The New York Rangers gave themselves breathing space in their bid for an NHL playoff spot with a 2-1 shootout victory over cross-river rivals the New Jersey Devils.

Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist saved from Jamie Langenbrunner, Brian Gionta and Zach Parise, while Nigel Dawes sneaked one past Devils netminder Martin Brodeur in the second round of the shootout for New York's winning score.

"It's a very big relief. It's a big two points," Lundqvist said after New York continued their mastery over the Devils this season with their sixth win without a defeat.

New York improved to 39-26-9 to tie for fifth place in the tight Eastern Conference with the Ottawa Senators.

The shootout defeat left New Jersey at 42-24-7, but the point gained broke their tie with Montreal atop the conference standings.

The red-hot Rangers, 12-2-3 in their last 17 games, are just four points behind the conference-leading Devils.

Brodeur, starting his 32nd game in a row, carried a 1-0 lead late into the third period but the Rangers' 18th shot on goal got past him, Chris Drury scoring off a sizzling cross-ice pass from Martin Straka with 4:46 left.

"We came one mistake short," Devils head coach Brent Sutter said. "I knew it was going to be a game where neither team was going to get a whole lot - and neither team did."

The Devils seized the lead on the game's first powerplay, courtesy of a high-sticking call against Michal Rozsival, when Dainius Zubrus slapped it past Lundqvist off a pass from behind the net by Michael Rupp 6:05 into the game.

Bad blood between the local rivals was in evidence early when New York's Sean Avery and New Jersey's David Clarkson were hit with five-minute penalties for fighting after just 35 seconds of play.

Rangers coach Tom Renney praised his team's spirit.

"What was as important as the win was the way we stayed with it through the whole game," he said. "The way it started, we didn't back off - the way we persevered."

The Buffalo Sabres fired six goals in the third period to stun the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-4, moving to within one point of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Sabres trailed 4-1 after two periods but stormed back with six unanswered goals in the third and now trail the eighth-placed Philadelphia Flyers by just one point in the East.

Jason Pominville scored twice and added a pair of assists for the Sabres, who managed just two shots on goal in a woeful second period.

They came alive, though, in the final period, peppering Tampa Bay goalie Karri Ramo with 16 shots.

"This was the best comeback I've ever been a part of," Pominville said.

Thomas Vanek and Jochen Hecht both scored twice in the third period for Buffalo, while Derek Roy had a goal and two assists and Drew Stafford added three assists in a remarkable comeback.

Vincent Lecavalier scored twice for the last-placed Lightning, who had won three straight games. Martin St Louis and Jeff Halpern also scored for Tampa Bay, which lost all four meetings this season with the Sabres.

"Third-period collapse," said St Louis, who also had an assist. "It's a bad feeling."

Buffalo out-shot Tampa Bay 32-19, with Ryan Miller, appearing in his 27th straight game, making 15 saves in goal for the Sabres.

Reuters