Rangers - Devils will be a series for the ages

[TBF1972]

Great civil thread between bitter rivals. Gonna be interesting when the games begin. Sidenote: A bunch of recent lottery won draft picks going head-to-head makes for added theater as well. Something I think the NHL hoped for.

the series of draft busts featuring zib, hischier, hughes, kakko and laf.

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

With my team having zero shot at the playoffs, I'm friggin' psyched about the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Leafs v. Lightning AGAIN
Rangers v. Devils

I'm really hoping the Senators make it in because I want to see the war of attrition that comes with their physicality in a playoff series.

It's going to be awesome!

 

[FlameChampion]

One team probably gets swept.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

One team probably gets swept.

It would be the Devil's if this happens..zero chance NYR get swept.

 

[Jersey Girl]

We didn’t seem to have the puck very much when we played New Jersey this year. Hopefully the playoffs will be different.

 

[tomobson]

We didn’t seem to have the puck very much when we played New Jersey this year. Hopefully the playoffs will be different.

One of my favorite things about hockey is how different the playoffs are. A completely different beast and I love it.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Don’t forget to mention NYR’s much better forward group

maybe slightly NJ aint bad them selves. younger too still room to grow.

 

[Zubrus Coffee Maker]

On Paper, i’d say the Rangers have the better roster. Significantly better goaltending, with the forwards and defense being toss ups. Personally i’m a Devils fan so I would obviously hope they win, but it’s going to be a crazy close series. Just gotta hope that Trouba and his elbows will
Allow the best players to play and we can see a true heavyweight bout

 

[IafrateOvie34]

not so far this year it hasnt been.

not that I am writing off Shesterkin, but he hasnt been an elite goalie this year.

Don't mind me I'm an official VV hater.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

As we all saw from last playoffs, the Rangers kid line is good, infact really good. But the Devil's have Dawson Mercer on their 3rd line (who is a gem and one of Tatar or Palat on there too. Palat is a beast in the playoffs who has scored some massive goals for Tampa in their 3 cup runs.

It will be a great series, should have high viewership. Devils will be pumped just to be back in the playoffs again. But I'm


telling you, this Rangers squad is on a mission this year especially after last playoffs success.

So is Boston and Carolina. And I wouldn’t forget about the AVS, if they get healthy.

 

[Eggtimer]

The two lottery wins were part of the fast rebuild. Their contention window just opened last season. Are you saying it is about to be over?
Before this current contention window, the Rangers were a completive, contending team for several seasons. 2012 - 2017, or so.

Rangers window is not as long as people think it is unless Sheshterkin Fox Miller Chytil Kakko Laff are good enough of a core to be true contenders . Panarin Trouba Zin Kieder are all excellent players nut their nest days are behind them.

the series of draft busts featuring zib, hischier, hughes, kakko and laf.

Wait what ? How is a 21 year old C Hughes who is going to put up 100 points a bust ? Or Nico ? Kakko is going to be excellent .

 

[TBF1972]

Wait what ? How is a 21 year old C Hughes who is going to put up 100 points a bust ? Or Nico ? Kakko is going to be excellent .

or zib

all 5 players were named 'busts' in the early stages of their career.

 

[My3Sons]

This series is hardly etched in stone. There are enough games left that one or NJ or the NYR could still potentially pass CAR in the standings.

 

[The New Russian Five]

Rangers window is not as long as people think it is unless Sheshterkin Fox Miller Chytil Kakko Laff are good enough of a core to be true contenders . Panarin Trouba Zin Kieder are all excellent players nut their nest days are behind them.


Wait what ? How is a 21 year old C Hughes who is going to put up 100 points a bust ? Or Nico ? Kakko is going to be excellent .

He's making a joke about how everyone prematurely called all these players busts early in their careers.

 

[Devil made me do it]

Whenever I see a team stack up a bunch of over the hill veterans in the hope of creating a Superteam, I am reminded of the 2010–2011 Devils. That team on paper was scary good, cup contenders even. On paper. They failed to make the playoffs.
This obviously is a different scenario but there have been plenty of examples of teams constructed in such a way that fail badly to meet fueled up expectations.

 

[Devil made me do it]

With all that said, I still think as many do that the Devils vs Rangers rivalry is the biggest in the NHL. They have played each other numerous times in the playoffs, arguably two of the greatest series of all time being the ECFs in 1994 and 2012.
And the hatred runs deep into family bloodlines for geographic reasons.
There simply cannot be a bigger rivalry in the league no matter what some fans of other teams wanna hype up their rivals.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I think the Devils have the slight edge skater wise and I think their strengths match up well with the Rangers weaknesses (some bad defensive forwards vs the best rush team in the league)

Rangers have the best dmen between both teams but the Devils bring more quantity on their blueline.

Rangers big advantages are in net and the fact they have a lot more playoff experience.

I can see this series being a 6-7 game war going in either direction or a total dude 5 game series going either way.

No matter what both buildings are going to be absolutely shaking, rowdy, and I am going to lose years off my life.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Yeah that's the thing really in NJ favor for me. It's probably Rangers worst match-up because of speed difference.

It's going to be interesting what counts for more. Devils match up advantage or the Rangers superior levels of playoff experience.

Plus lots of x factors like whether Igor or Jack Hughes go ham which can really tip the scales either way.

Then you got how it's reffed. You would think if the series is mostly 5 on 5 that favors the Devils and if it becomes a penalty fest it favors the Rangers.

 

[Xirik]

With all that said, I still think as many do that the Devils vs Rangers rivalry is the biggest in the NHL. They have played each other numerous times in the playoffs, arguably two of the greatest series of all time being the ECFs in 1994 and 2012.
And the hatred runs deep into family bloodlines for geographic reasons.
There simply cannot be a bigger rivalry in the league no matter what some fans of other teams wanna hype up their rivals.

Pens/Flyers=dead
battle of Alberta= small blip but probably not going to see each other in the playoffs for awhile
Blackhawks/Canucks= dead
Avs/Blues = Probably dead
Rangers/Devils = Alive and kicking
Caps/Pens=dead

The Atlantic is full of one sided rivalries.

Other then the early 2000s and 2013-2017 the Rangers and Devils have both been competitive or crap at the same time.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

Unless the Rangers can clean up their very sloppy play of late, the Devils will destroy them. Tarasenko and Kane do not address the Rangers' actual problems.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

As we all saw from last playoffs, the Rangers kid line is good, infact really good. But the Devil's have Dawson Mercer on their 3rd line (who is a gem and one of Tatar or Palat on there too. Palat is a beast in the playoffs who has scored some massive goals for Tampa in their 3 cup runs.

Mercer is on our second line with Tatar and Hischier. It's gonna be:

Bratt-Hughes-Meier
Tatar-Nico-Mercer
Palat-Haula-Sharangovich
Wood-McLeod-Bastian

I rather have Boqvist be a regular over Bastian tho.

Unless the Rangers can clean up their very sloppy play of late, the Devils will destroy them. Tarasenko and Kane do not address the Rangers' actual problems.

Kane scares me way more because he's built to play against a team like us with his skating, not sure Tarasenko will keep up with the tempo but I have been wrong before lol

 

[Dijock94]

With all that said, I still think as many do that the Devils vs Rangers rivalry is the biggest in the NHL. They have played each other numerous times in the playoffs, arguably two of the greatest series of all time being the ECFs in 1994 and 2012.
And the hatred runs deep into family bloodlines for geographic reasons.
There simply cannot be a bigger rivalry in the league no matter what some fans of other teams wanna hype up their rivals.

Battle of Alberta, bruins montreal, rangers islanders, Pitt flyers

 

[Xirik]

Battle of Alberta, bruins montreal, rangers islanders, Pitt flyers

Basically dead cause Calgary is on the down swing.

I don't think the Bruins fans really view the Habs as rivals anymore. It's been to long.

Didn't know the Rangers had a rivalry with a team thats been mostly dead for 30 years.

Flyer and the playoffs don't mix.

 

[wintersej]

NJ only one point back from Carolina now.

 

[wintersej]

Basically dead cause Calgary is on the down swing.

I don't think the Bruins fans really view the Habs as rivals anymore. It's been to long.

Didn't know the Rangers had a rivalry with a team thats been mostly dead for 30 years.

Flyer and the playoffs don't mix.

The thing about Bruins/Habs is that the moment they are both good at the same time, it all floods back. Bruins have (in opposite directions) one sided rivalries with Tampa and Toronto right now, but the moment Habs and Bruins are both good again Habs will jump straight to the top.