NEWARK, N.J. -- One of those sayings we hear a lot this time of year is that the toughest game of a playoff series to win is the last one. It seems to be one of the more accepted clichés in hockey, especially playoff hockey.

For some reason that game, which is played on the same ice and with the same teams in the same amount of time is tougher. That's the common-held belief. Yet not everybody, not even on the team trying to finish off the series tonight in Newark can agree.

You have Ryan Carter, the Devils forward who scored the game-winning goal in Game 5 with a couple of minutes to go to put the Devils into this spot. He's on the side that thinks the close-game is tougher for sure.

"I think it's probably one of the harder games to win, you know the other team is going to bring their A game," Carter said after Friday's morning skate. "I don't think we approach it any differently other than the fact that we know they're going to bring their A game and we have to match that."

He was joined more or less by Dainius Zubrus, who knows full well that putting a way a team, especially one like the Rangers, isn't easy to do.

"We all know what's at stake, but saying that I think this is going to be their best game because they played really well last game they'll only be better because there's no tomorrow for them," Zubrus said.

"We all know now, and last game proved it, if you sit back, if we let the teams come in, they come back. Anytime you give up space ... they're a very good team. If you give them space they will make you pay for it. No matter what the score is we have to stay aggressive and keep the pressure on them. That's really the only way to win tonight."

The vibe for the most part is that, just like a rabid animal, you back it into a corner and it gets even more ferocious. The Rangers are in that corner right now. That's what can make it tougher to close out a team.

Or you can have coach Pete DeBoer's train of thought.

"I don't think any extra difficulty other than the difficulty you put on yourself, that pressure that you put on yourself," DeBoer said. "I don't really buy into that, that it's the hardest to win.

"I mean, it's the hardest to win because of the pressure you put on yourself to do that. And for us, it's business as usual. We just have to play our game and win a game."

Well that's the common approach. They have to just play their game. At the end of the day that's all you can control (you like that cliché trifecta?). They all know it.

The odd part about it for the Devils is that that is a clear focus for them. Because even though they won Game 5, most everybody was in agreement that the Devils didn't play a great game and the Rangers did. Still, it was New Jersey that won.

Knowing that can really help.

"I think we escaped with one there and we got a little bit of life," Carter said. "The mentality here, we know that we've got to be better. If that game is 6-0 we might sit back a little today. That's not the case. We know they're a good team and they outplayed us and we know we have to respond. I think that's a challenge this team will rise to."

Captain Zach Parise echoed those sentiments. The Devils know they are a bit fortunate to be where they are, with a close-out opportunity on home ice.

"Just try to approach it the same way, just do the same things we've been doing, it's working for us," Parise explained. "Of course there's going to be that excitement of it being an elimination game. We have to get back to our game that we kind of let slip away in Game 5."

They don't want to let it slip away in Game 6 with a Stanley Cup berth within reach. Considering the Rangers' record at Madison Square Garden for Game 7s not only this postseason but all-time, the Devils might feel that added squeeze to end the series Friday night too.

No pressure, guys.

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