(My Sportsbook) - The last time the New Jersey Devils went on a losing streak this long, goaltender Martin Brodeur couldn't do anything about it. Aiming to halt a four-game slide, Brodeur and his team will conclude their regular- season series with the New York Rangers tonight at Madison Square Garden.

It was back on November 8-14 that New Jersey first dropped a season-high four consecutive games. That skid began a week after Brodeur went down with an arm injury that required surgery and kept him out until late February. The future Hall-of Famer won nine of his first 10 starts back and became the NHL's all- time wins leader in the process.

However, since breaking Patrick Roy's record versus Chicago on March 17, Brodeur is just 1-3-1 and has posted a 3.22 goals against average over New Jersey's four-game slide.

The Devils, though, haven't given him much help. Brodeur took the loss on Saturday versus Carolina despite making 46 saves in a 2-1 setback. New Jersey has scored just six goals over its current rut.

Patrik Elias scored the Devils' lone goal against the Hurricanes, as the club had its franchise-record 11-game home win streak come to an end. New Jersey now hits the road, where it has lost four straight and is 21-13-3 on the season.

The Devils remain six points ahead of the Flyers for first place in the Atlantic Division with seven games to play. Philadelphia is idle tonight.

New Jersey has also slipped a point back of Washington for the second spot in the Eastern Conference and trails East-leading Boston by eight points.

New York, meanwhile, has lost two straight and three of its last four games to fall to seventh overall in the East. With 87 points, the Rangers are three back of Pittsburgh and just one ahead of eighth-seeded Montreal. The Florida Panthers are also just two points behind the Blueshirts.

Each of New York's last two losses have come on the road, including a 4-3 setback in Pittsburgh on Saturday. Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan and Nik Antropov each had a goal for the Rangers, while Henrik Lundqvist made 24 stops.

New York has won five of its last six at home and is 23-11-4 as the host this year, but had a five-game series home winning streak over the Devils end with a loss on December 27.

The Rangers were then bested by New Jersey in the Garden State on February 9 for its third straight loss in the series. New York won seven of eight regular-season matchups versus the Devils last year, taking all four meetings at home.

Sean Avery will face the Devils for the first time in a Rangers uniform since last season's first-round playoff meeting, when the agitator parked himself in front of the Devils' net on a power play with his back to the action before waiving his arms and stick in Brodeur's face.

The NHL later changed its rules after that Game 3 matchup to ban such an action.