After a set of 5-1 and 5-0 beatings in December, the New Jersey Devils have a chance to win a third game over Our Hated Rivals, the New York Rangers. That said, neither team has been doing well going into this one. Learn more in this game preview.
Our Favorite Team ends their road trip on an infamous island east of the Hudson: Manhattan. It is a prime time to build on their previous win. It is always a prime time to make a hated rival feel the pain of the truth.
The Time: 7:00 PM ET
The Broadcast: TV: MSGSN; Audio: Devils Hockey Radio
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils at Our Hated Rivals, the New York Rangers
The Last Devils Game: The Devils went up to Seattle on Monday night to close out the West Coast part of their trip. It would be their penultimate chance to get at least one win on the trip. A slumping Devils needed some things to go their way. They would get that when Dawson Mercer swooped in on a rebound and rounded Philipp Grubauer for the game’s opening goal. Seattle would answer back later in the first period when Adam Larsson’s shot beat screens and Jacob Markstrom to make it 1-1. The score held until the final minute of the second. A Jonathan Kovacevic dump-in was tipped into the corner by Mercer. Paul Cotter was first to the puck off the endboards and slid it through Grubauer’s legs for a 2-1 lead. The lead did not last long as Jonas Siegenthaler was given a cross-checking penalty with eight seconds left in the second with a bizarre fighting major given to Brett Pesce, who did not drop the gloves. The penalty kill carried over into the third period and Shane Wright buried a feed to above the crease to tie it up. The Devils did have an answer for that. Ondrej Palat one-timed a pass from The Big Deal in the slot on a rush play to make it 3-2. Then it was all about Markstrom, who made absolutely and dumbfoundingly amazing saves to keep the score at 3-2. The whole game was a track meet and the Devils recent run of giving up rush plays and high danger chances continued. This time, Markstrom bailed them out all of the way. The Devils won their first game on the trip, 3-2. Read more about it in Jackson’s recap.
The Last Game of Our Hated Rivals: Our Hated Rivals hosted Dallas on Tuesday night. Fresh off a win over Chicago, the Rangers got off to a very strong start. New York went up 3-0 within the first twelve minutes. Alexis Lafreniere was set up twice by Artemi Panarin for the first and third goals. Vincent Trocheck tipped in a Will Borgen shot in between those two. Big names, big goals, and a big lead. Which did not last very long. Matt Duchene deflected in an Esa Lindell shot to get the Stars on the board over a minute-and-a-half after Lafreniere’s second goal. Braden Schneider held up Logan Stankoven shortly thereafter, which was punished by Evgenii Dadonov. The game was 3-2 going into the second period; not ideal given that it was 3-0 with eight minutes to go. Would the Rangers blow it? Yeah. Jason Robertson finished a backhander to tie it up in the second period. The Stars gave the Rangers a chance. Thomas Harley cleared a puck over the glass with 7:40 left in regulation. Trocheck tipped in a Mika Zibanejad shot with 6:04 left. With 2:52 left, K’Andre Miller picked up a seemingly routine dump-in from Dallas. Then Sam Steel came in the forecheck, denied Miller’s D-to-D pass, and battled hard to win that puck. Steel got the puck out of the corner to Harley in the left circle. Harley redeemed his penalty by torching Jonathan Quick with 2:39 to go. Overtime was needed and it became a problem for the Rangers as Panarin was caught hooking Wyatt Johnston. The Stars took their time but converted it when Jamie Benn one-touched a feed from Robertson at the top of the crease to win it for Dallas. The Rangers lost 5-4 in OT. Remember, it was 3-0 New York twelve minutes into the game. A lesson to learn: John Cena is Actually Correct when he says Never Give Up.
The Last Devils Game Against Our Hated Rivals: It was Festivus. Christmas Eve’s Eve. A rare Monday matinee. And I could summarize the whole thing goal-by-goal as I just did. Instead, I’ll just tell you to play this in the background as you read the next few sentences. The game featured: The Big Deal putting up a brace, providing an assist, and yielding a smile when the arena showed Kaapo Kakko’s draft selection. Jack Hughes is a Rangers Nightmare (along with Chris Drury’s “approach” to man management) with 26 points in 22 games against them. The Devils went 3-for-4 on the power play and put up 11 shots on net between their power play and penalty kill. Our Hated Rivals had 12 shots total in the game and Markstrom got all of them. The People Who Matter at the Rock were chanting “Igor” to mock Quick, who was pretty much hung out there as the Rangers were not terribly interested in defending the neutral zone that afternoon. The only thing Our Hated Rivals out-did the Devils did was in taking too many men on the ice penalties. Instagram Hockey rules and this game was an absolute delight. Read Chris’ recap of the 5-0 win and reminisce.
The Goal: Slow it down – or at least pinch less. The utterly glorious 5-0 win over the Rangers was back when the Devils were on a torrid defensive run of keeping opponents to 20 shots or fewer. Since returning from Christmas, the shot count has gone up and so have the high-danger and rushes against. Markstrom was brilliant in Seattle, making some saves no goalie should be expected to. But giving up 3-on-1s, 2-on-1s, flash plays where an attacker gets inside presence, etc. and expecting that to continue is asking for more losses and frustration. Asking the Devils to go back to that would be ridiculous as that was something not even the 1995 Devils did. There is a middle ground. I think the first step to do that is to slow the game down a bit. Which can be done tonight. New York is not a fast team. They certainly cannot manage games well since they just botched a 3-0 lead on home ice to Dallas. The Devils can afford to be more methodical to avoid backbreaking counter-attack rushes. They can also afford to pinch in less. The Devils may not be scoring as many goals as we would like, but I do not think the solution is to have defensemen not named Luke Hughes or Dougie Hamilton to pinch in as a fourth attacker. Again, against a struggling team like the Rangers, this is a good night to be a little less aggressive in terms of numbers in the offensive zone and in terms of pace. The Devils forwards are more than capable at getting in close for shots. Having players back will cut back on the rushes against and should make defending less of a rollercoaster like it was in Seattle and in other games since the glorious win over the Rangers.
It Can Always Get Worse: The Devils have slumped since beating the Rangers as they have been 2-4-0 in their last six games. They were shutout by Los Angeles, got a point ripped away in the last minute in San Jose by Cody Ceci of all players, and had a myriad of bizarre refereeing decisions. The good news is that the Devils have done so well this season that they can afford a four-game losing streak and not have it ruin their season. Unlike a certain organization that put out the call for trades after one (1) bad loss to Edmonton back in November.
What have Our Hated Rivals done since December 23? They went 2-3-1 so by record, they have been in better form than the Devils. However, their run was a 6-2 loss in Tampa Bay, a 5-3 loss in Florida, a 2-1 Jonathan Quick-led edging of Boston in MSG, a 7-4 loss in Washington D.C., a 6-2 win over a hapless Chicago squad, and the recent choke to Dallas at MSG, 5-4 in OT. Not exactly encouraging for any team. It is actually a bit worse than that. Igor Shesterkin picked up an upper body injury after the Florida game and has recently returned to practice. He might play tonight. Chris Kreider, who apparently has been struggling with back issues, was hurt in the win over Chicago and has been placed on IR. He will not play tonight. Filip Chytil left the Dallas game early and his status is unknown. Oh, as an echo of Kaapo Kakko’s departure, defenseman Zac Jones has been told he can seek out a trade after being scratched for six straight games. For the record, that’s a 2-3-1 record with three players injured with only one may be returning and a defenseman being told he can move on. Harsh.
At least they have Matt Rempe back from suspension and Hartford, but even the biggest supporter of the Millennial Nick Fotiu would admit that is a downgrade given Kreider’s placement on IR made it happen. Those expecting nonsense from Rempe tonight may be let down. Rempe has at least acknowledged that he’s got the NHL’s attention after his eight-game suspension for a hit from behind to the back of Miro Heiskanen’s head. He might have to learn how to play hockey to stay in this league.
Still, the Rangers’ season since the last beating by the Devils has not been all that much better and far from where they expected to be for this season. Even those in October would be shocked to learn that they were edging out their other hated rivals in the Islanders to avoid last in the division to start 2025. And, again, it can always get worse. The Devils can provide some more pain tonight.
Statistically…: Over the course of the season, it is not going to surprise you that the good team – the Devils – is better than the bad team – the Rangers – in the numbers this season per Natural Stat Trick. The Rangers are under 50% across the board in 5-on-5. The Devils are above it. Both teams have scored and allowed fewer goals than the expected goals model but only the Devils are scoring both – actual and expected – at a positive rate while the Rangers have been outscored. The Rangers do have a power play with some potency but the Devils lead the league in xGF/60 by far. The Rangers’ penalty kill has been leaky, with the Devils scoring 5 of the 22 power play goals they have been allowed this season. Over the season, the Devils are understandably the superior team. What about since the last time these two met?
Well, this is where the Rangers can have some hope as the Devils have slumped. The Devils have scored one (1) power play goal in their last six games. Granted, they somehow received no power plays in two of those six games (the win against Carolina, the win against Seattle). If there is a time for the Rangers to not concede multiple power play goals to the Devils this season, then it is now. In theory. It will not be a simple task for the Blueshirts as the Rangers have conceded six power play goals over their last six games. While those were two-spots in three games; they still hurt their cause. And with marked-man Rempe in the lineup, I doubt the whistles will be put away.
The Rangers’ own power play may not get too excited for this match up. They are down Kreider and Chytil. Plus, the Devils have conceded just two power play goals in their last six games too: one in the loss to Carolina and one in the win over Seattle. The Rangers’ own power play has been Devils-like with just two power play goals in their last six games. And they did not win either game: the OT loss to Dallas and the loss in Florida.
If I were to bet on which side’s special teams may prevail, then I would lean towards the Devils. Not only has their PK been very solid but their power play – when they get one – can at least force the other team to play defense. The Rangers’ PK has not been as strong and that could make a difference if or when the Devils get man advantages. Even so, the recent results of both teams strongly point to winning the 5-on-5 battle to winning the game.
There, the Rangers have feel more confident. They have generated more attempts, more shots, and even 3.59 goals per 60 minutes in 5-on-5 play since December 25. They have been above 50% across the board in 5-on-5. Which makes their 2-3-1 record more surprising. It also may not last as roster attrition takes hold. Again, Kreider is not going to be a part of this. Chytil is not going to be a part of this. And Matt Rempe is not going to be adding much of any of anything to this. This is all the more reason for the Devils to tighten up their own play, even if it means being less aggressive in their own attacks. This is a Rangers team that can perform well in the run of play based on their last six games. If the Devils repeat what they did in Seattle, then this could be a long night. If they can play more like they did in their other two meetings against the Rangers, then this could be one more area where the Devils can prevail. Of course, as with all discussions involving the Devils and the game, one question looms: can they score?
I think they can. Even amid this six-game run, the goaltenders have not helped the Rangers very much. The team save percentage of 88.89% from those six games should not scare anyone and Quick just gave up five goals to Dallas on Tuesday; a game that he had a three-goal lead to work with. He is capable of giving up five more goals to the Devils, just as he did on December 23. Even if Igor Shesterkin returns after missing the last four games, there is no mystique to him. The Devils put five past him on December 2. He has had some rough moments since then. He is not in form. The Devils’ goal production will continue to lean heavily on the Big Deal’s line, Hischier’s line, and the power play. Seeing Cotter get goals in recent games is a nice salve for a bottom six that has given next-to-nothing on the scoreboard. If that can change (or Cotter just gets hotter), the Devils’ offense becomes that much more difficult to defend against. Then again, most of those ten goals against the Rangers came from those same three sources and the Rangers clearly did not defend well against that either.
Jacob Markstrom will likely start for the Devils and he is coming off a night with some incredible saves against Seattle. He’s certainly the more trustworthy netminder among the two squads at the moment. That said, goals like the one he allowed to Ceci should give one pause before anointing him as anything. He’s been good enough overall and good enough is, well, good enough.
Statistically, this should not be seen as on-paper beatdown win by the Devils. It will likely be more closely played given the Devils’ recent slump and the Rangers’ continued struggles.
But Rempe! You Must Write About Rempe!: Fine.
Matt Rempe is not good at hockey and the Devils would be really smart about not starting something with him. Or the rest of the Rangers. Rempe was suspended for the previous Devils-Rangers game and the Rangers still started fights as Lafreniere was throwing Trouba-style elbows. They did not win those either. Given how somewhat-porous the New York PK has been, it would be to the Devils advantage to let them be stupid. With Rempe in the lineup, seeing Kurtis MacDermid is close to a lock even if he did not play in either of the two previous games against Our Hated Rivals. Although it could be argued that he did not play in the last few games he dressed in. The same message applies: don’t get suckered into doing dumb stuff. If Rempe is smart, he may heed his own words and not do the thing(s) that will see him miss 20 games in this league.
Expected Lineups: For the Devils, Catherine Bogart’s report of the team’s workflow on X that the Devils were largely sticking with the same lineup that they used against Seattle. This meant Justin Dowling was centering Paul Cotter and Dawson Mercer on the third line. Tomas Tatar and Kurtis MacDermid were rotating as fourth line left wings next to Curtis Lazar. As per the previous section, I would not be shocked to see MacDermid play.
Colin Stephenson on Newsday reported on X a set of jersey numbers for the Rangers’ practice. Using the official website of Our Hated Rivals.
Panarin-Trocheck-Lafreniere
Cuylle-Zibanejad-Smith
Berard-Kaliyev-Brodzinski
Edstrom-Carrick-Vesey/Rempe
Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Borgen
Vaakaninen-Schneider
Arthur Kaliyev was picked up on waivers from Los Angeles earlier this week. He can shoot but his off the puck play left a lot to be desired with the Kings. A change of scenery may help and the Rangers can afford to take some risks on some guys. It looks like this will be his Rangers debut.
As for the rest of the roster, on paper, the Devils have to keep the top two lines in check, be wary when Fox is out there as he is an excellent defenseman in all three zones, and pick on the depth guys repeatedly. I am looking at this and I am not sure who is so good on that back half of the defense that Zac Jones cannot get into the lineup. I am also not sure where the speed is in this lineup. While the game is at the World’s Most Overrated Arena, Sheldon Keefe and his staff would be wise to prey upon any icings or stoppages where the Rangers have to give that bottom six or that bottom pairing some minutes.
For goaltending, again, I would expect Markstrom for New Jersey and a toss-up for them. The Devils, again, dropped five each on Quick and Shesterkin. They should remember that heading into this one.
A Fun Fact: Jack Hughes is the Big Deal for the Rangers to defend against what with his 26 points in 22 games against them. Here is a fun fact: Jesper Bratt has 18 points in 23 career games against Our Hated Rivals. Nico Hischier has 17 in 23 career games. All three will get plenty of minutes tonight. Enjoy, Peter Laviolette!
One Final Thought: An ugly win against this team is always superior to a beautiful loss. Make it happen and continue to bury the slump ahead of challenging competition coming up (Tampa Bay, Florida, Toronto). Please continue posting up that Instagram Hockey.
Your Take: The Devils have a real chance to put a third win on the board against Our Hated Rivals this season. I hope they do. What do you think about this specific matchup? Will the Devils continue to pour on the misery? Will this game be a tougher, closer game than the previous two? What should the Devils do to cut back on giving so up so many rush plays? Who will win? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about this rivalry game in the comments. Thank you for reading.