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Just over a week ago it looked like the New York Rangers were well on their way to a sweep of the New Jersey Devils.
The Blueshirts outscored the Devils, 10-2, in the first two games of the best-of-7 and took a 2-0 series lead back to Madison Square Garden.
At the time the narrative surrounding New Jersey was that its inexperience was showing and the ‘been there before’ Rangers were taking them to school.
It was hard to argue against that logic.
But the series shifted in Game 3 when Lindy Ruff made the decision to start rookie netminder Akira Schmid in goal over Vitek Vanecek.
It wasn’t fair to pin New Jersey’s two losses on Vanecek, but the margins are so thin when you’re going up against Igor Shesterkin, so Ruff rolled the dice.
It’s paid off.Devils vs. Rangers pick
(8 p.m. ET)
Not only has Schmid won his first three playoff starts, but the native of Bern, Switzerland has done it in style. Schmid has allowed two goals total and is coming off a shutout in Game 5.
Schmid and the Devils have a chance to eliminate their cross-river rivals with a win at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.
If you want evidence of just how much the momentum seems to have swung in this series, just look at the odds for Game 6.
