HOME ICE ADVANTAGE
Nothing in sports compares to the drama of a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Devils have played in 14 Game 7s in their history and hold an even 7-7 record. Five of those games have been played in New Jersey (East Rutherford and Newark) and they are 3-2. Their most notable win came twenty years ago in 2003 against the Anaheim Ducks to clinch the franchise’s last Stanley Cup. The Devils have also experienced the heartache of losing a Stanley Cup Final in a road Game 7 (2001 vs. Colorado)
With the Devils and Rangers having already clinched a spot in the playoffs and likely to face off against each other, all that remains to be determined is who will secure home-ice advantage. The Devils have faced the Rangers six times in the playoffs and beaten them twice. The happiest memory for Devils fans in those games is likely Adam Henrique’s 2012 overtime, series-winning goal in Game 6 thwarting the Rangers' attempt to send the series back across the Hudson to Madison Square Garden for Game 7. Denying the Rangers the opportunity to host the winner-take-all game likely saved the Devils’ season. MSG has not been kind to the Devils for Game 7s, as the Devils possess an 0-2 record in Game 7s at Madison Square Garden (1992, 1994).
The Devils control their own destiny with a two-point lead on the Rangers with eight games left in the regular season. Clinching a playoff spot as early as they did is a new path for this team and it is important that the entire team realizes there is still a lot to play for down the stretch.
Defenseman Brendan Smith, a veteran of two Game 7s last year, including a loss at MSG, made sure to share how important the next two weeks are.
“I talked to the guys just recently about trying to make a real push here because what the impact is of home ice in the playoffs.” He indicated it is easy to overlook, but you should do so only at your own peril. "It’s a huge deal especially to teams that go deep, they’ve noticed it is an extra grind going in to try to win on the road and it adds to your travel.”
Smith went on to reference a Game 7 win in Anaheim when he played for Detroit that left them exhausted and having to travel across the country to play against the Blackhawks. Smith also pointed out how important matchups are in the playoffs and that having the last change that comes with home ice is a strategic advantage that is essential in a league with so much parity.
Uncharacteristically, the Devils have a better record on the road this year (26-7-7) than they have in Newark (20-13-4) The thought is not lost on the players including goalie Mackenzie Blackwood who joked, “I don’t know about our team with our road record. I’m just kidding, but obviously you want to be home as much as you can, being in our locker room, having our facilities and the fans. You make do with what you’ve got (on the road) but if you can grab home ice, I think that is a slight advantage.”
HUDSON RIVER RIVALRY
Arguably the most memorable goal of the season came off the stick of Damon Severson on a Saturday afternoon in January. The Devils entered the game having lost eight straight home games and trailed the Rangers 3-1 heading into the third period. The team tied the game on goals by Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes to send it into overtime. The game would end with Severson beating Igor Shesterkin low to the stick side giving the Devils a 4-3 victory, igniting the crowd and starting a five-game winning streak for the Devils reestablishing their position in the Metropolitan Division.
OMG SEVERSON OMG!! DEVILS WIN IT IN OT!!!! pic.twitter.com/bmqpb7ZyTr
— Devils on MSG (@DevilsMSGN) January 7, 2023
Thus far this season, the teams have played evenly head-to-head with the Devils taking two of the three games and four of seven points. Each contest has featured a two-goal comeback by the eventual winner. Thursday will also be the first time the teams meet fully stocked with trade-deadline acquisitions Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Timo Meier. Lindy Ruff acknowledged that the game will be a good preview of what is to come in the series. “I think (facing each other in the playoffs) that is the reality. I think they are going to look at it the same as us. They’re gonna get a good feel for how we’re playing, we’ll get a good feel for them, they’ve had some changes, we’ve had some changes, it will be a fun game to be involved in.”
Ruff, a former Rangers player and assistant coach is well acquainted with the rivalry and seems to enjoy the energy it provides. “[O]ur fans can get there, their fans can get here, it makes for an entertaining building. There’s a lot of bragging rights where you know a lot of people. If you live in Jersey you know a lot of Ranger fans across the river so there’s probably a lot of banter going back and forth.”
The players have also noted the difference in games against the Rangers and how as the team has improved, the crowds have become more and more pro-Devils at The Rock. “It’s nice that the tides have kind of turned and our fans have come alive again, obviously success and winning comes along with that.” Severson stressed that the raucous atmosphere is something the players relish and impacts the game. “Fans are huge. Believe it or not, fans make a huge difference in home ice advantage…I always enjoy these games because they’re so packed for fans and they get up and as a player it gets you up.”
SPECIAL TEAMS
In many playoff series, the games are decided by special teams play. In a series where the opponent, such as the Rangers, has a lethal power play, the Devils' penalty kill will be a primary focus. Fortunately for the Devils, they are sixth in the NHL with the fewest penalty minutes and are on pace to set a team record for the fewest penalty minutes in a season. Additionally, they possess the seventh-ranked penalty kill unit in the league (4th in Net PK%) and have eight shorthanded goals on the season.
The matchup between the Devils' power play and the Rangers' penalty kill may be the more consequential. Since acquiring Timo Meier, the Devils have struggled on the power play as they try to integrate him into the first unit. In the last few games, the Devils have swapped Dawson Mercer onto the first unit replacing Jesper Bratt to add a right-handed shot forward to the mix but so far the chemistry has not improved. Ruff has admitted it is a work in progress and that they are still tinkering. With a lineup that boasts four thirty-goal scorers and the highest-scoring defenseman in Devils' history the talent certainly exists for the power play to be successful. They currently rank in the middle of the pack in percentage, net power play and expected goals per 60 min. The Rangers are currently 12th in the league in PK% and are led by Chris Kreider’s four shorthanded goals. Finding a way to break through on the power play would give the Devils a distinct advantage if the teams meet later in April.
The Devils face off against the Rangers Thursday at the Prudential Center at 7:00 and will be playing in their "Jersey" Jerseys.
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