The Week Of April 13th Is Going To Be Amazing
The first thing that really stands out about this schedule is the stretch from Tuesday April 13th to Sunday April 18th, In six days time, the Devils will take on their biggest rival the New York Rangers four times. For four-straight games, the Rangers and Devils will renew the Hudson River Rivalry. The hope is by this time, at least some fans will be in the arenas (the games are split between The Rock and Madison Square Garden).
Both teams will have played roughly 40 games at this point. Alexis Lafrenière will be used to the NHL style of play. The Lindy Ruff system will implemented fully. Both teams will have their lines set, and the teams will be shooting at all cylinders.
We’ll also know what these teams are. The Devils are expected by most national pundits to be one of the worst teams in hockey mostly because of how tough this division is. The Rangers actually aren’t expected to fair much better. Only four teams from the East Division will make the playoffs. At this point in the season, we’ll know if these two teams are going for positioning or just for the sake of the rivalry.
Whatever. We cannot wait for the Devils-Rangers rivalry to pick back up again. Those two teams have been ranked as the best pool of under 25-year-old players in the NHL. This is going to be one of the best rivalries in hockey for a long time.