The Hudson River Rivalry is back on the schedule in a way the Devils could actually use: often.
New Jersey and the Rangers meet Thursday at 7 p.m. at Prudential Center, the first of four matchups this season with two games in each building. That is a different feel from last year, when the clubs saw each other only three times and all three came in March, long after both teams had slipped out of playoff contention.
For the Devils, the rivalry still carries the kind of edge that changes the building the moment the puck drops. Captain Nico Hischier has lived plenty of it already, including the seven-game first-round series in the 2023 playoffs that New Jersey won.
“The Rangers rivalry is always fun. I loved it since the beginning,” Hischier said.
“My very first Rangers-Devils game, and obviously saw them once in playoff, which was really fun. So, it's just always fun games, very intense games, and you just, from the stands, you feel the emotions, you feel the fans, the tension, and that's why it makes it so fun.”
Jack Hughes, another veteran of these matchups, is glad the calendar is giving the teams more runway this year.
“It'll be very fun,” Jack Hughes said. “I think we didn't play them until March last year, so I think we have them four times in the first two months this season. And it's a great rivalry, and we're excited to play them.”
Connor Brown only got his first taste of Devils-Rangers hockey last season, but he came away understanding why these games feel different. He has seen rivalry hockey before from his time with Edmonton against Calgary, and he sees the same kind of extra juice here.
“It's always really fun to have a team that is a rival,” Brown said, “and especially in a long and grueling season to kind of have some of those games circled and for the fans to get extra excited for and for the boys to get extra up for. And it was fun to be a part of, so I'm looking forward to those games continuing.”
Brown also had a front-row view of one of the season’s loudest Devils moments in the rivalry. In the lone game at Prudential Center last season, Hughes erupted for a hat trick and a four-point night in a 6-3 win on March 7.
“I think that was probably one of my favorite games as a Devil so far, is when Jack had a hat trick in that game against the Rangers,” Brown said. “You can just feel the energy in the building was through the roof, and it was exciting to be a part of.”
Defenseman Brett Pesce grew up in Terrytown, New York, so the rivalry was already part of the picture before he got to New Jersey. Even so, he says nothing quite matches the reality of it once the games start.
“The Devils-Rangers rivalry is kind of hard to explain. It's awesome,” Pesce said.
“I never really experienced that until I got here, and it almost feels like every game versus them is just an instant game seven playoff game. It doesn't matter what time of the season it is, and it just makes the game special to play.”
In Other News...
Devils Escape Needed Win But Keefe Still Has A Problem To Solve
The Devils got the result they needed against Detroit, but it came with a familiar hint of frustration. New Jersey controlled the shot count for long stretches and still had to sweat out a one-goal game into overtime before Jack Hughes finally finished it off, lifting the club to a 3-3 record and giving the room a much-needed boost after a shaky start.
Sheldon Keefe can at least point to the positives, from the pressure the Devils generated to the way several players contributed in key moments. But the lineup picture is still not settled, and the coaching staff had to adjust on the fly with Luke Evangelista out because of an illness, which only adds another layer to the decisions ahead as the schedule moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Still Have A 5 On 5 Problem They Didn't Expect
Through six games, the Devils have settled into a 3-3 start, but the bigger concern has been what is happening at five-on-five. The puck movement and overall chances have been there, and the underlying numbers point to a team creating more than it is giving up, yet the goals have not followed at the rate New Jersey expected.
That mismatch has left the coaching staff looking for small fixes rather than sweeping changes. One possibility is a modest line tweak to give the offense a different look and, perhaps, a little more finishing touch at even strength, which is the kind of adjustment a team usually tries before the frustration starts to linger. [Read more 🡒]