing the game.

"That's 18 years ago. That's a long time. I know I'm feeling a lot different. I'm feeling a lot more appreciative of what's going on. Before, the Rangers were a good team when they beat us. We were not supposed to compete with them at all in '94. They made these trades and they had all these big guys at the end, and they pulled it off in a dramatic way.

"But this time around, we feel we can play with them. It makes me feel a lot more comfortable going into these games coming up."

In 1994, Brodeur and the Devils led the Rangers 3-2 in their series after beating them at Madison Square Garden in Game 5 -- just like they have in 2012. But the Rangers won the next two games and then the Stanley Cup -- something the Devils don't want to happen this time around.

"[Wednesday night] was maybe a little wake-up call," Brodeur said. "They played a lot better, but we didn't play as good as we wanted, so I'm sure they're going to feed off of some of the stuff they exposed in us. We're definitely going to need to be better for the rest of the series."

Many reporters tried to get the Rangers' players to make a guarantee similar to the one Mark Messier made prior to Game 6 in 1994 -- he ended up with a hat trick in New York's 4-2 victory over New Jersey at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. -- but no one took the bait.

"We didn't even know before the game was ended that he made a guarantee. I don't know when he did it," Brodeur said. "I think it was in the morning skate or something. It could have been the night before; but, again, I don't recall it having an effect on us at all. But I think at the end of the game, everybody made a big deal out of that. If he really said it, it's a pretty gutsy thing to do."

Then Stephane Matteau scored his iconic wrap-around winner in double overtime in Game 7, stunning the Devils. Brodeur was 22 then. He said he learned a lot from the experience.

He went on to become the winningest goaltender of all time and capture three championships. Now, he's 40 and aiming for his fourth.

"Nobody knew my name back then," Brodeur said. "You know, it's different, but that was pretty amazing how loud they got chanting my name [at MSG in Game 5]."

Devils coach Peter DeBoer certainly didn't want to make any comparisons between 1994 and 2012.

"I don't even think about '94. In '94 I still had hair," DeBoer joked. "It was that long ago. That plays no part in what we're doing."

Many didn't expect Brodeur to carry his team the way he has in the postseason. Yet he has gone 11-5 with a 2.04 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage, and the Devils are one win from advancing to their first finals since 2003.

"Part of it is he's very impressive," DeBoer said. "He's an impressive guy. He's calm. He's been there before, and he's a calming influence on our team and in our dressing room. That's why he's the best of all time."

A little more than one month ago, the Rangers found themselves in this same spot, trailing 3-2 in a series and having to hit the road for a do-or-die Game 6. They would beat Ottawa 3-2 to even the series, and went on to vanquish the Senators in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers believe that experience of winning an elimination game on the road will help them as they prepare to visit the Devils on Friday for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Rangers are 3-0 when facing elimination in the playoffs.

"We've been in this situation in the Ottawa series. We can draw off that experience, just the feelings going into the game," captain Ryan Callahan said after the team's practice at Madison Square Garden. "Try to stay even-keeled about it and go into an opposing building and win one game and try to get back here to the Garden."

In the quarterfinals, the Rangers lost 2-0 in Game 5 to the Senators, forcing them to the brink of elimination. Center Brad Richards called it a "tough day" to lose at home in Game 5.

Richards said the team was looser during its practice Thursday than when it prepared to travel to Ottawa.

"That's how you grow. You build on everything you've done through your career and the different games you've played in," Richards said. "We've been fortunate to get a lot of those games this year already."

In addition to the Game 6 win against Ottawa, the Rangers are also 2-0 in Game 7s this postseason, knocking off Ottawa and Washington in a pair of 2-1 games. Head coach John Tortorella said his team is a good group that "stays with it" and doesn't panic. He pointed to the team climbing out of a 3-0 deficit Wednesday night as an example.

Tortorella believes the experience of playing in those elimination games is invaluable.

"These are all situations you look at as an organization as far as what guys are in these situations," Tortorella said. "The more you're in it and the more situations you go through, the better. That's how you gain experience."

The prevailing thought around the Rangers was they played their best game of the series against the Devils on Wednesday. While that might be a good sign heading into the most critical game yet, the team still lost.

The Rangers realize they're going to have to kick it up another notch -- like they did in Ottawa on April 23 -- if they want to survive for at least one more game.

Said Callahan: "They're going to be a desperate team to clinch on their home ice and we have to find that next level and that extra desperation, and it's obviously a huge game."

The closest thing to a guarantee from the Rangers heading into a do-or-die Game 6 against the Devils?

Coach John Tortorella's prediction about his star goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist.

"He'll play his best game tomorrow night," Tortorella said Thursday.

A later line of questioning prompted Tortorella to say he thinks alternate captain Brad Richards will have his best game as well, although there was no couching when it came to the team's resident Vezina and Hart trophy finalist.

Coming off a pair of losses in which he gave up a combined seven goals, Lundqvist has a calm, confident air. He's trying not to think too much about the pressure.

"Not more than any other game. Try not to at least," Lundqvist said. "Obviously, when you go into a game like this, you want to win so bad you might put too much pressure than you need. When you're out there, you try to just focus on the things you always focus on when you play that game. The challenge, every time you play an important game, is to find a good balance, mentally."

With two shutouts in the first three games of the series, Lundqvist looked infallible (sometimes even inhuman) with his unflappable steadiness between the pipes. His ability to rob a dynamic Devils team left superstars such as Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk flummoxed and frustrated.

Then, in Game 4, the Devils saw Lundqvist’s steadfast resolve slacken, just a bit. Having pinned three goals on him to tie the series at two games apiece, New Jersey's frantic pleas were answered again in a staggering start to Game 5.

Lundqvist gave up three goals on the first five shots and finished the game with an uncharacteristic .750 save percentage, his lowest of the entire season.

Keeping an even keel has been the key to his success throughout a season that has the potential to be a career-defining one. With the Rangers on the brink for the fourth time this season, he won't deviate from that heading into the penultimate game of the Eastern Conference finals.

"I think we just know we have to approach this game the same way we've been approaching each game. We can't put more pressure on ourselves," he said. "We always want to win. We always want to play a desperate game, but you don't want to go out there and do too much. Or get too, you know, too excited."

Lundqvist and the Rangers are 3-0 when facing elimination this postseason. In those three games, he has given up only four goals combined.

"So far that's been the case, so hopefully we can continue that trend tomorrow," Lundqvist said when asked about the team's success when staring down a potential season-ending loss. "We've been answering really well so far in this playoffs. That brings some confidence to this group as well, that we can step up when we have to."

It was 18 years ago that Rangers captain Mark Messier made his iconic Game 6 guarantee -- a statement that dominated the back pages and set the stage for a magical 1994 Stanley Cup run.

With the Blueshirts facing elimination against the Devils in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday, which player, if any, is feeling confident today?

For a look back at that watershed moment, read an archived copy of the story here.

NEW YORK -- Stephen Gionta spent most of the season in the AHL -- just as he has throughout his career.

Now, the 28-year-old is playing a prominent role on a New Jersey Devils squad that finds itself just one win away from the Stanley Cup finals.

Gionta scored in the first three minutes of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night, and later set up Ryan Carter's winning marker with 4:24 left. The Devils vaulted past the Rangers 5-3 to take a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven series.

"I can't really explain it in words," said Gionta, who didn't even know if he'd make the postseason roster after scoring in his only game of the regular season, the finale against Ottawa on April 7.

"It's just fun to be a part of right now and I'm trying to enjoy the moment."

Prior to becoming a playoff hero, Gionta was best-known for being Brian Gionta's younger brother. Like Brian, Stephen is small, standing just 5-7. But unlike his older brother, Stephen had never had any success in the NHL -- until now.

"I'm really happy for him," goaltender Martin Brodeur said. "It's hard to be a young brother sometimes. You always have the expectation of what your big brother does. ... It's time for him to shine."

"I didn't really have any expectations," said Gionta, an undrafted free agent in 2005-06 who has appeared in 363 AHL games and 13 NHL games (12 in 2010-11) with the Devils' organization. "I'd been told I may be sticking around before the playoffs [due to an injury to center Jacob Josefson]. They told me they'd try to get me into that last game against Ottawa, and luckily I did."

Ever since, Gionta has centered the team's unheralded fourth line between Carter and Steve Bernier -- a trio that combined for four points on Wednesday night.

"I thought they were the story," Devils coach Peter DeBoer said after Game 5. "They really have given us momentum throughout the playoffs. And that's playoff hockey. There's always unsung heroes and guys that step up this time of year, and we've got a bunch of them."

Galvanized after Gionta pounced on a rebound and stunned All-Star netminder Henrik Lundqvist, the Devils jumped out to a 3-0 lead, only to give it back to a desperate Rangers team which outplayed New Jersey for much of the match.

But with the game looking like to was ticketed for overtime, Ilya Kovalchuk came in hard on the forecheck and pinned Michael Del Zotto to the corner boards. Gionta followed, pouncing on the puck and sending a pass out in front to Carter, who beat Lundqvist blocker side, stunning the sellout crowd of 18,200 at Madison Square Garden.

"Kovy did a great job getting on the forecheck and taking the body," Gionta said. "The puck was just sitting there. I just closed my eyes and threw it out to Carts."

Seriously?

"No," Gionta laughed. "I just saw him coming up the middle and I was hoping he was still there when I put it out in front."

Surreal, isn’t it?

"I haven't really thought about it yet," Gionta said. "You can't get too far ahead of yourself."

Gionta talks to his brother on a daily basis. Brian won a championship with New Jersey in 2003, and Stephen was able to see how much of a grind it was.

Now, younger brother is five wins away from his own shot at Lord Stanley's Cup.

"I'm getting bounces, I guess," Stephen said. "A lot of it is luck. The shots just keep going my way every time.

"If you make the most of your opportunity, anything can happen."

Recap | Box score | Photos

What it means: The Rangers erased a three-goal deficit with a staggering comeback that almost made up for their disastrous start, but Ryan Carter's game winner with 4:24 remaining sapped all the life out of Madison Square Garden as the Devils pulled off a 5-3 stunner.

After rattling off two straight wins, the Devils head home with a 3-2 series lead and the chance to finish off their Hudson River rivals in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals Friday.

Gionta's a gem: Scoring the game's first goal and setting up the winner, New Jersey's Stephen Gionta's Cinderella story continues. The younger brother of former Devil Brian Gionta, Stephen has been a vital cog for the Devils as part of their productive fourth line since being recalled from the AHL for the team's regular-season finale last month.

Redemption shot: Dropped to the third line, struggling sniper Marian Gaborik earned his redemption with his third-period equalizer 17 seconds into play. Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur strayed from the crease and misplayed the puck, allowing Gaborik to bank the game-tying goal off his pads. Gaborik's turnaround was a dramatic one; he bungled a ripe opportunity early in the first with the Rangers trailing 2-0, missing on an open net in front at 6:31.

Brodeur gets earful: Following Brodeur's miscue that led to Gaborik's goal, the crowd's trademark taunts reached a deafening level and continued throughout stoppages in the third period.

So much for starts: For all the talk about their poor starts, the Rangers fell victim once again, surrendering three goals less than 10 minutes into play.

The Devils' high-energy fourth line chipped in with Stephen Gionta's backhander 2:43 into play, and the Rangers found themselves down two goals after Adam Henrique's shot glanced off Patrik Elias and Artem Anisimov less than two minutes later. Top-line center Travis Zajac ripped a sharp wrist shot across the grain to beat goaltender Henrik Lundqvist for a 3-0 Devils lead 9:48 into play.

Prust sparks crowd: After pacing through Game 4 while serving a one-game suspension, Rangers tough guy Brandon Prust returned to ignite the MSG crowd with a goal to whittle the Devils' lead to 3-1 with 4:19 left in the first period.

Captain in the crease: It took the Rangers all of 32 seconds to whittle the Devils' lead to one goal. Rangers captain Ryan Callahan redirected the puck past Brodeur on the first shift of the second period. The goal was reviewed but ultimately upheld because the puck deflected off Callahan's leg, not skate.

Brandons are back: Sidelined for almost a month, Brandon Dubinsky returned to the lineup Wednesday for the first time since suffering a right foot injury in Game 7 of the quarterfinals April 26. The 26-year-old forward played on a line with Anisimov and Callahan. Prust also came back after sitting out Game 4 while serving a one-game suspension for his elbow on Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov in Game 3. John Mitchell and Steve Eminger were healthy scratches.

Up next: Devils versus Rangers, 8 p.m. ET Friday in Newark.

Could Brandon Dubinsky provide the jolt the Rangers need?

Based on Wednesday's optional morning skate, the 26-year-old forward may be ready to play for the first time since suffering a right foot injury in the series finale of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against Ottawa.

Coach John Tortorella declined to discuss the lineup, but did concede that his offensively-sluggish team could use a shake-up.

"We need something to happen for ourselves. We'll try different things. I'll give you that," Tortorella said. "But it's still a matter of just getting it done. At least that's the way I feel about it. So we'll see where it goes."

Should Dubinsky return, it appears that fourth-line center John Mitchell will be scratched to make room in the Rangers lineup.

Dubinsky's grinding, hard-nosed game is tailor-made for the playoffs and could be just what the Rangers require in generating some energy and jump against the high-flying Devils. Dubinsky has 10 goals and 9 assists in 32 career games against New Jersey and, although he's had a disappointing season, has had previous success in the postseason.

In 22 playoff games before this season, Dubinsky had seven goals and eight assists.

The Rangers will also return tough guy Brandon Prust, who missed Game 4 while serving a one-game suspension for his elbow on Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov. Prust had played in all 99 games for the Rangers this season before being slapped with the ban. His return will mean either defensemen Stu Bickel or Steve Eminger will be scratched.

At a glance: After a tepid start to what was expected to be a nasty set between bitter rivals, the snarl came out in Game 4 as the Devils knotted the series with a 4-1 win against the Rangers. Tied at two games apiece, the Rangers and Devils clash in a pivotal Game 5 at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night. As Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur surmised following his team’s latest victory: “I think the best hockey is yet to come.”

Prayer for offense: When asked what he could do to get his top-six forwards producing again, coach John Tortorella offered up an unorthodox suggestion: “Pray.” Tortorella was joking, but the Rangers’ scoring woes are no laughing matter. Ryan Callahan, Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards and Carl Hagelin have only one goal between them this series, in which the Rangers have combined for only nine in total.

Opponent set: With Dustin Penner’s overtime game-winner Tuesday night, the Kings dispatched the Coyotes and punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals. Now L.A. waits to see whether they’ll head to Manhattan or Newark for Game 1 next Wednesday.

Zach attack: Limited to one assist in the first three games of the series, Devils captain Zach Parise delivered a stellar three-point performance in the team’s 4-1 win against the Rangers Monday. The 27-year-old winger tallied two goals and recorded one assist in leading his team to a decisive series-tying victory.

Dubinsky back? : With the Rangers in need of a “jolt” to their lineup, Brandon Dubinsky may be ready to return. The 26-year-old forward is expected to be available for the first time since suffering a right foot injury in the series finale of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

Prust returns: After missing Game 4 while serving his one-game suspension for an elbow to Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov in Game 3, Rangers tough guy Brandon Prust returns to the lineup. The gritty 28-year-old winger had previously played in all 82 regular-season and 17 playoff games for the Rangers this season.

Retaliation? Really? : Will the Devils be looking to retaliate for the punch that “stung” Brodeur in Game 4? Probably not, but given Mike Rupp’s brazen jab to his former teammate -- a blow that ignited a boisterous scrum on the ice and a war of words between the benches – New Jersey may be looking to rattle Vezina/Hart Trophy finalist Henrik Lundqvist just a little bit.

Playoff performer: Held without a goal in 82 regular-season games, Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador is making up for lost time with his ample contributions. The 36-year-old veteran has chipped in for three goals and seven assists this post-season and has four points (one goal, three assists) through the first four games of this series.

NEWARK, N.J. -- Devils coach Peter DeBoer has apparently had some pretty bad insults hurled his way at Madison Square Garden.

Unfortunately, they weren’t PG enough to disclose.

"There’s no language there you can say on the record," DeBoer said Wednesday morning prior to Game 5. "You try and tune that stuff out."

Devils players aren’t as concerned about the crowd as they are about the ice.

Zach Parise called it "choppy" and said there ware a lot of "wacky" bounces off the boards.

"The ice was bad, but it’s the same for both teams," Ilya Kovalchuk said. "I don’t think that should be an excuse for anybody."

As for the ice at Prudential Center, criticized by the Panthers in the first round ...

"It’s hot in our building," Parise said. "But our guys have done a pretty good job of keeping the ice good."

• There won’t be any changes to the Devils’ lineup for Game 5, DeBoer confirmed.

That means Jacob Josefson and Peter Harrold remain in, while Petr Sykora and Adam Larsson remain out.

Sykora and Larsson remained on the ice following the completion of Wednesday’s mandatory morning skate.

• DeBoer has called 21-year-old Adam Henrique "unflappable" throughout the postseason.

No nerves, huh?

"Not once. He might’ve been in a card game with Kovy once and he was nervous," DeBoer joked. "Understandable."

• DeBoer said the turning point for his team was when GM Lou Lamoriello acquired depth up front after the All-Star break.

Lamoriello traded for left winger Alexei Ponikarovsky, while calling up Steve Bernier, who has become a fixture on the fourth line.

And DeBoer obviously didn’t leave out Travis Zajac's return to full health following his Achilles injury.

Coming back to play in front of their home crowd at Madison Square Garden for a pivotal Game 5 on Wednesday, the Rangers are hell-bent on a hot start. Dominated by the Devils' tenacious pressure early in all four games this series, they know they can't afford to be reeling at first intermission yet again.

"It's our focus right now," said center Brian Boyle. "That's what's ahead of us and that's what's most important."

For all the credit given to the Devils' aggressive forecheck and puck pursuit, Boyle thinks the Rangers can prove themselves capable of carrying the play as well. Uncomfortable with being characterized as the passive of the two clubs, the Rangers sound ready to augment their attack.

"We feel that when we're successful, we're a high-pressure team, too." Boyle said. "We forecheck and even when we're defending, it's time and space. That's what we need to focus on, getting back to how we need to play."

Even coach John Tortorella, who scoffed at a question earlier this season about the importance of the first 10 minutes of the game, conceded that the team's lack-luster starts needed to be addressed.

His club found itself down two goals less than 12 minutes into play in Game 4 and struggled to match the Devils throughout the duration.

"There's no question that Jersey, right on through the playoffs, not just our series but right on through the playoffs, they have blitzed teams and gained momentum," he said. "Momentum is a big part of playoff hockey, so there's no question we'd like to get that on our side right away tonight."

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Although Tortorella declined to discuss any potential lineup changes, forward Brandon Dubinsky (right foot) may be available to play for the first time since sustaining the injury in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

After serving a one-game suspension for his elbow on Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov, Rangers bruiser Brandon Prust will return to the lineup tonight.