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Thursday night finalized the Devils' spot in the Eastern Conference standings, but who they will face in the first round will not be determined until Saturday.

The 6th-place Devils, who topped the Red Wings 2-1 for their fifth straight win Thursday, will face either Florida or Washington as the 3-seed depending on which team wins the Southeast Division. The Capitals beat the Panthers 4-2 Thursday but still trail them by two points in the standings.

With the tie-breaker over Florida, Washington can pass the Panthers should the Capitals beat the Rangers in New York Saturday and the Panthers suffer a regulation loss against Carolina.

Devils winger Petr Sykora tallied his 20th goal of the season for New Jersey in Motor City; the 35-year-old veteran, who made the team os a training camp tryout, is one of five players on the team to record 20 goals.

What it means: The opening-faceoff line brawl was well-orchestrated, but the hatred between the Rangers and Devils was altogether genuine in a nasty series finale that ended with a playoff-clinching 4-2 win for the Blueshirts at Madison Square Garden. A whopping 40 penalty minutes were dished out between both clubs as fists flew three seconds into the game, and although the Devils pulled within a goal twice in the second period, the Rangers held on to become the first team in the East to secure a berth in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs and snap a two-game losing streak.

Rough Stuff: Tempers flared as a total of six players dropped the gloves on the opening face-off. Taking the draw at center ice, defenseman-turned-center Stu Bickel paired up with Ryan Carter, while heavyweights Mike Rupp and Eric Boulton fought, as did Cam Janssen and Brandon Prust. Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador also received a 10-minute misconduct for stepping in to Carter’s aid when the fourth-line forward was left bloodied in his fight with Bickel. Carter left the ice to receive stitches but returned later in the first period.

No love lost: The players weren’t the only ones immersed in the opening-faceoff hostilities. Video replays showed Rangers coach John Tortorella screaming and cursing at the Devils' bench, presumably at opposing coach Pete DeBoer. As the visiting coach, DeBoer sets his starting lineup first and elected to give his fourth line the nod. Tortorella appeared to receive the message, using Bickel to take the opening faceoff instead of natural pivot Brandon Dubinsky, who suffered injuries in a fight with Carter in the two teams' previous meeting. Tortorella did decide to sit tough guy John Scott, however. The hulking 6-8, 260-pound enforcer was scratched after taking pregame warmups.

Not so stingy: And while the marquee matchup between Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Brodeur is normally the main event when the two teams meet, Monday's contest was no goal-tending duel as both players looked a little ragged.

Hot hand: With his second goal in as many games, recently-recalled Mats Zuccarello buried a rebound on the power-play to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead at 7:33 of the second. The diminutive Norwegian forward gave New York its first man-up goal in four games.

Just like old times: Linemates from the Devils Stanley Cup championship-winning team in 2000, Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora combined for two goals in the second period. Set up by Sykora, Elias beat Lundqvist short-side to cut a two-goal Rangers lead in half at 5:03; Sykora then buried a sharp-angle shot to whittle the lead again to one goal at 11:08. With his second-period marker, Elias recorded the seventh 25-goal season in his 15-year career; it was the first time the 35-year-old Czech reached the milestone since '08-'09.

Dubinsky breaks through: With the crowd buzzing after the opening theatrics, Dubinsky scored his first goal in seven games, beating Brodeur from the slot to convert on a rush, to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead 1:11 into play.

Up next: Rangers vs. Red Wings, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.; Devils vs. Senators, Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Recap | Box score | Photos

What it means: A dominant effort by Ilya Kovalchuk and a trio of third-period goals by the Devils allowed New Jersey to knock off the Rangers 4-1 at Prudential Center Tuesday. Less than two minutes after David Clarkson gave New Jersey a 2-1 lead at 2:27 of the third, Ryan Carter buried a pass from linemate Jacob Josefson to give the Devils an insurance goal 4:21 into play. Alternate captain Patrik Elias notched an empty-netter with less than two minutes remaining as the Devils bounced back from Sunday's dispiriting 1-0 loss to the Islanders.

New Jersey entered Tuesday's match against their Atlantic Division rivals having dropped five of their previous six games, including a 2-0 shutout defeat to the Blueshirts at Madison Square Garden last Monday.

Captain returns: After missing three games with a bruised right foot suffered in the Rangers last game against New jersey, captain Ryan Callahan returned to the lineup Tuesday. Callahan sustained the injury while blocking Ilya Kovalchuk’s shot in the Rangers’ 2-0 win over New Jersey on trade deadline day February 27. Devils captain Zach Parise also played, despite a sore left hand that required him to undergo an MRI Monday.

Quick strike: Kovalchuk scored his 26th of the season to give the Devils an early lead Tuesday. Devils defenseman Mark Fayne forced a Rangers turnover at the red line and Parise found Kovalchuk on a break 49 seconds into play. Kovalchuk also picked up a secondary assist on Carter's third-period marker.

Step by step: Second-year center Derek Stepan scored his second goal in as many games and has recorded five points in the last four. After tallying the game-winner against Boston Sunday, the 21-year-old tied the game at 1 with a one-timer from the slot at 6:56 of the second Tuesday.

Fighting words: Scratching forward John Mitchell in favor of hulking enforcer John Scott was a pretty clear indication of the type of game John Tortorella expected and his assessment was correct. Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Carter were the first to fight, dropping the gloves 3:03 into play. Newly-acquired Scott recorded his first fight as a Ranger since being traded by the Blackhawks at the deadline, squaring off against Devils heavyweight Cam Janssen later in the period.

The Rangers have accrued five fighting majors in the first period of the past two games. After Sunday’s 4-3 OT win against the Bruins, in which there were three bouts in the first 15:38, the Rangers racked up two more Tuesday against their Atlantic Division rivals.

Dubinsky injured: Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky was forced from the game with a hand injury after a first-period fight with New Jersey’s Ryan Carter. Dubinsky and Carter dropped the gloves 3:03 into play and the 25-year-old forward did not return for the remainder of the game.

At a glance: Losers in five of their last six games, the Devils host the league-leading Rangers in the teams' second meeting in eight days. Trailing the Rangers by 14 points in the standings, New Jersey aims to cut the lead following last Monday's 2-0 shutout loss at Madison Square Garden.

Marquee Matchup: Tuesday will be the 34th regular season game in which elite goaltenders Martin Brodeur and Henrik Lundqvist compete head-to-head. Lundqvist holds the edge against Brodeur, posting a 22-6-5 record during that span, with a 1.72 goals against average, .936 save percentage and five shutouts.

On the mend: The Rangers will return their captain Ryan Callahan, who missed the past three games with a bruised right foot. Callahan's Devils' counterpart, Zach Parise, will also play Tuesday, despite a sore left hand. Devils defenseman Andy Greene, who was a late scratch for Sunday’s 1-0 loss to the Islanders after suffering back spasms, is a game-time decision while forward Alexei Ponikarovsky (right knee) will sit out his second straight game.

Warning call: Devils winger David Clarkson received a warning call following his hit against Brandon Dubinsky last Monday. Clarkson left his feet to make contact and received a charging penalty on the play. Clarkson and Dubinsky also received five minutes for fighting after the play. Dainius Zubrus also received a similar call for his elbow on Rangers rookie Carl Hagelin.

Lineup change: Steve Eminger will replace defenseman Anton Stralman in the lineup, playing for the first time since February 21. Struggling since returning from a shoulder injury earlier this season, Eminger has sat six straight. Assuming Callahan plays, John Scott will join Stralman and defenseman Jeff Woywitka as the Rangers’ healthy scratches.

Blanked: The Devils were shut out twice in the span of one week against Atlantic Division foes following the Feb. 27 trade deadline. After being blanked by the Rangers 2-0 just hours after the deadline passed, the Devils were held without a goal by rookie netminder Anders Nilsson Sunday on Long Island.

Late addition: The Devils recalled C Brad Mills from Albany (AHL) just hours before the game. This will be the third stint for Mills, who has one assist and 32 penalty minutes in 27 games for the Devils this season. Fourth-line forward Cam Janssen is the likely scratch.

The closest thing to a hockey holiday has arrived, folks.

The NHL's annual trade deadline is Monday at 3 p.m. and I'll be reporting live from ESPN headquarters in Bristol, CT all day. Make sure to follow the ESPN Hockey crew's live chat (starting at 9 a.m.) for all the buzz throughout the day.

NHL TRADE DEADLINE LIVE CHAT

Local storylines to watch:

-- As ESPNNewYork.com reported Sunday, the Rangers appear to be out on the Rick Nash sweepstakes. Barring a drastic change, a deal to bring the Blue Jackets captain to New York appears unlikely.

--Islanders goaltender Evgeni Nabokov is garnering plenty of interest, but GM Garth Snow told ESPNNewYork.com Sunday the he is "not looking" to move him. Talks between Nabokov's camp regarding a contract extension are expected to continue MOnday.

-- Are the Devils done? GM Lou Lamoriello got a head start on Monday's deadline, trading for veteran defenseman Marek Zidlicky Friday. Zidlicky made his debut in the Devils 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay Sunday; could there be any new additions in Monday's lineup when the Rangers host the Devils at Madison Square Garden?

Devils @ Rangers at 6 p.m. ESPNNewYork.com's Mike Mazzeo will be there for all the game-day action...

Also, you can follow each transaction with ESPN NHL's Trade Tracker here.

Newly-acquired defenseman Marek Zidlicky will make his Devils debut Sunday against Tampa Bay.

Zidlicky, added by the Devils in a trade with Minnesota Friday, practiced with his new club for the first time Saturday and set he was excited about a fresh start with New Jersey.

The 35-year-old veteran, who publicly clashed with first-year Wild coach Mike Yeo this season, said he requested a trade from Minnesota and told GM Chuck Fletcher that the Devils were his first choice.

New Jersey sent back defenseman Kurtis Foster, forwards Nick Palmieri and Stephane Veilleux, and two picks to Minnesota in the deal.

Zidlicky joins a Devils' back end that has been hobbled by injuries of late. Henrik Tallinder's status (leg) for the remainder of the season remains up in the air, while rookie Adam Larsson will return for the first time since suffering a back injury February 2 in the Devils' 5-3 win over Montreal.

Facing a thinning market for defensemen to bolster his team's injury-addled blue line, Devils GM Lou Lamoriello gave up three players and two picks for Minnesota's Marek Zidlicky Friday night.

The 35-year-old Czech native, unhappy with his role in Minnesota and seemingly at odds with head coach Mike Yeo in recent weeks, provides depth and experience to a Devils' defensive corps currently without Henrik Tallinder (leg) and rookie Adam Larsson (back).

There are some concerns with Zidlicky -- a tenuous relationship with his former team, a $4 million cap hit for the remainder of this year and next, and a suspect shoulder -- but the four-time 40-point scorer and power-play quarterback might ultimately be a good fit for the Devils.

Read ESPN.com's Scott Burnside's analysis here.

An already-thin blue line for the New Jersey Devils took another hit Sunday.

Veteran defenseman Kurtis Foster is out for Sunday's game against Montreal with an upper-body injury, the team announced.

According to the Newark Star-Ledger and The Bergen Record, Foster took part in the Devils' optional morning skate only briefly, leaving the ice with back stiffness.

Defenseman Peter Harrold, called up Saturday from the team's AHL affiliate in Albany, will replace Foster in the lineup against the Habs.

The Devils, who have reportedly shown interest in trading for disgruntled Minnesota defenseman Marek Zidlicky, have been decimated by injuries to their back end. Henrik Tallinder was placed on injured reserve last month with a leg injury and rookie blue-liner Adam Larsson joined him on IR yesterday. Larsson has not played since suffering a back injury after a hard hit from Montreal's P.K. Subban February 2.

Devils center Travis Zajac has "healed" from a lingering Achilles tendon injury and will begin skating agin in about a week, according to GM Lou Lamoriello.

According to the Bergen Record and Newark Star-Ledger, Lamoriello said Zajac is not expected to return for at least another month while he regains strength in his leg.

Zajac made his season debut December 16 after missing four months with a torn Achilles sustained in an off-season workout in August. The 26-year-old, who has one goal and two assists, played only eight games before he was shut down again due to nagging soreness in his surgically-repaired heel.

NEW YORK – Collecting their season-high fifth straight win, the Devils feel they have silenced some critics.

Edging the Rangers 1-0 in their first visit to Madison Square Garden this season, the Devils concluded a banner week in which they collected two wins against their Atlantic Division rivals and knocked off Montreal, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

“Big boost,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “It’s nice to beat the best teams. People have been talking that we haven’t been able to and this week capped off a good week of answering some of those questions.”

Goaltender Martin Brodeur prevailed against elite netminder Henrik Lundqvist, making 30 saves to record his first shutout of the season and 117th of his career. The future Hall of Famer has now posted nine shutouts against the Rangers in his 18-year career.

“He played great,” said captain Zach Parise, who set up the lone goal of the game -- David Clarkson’s power-play marker at 8:14 of the first. “You always get the sense that when Marty and Lundqvist play each other you can see they want to outdo each other. 99 times out of 100, it’s a great goaltending battle and it was again tonight. Marty was great, he made huge saves and really got us that win with a shutout.”

Parise admitted a “bad play” by him almost cost Brodeur the shutout. With ten seconds remaining and an empty-net beckoning on the other end, Parise sent the puck right into Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto’s shin pad, a gaffe that led to a frantic Rangers’ rush.

The Rangers appeared to score on Ryan Callahan’s attempt with less than four seconds remaining, but the goal was waived off as a result of Marian Gaborik’s goaltender interference penalty.

Although Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov made contact with Gaborik before the collision in the crease, Brodeur felt the official assessed the play correctly.

“Obviously, [Gaborik] takes both his hands and kind of hits me on the shoulder and impairs me to make a save,” Brodeur said. “I thought it was the right call. I’m sure they’ll probably complain about it, but that’s sort of the nature of the beast.”

Parise was relieved the call let him off the hook.

“Gaborik went right into him. You have to make that call. I think he made the right call,” Parise said. “I thanked him after for bailing me out. I’m sure they probably have different feelings about it. I’m sure we would if we were on the other side, but you could see there was definitely contact.”

Brodeur was peppered with fifteen shots in the third period – the Devils managed only one, on Jacob Josefson’s breakaway 7:22 into play – but held on to preserve the shutout and the team’s 31st win of the season. Securing two critical points, the Devils leap-frogged Pittsburgh to claim 5th place in the Eastern Conference standings.

“We played a great hockey game right from the start,” Brodeur said. “We thought this might be a dirty 1-0 win and that’s exactly what happened.”

What it means: In their first visit to Madison Square Garden this season, the streaking Devils edged the Rangers 1-0 for a season-high fifth straight win and second against their Atlantic Division rivals in one week. Goaltender Martin Brodeur made 30 saves to record his 1st shutout of the season, 117th of his career. The Devils were outshot 15-1 in a lopsided third period but held on to secure the win -- just barely. The Rangers appeared to score with 3.5 seconds left, but the goal was waived off as a result of Marian Gaborik's goaltender interference penalty.

Fight club: It didn’t take long for things to get nasty during Tuesday’s tilt between the Rangers and Devils. Eric Boulton and Brandon Prust fought two seconds after the opening faceoff. Cam Janssen and Mike Rupp followed suit, dropping their gloves at the same time. Rupp suffered a broken thumb in last Tuesday’s game after a slash from Boulton, who was subsequently fined $2,500.

Career year for Clarkson: David Clarkson continued to build on his career-high 2011-12 campaign with a power-play goal 8:14 into the first. Tallying his fifth goal in as many games, Clarkson gave the Devils a 1-0 lead with his 21st of the season. The gritty 27-year-old winger trails Devils’ leading goal-scorer Ilya Kovalchuk by only one goal.

Power-play woes: The Rangers flailing power-play continued to skid, failing to record a man-up goal in three attempts Tuesday. Entering tonight's game with a 27th ranked 13.3% success rate, the unit was denied for the fifth straight game. The Rangers have tallied only one power-play goal in the last 13 games. The Devils' superb penalty-killing unit denied the Rangers on a key power-play late in the third, holding New York without a shot on goal for the entire man-advantage.

Calling all centers: Top center Travis Zajac will visit his physician in Winnipeg Wednesday to evaluate his surgically-repaired Achilles, according to Devils GM Lou Lamoriello The 26-year-old has been limited to only eight games this season, but is not expected to undergo any additional procedures, Lamoriello said before the game. The Devils expect to have an update on Zajac's status Thursday.

Coach's decision: Rangers defenseman Steve Eminger has been medically cleared to play after missing almost two months with a separated right shoulder, but coach John Tortorella elected to keep Stu Bickel in the lineup instead. Bickel finished with two fights in the Rangers' 5-2 win over Philadelphia Sunday.

Up Next: Rangers vs. Lightning, Thursday at 7 p.m.
Devils vs. Blues, Thursday at 7 p.m.

At a glance: Riding a four-game winning streak, the red-hot Devils visit Madison Square Garden for the first time this season looking to knock off the dominant Rangers. The Broadway Blueshirts remain on top in the Eastern Conference standings, three points removed from the 2nd place Boston Bruins and eight points ahead of the 6th place Devils.

Last time around: In the first game back following last month’s All-Star break, the Devils capitalized on a lucky bounce to force overtime. New Jersey went on to beat the Rangers 4-3 for their ninth shootout win of the season.

Stars align: Tuesday’s match marks the meeting of two of the game’s best snipers in Kovalchuk and Rangers’ leading scorer Marian Gaborik. Kovalchuk’s ten points (three goals, seven assists) over the last four games earned him honors as the NHL’s second star of the week. Gaborik tallied his 26th goal of the season and added an assist in the Rangers’ 5-2 win against the Flyers Saturday.

Back in action: After watching his first Rangers-Devils game from the bench in over five years last Tuesday, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is expected to return Tuesday. The 29 -year-old Swedish netminder, who boasts a 23-9-5 career record against the Devils, is putting together a Vezina-caliber year. Lundqvist (24-10-4) leads the league with a .939 save percentage and ranks second behind St Louis’ Brian Elliott in goals against average with a 1.82 GAA.

Depleted defense: Already without defenseman Henrik Tallinder (leg), the Devils are unlikely to return rookie Adam Larsson to the lineup. Larsson is expected to miss his third straight game with a back injury suffered in the Devils’ 5-3 victory over the Canadiens last Thursday. Larsson was rocked by a hit from Montreal’s P.K. Subban, sustaining what the Devils called a “bruised lower back.”

Rough stuff: Both the Rangers (1st, 42) and the Devils (8th, 26) rank among the top eight teams in fighting majors. Tough guys Brandon Prust is third in the NHL with 13 fighting majors and the Devils appear prepared for a fight. Both Erik Boulton and Cam Janssen will be in the lineup for the team’s third meeting of the season and second in the past week.

Game-time decision: Rangers defenseman Steve Eminger has been medically cleared to return from a shoulder injury that has sidelined him for almost two months, but he may be watching another game from the press box. On Monday, coach John Tortorella said he was “not sure” about lineup changes, but sixth defenseman Stu Bickel appears likely to play. The rugged, 25-year-old blue-liner dropped the gloves twice in the Rangers’ physical win over Philly on Saturday.

Both defenseman Adam Larsson (back) and forward Ryan Carter (hand) missed practice Friday. Neither player will play Saturday against the Flyers.

Larsson left Thursday's 5-3 win over the Canadiens in the third period with what the Devils called a "bruised lower back" after sustaining a devastating (but clean) hit from Montreal's P.K. Subban.

An X-ray and MRI for Larsson both came back clear, according to the Devils.

Carter has a "sore hand," and is considered "day-to-day."

• • • Adam Henrique, who has missed two straight games with a groin injury, skated Friday morning before Devils practice.

DeBoer said the rookie center is getting "a lot closer," but will not be available Saturday.

DeBoer did not rule out either Larsson or Henrique for Sunday's game against Pittsburgh, although is seems unlikely either will play.

• • •

Without Larsson, Carter, and Henrique, the Devils are discussing call-up options from the team's AHL affiliate in Albany.

Defenseman Bryce Salvador played through a minor ankle injury the past two games, forcing the Devils to dress seven defensemen Thursday night.

• • •

DeBoer said he plans on keeping the line of Zach Parise, Patrik Elias, and Ilya Kovalchuk together Saturday, at least to start.

The trio played together in the third period Thursday and helped the Devils complete their comeback effort against the Habs with the team's game-winning goal.

"I thought they gave us a spark," said DeBoer, who has had to shuffle personnel to accommodate the team's void at center. "They are our three best offensive players. I don't think it's a perfect situation to have them all together, but it's been working so we'll go with that."

Rookie center Adam Henrique will miss his second straight game as he continues to battle a nagging groin injury that has bothered him since Mid-January.

The 21-year-old missed an additional pair of games before the break and opted out of participating in the All-Star weekend skills competition because of the injury along with fellow rookie Adam Larsson (wrist).

According to coach Pete DeBoer, Henrique skated Thursday morning before the team and may practice in advance of Saturday's game in Philadelphia.

With Henrique out, the Devils are without two of their top centers. Travis Zajac was placed on injured reserve January 4 because of lingering soreness in his surgically-repaired Achilles tendon.

• • •

Defenseman Bryce Salvador is expected to play Thursday against the Canadiens, according to DeBoer, although the Devils may dress seven defensemen.

Salvador, who did not skate Thursday morning, played through a minor leg injury Tuesday, DeBoer confirmed. Matt Taormina will dress if the team elects to go with an extra defenseman.

• • • Eric Boulton said he was surprised to receive a phone call from league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan Wednesday, informing him of a $2,500 fine for slashing Mike Rupp in the Devils 4-3 shootout win Tuesday.

"I didn't even remember it," Boulton said.

The play, which went un-penalized, occurred during the second period; Rupp appeared to suffer a hand injury as a result of the slash but remained in the game.

At a glance: What better way to resume play following the All-Star break than a game between Division rivals? Looking to halt a three-game skid, the Devils host the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers in the two teams’ second meeting of the season. The Devils’ have a white-knuckle grip on eighth spot in the East but have struggled to match up against the top team. Two of the team’s last three 4-1 losses came at the hands of the league’s elite – Philadelphia and Boston. Can they deliver a statement game against the Rangers to kick off their post-Break push? Or will the 31-12-4 Blueshirts bounce-back to pull away from the 2nd place Bruins and vie for the league lead with Detroit?

Rare miss: Rangers coach John Tortorella elected to go with backup Martin Biron in the team’s second game against the Devils this season. Why so unexpected? Starter Henrik Lundqvist has started 32 games straight since New Jersey. The All-Star netminder has not watched a game between the two teams from the bench since his sophomore season. And it didn’t work out too well. With Kevin Weekes between the pipes, the Rangers suffered a 6-1 loss to the Devils on December 17, 2006.

Back in action: Devils defenseman Andy Greene returns to the lineup after missing 22 straight games with a broken bone and broken toe on his left foot. The 29-year-old blue-liner will play for the first time since December 6, bolstering an injury-depleted Devils squad that is without centers Travis Zajac (Achilles) and Adam Henrique (groin) and defenseman Henrik Tallinder (leg).

Power-less play: While resilience and consistency have been paramount to the Rangers' success in the first half of the season, their anemic power play will be a point of emphasis as the playoffs approach. The team has been limited to 23 goals in 163 total attempts, for a paltry 14.1% that ranks 25th in the league. Held to only one man-up goal in the previous nine games, Tortorella called the unit “robotic" and preached the need for more creativity.

Devils debut: Training camp truout Steve Bernier will make his Devils debut Tuesday against the Rangers. New Jersey Devils, that is. The 26-year-old forward failed to crack the roster back in September and, after signing an AHL contract with the Devils’ minor-league affiliate, recorded three goals and three assists in 17 games with the Albany Devils this season. Recently-recalled and signed to a two-way NHL deal, Bernier will skate on a line with center Jacob Josefson and left wing Alexei Ponikarovsky, who the Devils acquired in a trade with Carolina January 20.