New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers (-140, 4.5)
SERIES ODDS: Devils +120, Rangers -140
THE STORY: For being the top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference regular-season standings, the New York Rangers have had an incredibly difficult path to the final four. New York will look to bounce back quickly from its second straight seven-game series as it hosts the New Jersey Devils in the opener of the conference finals Monday night. The Rangers needed a third-period goal from Michael Del Zotto to oust Washington in its second-round matchup, while the Devils disposed of the Philadelphia Flyers in five games.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS, CBC
ABOUT THE DEVILS: New Jersey is playing as well as any team in the Stanley Cup playoffs, using a balanced scoring attack and staunch defense to make quick work of the favored Flyers. At the center of it all is future Hall of Fame netminder Martin Brodeur, who comes into this third-round series as a 40-year-old but is playing as well as he did in his prime. He jokes that, while that may be the case, his method of celebration is more subdued. "We're excited to be still playing hockey this time of year," he said shortly after Tuesday's series-clinching Game 5 victory. "But at 40, I don't jump as high anymore."
ABOUT THE RANGERS: The Broadway Blueshirts had all they could handle from a Capitals team that seemed to block just about any shot the Rangers threw their way. Fortunately, New York knows a thing or two about defense itself - it limited Washington to just four third-period shots in Game 7 as it advanced to the conference finals for the first time since ending a 50-year Stanley Cup drought in 1994. New York facing the rival Devils may provide fodder for beat writers, but coach John Tortorella wants nothing to do with the angle. "You guys can make your stories about Devils-Rangers," he said. "Don't include me in it."
TRENDS:
- Home team is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
- Devils are 2-5 in the last seven meetings in New York.
- Devils are 4-0 in their last four overall.
OVERTIME:
1. Brodeur is 46-29-15 all-time against the Rangers, with a 2.12 goals-against average and nine shutouts in 95 meetings.
2. The teams split six regular-season meetings, with each club earning a shutout victory.
3. History isn't in the Rangers' favor. No team that went to seven games in each of its first two series has won the Stanley Cup since the postseason was expanded in 1968.
SERIES ODDS: Devils +120, Rangers -140
THE STORY: For being the top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference regular-season standings, the New York Rangers have had an incredibly difficult path to the final four. New York will look to bounce back quickly from its second straight seven-game series as it hosts the New Jersey Devils in the opener of the conference finals Monday night. The Rangers needed a third-period goal from Michael Del Zotto to oust Washington in its second-round matchup, while the Devils disposed of the Philadelphia Flyers in five games.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS, CBC
ABOUT THE DEVILS: New Jersey is playing as well as any team in the Stanley Cup playoffs, using a balanced scoring attack and staunch defense to make quick work of the favored Flyers. At the center of it all is future Hall of Fame netminder Martin Brodeur, who comes into this third-round series as a 40-year-old but is playing as well as he did in his prime. He jokes that, while that may be the case, his method of celebration is more subdued. "We're excited to be still playing hockey this time of year," he said shortly after Tuesday's series-clinching Game 5 victory. "But at 40, I don't jump as high anymore."
ABOUT THE RANGERS: The Broadway Blueshirts had all they could handle from a Capitals team that seemed to block just about any shot the Rangers threw their way. Fortunately, New York knows a thing or two about defense itself - it limited Washington to just four third-period shots in Game 7 as it advanced to the conference finals for the first time since ending a 50-year Stanley Cup drought in 1994. New York facing the rival Devils may provide fodder for beat writers, but coach John Tortorella wants nothing to do with the angle. "You guys can make your stories about Devils-Rangers," he said. "Don't include me in it."
TRENDS:
- Home team is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
- Devils are 2-5 in the last seven meetings in New York.
- Devils are 4-0 in their last four overall.
OVERTIME:
1. Brodeur is 46-29-15 all-time against the Rangers, with a 2.12 goals-against average and nine shutouts in 95 meetings.
2. The teams split six regular-season meetings, with each club earning a shutout victory.
3. History isn't in the Rangers' favor. No team that went to seven games in each of its first two series has won the Stanley Cup since the postseason was expanded in 1968.
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