The 2007-08 NHL regular season wrapped up on Sunday for both the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers. The cross-river rivals played each other for the eighth and final time in the regular season. The game had playoff implications, seeing as the team that won would have home ice advantage. The Devils won in a shootout, clinching home ice for the first round of the playoffs. Their opponent is none other than Rangers, who took seven of eight games from the Devils in the regular season. Despite the lopsided W-L record, the match-up is much closer than the record indicates. Here is a breakdown of one of the most heated rivalries in the NHL.
Offense: Edge: Rangers
The Rangers went shopping this off-season and it definitely paid off. Snagging coveted free agent centers Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, the Rangers revamped their offense. From youngsters like Brandon Dubinsky, Petr Prucha and Nigel Dawes to veterans Jaromir Jagr, Gomez, and Marty Straka, the Rangers are an offense that should make any team nervous. Fresh from the swamps of Jersey, Gomez came as advertised, notching a team leading 54 assists in the 07-08 season. Gomez is without a doubt a play-maker, and looked like he had been playing with Jagr for years. The Rangers have a handful of talented players who can both pass and shoot, and should cause problems for Jersey.
Defense: Edge: Devils
Defense wins championships. It's that simple statement that has been the mentality of the New Jersey Devils for the past 15 years. However, this is not the Devils' lockdown defense of 1995, 2000 and 2003 in which they won their Stanley Cups. Fans of Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko, and Brian Rafalski haven't been treated to "Devils' Hockey" this season, but their defense is still formidable. Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya are two of the main faces of the Devils' defense and they have played very well. The blueline duo of Martin and Oduya combined for 47 assists and a plus/minus rating of 47 as well. Colin White is now a veteran and he hits as hard as anyone in the league. Jersey is going to rely on it's defense to bring home their fourth Cup and the first at their new arena.
2008 Woodie Awards
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