Confusious Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 The New York Rangers finished behind the New Jersey Devils in the Atlantic Division standings last season, but when the teams met head-to-head, it was the Rangers who dominated their bitter rivals.New Jersey's luck wasn't any better against New York in the first round of the playoffs. The teams will square off Monday at Madison Square Garden for the first time since a five-game series last spring that, like most of their recent meetings, was owned by the Rangers. New York (4-0-0) earned 15 of 16 possible points against New Jersey in 2007-08, going 7-0-1 and outscoring the Devils 17-9 in a series that hinged on the fantastic play of Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers' 26-year-old goaltender was in net for all eight games, posting two shutouts and a 1.09 goals-against average. Lundqvist wasn't quite as sharp against the Devils in the postseason, but he was still good enough to help New York advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals. He had a 2.36 GAA as the Rangers eliminated New Jersey in five games, and provided the series' signature moment. With New York up 4-3 late in the third period of Game 5, Lundqvist denied Devils forward John Madden on a penalty shot, and the Rangers went on to win 5-3. "That's what makes him special," then-New York forward Jaromir Jagr, now playing in Russia, said after the series. "In the key situations, he comes up big." Lundqvist has helped the Rangers - trying to start 5-0-0 for the first time since 1983-84 - continue their fast start with some more stellar play. He's been in net for three of the team's wins, posting a 1.33 GAA and a .944 save percentage. In the team's most recent game, however, New York showed it has more than just Lundqvist to frustrate opposing offenses. Backup Stephen Valiquette has only 10 career wins to his credit, but five of those have come against Philadelphia, including the Rangers' 4-3 win on Saturday. Valiquette was given four first-period goals to work with, including offseason acquisition Nikolai Zherdev's second of the season. "We've won every way," said Rangers center Scott Gomez, who spent his first seven seasons with the Devils. "We've won with special teams. We've won on the road. We've held the lead. We've come from behind. We're learning how to win." Gomez had three goals and an assist against his former team in the playoffs. The Rangers have lived and died with the play of Lundqvist for the past four years, but New Jersey (2-0-0) has relied on Martin Brodeur for the better part of two decades. The future Hall of Famer has won 135 games the past three seasons - no one else has won more than 121 - and he's 2-0 thus far in 2008-09. Brodeur has conceded just two goals overall, and limited Pittsburgh's high-powered offense to one in 64:18 on Saturday in the Devils' 2-1 overtime win. "It was like one of those games when I first came into the league, not a lot of shots and not a lot of goals," Brodeur said. Despite going 1-4-3 against the Rangers in the regular season in 2007-08, Brodeur had a 1.96 GAA. In his career versus New York, Brodeur is 39-19-4 with 15 ties and a 2.06 GAA. While Brodeur has been his usual self in net, the Devils are again struggling to score. New Jersey needed a deflection off a Penguin defender's skate to force overtime on Saturday, and has just four goals on 78 shots this season. It had 49 shots against Pittsburgh. "When you get that many shots, you could get discouraged but we didn't," said forward Brian Rolston. The Devils have won just once in regulation in their last nine trips to Madison Square Garden. I was 2-0 for GDT threads for the preseason, let's see if I can carry this perfect team to 3-0 and go 3-0 myself. GO DEVILS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowutopia Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 (edited) LET'S GO DEVILS! Edited October 13, 2008 by Cowutopia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangerfans Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Good luck guys! Should be a great game! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theamazingtiny Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Read All About it Tomorrow... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglejelly Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 LETS GO DEVILS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msweet Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 GO DEVILS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revan Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 (edited) Beat the whores tonight!!! I've been waiting for this game for 6 months. That's SIX months! GO GET 'EM DEVIS!!! Edited October 13, 2008 by Revan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmigliore Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Lets get some revenge on these bitches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adavid Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Make it so Devils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestevens Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Let's go Devils! Let's hang up the rags for their first of many defeats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils01 Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 LETS GOOO DEVILSS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevilMinder Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Crush em! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aLowDrudge Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 I'm actaully glad that the first reg season meeting is at MSG, it's going to make it that much better. GO DEVILS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimaira_Devil_#9 Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Wish i was watching tonight, but alas i have entered the real world (im not a student anymore) and have a proper job i have to be up for at 6 am (Games finnish at 3-4 am). So GO DEVS. Give me something to watch on my lunch break tomorrow, and to read about on the train into work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyBacks Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 LET'S GO DEVILS!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95Crash Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Score first, score last, and score often. Silence the Hen-rik chants. GO DEVILS!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSkirt Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Please just score more than 2. In regulation ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prucenterrules Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Revenge time. And as was said above we I want them to score more than 2 goals. I want to blow them out. Let's Go Devils!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSC Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Revenge part 1. Let's fvcking go!!! :ECW: LET'S GO DEVILS!!!! :gd: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatansDevils Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 LETS GO DEVILS!!! It's time the Devils take it to these chumps! Last season was a fluke and this season the Devils need to get back to their dominance of the Rangers the 12 plus seasons before last season. beat up on the Rangers any chance they can get. Time to crush this over rated team. Looking to go to MSG tonight for the game as there are plenty of tickets available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelastonealive Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 I'm going to predict a 2-1 victory. Y'know, coz patterns are fun. Parise & Elias FTW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brodeurrocks Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Ahhh....in HD! ....Let's break out and score 4 tonight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxchaznjxx Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 hopefully the boys come out with some fire tonight. i could definitely see two or three fights in the first period. i think it's important to set a physical tone against the rags. getting the first goal tonight would be nice too. LET'S GO DEVILS!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westcoastdevfan Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 HEY KOOL-AID! BURN THE RAGS! LETS GO DEVILS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devil Dan 56 Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Lets do it Devils! With both teams undefeated, I really think this is going to be like a playoff game. NO ONE wants to lose their first game to their rival. Definitely gonna be tight, and the Devils will be ready to get some revenge for last year. I mean, all but 3 of them were there for the playoffs last year, and of those, Holik and Rolston have been through this before... Devils - 3 (Zajac, Rolston, Gio) Rags - 1 (Zherdev, so the fans can continue their lovefest with him before he gets good and lazy next month.) LETS GO DEVILS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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