You're right, the Rangers did want revenge after last season, but they've gotten the revenge that was available to them by winning on the scoreboard. Admittedly, that's not nearly as good as doing it in the playoffs, but it's all that's been available to them so far. Yes, they've played a physical game with the Devils, but "asserting themselves" meant winning on the scoreboard. Personally, I was hoping the Devils would find a way into the playoffs and we'd see each other again.
I guess I'm saying that the version of asserting themselves we've seen from the Devils is pretty weak, if it even qualifies for that at all.