3 Keys: Devils at Rangers, Game 6 of Eastern 1st Round

(2M) Devils at (3M) Rangers
Eastern Conference First Round, Game 6
New Jersey leads best-of-7 series 3-2
8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN360, TVAS2

NEW YORK -- The New Jersey Devils will try to advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since going to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012 when they play the New York Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
The Devils have won the past three games, with goalie Akira Schmid allowing two goals on 82 shots, none on 23 shots in 4-0 Game 5 win at Prudential Center on Thursday. They lost the first two games by a combined 10-2.
"It's been more us getting to our game," Devils center Jack Hughes said. "The first two games, we didn't play to our game and then obviously Games 3 and 4, we played much better and got the two wins, and then last game, we played our best game of the series."
New Jersey is in position to win a series for the first time since Game 6 against the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final 11 years ago.
"You'd like to say business as usual, but obviously we can close them out tonight," Hughes said. "It's another game and another exciting opportunity or our group."
The Devils have successfully killed 13 consecutive New York power plays since the third period of Game 2 after allowing four goals on their first seven times short-handed in the series. They have connected for two power-play goals and a short-handed goal in the past three games.
RELATED: [Complete Devils vs. Rangers series coverage]
The Rangers have two goals total in the past three games after scoring 10 in the first two.
"We're in a little bit of a hole, but let's see what we're made of," Rangers forward Patrick Kane said. "They seemed to respond well to being in a little bit of a hole. Now it's our turn."
Teams that trail 3-2 are 92-339 (21.3 percent) winning a best-of-7 series in the playoffs, including 4-7 last season, when the Rangers came back from trailing 3-2 to win in the first round against the Pittsburgh Penguins and the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Here are 3 keys to Game 6:

1. Paging New York's stars

Two goals, four assists, 42 shots on goal and a minus-14 rating. That's what the Rangers have gotten from forwards Kane, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Vincent Trocheck, Artemi Panarin and Vladimir Tarasenko, and defenseman Adam Fox in the past three games.
All seven are on the power play. The Rangers are 0-for-10 on it in the past three games with 14 shots and a short-handed goal against directly off a Panarin turnover in Game 5.
Zibanejad admitted they're pressing, and that confidence is lacking, but one goal can change everything.
"You keep asking yourself how is that possible," Zibanejad said. "Everyone in this room has earned their way here by the way they play and how good they are. It's hard to explain sometimes for people that haven't been in that position. When confidence is not there, then there is a slight hesitation in your game. But all we can do is just go out there [Saturday], try to play confident, try to help each other out and try to turn this thing around."

2. Play fast, stay fast

The Devils' speed appeared to overwhelm the Rangers in Game 5 and was a factor in them winning Games 3 and 4 as well.
But in Game 5, they played to their true identity, using that speed to wreak havoc on the Rangers, who could not get connected breakouts against New Jersey's forecheck and did not stop the Devils from flying their way through the neutral zone when they had the puck.

3. Pucks to the net

This series turned as soon as the Devils put Schmid in net to start Game 3. Ruff admitted after Game 5 that they were just taking a shot with the 22-year-old rookie goalie. It has hit like a bar down one-timer into the top corner. If it does again, game, set, match to the Devils.
But the Rangers are not testing Schmid enough and they're definitely not bothering him enough. They have 82 shots in three games. Getting more shots and traffic in front of the goalie has been a point of emphasis since they lost Game 3. They have to figure it out in Game 6.
"We have a belief throughout our team that no matter what the game is at, what the series is at, we have a group that is capable of doing great things," Rangers forward Barclay Goodrow said. "We believe in each other and we believe in our system and what got us to this point. Our confidence hasn't wavered."

Devils projected lineup

Tomas Tatar -- Nico Hischier -- Jesper Bratt
Ondrej Palat -- Jack Hughes -- Erik Haula
Timo Meier -- Dawson Mercer -- Jesper Boqvist
Nathan Bastian -- Michael McLeod -- Curtis Lazar
Jonas Siegenthaler -- Dougie Hamilton
Ryan Graves -- John Marino
Kevin Bahl -- Damon Severson
Akira Schmid
Vitek Vanecek
Scratched: Brendan Smith, Luke Hughes, Miles Wood, Yegor Sharangovich, Mackenzie Blackwood
Injured:None

Rangers projected lineup

Chris Kreider -- Mika Zibanejad -- Vladimir Tarasenko
Alexis Lafreniere
-- Vincent Trocheck -- Patrick Kane
Artemi Panarin -- Filip Chytil -- Kaapo Kakko
Jimmy Vesey -- Barclay Goodrow -- Tyler Motte
Ryan Lindgren -- Adam Fox
K'Andre Miller -- Jacob Trouba
Niko Mikkola -- Braden Schneider
Igor Shesterkin
Jaroslav Halak
Scratched:Ben Harpur, Jonny Brodzinski, Jake Leschyshyn, Libor Hajek
Injured:None

Status report

The Devils had a full morning skate Saturday after not skating Friday. The Rangers had a lightly attended optional skate because they practiced Friday. … New York showed new forward lines in practice Friday, with Lafreniere and Panarin swapping spots at left wing on the second and third lines, and Tarasenko and Kane doing the same at right wing on the top two lines.