New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers to meet in Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2012
Battle of the Hudson returns! New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers renew their rivalry in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2012 after Carolina defeats Florida to set up a post-season game
- It will be the seventh time the Devils and Rangers have met in the playoffs
- New Jersey defeated New York in the Conference Final when they last met in 2012
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One of the greatest rivalries in hockey is about to begin on the biggest stage in the sport when the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers go head-to-head in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
With the Carolina Hurricanes winning the Metropolitan Division, the Devils will be the two-seed and have home field advantage against their rivals from across the Hudson River.
The Hurricanes claimed the division title by one point as they defeated the Florida Panthers by a score of 6-4. Meanwhile, the Devils beat the Washington Capitals 5-4 in overtime.
Had the Hurricanes lost while the Devils won, New Jersey would have claimed the Metropolitan Division title and played the New York Islanders in the first round.
This is the first time the Rangers and the Devils have met in a playoff stage since the 2011-2012 season.
The New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers resume their rivalry in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs this season – their first postseason meeting since 2012
The last time these two teams met, Adam Henrique (14) scored this goal off longtime Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals in the 2012 season
Despite their bad blood, there hasn’t been a fight between the two teams all season
That year, the teams met in the Eastern Conference Finals, where an Adam Henrique goal sent the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final – where they would lose to the Los Angeles Kings in six games.
Over the course of their rivalry, the two teams have met six times, including twice in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In first-round matchups, the Rangers won twice in 1992 and 2008, while the Devils swept the Rangers in 2006.
New Jersey is looking for its fourth title in team history and the first in the franchise since 2003. Meanwhile, the Rangers are looking to capture their fifth Stanley Cup – a trophy they haven’t held since 1994.
This season, the Devils have let the Rangers’ number win three of their four matchups. According to hockeyfights.com, there hasn’t been a fight between the two teams all season.