The first few minutes of the third period in last night’s game against the Devils will make up a small slice of the Rangers’ season, a mere wink in an 82-game slog, but it will long be a memorable wink.

Three mesmerizing goals, each more preposterous than the one before, were registered in quick succession: Jaromir Jagr finishing a beautiful give-and-go; Jagr knuckling a bizarre shot under the crossbar past Martin Brodeur, the befuddled Devils goalie; and Brendan Shanahan soaring through a botched Devils line change, nudging what would be the game-winning goal under Brodeur’s glove.

Over a span of 1 minute 30 seconds, the three goals broke the stranglehold the Devils held for two periods, sending a once-sleepy Madison Square Garden crowd into full roar and sending the Rangers to a 3-2 victory that seemed to count for much more than one check in the victory column.

“I think it’s a turning point in our season because we played a very solid team tonight,” Rangers Coach Tom Renney said. “They have found their game as early as anyone this season and to the letter they played it. I think it could be a watershed game for us.”