As I sit here on the LIRR heading into Penn Station to catch the D up to Yankee Stadium for the Rangers-Devils game, I am struck by how many layers of clothing I am wearing to stay warm but also how different this game feels from the Winter Classic in Philly. The hype for this one pales in comparison to that contest, likely largely because of the lack of 24/7 and the fantastic game that took place at the Big House in Ann Arbor. Of course, this game has a different vibe to it, mainly because it is the first outdoor hockey game at Yankee Stadium which is augment by it being Rangers-Devils.
The Rangers (27-23-3, 57 points) are still in second place as of Sunday, as Columbus (26-21-4, 56 points) lost for the first time in ninth games Saturday against Buffalo, but they still have two games in hand. The Philadelphia Flyers (25-22-6, 56 points), who have lost three in a row, Carolina Hurricanes (23-19-9, 55 points), today's opponent the Devils (22-19-11, 55 points) and Washington Capitals (23-21-8, 54 points) also are breathing down the Rangers’ necks. Those two sentences evidence just how close the division is and how important every contest, especially intra-division ares, even though the calendar has yet to hit February.
This season, as in many others, the Devils live up to their name against the Rangers, as it's hellish for the Blueshirts to beat their Jersey neighbors. The Devils blew out the Rangers 4-0 on October 19, defeated them 3-2 on November 12 and 4-3 in overtime on December 7. New Jersey comes in 5-2-3 opinion their last 10, having won two in a row, while Jaromir Jagr continues to turn back the clock, passing historical names as he moves up the scoring list. They have been aided by the return of Ryane Clowe, who has provided the Devils a physical presence, while chipping in offensively. Damien Brunner recently came off the IR, so NJ is about as healthy as they have been all the season.
For the Rangers, the task is simple. Use their speed to create opportunities and their forecheck to try and bottle up the Devils in the offensive zone. When dumping the puck in, don't let Martin Brodeur, who deserved the start today, be a defensive weapon and move the puck to his blueliners. Create traffic in front, because we know Marty hates that and stay out of the box. As Todd Cordell wrote in his blog, the Devils are excellent on 5-on-5, so the Rangers may need to get a couple of PP and capitalize, which they were unable to do Thursday against St. Louis. Jacob Jacobsen gets a shot at the top line with Zajac and Jagr, so it will be interesting to see how long that trip last together. I expect John Moore to be really aggressive, now that he knows Kevin Klein has his back, and Carl Hagelin to create chances with his speed.
RANGERS LINEUP
Forwards: Chris Krieder-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash Carl Hagelin-Brad Richards-Ryan Callahan Benoit Pouliot-Derick Brassard-Mats Zuccarello Brian Boyle-Dominic Moore-Dan Carcillo Defensemen: Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi Marc Staal-Anton Stralman John Moore-Kevin Klein Goalie: Henrik Lundqvist (starter) Cam Talbot Scratches: Justin Falk, Derek Dorsett (IR) DEVILS LINEUP
Forwards: Jacob Josefson-Travis Zajac-Jaromir Jagr Dainius Zubrus-Patrik Elias-Damien Brunner Ryane Clowe-Adam Henrique-Michael Ryder Ryan Carter-Stephen Gionta-Steve Bernier Defensemen: Andy Greene-Mark Fayne Bryce Salvador-Marek Zidlicky Eric Gelinas-Anton Volchenkov Goalie: Martin Brodeur (starter) Cory Schneider Scratches: Andrei Loktionov, Jon Merrill, Peter Harrold (IR) A big game tonight, followed by one Wednesday. Four possible points, which really is eight when favoring in they are divisional games. Time to pay back the Devils for the three losses today's and get back to their winning ways.
Let's Go Rangers!!!