Devils–Rangers rivalry facts for kids
| First meeting | October 8, 1982 |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | April 5, 2022 |
| Next meeting | November 28, 2022 |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 261 |
| All-time series | 126–104–21–10 (NYR) |
| Regular season series | 108–88–21–10 (NYR) |
| Postseason results | 18–16 (NYR) |
| Largest victory | NYR 11–2 NJD October 25, 1984 NYR 9–0 NJD March 31, 1986 |
| Longest win streak | NYR W8 |
| Current win streak | NYR W1 |
| Postseason history | |
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The Devils–Rangers rivalry is a big competition in ice hockey between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers. Both teams play in the National Hockey League (NHL). People often call it the Hudson River rivalry or the Battle of the Hudson River. This is because the Rangers play in Manhattan and the Devils play in Newark, New Jersey. These cities are very close, just across the Hudson River. You can easily travel between their arenas by car or train.
The Devils and Rangers are two of the three NHL teams in the New York metropolitan area. The third team is the New York Islanders. All three teams have strong rivalries with each other. They also have rivalries with other nearby teams like the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins.
History of the Rivalry
How the Rivalry Started
The rivalry began in 1982. This was when the Colorado Rockies team moved to New Jersey and became the Devils. For this move, they had to pay money to the Rangers, Islanders, and Flyers. This was because they were now sharing the same fan market. For over 35 years, fans of both the Rangers and Devils have seen exciting games. Even though the Devils have been very strong in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the 1990s, the Rangers won the first three playoff series between these teams. Their first playoff game was in the 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Rangers, who were the best team that season, won a tough seven-game series against the Devils.
Stanley Cup Wins in 1994 and 1995
Some of the most famous moments in this rivalry happened during the 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons.
1994: Rangers Win the Stanley Cup
In the 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs, both teams were very good. The Rangers were the top team in the NHL. The Devils were also very strong. Before the Eastern Conference Finals, the Rangers had beaten the Devils six times that season. The Rangers easily reached the Conference Finals. They beat the Islanders and the Washington Capitals. The Devils had a harder path. They needed seven games to beat the Buffalo Sabres and six games to beat the Boston Bruins.
The series was not easy for the Rangers. The Devils won Game 1 in double overtime. The Rangers then won Game 2 easily. Game 3 also went to double overtime, with the Rangers winning. The Devils then won Games 4 and 5. This meant the Rangers faced being eliminated in Game 6. Before this game, Rangers captain Mark Messier promised his team would win. The Rangers were losing 2–0 in that game. But Messier scored three goals to tie the series. Game 7 went to double overtime. The Devils tied the game with only 7.7 seconds left. But Stéphane Matteau scored another overtime goal for the Rangers. The Rangers won the series and later won the Stanley Cup.
1995: Devils Win the Stanley Cup
The Devils bounced back from their loss in 1994. They won the Stanley Cup the very next year. This was a big surprise. They swept the Detroit Red Wings in the Finals. On their way, they beat the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Flyers had actually knocked out the Rangers that year. This made the rivalry even more exciting.
Both teams won their Stanley Cups at home. The Rangers won at Madison Square Garden in 1994. The Devils won at the Meadowlands in 1995. The Devils were the first team to win the Stanley Cup without having home-ice advantage in any playoff round.
1997 Playoffs
The Devils and Rangers met again in the playoffs three years later. This was in the 1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Rangers, led by stars like Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky, won the series. They lost Game 1 but then won four games in a row. In Game 5, Adam Graves scored an overtime goal to win the series. The Devils scored only five goals in the whole series. They were shut out in two of those games.
1998–2006: Devils Take Control
After 1998, the Devils started to dominate the rivalry. They were much better than the Rangers in regular season games. The Devils had a long unbeaten streak against the Rangers. They went 23 games without a loss from 1997 to 2001. During this time, they won 15 games and tied 8.
At the end of the 2005–06, the Devils were playing very well. They won 11 games in a row. They also won their division, the Atlantic Division. They had been far behind just three months earlier. Many thought they would not even make the playoffs. The Rangers had led the division for most of the season. But they lost their last five games. The Devils ended up with one more point than New York. In the 2006 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, the hot Devils met the Rangers. The Devils swept the Rangers in four games. This was the first time they had ever swept their rivals in the playoffs.
2007–2011: New Faces, Same Rivalry
Two years later, the teams met again in the playoffs. This was in the 2008 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Before this, long-time Devil Scott Gomez joined the Rangers. Devils fans booed him loudly every time he touched the puck. Gomez responded by playing very well against his old team.
In Game 3 of that series, Rangers player Sean Avery used a strange tactic. He stood in front of Devils goalie Martin Brodeur and waved his hands and stick. This was to distract Brodeur and block his view. Many people thought this was not fair. The NHL then made a new rule about unsportsmanlike conduct because of Avery's actions. After the Rangers won the series, Brodeur shook hands with every Ranger except Avery. Avery later joked about it, calling Brodeur "fatso."
During the 2009–10, there was a brief moment of peace. The captains of both teams, Chris Drury (Rangers) and Jamie Langenbrunner (Devils), won silver medals together. They were playing for Team USA at the 2010 Winter Olympics. But the rivalry soon came back. The Rangers' coach, John Tortorella, was an assistant for Team USA. The Devils' coach, Jacques Lemaire, was with Team Canada, which won gold.
The Rangers won four of six games against the Devils in the 2010–11. They won their last game against the Devils to make the playoffs. The Devils had a losing record that season and missed the playoffs.
2012 Conference Finals: "The Rematch"
The Devils and Rangers met later in the season during the 2011–12. In some games, fights broke out right after the first face-off. There was also a controversial call in one game. A goal by the Rangers' Derek Stepan was disallowed. The referees said Marián Gáborík interfered with the goalie. Some argued he was pushed, others said he did not try to avoid the goalie.
The last game of the season between them was on March 19, 2012. It also started with three fights at once. The Rangers won that game. The Devils then beat the Flyers in five games in the playoffs. The Rangers beat the Capitals in seven games. This set up a big rematch in the Eastern Conference Finals. It was a repeat of the 1994 Conference Finals. The Devils won Game 6 in overtime. Adam Henrique scored the winning goal. This sent the Devils to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2003. However, the Devils lost the Cup to the Los Angeles Kings.
2012–Present
The 2012–13 started late because of a player lockout. The Devils won the first game against the Rangers that season. But the Rangers won the next three. The Rangers' win on April 21 ended the Devils' hopes of making the playoffs. This was despite the Devils reaching the Finals the year before.
In the 2013–14, the two teams played an outdoor game. It was held at Yankee Stadium. The Devils took a 3–1 lead but then lost the game 7–3. The Rangers won two of their five games against the Devils that year. The Devils missed the playoffs for the second year in a row. The Rangers, however, made it to the Finals. They had not been there since 1994. But they lost to the Los Angeles Kings.
In the first half of the 2014–15, the Rangers won both games. One was an overtime comeback win. The other was a 3–1 win at home. This extended the Rangers' winning streak over the Devils to six games.
On February 22, 2018, the teams made their first trade with each other. The Rangers sent Michael Grabner to the Devils. In return, they got Yegor Rykov and a draft pick.
In the draft lottery for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Devils got the first pick. The Rangers got the second pick. The Devils chose Jack Hughes. The Rangers chose Kaapo Kakko. This was seen as a new chapter in their rivalry.
Fan Reactions
Fans on both sides agree the rivalry is very strong. Many hockey experts call them "mirror teams." This is because they have many similarities. Since the 2004–05 NHL lockout, they have played many games, including playoffs.
Rangers fans have been seen celebrating victories over the Devils. Devils fans enjoy making special confetti for games. This confetti often has messages against the Rangers. Devils fans also have a loud cheer they use at every home game. It is a chant against the Rangers.
The rivalry is popular because the teams are so close geographically. It feels like a battle between New York and New Jersey. Fans can easily travel to away games. Fans of both teams also show strong feelings towards the opposing team's goalie. Rangers fans would often chant at former Devils goalie Martin Brodeur after goals were scored on him. Devils fans would do the same to former Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist.
Players and media have also shared their thoughts on the rivalry. In his book, Martin Brodeur wrote, "I hate the Rangers." Actor and director Kevin Smith, a Devils fan, once wrote about the rivalry. He said Devils fans "live to hate the Rangers." He noted that even when the Rangers are not playing, Devils fans still feel strongly about them.
In Popular Culture
This rivalry has been shown in TV shows. The Seinfeld episode "The Face Painter" features it. In the episode, David Puddy, a big Devils fan, paints his face red. He does this at a playoff game against the Rangers. This embarrasses Jerry and his friends.
The rivalry also appeared in the 2003 sitcom Whoopi. The episode "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" featured Devils stars Scott Gomez, Jay Pandolfo, and Scott Stevens. Rangers players Anson Carter and Darius Kasparaitis were also on the show.
Images for kids
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New Jersey Devils logo
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New York Rangers logo
