It took four series for the Devils to finally breakthrough against the Rangers. In the fourth ever Battle of the Hudson, the Devils dominated from start to finish in sweeping their Lincoln Tunnel rivals.

The sweep was their third ever. In the other two postseasons they swept an opponent, the Devils went on to win the Stanley Cup- sweeping Detroit in ‘95 and Florida in ‘00.

How big a mismatch was it? The Devils outscored the Rangers 17-4 and only trailed once.

The star of the series was Patrik Elias. In finishing off the Rangers in a 4-2 Game Four win at Madison Square Garden Saturday, Elias scored twice and had an assist. With his team trailing for the only time in the series, he assisted on Scott Gomez’ power play goal to turn the tide in the second period. He would later make a perfect redirection of a Gomez shot for another PPG to give his team a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

Elias would put the exclamation point on the victory with a beautiful move to beat Ranger rookie netminder Henrik Lundqvist. With his team up 3-1 thanks to a Brian Gionta shorthanded tally early in the third, Elias took a Jamie Langenbrunner feed and then spun around Ranger defenseman Fedor Tyutin before roofing the puck inside the post to put the game out of reach with 6:39 remaining.

For the series, Elias paced all Devil scorers with five goals and six assists for 11 points. A remarkable feat by a player who missed half the season due to Hepatitis A.

“We put ourselves again in a good position to end the series,” Elias said.
“I’m happy with the way I played and happy to help this team out.”

“People don’t realize when this guy is going, he’s top five in the league,” Gomez pointed out. “He’s that good.”

By winning their 15th consecutive game, the Devils matched a league record for longest streak which spanned the regular season and playoffs.

The victory was especially sweet for Martin Brodeur. The losing goalie in the Devils’ last two series losses to the Rangers in ‘94 and ‘97, Brodeur was splendid throughout allowing just four goals on 114 shots. The three-time Cup winner easily outperformed the Ranger combo of Lundqvist and Kevin Weekes in this series to give the Devils a decided edge.

“It’s pretty sweet for everybody especially in a season that the Rangers dominated all year long,” Brodeur said. “It was a long time coming for the Devils fans. For myself it’s been a long time, too.”

In making his 137th consecutive postseason start to break Patrick Roy’s record, he finished with 31 saves for his 88th career playoff win to move into a tie for third with Billy Smith and Ed Belfour on the NHL list.

Special Teams The Difference: One of the biggest differences in the series was special teams. Despite taking all four games from their opponent, the Devils were outshot 114-104. Sometimes stats are misleading. Chalk this one up to how well they performed on the power play and penalty kill. In the series, the Devils outscored the Rangers 8-2 on the man-advantage, going 8-for-27 while killing off 19 of 21 Ranger PPs. Not only did they shutdown New York’s power play but they even victimized it with three shorthanded goals including two from Game Two hero John Madden.

White Remains Out: Defenseman Colin White sat out his third straight game with a groin injury. Rookie David Hale replaced him in the lineup for the third game in a row.

Second Round Foe Still To Be Determined: The Devils still don’t know who they’re playing. But it won’t be the top seeded Ottawa Senators who advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals by eliminating the defending champion Lightning in five games Saturday night. If the second seeded Hurricanes prevail over the Canadiens, that will be the Devils’ next opponent. However, if Montreal pulls the upset, New Jersey would then meet the winner of Buffalo-Philadelphia. Both remaining Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series are deadlocked two apiece.

It was on display again for all to see in Game Three at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night. The first postseason game at MSG since the Rangers hosted the Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals back on May 23, 1997 produced the same end result. A loss to a bitter rival which broke their collective backs.

Not even a Willis Reed cameo appearance by Jaromir Jagr- bad shoulder and all- could prevent them from falling victim to near perfection the Devils executed in a 3-0 blanking to take a commanding three games to none lead in the best-of-seven first round series.

Tried as he did despite being limited in 17:09 of ice-time, Jagr couldn’t inspire his teammates to a much needed win to get back in the series.

“It’s the playoffs. If I can play, I’m going to play,” #68 said after his team was put on life support. “I knew it wasn’t going to be any good. I tried my best.”

His best wasn’t good enough on this night. Instead, he watched hopelessly on the bench just 68 seconds in as Jamie Langenbrunner buried a Patrik Elias pass to give the Devils another lead they wouldn’t relinquish. For those Ranger fans who lost count, defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh was again victimized by a more patient and experienced club that’s produced three Stanley Cups in the last 11 years.

Elias, the six-point star of Game One was once again a big factor setting up the first goal and later rebounding home a Langenbrunner shot to give his team a two-goal lead that may as well have been five or six the way the Devils played in front of Martin Brodeur.

“We wanted to play real patient hockey,” Elias said. “Obviously when you have the start like we had it helps. No question.”

Brodeur, who made his 135th consecutive postseason start to pull within one of matching legend Patrick Roy, was the recipient of his 21st career playoff shutout. That btw means he’s only two behind Roy for the NHL record.

While he was swatting aside 25 Ranger shots which had no chance of going in, the Devils were giving a clinic to their inexperienced opponents on how to play within all facets of the game at this time of year. By continuing to be patient and take advantage of glaring Ranger mistakes, the Devils have outscored their Hudson rivals 13-2 in taking the first three.

Don’t expect that to change as they go for a clean sweep Saturday to finally get the Ranger playoff monkey off their back.

“I don’t think our approach will change that much because we’re up 3-nothing,” Brodeur said. “We just don’t want to give them life. We are definitely scared of that hockey club.”

Aside from the fact that both clubs couldn’t have entered this postseason any differently, that approach is why the Devils were the wrong opponent for the Rangers to meet in their first postseason in nine years.

The Devils have been through the playoff wars before. For some Rangers like Henrik Lundqvist, Petr Prucha, Jed Ortmeyer, Dominic Moore and Fedor Tyutin, this is a brand new experience. They’re getting a valuable lesson from a team which knows what it takes to win it all.

To name a few Devils, Brodeur, Elias, Sergei Brylin, John Madden, Jagr’s shadow Jay Pandolfo and Brian Rafalski all have won the Cup twice. During the playoffs, that wealth of experience can come in handy.

The Rangers can be sure that their opponents won’t let up in trying to get that fourth win in Game Four. Some of them have been there before. In the ‘00 Eastern Conference Final, they cameback from 3-1 down to beat the Flyers and would ultimately wind up winning their second championship.

History is also on the Devils’ side. Only the ‘42 Maple Leafs and ‘75 Islanders have comeback from 0-3 down.

“This is a big rivalry here and we’re definitely excited about the situation that we’re in but we haven’t won anything yet,” Brodeur said.

Don’t expect any miracles.

The Devils are halfway home to finally beating the Rangers in a playoff series. John Madden’s first career playoff hat trick lifted them to a 4-1 win over the Rangers in Game Two at Continental Airlines Arena Monday night.

The Devils lead the best-of-seven Eastern Quarterfinal series two games to none. In their postseason history, they have never lost a playoff series when winning the first two, going a perfect 9-0 in those situations.

They made the most of a shorthanded Rangers squad who were without Jaromir Jagr, Darius Kasparaitis (groin) and Henrik Lundqvist. Jagr sat out with an upper body injury suffered late in Game One due to an attempted hit on Scott Gomez. Without their leading scorer, the Rangers’ offense fizzled.

“He’s [Jagr] one of the best players in the world,” Steve Rucchin told the AP. “I don’t care what team it is in the league, you lose a guy like that it’s going to be difficult.”

Lundqvist, who was shaky in allowing 11 goals in two games since his return from a hip flexor was replaced by former Devil nemesis Kevin Weekes. It was Weekes four years ago who lifted the Hurricanes past the Devils in the same round. With Ranger Coach Tom Renney looking to recreate some of that same magic, the results were different thanks in large part to Madden, who tied a playoff record by scoring twice shorthanded.

With his team down a man for the second consecutive time early in the first period, the dangerous penalty killer made the Rangers pay to open the scoring. After Ranger defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh’s unsuccessive pinch, Madden and Brian Rafalski came in two-on-one on Tom Poti. Rafalski feathered the puck thru a sliding Poti to Madden, who one-timed it home for his first of the night at 7:47.

After the Rangers’ failure on two power plays, the Devils capitalized on their first man-advantage due to a Chad Wiseman penalty. Recalled from Hartford to replace Jason Ward who is out for the remainder of the series with an MCL sprain, Wiseman boarded Jamie Langenbrunner to give New Jersey the opportunity. Brian Gionta would notch his first of the postseason with a beautiful redirection of a Paul Martin pass to give the Devils a 2-0 lead with 5:47 left.

Though they were down two, the Rangers kept coming in the second and threatened to make it a game. On a breakaway, Jed Ortmeyer was stoned by Martin Brodeur with just over five minutes left.

Shortly after, they had their best opportunity to get back in it. With Grant Marshall already off for an undisciplined doubleminor, Madden was sent to the sin bin for a dubious hook with 2:13 remaining giving the Rangers a full two-man advantage. But after a Renney timeout, the game swung dramatically. After ex-Devil Petr Sykora blasted one off the post, it was the Devils’ three penalty killers who were hungrier to the puck. In particular, Rafalski who outmuscled two Rangers behind the net to clear a puck all the way down.

As the power play expired, Jay Pandolfo fed Madden out of the box for a breakaway with 10 seconds remaining. Weekes appeared to stop Madden but the puck trickled through and hung on the goal line. Unfortunately for the Rangers, a hustling Ozolinsh accidentally put the puck in his own net to give Madden his second SHG of the night with only six seconds to spare. He became the 10th player to score twice while a man short in the postseason. The backbreaking goal gave the Devils a three-goal cushion heading to the locker room.

“I was pretty much up for the last 40 seconds,” Madden said. “I can’t say enough how good of a job they did whether we score a goal or not.”

“I was trying to get there and sweep the puck away,” Ozolinsh said. “It was an unfortunate mistake and took our momentum away.”

Down three, the Rangers continued to attack in the third. They finally got on the board when Blair Betts one-timed a Ryan Hollweg pass upstairs past Martin Brodeur to cut it to 3-1 at 5:41. It was Betts’ first NHL career playoff tally.

Betts missed a chance to cut it to one when his one-timer sailed over the net with under nine minutes to go. With the Rangers activating their D, the Devils finally took advantage to put it out of reach. After Ranger defenseman Michal Rozsival failed to keep the puck in, it led to a three-on-one. Grant Marshall setup Madden, who one-timed the puck for his hat trick through Weekes five-hole to put the Devils up by three with 7:14 left.

Devil fans showed their appreciation by tossing hats on the ice and Thundersticks which were given away before the game.

“This won’t happen again for a long time, it would be nice if it did,” Madden said of the hat trick. “In reality, I have to get back to checking and getting the puck deep and winning faceoffs and killing penalties.”

Brodeur made his best save with under 30 seconds to go, diving across to deny a late Ranger PP chance. He finished with 25 saves, allowing just one goal for the second straight game. Both resulting in wins.

“We came out and only got one on Marty [Brodeur],” Weekes said. “Earlier in the year maybe we get four or five but they are playing differently now. They are playing Devils hockey.”

Notes: Devils defenseman Colin White sat out with a groin injury. His status remains uncertain for Game Three. … Dating back to the regular season, it was the Devils’ 13th consecutive victory. Conversely, the Rangers have now dropped their last seven. In the Rangers’ last four losses, they have been outscored 19-4. … Sykora had a goal wiped out with 5:23 left in the third when the officials blew the whistle prematurely to force a faceoff. … Subbing for Lundqvist, Weekes turned aside 21 of 25 shots. … Devils blocked 18 shots compared to just seven for the Rangers. … The series shifts to Madison Square Garden Wednesday night where the Rangers will host their first postseason game in nine years.

If this were a prize fight, the towel would’ve been thrown in by the Rangers after Patrik Elias scored his second of two power play goals as part of a record setting day. The first act of the fourth Battle of the Hudson was a onesided 6-1 Devil win in Game One over their Lincoln Tunnel rivals at a capacity Continental Airlines Arena Saturday.

Attempting to beat the Rangers for the first time in four playoff meetings, the Devils got off to a great start. Continuing to click on all cylinders, they easily won their 12th straight game to take a one game lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarterfinal.

It also sent their reeling opponents to a sixth consecutive loss. Dating back to the final two games of the regular season, the Rangers have been outscored 15-3. Playing in their first postseason game since a May 25, 1997, they were taught a lesson by the more experienced Devils who won two of their three Cups during that same span.

The more disciplined team, the Devils set new team playoff records with five power play goals and 13 power play chances in the destruction of their archrivals. Essentially scoring all six goals on the man-advantage including once just after one expired, Elias, Scott Gomez, Jamie Langenbrunner and Brian Gionta combined for five goals and 12 assists. Remarkably, Elias factored in on all six goals, finishing with two goals and four assists. He was two points short of Patrik Sundstrom’s playoff team record of eight set back on April 22, 1988.

“It was one of those crazy games where sometimes it happens,” Gomez told the AP. “We hope the power play goes that way the whole playoffs but that’s impossible.”

It didn’t start out as a mismatch. On even terms early on, Elias and Ranger rookie Petr Prucha traded PPG’s 6:05 apart to remain tied after the first period.

The game swung early in the second. With the Rangers on the attack, Blair Betts took a hooking penalty in the offensive zone. Given another man-advantage, the Devils took the lead for good when Gomez tallied his first of the postseason at 7:48. Off some nifty passing, Gomez tapped in a Gionta feed to put the Devils back in front.

That’s when another turning point occurred. With John Madden off for hooking Jaromir Jagr, Martin Brodeur was called on to make his biggest stops to preserve the lead. Making his 134th consecutive playoff start, he denied Michael Nylander on the doorstep to help the Devils kill it off. During another delayed New Jersey penalty, Brodeur dove across to rob Dominic Moore for his best save. He finished with 29 on the day.

Late in the period, he also had a bit of luck when Moore’s backhand while shorthanded hit the post. It would prove huge when a Ken Klee point blast deflected off Moore past rookie Henrik Lundqvist to make it 3-1 with 2:50 left. Making his first postseason start, the Swedish gold medallist was hung out to dry by his undisciplined team. In his second game back from a hip flexor, Lundqvist was shaky in turning aside 24 of 30 shots. Lundqvist has allowed 11 goals in those starts. Will the Rangers make a change and go to Kevin Weekes for Game Two? That remains to be seen.

“I won’t say I was struggling but I was having a hard time to see the puck,” Lundqvist said. “A lot of pucks that went in I never saw. I don’t know why.”

The roof caved in just 53 seconds into the third. With a frustrated Jagr off for hooking “shadow” Jay Pandolfo, Brian Rafalski got into the act when his one-timer went off the crossbar and in to increase the lead to 4-1. By then, the majority of the crowd supporting the Devils chanted, “Mar-ty’s Better.”

Completely overwhelmed, the Rangers came even further unglued. After two more bad penalties, this time Langenbrunner capitalized to make it 5-1 at 8:45. Working some more magic, Gionta worked the puck to Elias, who swiftly kicked it to a wide open Langenbrunner for a tap-in.

After some predictable fireworks from Ranger enforcer Ryan Hollweg and the Devils’ Cam Janssen resulted in yet another Devil power play, Elias put the exclamation point on the victory with his second of the day. Making matters worse for the Rangers was that Jagr injured himself on the same play while taking a swipe at Gomez. Suffering an apparent upper body injury with 4:26 left, he did not return and is uncertain for Game Two.

“It doesn’t matter. We have to get ready for the next game whether I play or not,” Jagr said.

If the league’s second leading scorer can’t go, Gomez still expects to see a different Ranger team the next time they play.

“We’re going to face a different club,” Gomez said. “They got a lot of young guys who got their first taste of it. We’ve got to be ready for that on Monday night.”

Notes: Reinjuring his groin, defenseman Colin White did not return for the final two periods. … If he starts the next three in this series, Brodeur will break Patrick Roy’s NHL record of 136 consecutive postseason starts. … Rangers center Steve Rucchin returned to the lineup after missing the final seven games of the regular season with a broken bone in his right foot. … The Rangers took 16 penalties for 43 total minutes. Taking advantage, the Devils were 5-of-13 on the power play. By contrast, they were assessed nine penalties for 21 minutes and killed off five of six Ranger PPs. … Rangers right wing Jason Ward left early in the first period with an undisclosed leg injury and did not return.

Two years removed from almost bringing the Cup back to Canada for the first time since the ‘93 Canadiens, Calgary returns to the postseason as one of the favorites to come out of the West. No longer an underdog, the Flames will try to use the same aggressive style which worked so well two years ago. Playing the role of spoiler could be their first round opponents, Anaheim. The Ducks are cast in a similar role to the one they had three years ago which carried them within one game of a Cup.

While the Flames should be formidable, they’ll most likely have to go through a familiar Western power. Even in the Postcap Era, the Red Wings proved to be the most cohesive team during the regular season. Easily taking home The President’s Trophy with 124 points, they’ll look for better results than the past two playoff disappointments. They could have their hands full against a dangerous Edmonton team.

Flying under the radar could be the well balanced Dallas Stars. In order to go far, they’ll need to exact some first round revenge against the always skilled Avalanche.

While the Predators come in without much fanfare due to the loss of goalie Tomas Vokoun due to blood clots, their opponents San Jose enter as the hottest team in the conference having won eight of their last nine. Led by Art Ross winner Joe Thornton and Rocket Richard recipient Jonathan Cheechoo, the Sharks could make some noise.

It’s time to break it down.

WESTERN CONFERENCE MATCH-UPS

(1) Detroit vs (8) Edmonton

Analysis: The Wings have tremendous balance but could start the series without leading scorer Pavel Datsyuk due to a hip injury. That means emerging star Henrik Zetterberg must pick up the slack along with rejuvenated Brendan Shanahan. Jason Williams and Mikael Samuelsson have played about as well as expected. Nicklas Lidstrom will most likely win his fourth Norris. Mathieu Schneider and Chris Chelios had brilliant seasons but will their age show against the youthful Oilers? Ales Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff and Jarret Stoll provide plenty of speed while Ryan Smyth adds grit. Chris Pronger was brought in to be a difference maker. He’s never had much postseason success. Does that change? Manny Legace should give the Wings an edge in net over Dwayne Roloson. This could be Steve Yzerman’s final postseason and he’s been playing like it. It says here the Oilers will challenge Detroit but ultimately fall short.

Red Wings in six

(2) Dallas vs (7) Colorado

Analysis: The Stars are probably the most overlooked 112 point two seed in playoff history. Mike Modano bounced back from an awful ‘03-04 campaign while Jason Arnott had a career season posting 32 goals and 76 points. Brenden Morrow and Jere Lehtinen were utterly brilliant and rookie Jussi Jokinen can do more than score in shootouts. Bill Guerin had a quiet season but could reemerge. Sergei Zubov had one of his finest seasons which could finally get him nominated for the Norris. Partner Phillipe Boucher was great all year. But it all hinges on Marty Turco. Last time against Colorado, he faltered badly. The Avalanche don’t have Peter Forsberg anymore but still possess Joe Sakic, Alex Tanguay and Milan Hejduk. Andrew Brunette and Ian Laperriere were surprising contributors. If the Avs had Marek Svatos, they’d be more formidable. Outside of Rob Blake and John-Michael Liles, Patrice Brisebois has played well. But this series comes down to Turco against Jose Theodore. Toss in the fact Dallas is better defensively and the balance shifts in their favor.

Prediction: Stars in six

(3) Calgary vs (6) Anaheim

Analysis: This series has the potential to be the best. The Ducks shouldn’t be underestimated. Scott Niedermayer anchors the D while a resurgent Teemu Selanne is the offensive leader. His 40 goals and 90 points were his most since ‘99-00 when he had 33 goals and 85 points also as a Duck. Andy McDonald posted career highs in goals (34), assists (51) and points (85). Chris Kunitz came from nowhere to be a factor and rookies Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry played well down the stretch. They’ll hope Jean-Sebastien Giguere can recreate some of the magic from three years ago. The Flames will go as far as dynamic duo Jarome Iginla and Vezina frontrunner Miikka Kiprusoff take them. Daymond Langkow, Chuck Kobasew and Tony Amonte must provide offense. If they have a clear advantage, it’s on the blueline with Calder candidate Dion Phaneuf. Phaneuf’s 20 goals and 49 points placed third on the Flames. Andrew Ference and Roman Hamrlik can contribute while Robyn Regehr adds a physical presence. The series will depend on the pace. If Calgary can slow down Anaheim, they’ll come out on top.

Prediction: Flames in seven

(4) Nashville vs (5) San Jose

Analysis: Nashville will be the underdog in this series despite home ice. Without Vokoun, they’ll need Chris Mason to be spectacular against the league’s most lethal scoring combo in Thornton and Cheechoo. In just 58 games, Thornton produced 92 points while helping Cheechoo lead the league in goals. He scored 49 of his 56 after Thornton arrived. Patrick Marleau flew under the radar posting career bests in goals (34), assists (52) and points (86). Nils Ekman, Milan Michalek and future star Steve Bernier are formidable. On the blueline, Tom Preissing can jump into the play while Christian Ehrhoff is vastly underrated. So, how can the Preds win? They certainly have enough balance. After Paul Kariya and Steve Sullivan, it’s scoring by committee. Any number of players including deadline pickup Mike Sillinger, Yanic Perreault, Scott Hartnell, Martin Erat can finish. David Legwand is also healthy which should help. Marek Zidlicky, Kimmo Timonen and Dan Hamhuis can all chip in fron the blueline. This should be a high scoring series. It will come down to Mason against Sharks’ netminder Vesa Toskala. Neither has much playoff experience but Toskala has a slight edge because he played well down the stretch. Thornton really needs to come through here. This is his time to shine.

Prediction: Sharks in seven

WESTERN SEMIS: (5) Sharks over (1) Red Wings in six

(3) Flames over (2) Stars in six

CONFERENCE FINAL: (3) Flames over (5) Sharks in five

STANLEY CUP CHAMPION: Calgary Flames over New Jersey Devils in six

Conn Smythe- Miikka Kiprusoff

After a long year away, the Stanley Cup is back up for grabs again. It’s been a season of surprises in the East where the Hurricanes, Sabres and Rangers all took gigantic steps up to leap back into the postseason.

Meanwhile, the defending ‘04 champion Lightning nearly became the first team since the ‘96 Devils to miss the playoffs the following season after winning a Cup. They’ll begin their defense as tremendous underdogs against the conference’s top seed Ottawa. The Senators are hoping that three years later with home ice gets them a round further to play for all the marbles.

The Devils enter on fire having set a new NHL record with 11 straight wins to conclude the season. Overcoming the largest deficit to win a division since the league split up into two conferences in 1974-75, they’ll try to ride that momentum as far as it will take them.

The Flyers are hoping for the right formula in net and a healthy Peter Forsberg. If either falters, it will be 31 years and counting since their last Cup. The Canadiens are lurking in the background and could spoil the party for the upstart Hurricanes.

So, who has what it takes to come out of the East?

EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND MATCH-UPS

(1) Ottawa vs (8) Tampa Bay

Analysis: The Senators once again had a great season and seem on the cusp of winning it all. With Martin Havlat healthy again along with Zdeno Chara and Wade Redden to go with lethal scorers Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley, they should have too much fire power for Tampa Bay. Though the Lightning can match them up front with Brad Richards, Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Vaclav Prospal and Fredrik Modin, their overly aggressive game should give a skilled team like Ottawa too many odd-man rushes. Ottawa’s D is far superior. Even with rookie Ray Emery in net, they should make quick work of either John Grahame or Sean Burke.

Prediction: Senators in five

(2) Carolina vs (7) Montreal

Analysis: Led by the emergence of Erik Staal, the Hurricanes surprised many by not just making the postseason for the first time in four years but by challenging for the conference’s top seed. In order to get through the dangerous Canadiens, they’ll need Cory Stillman, Rod Brind’Amour and Justin Williams to continue their big seasons while Doug Weight and Mark Recchi must contribute. If they had Erik Cole, this would be much easier to call. The goaltending edge goes to the Canadiens due to how well Cristobal Huet has played. Martin Gerber has been solid for Carolina. If Montreal gets big performances from Huet, Alexei Kovalev, Saku Koivu, Mike Ribeiro and Chris Higgins, they could pull the upset.

Prediction: Canadiens in six

(3) Devils vs (6) Rangers

Analysis: If the Devils contain Jaromir Jagr and Martin Brodeur is sharp, they should prevail. The Rangers have been unable to slow down Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez recently. Given their recent struggles in all facets, this is probably not the best match-up to get well in. Patrik Elias is all the way back and Jamie Langenbrunner is a scoring threat again. Unless Henrik Lundqvist stands on his head and Jagr’s line gets support from Petr Prucha, Petr Sykora and a contribution from an unlikely source, this could be over quickly.

Prediction: Devils in five

(4) Sabres vs (5) Flyers

Analysis: The East’s other big surprise, the Sabres finished with 110 points. Under the radar all season, they’re a threat to make some real noise. They’ll have to get through a tough Flyer team first. The speed of Maxim Afinogenov, Daniel Briere, Tim Connolly and Ales Kotalik will give the Flyers D fits. If it’s called tightly, that favors Buffalo. If not, the Flyers will try to pound them into submission. Simon Gagne, Mike Knuble, Michal Handzus and a trio of impressive rookies Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and R. J. Umberger gives the Flyers a shot. But in order to win, they’ll need blueliner Joni Pitkanen to come up big along with netminder Robert Esche. Buffalo rookie Ryan Miller rebounded well from a tough stretch and should give them an edge. They also can fall back on Martin Biron. Unless Forsberg is healthy, advantage Sabres.

Prediction: Sabres in seven

EASTERN SEMIS: (1) Senators over (7) Canadiens in six

(3) Devils over (4) Sabres in seven

CONFERENCE FINAL: (3) Devils over (1) Senators in seven

Coming Next: Western Conference

The battle lines have been drawn. A rematch nine years in the making is set to take place starting Saturday afternoon between two bitter rivals separated by one point in the standings this season. Back in the playoffs for the first time since upsetting the Devils in the ‘97 Eastern Conference semifinals, the Rangers will attempt to go four-for-four against the Devils in The Battle of The Hudson.

Haunting memories of the past for Martin Brodeur who lost to them in two of those three series in heartbreaking fashion. Patrik Elias and Jay Pandolfo also were around for the loss nine years ago. Along with Sergei Brylin, that’s all that remains from either of those teams.

Fresh off their eleven game win streak to take a sixth Atlantic Division crown in nine seasons to earn home ice, the Devils will look to reverse history and take their first step forward to a fourth Stanley Cup.

Series History: Devils are 0-3 against the Rangers in best-of-seven series

Year Round Result
‘92 Patrick Semis lost to NYR in 7
‘94 Conf. Finals lost to NYR in 7
‘97 Conf. Semis lost to NYR in 5

Season Series: Each team won four games and earned 10 points in the first competitive match-up since ‘96-97. Brian Gionta led the Devils with eight points (7-1-8). Brian Rafalski was 1-6-7 and Scott Gomez had five points (3-2-5).

History Made: The Devils made history by coming from 19 points down to win the division. The largest margin overcome since the conferences split up during the ‘74-75 Expansion. The previous record was held by Detroit in ‘93-94 when they cameback from 18 points to win the Central Division. Their 11-game win streak was the longest to ever conclude an NHL season, breaking the old mark of nine shared by the 1954-55 Red Wings and 1986-87 Canadiens.

TEAM OVERVIEW

Forwards: Brian Gionta led the Devils in scoring with 48 goals and 89 points. He enters this postseason on a tear with a 15-game point streak (12-13-25). He broke Pat Verbeek’s ‘87-88 team record of 46 goals by scoring twice in a comeback win at Montreal in the season finale. Half those goals came on the power play. He’s been Mr. Clutch all season, ranking second in the NHL with 10 game winners. Despite his small 5-7 175 frame, he makes up for it by going to the net and scoring garbage goals.

Gionta’s linemate Scott Gomez also comes in red hot, totaling 15 points (6-9-15) in his last seven games. Playing the best hockey of his career, Gomez established new highs in goals (33) and points (84) while pacing the team with 51 assists.

They’ll be flanked by rookie Zach Parise. After a slow start, Parise (14-18-32) has played well down the stretch since being moved up to the top line and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

The biggest difference with the Devils offense down the stretch was the development of two scoring lines. After missing half the season with Hepatitis A, Patrik Elias has returned with a vengeance. Down the stretch on a line with Sergei Brylin and Jamie Langenbrunner, Elias (16-29-45 in 38 GP) displayed his old form by amassing 17 points the last nine games. He has teamed up with Langenbrunner to form a solid duo which can strike quickly. After playing most of the season on the checking line, Langenbrunner (19-34-53) had eight points (3-5-8) in the final nine games. All three of his goals came in the last four.

The checking unit of Jay Pandolfo, John Madden and Grant Marshall has played well in both ends and chipped in. They’ll be matched up against the Rangers’ top line of Martin Straka, Michael Nylander and Jaromir Jagr. Used as a shadow on Jagr the last two meetings (both wins), Pandolfo held the league’s second leading scorer to an assist. His primary role will be to shutdown Jagr.

The Devils will send out a grind line of Jason Wiemer, Erik Rasmussen and enforcer Cam Janssen to seek and destroy. They won’t play a ton. So they must remain disciplined.

Defense: After struggling in the first half, the Devils D has returned to form. During the 11-game win streak, they allowed just 22 goals, holding opponents to two goals-or-less in eight games. Brian Rafalski led all New Jersey defensemen with 49 points (27 power play). Second-year blueliner Paul Martin chipped in with 37 points (5-32-37). Most of them also came via the power play (20). Outside of Rafalski and Martin, not much offense should be expected.

Rafalski paired with Richard Matvichuk and Brad Lukowich most of the second half. Matvichuk might be the most underrated defenseman on the team. A Cup winner with the ‘99 Stars, he adjusted well to the Devils’ system and has brought a reliable veteran presence. However, he missed 18 of the final 23 games due to a back injury. If he cannot go, Lukowich will pair with Rafalski. Also a member of the ‘99 Stars and ‘04 Cup champion Lightning, he was acquired at the deadline as insurance. After a slow beginning, he has played solidly in both ends, even contributing five assists the last two games all at even strength.

Martin should team with Colin White if his groin is 100 percent for Game One. A physical presence, White saw time on Jagr the last two meetings. If the Devils are to have success containing Jagr, White must be healthy and not take any unnecessary penalties.

The bottom pairing could consist of a mix of Matvichuk, Ken Klee, rookie David Hale and Tommy Albelin. After a rocky start, Klee was steadier the last few games. Still, he might be the weak link because he can be beat outside and is prone to lazy penalties. Hale showed tremendous poise and deserves to crack the lineup. Albelin is a serviceable vet who has been used sparingly. If Matvichuk is healthy, look for Matvichuk to team with Klee. If anything goes wrong, the Devils shouldn’t hesitate to get Hale his first playoff experience.

Goalie: There is only one established goalie entering the playoffs in the East. With Ottawa’s Dominik Hasek uncertain due to a bad groin, Martin Brodeur is by far the most experienced netminder. A three-time Cup winner already, he knows what it takes to win it all and has a lot to prove against a team he’s never beaten in the postseason. A couple of weeks ago, he was quoted by FSNY’s Chico Resch as saying “he wanted the Rangers.” Now he has his chance to silence that talk that he can’t beat them when it counts.

After a slow start due in large part to rust and a bad knee, Brodeur rounded into form, matching his career high in wins (43) and played great during the 11-game run. Without Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer, he proved he could adjust and still be a dominant goalie. He can never be doubted in a pressure situation. Having started 73 games including 43 of the last 44, the only question is will he wear down like two years ago in a first round loss to the Flyers? That remains to be seen. The Devils will only go as far as he’ll take them.

Special Teams: The Devils ranked 18th on the power play converting 17.8 percent. They were a respectable 10th at home (20.4 pct) compared to only 22nd (15.1 pct) on the road. The PP has been clicking better going nine for their last 35 (25.7 pct). That must continue.

The Devils ranked 16th in penalty killing (81.9 percent). The league’s fewest penalized team must prevent the Rangers seventh ranked power play (18.9 pct) from exploding.

Coaching: Is there anything Team President and GM Lou Lamoriello can’t do? With the team in freefall last December due to Larry Robinson’s resignation (stress related), Lamoriello stepped behind the bench and did a masterful job along with assistants John MacLean, Jacques Laperriere and Jacques Caron. After taking over, he guided them to a 31-14-4 record including 29-9-4 in 2006. Clearly, his presence has had a positive impact. The staff has done an excellent job preparing the team for games. Against their archrival, it should be no different.

Intangibles: Given how well the Devils are playing compared to the skidding Rangers who have lost five straight, they should have a mental edge entering this series. They also have more experience.

Keys to a Devils victory:

-Contain Jagr
-Get an early lead
-Attack mistake-prone Ranger D
-Stay disciplined
-Brodeur, Elias, Gionta and Gomez must be best players

Things that should concern Devils:

-They have gotten every bounce during their impressive streak
-The Rangers are a wounded animal and should be desperate in Game One
-Don’t underestimate Jagr’s linemates Nylander or Straka
-Pay close attention to Petr Prucha
-If Henrik Lundqvist is healthy, watch out

Prediction: The Devils are on a roll and have excellent chemistry while the Rangers are slumping at the wrong time.

Devils in five

Apparently, the stars were aligned for these comeback Devils. Left for dead before this miraculous run of 11 straight, they saved their best comeback against Montreal in an improbable 4-3 win at Bell Centre Tuesday to capture their sixth Atlantic Division in nine seasons.

At one point they trailed the Flyers by 19 points on January 6. By overcoming that deficit, they recorded the biggest comeback to claim a division since the league split into two conferences back in 1974-75. The Red Wings held the previous record, coming back from 18 down in ‘93-94.

“I don’t think it’s sunk in,” Jamie Langenbrunner expressed to the AP. “We were basically so far out of it even three weeks ago that somehow we won this division and have home ice is; I think we’re all a little bit in shock about that. But we definitely earned it.”

Coupled with the Flyers’ 4-1 win over the Islanders and the Rangers’ 5-1 loss to Ottawa, the Devils clinched home ice due to holding two tiebreakers over Philadelphia. In the last nine days, the roles reversed between the Devils and their Lincoln Tunnel rivals, the Rangers. Rewarded for how they finished the season while New York dropped their final five, it’s the Devils who will now host the Rangers in what promises to be an exciting first round series.

It will be the fourth time they have met in the playoffs and first since the last time the Rangers made the playoffs in 1997. The Devils will try to carry their momentum into this match-up and alter recent history. They have never defeated the Rangers in a playoff series going 0-for-3 in ‘92, ‘94 and ‘97. But that’s all ancient history. A once again heated rivalry is alive. The battle begins this Saturday.

All of this wouldn’t have even been believable three weeks ago. After a stinging home loss to Toronto March 26, the Devils trailed the Rangers by 13 points. Amazingly, they were only three points up on Atlanta for the final spot. But after a team meeting before a pivotal game at Ottawa, they rebounded to play their best hockey of the season. Now, they enter the Stanley Cup tournament as the league’s hottest team and are playing with remarkable confidence.

However, more than halfway through against the Canadiens, it didn’t look plausible. Flat from the outset, the Devils fell behind by three goals. After building a two-goal first period lead on goals by Craig Rivet and Tomas Plekanec, Devil killer Alexei Kovalev struck to make it 3-0 at 14:14 of the second. Taking a pass from Mike Ribeiro, he wheeled around Brad Lukowich and flipped a backhand past Martin Brodeur for his 23rd.

But just over three minutes later, the Devils got one back thanks to Brian Gionta. After tying Pat Verbeek’s team record in a win Sunday, the emerging Hart Trophy candidate broke it when he rebounded home a Scott Gomez shot for his 47th at 17:18. It extended Gionta’s point streak to 15 straight, matching Patrik Elias’ team record. The goal would prove enormous and set the stage for a dramatic third period comeback.

With Montreal clinging to a two-goal lead and sitting back, the Devils pressed to get back in it. Finally awarded a power play with 9:49 left, they made their move. Gionta buried his second of the game off a rebound for his 48th to cut it to 3-2 with 8:31 left.

After a clutch stop by Martin Brodeur on Richard Zednik, they tied it thanks to Patrik Elias. Off a Gomez rush, Elias took a feed and walked around two Habs and then whipped a wrist shot past Cristobal Huet to suddenly tie the score with 5:05 to go.

“We knew what was going on,” Gionta admitted. “Down 3-1 going into the third and with a chance for a division title, we had to throw everything on the line.”

Fully aware that the Rangers had lost and the Flyers won, the Devils went for the kill. It would come when Jamie Langenbrunner notched his 19th with just 2:23 remaining. Off a Montreal turnover, the Devils cameback three-on-one. Taking a pass from Lukowich, Langenbrunner faked pass and then wristed one by Huet to give them the lead. Embraced by teammates, he pumped his fist.

“I was definitely excited,” Langenbrunner said. “To be able to help your team clinch a division is definitely a good feeling, especially considering all that we’ve been through this year with our struggles early on, players leaving and coaches quitting. It’s been quite a year.”

“To win 11 in a row at the end of the year is quite an accomplishment, especially the schedule we were playing, against pretty much all playoff teams,” Langenbrunner said. “We’re excited about the way we’re playing, but this team is built to play in the playoffs and that’s what we base our accomplishments on and we’re excited about our opportunity now.”

They’ll get that chance starting Saturday against the Rangers.

Notes: In making 29 saves, Brodeur won his 11th straight to notch his 43rd victory of the season, matching a career high. … Huet finished with 36 saves to absorb the loss. Despite losing, the Canadiens clinched the seventh seed due to Tampa Bay’s loss to Washington. Montreal will meet Carolina in the first round. … Defenseman Colin White sat out due to a groin injury and is uncertain for Game One. … With two assists, Gomez finished the season with a seven-game scoring streak (6-9-15). … With a goal and assist, Elias had his fourth consecutive multi-point game and had nine points in the last five. In his final nine, Elias was 7-10-17.

The collapse is complete. Not even the return of Henrik Lundqvist from a hip flexor could inspire the Rangers to victory and a first Atlantic Division title since ‘93-94. Instead, they wilted in a 5-1 loss to Ottawa at Madison Square Garden Tuesday night to limp to the finish line- losing their final five games to blow the division and finish behind both the Devils and Flyers, who each rallied to win their final games.

The good news is that the slate is clean. They will be playing playoff hockey for the first time since ‘97. The question is can they rediscover what made them a good team in time for Game One Saturday against the archrival Devils at Continental Airlines Arena.

“It’s hard,” Michael Nylander told the AP. “We had the division on the line for many games now and we didn’t come through.”

“We gave the other team a lot of odd-man rushes,” Jaromir Jagr said. “Maybe we are tired and we’re making mistakes, but this is not the way you want to go into the playoffs.”

With Lundqvist back in net for the first time since ironically a blowout loss at Ottawa and defenseman Darius Kasparaitis returning after missing 12 of the last 13 with a groin injury, the Rangers didn’t start poorly. But with the game not even 30 seconds old, they lucked out when Martin Havlat hit the crossbar on a clean breakaway.

After that shaky first shift, the Rangers sharpened and outshot the Senators 13-6 in the first period. But they couldn’t get the crucial first goal which might have made them relax.

While they peppered Ray Emery, Lundqvist proved he was healthy by making a couple of big glove saves to thwart Ottawa chances.

“I felt good for two periods and then I got tired in the third,” Lundqvist said.

The Senators drew first blood thanks to a Ranger mistake. Taking advantage of a horrendous shift by Fedor Tyutin, Patrik Eaves converted his 20th to give Ottawa the lead at 8:28. With Tyutin almost skating the puck out of his zone, Eaves pressured him into a turnover, leading directly to a two-on-one down low. He finished a give-and-go with Daniel Alfredsson one-timing the puck upstairs.

Alfredsson would put the Senators up two 7:04 later when he tallied his 43rd on the power play. Taking advantage of a questionable tripping penalty on Blair Betts, he rebounded home a Wade Redden shot.

But on the very next shift, the Rangers cut it in half just 16 seconds later when Jaromir Jagr setup Martin Straka’s 22nd. Retrieving a long Michal Rozsival pass, Jagr drew two Ottawa defenders and fed a vacant Straka for a tap-in.

The Senators threatened to go back ahead two but Lundqvist robbed his former Swedish Olympic teammate Alfredsson on a breakaway with a remarkable glove save to keep the margin one heading to the third.

It didn’t take long for the wheels to fall off. During a four-on-four, Andrej Mezaros beat Lundqvist to the glove side only 1:12 in to restore the two-goal lead.

The Rangers had a chance to get back in the game. Finally awarded their first power play to mock cheers, they instead allowed a crushing shorthanded goal to Mike Fisher. After blocking a Jagr one-timer at the blueline, he went one-on-two and then powered around Straka, and Lundqvist for the unassisted goal to increase the lead to 4-1 at 7:13. The goal sent many to the exits.

Heatley put it out of reach with a PPG for his 50th with 6:12 remaining, becoming the first ever Senator to reach that mark in franchise history.

Notes: Lundqvist finished with 27 saves while counterpart Emery turned aside 27 of 28. … Defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh was a healthy scratch. … Coupled with Carolina’s 4-0 loss to Buffalo, Ottawa finished a point ahead of them to clinch the East’s top seed and home ice for the second time in the last three postseasons. They’ll meet the defending Cup champion Lightning in the first round. … With an assist, Jagr finished two points behind San Jose’s Joe Thornton for the Art Ross. Thornton led the league with 125 points while Jagr finished with 123.

Nothing can stop the Devils right now. They continued their torrid play by systematically taking apart the Flyers 5-1 at Continental Airlines Arena on Easter Sunday. Their 10th straight win was an NHL season best. Potential first round opponents. Beware.

Had they not prevailed, the Devils would have been locked into the sixth seed and forced to start the postseason on the road. Instead, they tied the Flyers with 99 points but leapfrogged past them to fifth due to one more win. Both teams trail the Rangers by one point with each team having one game left. It will all be decided Tuesday night.

The Devils even have a chance to come all the way back from 13 points down to the Rangers before this streak started to take their sixth Atlantic Division title in nine seasons. In order for that to happen, they’ll need help from Ottawa against the Rangers while earning at least a point at Montreal while the Flyers lose to the Islanders. The easier route would be to extend this streak to 11 and get to 101 points, which would assure them of finishing ahead of the Flyers no matter what. But it’s all contingent on what the Rangers do. If they win, they take the division and earn home ice. If not, anything is possible.

“It was far-fetched to think about the title,” Martin Brodeur told the AP. “We just went about our business. It took us all these games in a row to put us in this position.”

On Fan Appreciation Day, they treated the near sellout CAA crowd to another clinic in how to outplay an archrival, sweeping the final two regular season home games against a wounded opponent. Without Peter Forsberg (groin) who returned a day earlier in a 4-1 win over the Rangers, the Flyers were no match for the Devils.

It didn’t take long for the Devils to draw first blood. Emerging MVP candidate Brian Gionta made a bit of history when he put home his own rebound 5:56 into the first to match Pat Verbeek’s Devils ‘87-88 record with his 46th goal. He nearly had the record a period later but hit the crossbar. He’ll have one game to try to eclipse it.

“We focused in and wanted to finish strong in the last 10, 11 games,” Gionta said. “We’ll see what happens. Things still have to happen for us to get the title. We just need to take care of what we need to take care of.”

Though the Flyers didn’t play poorly, they couldn’t beat Brodeur and soon found themselves in a two-goal hole heading back to the locker room when Patrik Elias finished off a dominant shift by snapping home his 14th of the season past Robert Esche with 46 seconds left. It was his 500th career point in Game No. 595. Up a goal, Elias replaced Zach Parise on the top line for the final shift of the period. After nine consecutive passes, Elias took Brad Lukowich’s feed and fired the puck inside the far post for the milestone.

Scott Gomez increased the margin to three just 2:24 into the second when he fired his 33rd thru a Gionta screen to conclude Esche’s day, forcing Flyers Coach Ken Hitchcock to call timeout. Esche stopped nine of 12 shots. Replacement Antero Niittymaki would fare no better later permitting two goals on only eight shots.

The Flyers got one back on the next shift when Simon Gagne surprised Brodeur with a no look wrister from the right wing inside the crossbar to cut it to 3-1 30 seconds later.

Gaining momentum, they started to attack the Devils more and control play with an aggressive forecheck. But Brodeur wouldn’t allow them to get any closer, including a tough stop on a tricky Petr Nedved floater. During this streak, the two-time Vezina winner has put himself back in the running by allowing more than two goals only twice while being his usually reliable self. He finished with 25 saves for his 42nd victory of the season.

On their heels most of the period, the Devils once again saved their best for the final minute. This time, the beneficiary was Jamie Langenbrunner, who rebounded a Lukowich shot for his 18th with 38 seconds remaining to put them back up three. During another dominant shift, they kept the Flyers D pinned in for nearly a minute before retaking command. When Elias fed Lukowich for a one-timer, an isolated Langenbrunner backhanded the rebound into the net.

Elias put the icing on the cake with his second of the game when he snapped home his 15th at 11:01. Off another effective cycle, he took a Langenbrunner backhand pass and rifled a shot from inside the blueline past Niittymaki. It was Elias’ third point of the day.

When it was over, they left to a well deserved standing ovation. A fitting end to a perfect day.

“Everyone is doing their job right now,” Elias said. “We’re doing the things we have to do and we’re playing good hockey. We’re feeling good about ourselves.”

Notes: Devils finished 27-11-3 at home this season. … With a goal and assist, Gionta extended his point streak to 14 straight. During that stretch, he has 10 goals and 12 assists. … Gomez finished with a goal and assist to extend his point streak to five games (5-6-11). … Langenbrunner had a goal and assist. … Lukowich finished with three assists and was a plus-four to go plus-six in the home sweep of the Flyers. … Sergei Brylin played in his 600th career game. … During the 10-game win streak, Brodeur is perfect with a 1.88 GAA and .941 save percentage. … Devils won the final three games from the Flyers outscoring them 13-3 to take the season series 5-3. … Defenseman Colin White left after the second period with a groin injury. … Devils (45-27-9, 99 pts) conclude the season at Montreal (42-30-9, 93 pts) Tuesday. The Canadiens can clinch a playoff berth with either an Atlanta loss or one point against the Devils.