Rangers-Devils playoff series to have faster feel than previous matchup

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Chris Kreider has minimal memories of the 2012 Eastern Conference Final between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils.

Adam Henrique's overtime goal in Game 6 that sent the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final stands out. So does the atmosphere in the buildings, Prudential Center and Madison Square Garden.
But as for specifics, that's where the Rangers forward gets fuzzy. He was two weeks past his 21st birthday the last time the Rangers and Devils met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He had never played an NHL regular-season game.
"I was coming out of college and it was a whirlwind for me, so it's hard to kind of look back on that and appreciate the gravitas of that rivalry at the time," Kreider said. "It's a great rivalry and it'll make for good hockey, competitive hockey, but it's hard for me to look back and really pinpoint certain things because I was just a wide-eyed rookie."
RELATED: [Complete Devils vs. Rangers series coverage]
Kreider now is a savvy veteran who knows exactly what to expect when the Rangers and Devils start their highly anticipated Eastern Conference First Round best-of-7 series with Game 1 at Prudential Center on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; TBS, SN360, TVAS2, MSG2, MSGSN2, MSGSN).
As Kreider noted, this installment of the "Battle of the Hudson" will look different than the previous six (1992, 1994, 1997, 2006, 2008 and 2012).
"It makes me feel like a fossil to say it, but the game has changed," Kreider said.
In the 2012 series, the Rangers and Devils combined to average 4.83 goals per game, which was right on par with the NHL playoff average that year of 4.84.
The Devils scored 3.52 goals per game this season, fifth in the NHL. The Rangers were 12th with 3.33. The NHL average was 6.36. The average in the playoffs last season was 6.31.
The biggest difference in 11 years is noticeable with these two teams: Speed.
"It's going to be up-tempo, fast series," Kreider said. "They skate well. We skate well."

The Devils' team speed will present the biggest challenge to the Rangers, as it did in their four regular-season games, three won by New Jersey.
"They like to build speed through the neutral zone, so the big thing is trying to slow them down," Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren said. "Don't let
[Jack] Hughes
and
[Jesper] Bratt
carry the puck through the neutral zone, build speed and make plays off the rush. Obviously, that's going to happen, they're good players, but you've got to slow them down as much as you can and hit them when you can.
"On the flip side, we've got to make sure we're not turning pucks over, that we're being smart with the puck and not fueling their speed."
Guarding against the Rangers' skill, especially when they use it after generating speed off the rush, is the biggest challenge in New Jersey's game plan.
"They don't need as many shots as other teams do," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. "I think they got some real good shooters when you look at
[Mika] Zibanejad
,
[Artemi] Panarin
,
[Vladimir] Tarasenko
,
[Patrick] Kane
. Their rush game is dangerous. We've got to make sure that we're diligent with our puck decisions. We got to make sure that we're tracking hard and we're taking time and ice away, and those high-end opportunities are at a minimum."
The Devils have to contend with Igor Shesterkin, who won the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the NHL last season and enters the series playing his best this season with 12 wins, a 1.98 goals-against average and .934 save percentage in his past 16 starts.
"I feel good," Shesterkin said.
If there is one decided advantage for the Rangers in this series, it is in goal with Shesterkin because of his award-winning pedigree, performance down the stretch and playoff experience, having gone 10-9 with a 2.59 GAA and .929 save percentage in the playoffs last year.
Devils goalie Vitek Vanecek had a strong season with 33 wins, a 2.45 GAA and .911 save percentage in 52 games (48 starts). But he has played three NHL playoff games, winning one and posting a 4.25 GAA and .855 save percentage.
"We know that he's got his game in a pretty good place," Ruff said. "So, you look at first opportunity, I think what is going to be even more important is trying to get the second opportunity through scrambles, through rebounds, because when he's on his game, a lot of times the first shot doesn't beat him."
Experience could be a factor, and it's heavily on the Rangers' side with their 24 active roster players accounting for a total of 866 NHL playoff games played versus the Devils' 25 players totaling 479, of which Ondrej Palat accounts for 138.
For the Devils, Jack Hughes, Dawson Mercer, Yegor Sharangovich, Michael McLeod, Jesper Boqvist, Kevin Bahl and Luke Hughes have never played an NHL playoff game. Bratt has played one. Damon Severson has four. Nico Hischier and Miles Wood have five.
Every Rangers player expected to play in this series has played at least 16 playoff games.
"Obviously, a lot of our guys haven't been inside a game, so I think the advantage goes to them a little bit right off the bat, because their guys have lived it and have been there," Ruff said. "But we're, for the most part, we're a bunch of rebels ... Young rebels that are ready to go."
But the Rangers know better than to make a big deal out of experience. They were the inexperienced team entering the first round last season against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who were loaded with playoff veterans and Stanley Cup championship rings.
New York defeated Pittsburgh in seven games.
"What did I say last year, do you remember?" Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. "Pittsburgh had more experience. It means nothing. I really believe that. It's who is ready to play for the next two weeks."