Devils to play Rangers in 1st round of Stanley Cup Playoffs
Will meet for 1st time since 2012; New York has won 4 of previous 6 series
The Devils (52-22-8) will have home-ice advantage in the best-of-7 series for finishing second in the Metropolitan Division. The Rangers (47-22-13) finished third.
Game 1 will be at Prudential Center in New Jersey on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; TBS, SN360, TVAS2).
New Jersey won three of the four games against New York this season, winning the season series for the first time since 2017-18.
"I think everyone has expected us to play the Rangers for the past six weeks or so, so here we are and we're excited to get started," Devils forward Erik Haula said. "It's going to be exciting for everybody. It's going to be crazy in both buildings. We're close by. There's a lot on the line, and it's going to be entertaining hockey and for sure is going to be a good battle."
Jack Hughes led the Devils against the Rangers with six points (four goals, two assists), and Dawson Mercer and Nico Hischier each had four points (one goal, three assists). Vitek Vanecek started each of the four games, going 3-0-1 with a 2.70 goals-against average and .908 save percentage.
K'Andre Miller had five assists, and Chris Kreider (three goals, one assist), and Mika Zibanejad (one goal, three assists) each had four points. Igor Shesterkin was 1-2-1 with a 3.23 GAA and .907 save percentage, starting each of the four games.
"I think the crowd and the history with the fans and everything, in terms of that, it adds to it as well," Zibanejad said. "Obviously, it's a team that we've been following a bit. Far away from them in the standings and then got closer, had some tough games against them. It's going to be exciting."
The teams have played six series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with the Rangers winning four of them. New Jersey won the most recent, a six-game victory in the 2012 Eastern Conference Final.
"They're always dangerous," Haula said. "They're never out of the game. Their power play is one of the best in the League. They have an all-time goaltender. There's a lot of good there -- all four lines. It's going to be a great battle."
The Rangers lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final last season; the Devils last made the postseason in 2018.
"This is what you play for," Rangers defenseman Adam Fox said. "The playoffs, we got that taste of it, got pretty close last year and it made us hungry for it this year. We got pretty far last year. We want to take that a step further this year. But we can't look too far ahead. It starts with Game 1."
The Devils are led by Hughes, who set the Devils/Colorado Rockies/Kansas City Scouts single-season points record (99; 43 goals, 56 assists). Hischier had 80 points (31 goals, 49 assists, Dougie Hamilton had 74 (22 goals, 52 assists) and Jesper Bratt had 73 (32 goals, 41 assists).
Vanecek is among the NHL leaders with 33 wins (33-11-4, 2.45 GAA, .911 save percentage, three shutouts) in 52 games (48 starts). Mackenzie Blackwood (10-6-2, 3.20 GAA, .893 save percentage in 22 games) and Akira Schmid (9-5-2, 2.13 GAA, .922 save percentage, one shutout in 18 games) have also started for New Jersey this season.
"Well, we're going to play a good team with a lot of experience and a great goaltender. So, we know we've got our hands full," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. "We'll talk about what to expect, but it's an opportunity that you can't take for granted will be the message. You always think if you get this opportunity, well, it will be year after year, but that doesn't all the time. So, let's just seize the moment, let's focus in on this next series and be ready to go."
The Rangers are led by Artemi Panarin (92 points; 29 goals, 63 assists), Zibanejad (91 points; 39 goals, 52 assists) and Fox (72 points, 12 goals, 60 assists).
Shesterkin was 37-13-8 with a 2.48 GAA, .916 save percentage and three shutouts in 58 games this season. Backup Jaroslav Halak was 10-9-5 with a 2.72 GAA, .903 save percentage and one shutout in 25 games (24 starts).
New Jersey has won the Stanley Cup three times, last doing so in 2003. New York has won the Cup four times, most recently in 1994.
"We played them four times this year and they won three out of the four," Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. "Good hockey games, close hockey games all of them. They present a challenge. They're a talented team. They can score goals. Again, they're a young team but they're a skilled team and they can create a lot. Some of their guys took big steps like our young guys this year. I think it's going to be a great series."
NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen and staff writer Tom Gulitti contributed to this report
