Avery blurs real issue -We have a series

The NHL quickly amended its unsportsmanlike conduct rules today (that’s pretty funny when you consider hockey is the only sport that allows and CONDONES fighting) after the nonsense Sean Avery pulled last night. Yes, Avery’s a guy you LOVE if he’s on your team -and HATE if he isn’t.

Avery spent a good part of the game basically face guarding Martin Brodeur -it looked like a cross between Beauty and The Beast On Ice meets The Karate Kid

Though the strategy did appear to pay off as Avery scored the Rangers’ 2nd goal last night -it detracts from this: The Devils outworked the Rangers last night-forced the Blueshirts into taking stupid penalties, and kept the puck in the Rangers zone most of the 6 minutes of Overtime -so much so that the the Rangers were gassed at game’s end. Yes, John Madden’s shot deflected off Mark Staal and past Henrik Lundquist to finish Game 3. But you create your own breaks-and that’s what New Jersey did. Rangers still lead the series, but the Devils have some life-and hockey gets some much need pub on sports radio.

WATCH RANGERS-DEVILS POST-GAME INTERVIEWS AFTER THE JUMP...

So now Tim from Northport and all the other Rangers fans in My Blue Heaven can wonder-did Avery stir up the Devils? Yes, and no. Yes, because they-and the league-will keep an eye on Avery and try to contain his antics. No, because you don’t want a stupid penalty on one of your players that takes you out of the series.

I still like my pick of Rangers on six-but things are a whole lot more interesting.

CLICK HERE TO READ STEVE ZIPAY’S NEWSDAY COLUMN ON THE GAME AND VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE NHL’S REACTION TO STEVE AVERY

WATCH RANGERS-DEVILS POST-GAME INTERVIEWS: