NHL

Devils lose to Lundqvist — again

All this time, yet the tide in the Battle of the Hudson still flows full flood toward Manhattan.

Again, it was Henrik Lundqvist keeping the Rangers boat afloat, while Martin Brodeur’s ship ultimately swamped.

It was a night of maximum efforts, attacks that created chaos, shots that rang pipe, and a margin far smaller than the 4-1 final score of the Rangers’ victory over the Devils last night at Prudential Center.

It was a duel, again, of two great goaltenders, one mistake making the difference.

It was made by Brodeur, the winningest goalie in NHL history, just not lately, not against the Rangers. Now Lundqvist stands 21-5-5 in his past 31 games against Brodeur, and last night was another example why.

With the game deadlocked 1-1 in then third, Artem Anisimov’s routine backhand from the right circle slipped between Brodeur’s right arm and body, caromed off the crossbar and fell to Marian Gaborik along at the left side of the net. It was the deciding goal, the decisive play.

“They got a break,” Brodeur said. “It was a good opportunity, a good emotional game and they scored the biggest goal of the game, the one that cracked the game open.

“We had our chances to get it done and we didn’t get it done.

“They got that second goal and it was an important goal. It went through my blocker and my arm. I thought I had it. It squeezed through.”

That was the margin of the night, so slight, so small, another little failing that compounds into the Rangers’ 18-7-2 dominance of the Devils since the start of the 2007-08 season.

“It’s a big difference if they get the second goal. When we tied it up, I could tell how much the game changed,” said Lundqvist, now 23-9-5 all-time versus the Devils.

“I knew if I could keep it at one, sooner or later we’d have the opportunity.

“It’s a good feeling for a goalie to battle the whole game and then be able to tell how the game changes.”

In his regular season debut in this rivalry, Devils coach Pete Deboer credited Lundqvist.

“He was great,” DeBoer said. “Tip your cap to him and find a way to solve him. We have five more times to figure it out.”

The Devils had hoped their four-game winning streak was the stuff to turn the tide. It was the latest-ever renewal of this rivalry, aside from 1995, enough time for trends and mental blocks to fade and subside.

Instead, the Rangers deflated their nearest foes and resumed their chase of the Flyers atop the Atlantic.

“When you play them, especially the first game, it’s always an opportunity to get the upper hand early in the season series against them,” Brodeur said.

“We let the first one go. We competed really hard but couldn’t get the goal we needed to break the game open. They found a way to get it.”

Again.

* Devils were without Patrik Elias (ill) and Henrik Tallinder (back). … Rangers scratched Jeff Woywitka, and used Tim Erixon while giving Stu Bickel his first NHL game. Bickel notched an assist on Carl Hagelin’s insurance short-handed goal. Rangers also scratched Sean Avery and Eric Christensen.

Travis Zajac’s first goal of the year gave Devils the first period lead in his third game back from Aug. 18 Achilles tendon surgery. Hagelin’s short-hand goal was the ridiculous 10th allowed by the Devils in their 33 games.

* The Devils were outscored 0-3 in third, now 25-42 in third periods this season.