NEWARK, N.J. -- The New Jersey Devils, desperately chasing a wild-card spot in the East, were coming off a crushing loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday. They squandered a third-period lead and dropped a third straight game in regulation.

Facing an identical situation Tuesday against the New York Rangers, the Devils showed a killer instinct to snap their skid and close the gap between them and a postseason berth.

Right winger Lee Stempniak scored the tie-breaking goal late in the second period and the Devils added two more in the third period in a 5-2 victory against a depleted New York Rangers team at Prudential Center.

The Rangers, who were without defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Marc Staal, were held to six shots in the third period and 11 over the final two periods as the Devils erased a 2-1 deficit. The Devils outshot the Rangers 36-19 and received insurance goals late in the third period from center Sergey Kalinin on a breakaway and defenseman Adam Larsson into an empty net.

The Devils (30-24-7) are one point behind the eighth-place Pittsburgh Penguins, who hold three games in hand.

"The players, after the game in Washington, were disappointed in our how attitude was in how we defended that lead," Devils coach John Hynes said. "Tonight, I think it was good we were back in a situation where we had a lead. I thought we didn't sit on it. We were aggressive on the puck. We didn't just defend. They adjusted, did a very good job and that's why we won the game."

The outcome may have been different if not for an amazing save by Devils goaltender Cory Schneider with the score 2-2 in the second period.

Rangers center Derick Brassard had a shot blocked, but the puck caromed across to the ice to a wide-open left winger J.T. Miller. With the net almost entirely unguarded, Hayes snapped a quick, hard shot, but Schneider lunged to make the stop with his right arm fully extended.

A few minutes later, Stempniak scored the game-winner.

"It's a huge save," Stempniak said. "Cory was great for us. Breakaways, 2-on-1s, he made some huge stops. That one was spectacular. It makes you shake your head in disbelief."

"Sometimes you just reach and hope," said Schneider, who stopped 17 shots. "I got a good piece of it. It was good, because we just tied it up."

The Rangers (34-20-6) carried the play early in the first period but fell behind 1-0 at the 4:47 mark when right winger Tyler Kennedy deflected home his second goal of the season. It didn't take long for the Rangers to respond as centers Kevin Hayes and Dominic Moore scored less than a minute apart to make it 2-1.

After that, the Devils ran the show.

Right winger Kyle Palmeiri made it 2-2 midway through the second period with a power-play goal and Stempniak put the Devils on top with 1:54 remaining in the off a feed from left winger Joseph Blandisi, who had two assists.

"Every time we come into this building, the one thing that group over there does is work extremely hard,'' Rangers center Derek Stepan said. "The momentum swings here are based on work and they outworked us in the second."

Any chance for a comeback was diminished greatly as the Rangers opened the third period down a man for five minutes when Miller was ejected for violating rule 46.15 by engaging in a fight with tape below his wrist and cutting Kalinin. Forty seconds after the penalty expired, Brassard was called for tripping, essentially leaving the Rangers down a man for the first seven minutes of the third period.

"We knew we had to kill that first five and I thought we did a heck of a job on that kill," Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi said. "We just couldn't find a way to get that tying goal."

NOTES: Devils LW Joseph Blandisi was called for embellishment for the second time in four games. ... New Jersey D Damon Severson returned to the lineup, replacing D Seth Helgeson. ... The Devils also scratched LW Bobby Farnham and D Eric Gelinas. ... Rangers D Ryan McDonagh (jaw/neck) is working out, but he missed his second straight game. Coach Alain Vigneault believes McDonagh is close to returning. ... New York D Marc Staal (lower body) did not play. He was replaced by D Brady Skjei, who was recalled from the AHL earlier in the day. Vigneault expects Staal to be back soon.