Schneider got that chance and made 34 saves in a 5-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference First Round on Monday, helping the Devils get within 2-1 in the best-of-7 series.

NEWARK, N.J. -- The only thing Cory Schneider could do was wait for a chance to wipe the slate clean and help the New Jersey Devils if the goaltender was called upon in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

He will start again in Game 4 on Wednesday, when New Jersey hosts Tampa Bay (7:30 p.m. ET; GOLF, SN, TVAS2, MSG+, SUN).

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"Your job in these situations is to come in and win, so I haven't tried to veer from what I've been doing," Schneider said Tuesday, following his first win since Dec. 27. "It hasn't gone my way recently for a number of reasons that we don't have to get into, but I'm trying to use the playoffs as a fresh start, a new season, and [it] doesn't matter what happened before, because if you carry that into the playoffs, it does you no good.

"I'm excited to play, get the opportunity to have a big spot and hopefully rise to the challenge."

The 32-year-old took a maintenance day Tuesday and deemed himself ready to start consecutive games for the first time since Jan. 22-23. Schneider missed 16 games with a groin/hip injury, and had gone 0-10-2 with a 4.04 goals-against average and .863 save percentage in 12 games prior to the playoffs.

Coach John Hynes made the switch to Schneider for Game 3 after Kinkaid struggled in consecutive losses. Kinkaid, who went 7-0-1 with a 2.25 GAA and .931 save percentage in eight straight starts to end the regular season and help the Devils qualify for the playoffs, has a 5.87 goals-against average and .804 save percentage in the two playoff games.

Video: TBL@NJD, Gm3: Schneider denies multiple shots on goal

"It wasn't a gamble to start [Schneider]; it was just a coaching decision," Hynes said. "There wasn't an opening when Keith was playing extremely well down the stretch. It wasn't that we didn't want to play Cory, but that every game mattered and Keith was playing at an exceptionally high level, making all kinds of saves and getting puck luck. We were going to go with Keith, and Cory respected that, understood it.

"Cory still worked hard, looked good in practice, and you could tell he was itching to play."

Schneider stopped all 10 shots he faced when he entered Game 2 in relief of Kinkaid at 13:12 of the second period of a 5-3 loss Saturday.

"Cory deserved a chance," Hynes said. "It was nice to see him play the way he did because of how well he handled the situation of not playing. He handled practice time, and off-ice time and he had his mindset the right way, and that's why he's a true pro."

Devils forward Kyle Palmieri said, "We had confidence in [Schneider] even when he was going through his tough stretch. He played great last night and he gave us a chance to win. It's good to see that kind of effort and the result for him."

Schneider, who made his first playoff start since May 7, 2013, when he made 43 saves for the Vancouver Canucks in a 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks, said it didn't take long for him to find his rhythm. He made saves against Ryan McDonagh and Tyler Johnson 9:50 into the third period of Game 3 with the game tied 2-2, and appeared to injure his leg stretching to make a save at the right post.

"It looked worse than it was, but I worked through it and finished the game," Schneider said.