Special DElivery: Weighing in on the Hudson River Rivalry
By Darren Eliot –
Make no mistake: the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils are rivals, bound by geography and defined by history. Proximity is obvious looking across the Hudson and looking at the standings every year and seeing the two teams battle six times annually in the regular season as part of the Atlantic Division. History is personal, made in the moment by the players involved and remembered throughout time by the fans on each side. It becomes the fabric that enthralls us all when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs.
That is the backdrop for tonight’s Game 6 in New Jersey between the Devils and the Rangers. The Devils have a chance to close out the Eastern Conference Final and move to the Stanley Cup series for the first time since 2003. The last time the Rangers went to the Stanley Cup Final was 1994, when they trailed the Devils 3-2 in the ECF series. They came back in dramatic fashion to win both Game 6 and 7 on the heels of Captain Mark Messier’s vow of victory – backed up by his hat trick – and win the Stanley Cup in seven breathtaking games over the Vancouver Canucks. It was the first title for the Blueshirts since 1940 and that magical spring in Manhattan lives on forever as part of Stanley Cup lore.
Now, does any of that have anything to do with line match-ups tonight? Do those events 18 years ago – eerily to the exact date for Games 5, 6 and 7 if needed – impact the Devils’ group led by stars Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise? Does goaltender Martin Brodeur at 40 harken back to Marty at 28 and get wrapped up in the karma/coincidence of the identical dates heading out onto center stage at the Prudential Center at 8 p.m. tonight? Of course not. But after the fact, no matter how it unfolds and ultimately turns out, this series becomes part of the bigger story, adding to the layers of the rivalry.
What matters in the moment is whether or not Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist can deliver a signature game. He is coming off his poorest performance of the playoffs – even Rangers’ goaltender Mike Richter had to bounce back after coach Mike Keenan pulled him in Game 4 in ’94, if you’re looking for more parallels – and must show the steely resolve displayed in winning two Game 7s already this spring. When I think of Lundqvist at crunch time, I recall the lunging left pad save he made late in the game for Sweden against hated rival Finland – geography and history again embedded – in Torino to preserve their gold medal victory. As good as he’s been in the NHL, his legacy may well forever be linked to his play tonight.
In the end, this game will be about the blue-collar Blueshirts’ resilient play yet again: Dan Girardi blocking shots; Ryan Callahan forcing on the forecheck; Brad Richards making the key play in precisely the right situation. For the Devils, tonight is all about one more round of Brodeur’s bravado (can he really still come through?), Kovalchuk realizing his career-long quest for playoff glory and an underrated supporting cast taking unheralded star turns. No matter who comes through, always, there is a “Matteau moment” on night’s like these – Stephane Matteau actually scored the double-overtime game-winner for the Rangers in Game 3 in ’94 as well as the series clincher in OT of Game 7. Not knowing where or when it will come from only adds to the intrigue. And the drama.
There is no Mark Messier, no guarantee like 1994. Different players, different times. Same rivalry, same dates. Riveting on so many levels. Impossible to ignore from either side of the Hudson.