Devils vs. Rangers Betting Line – Game 1 of the 2012 Playoffs
Carrie Stroup with your Devils vs. Rangers betting line for Game 1 of the NHL Playoffs. This series should be exciting. All NHL wagering odds can be found at Sportsbook, which was offering up to $250 in FREE CASH for qualified customers here.
Season Series: Tied 3-3
Series Line: New York -145, New Jersey +125
Sportsbook.ag Game 1 Line & Total: Rangers -130 & 4.5 over -130
Bitter cross-town rivals square off in the Eastern Conference Finals as the New York Rangers take on the New Jersey Devils for a chance to play for the Stanley Cup.
This series represents a rematch of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, where the top-seeded Rangers knocked off the Devils in an epic double-overtime victory in Game 7. Eighteen years later, the similarities are scary. This is the first time since that 1994 season New York has held the top seed in the East, a year in which the Rangers beat the seventh-seeded Washington Capitals in the second round. The 2012 Blueshirts snuck by a pesky Caps team (also ranked No. 7) in seven games with an impressive 2-1 victory on Saturday night to take on their well-rested Atlantic Division rival. The Devils dismantled the heavily favored Flyers in five games, rattling off four straight wins after dropping Game 1 in overtime. The teams may be the same as ’94, but the identities of each franchise have done a complete 180. The Mark Messier-led Rangers had loads of offensive firepower, while the Devils have always been defined by their tight-checking, trap system. Now, the tables have turned, with New York forging a physical, defense-first identity and Jersey boasting a high-octane offense. Will history repeat itself in this Hudson River showdown?
Two Keys to the Series:
- New Jersey’s Forecheck vs. New York’s Defensemen
After getting roughed up by a seemingly less-physical Florida team, New Jersey was extremely fortunate to escape the first round, needing overtime wins in Games 6 and 7 to advance. The Devils rediscovered their identity in the second round though, using tremendous speed and a relentless forecheck to overwhelm a banged up Philadelphia blueline. New Jersey was able to create excellent scoring chances against the Flyers by forcing turnovers in the offensive zone, scoring three or more goals in all five games (and four goals in three of five). The Rangers, meanwhile, have scored three or more goals in only four of their 14 postseason games, but rely more on their strong defense and goaltending to win games. The problem for New York’s blue line in this series isn’t a question of talent (arguably the best of the remaining four teams), but rather one of stamina. Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh and Marc Staal rank one, two and three, respectively in total ice time in the playoffs, not only for the Rangers, but for the whole NHL. Head coach John Tortorella is not shy about shortening his bench in crucial situations, but you have to wonder about the fatigue of New York’s big three on the blueline. Neither the Senators’ nor the Capitals’ forwards played as physically as the Devils will, and the Rangers commitment to blocking shots might eventually take a health toll against a deep and unrelenting team like the Devils.
- The Legend vs. The King
It’s safe to say that with three Stanley Cups, four Vezina trophies, and the NHL record for wins and shutouts, Martin Brodeur will go down as the greatest goaltender of all-time. But after celebrating his 40th birthday last week, it is also safe to say his best years are behind him. Now, the greatest goalie in the tri-state area plays across the Hudson at MSG, and he goes by the name of King Henrik. Lundqvist has been sensational for the Rangers in the first two rounds, with a 1.68 GAA and .937 SV Pct. through 14 games. And given how close each of New York’s first two series were, there’s no chance the Blueshirts would have advanced this far without the 30-year-old Swede between the pipes. Brodeur’s numbers have been respectable with a 2.05 GAA and .920 SV Pct., but the Devils have not needed him to stand on his head the way the Rangers have with Lundqvist. Also, considering the Devils held the high-octane Flyers offense to just 11 goals in five games (after scoring 30 goals in six games in round one), this series presents a much easier test against a Rangers offense averaging a slim 2.07 goals per game in the playoffs. It would be an unbelievable storyline to see the ageless Brodeur—in what could very well be his final season (unrestricted free agent)—dethrone The King and get a chance to win an unprecedented fourth Stanley Cup.
To their credit, the Devils found success by correcting almost all the mistakes that plagued them in the first round—commitment to physical play, strong skating through the neutral zone, and vastly improved team defense. There’s no love lost between these two bitter rivals—they flat out hate each other. It’s hard not to get the feeling though, that the Rangers are about to hit a wall while the Devils are just rounding into form. Keep in mind, the Blueshirts were just 6.6 seconds and one lucky bounce away from losing Game 5 at home to the Caps last round—which likely would have been the end of the series with Game 6 heading back to D.C.
The Rangers have gotten no depth scoring, relying almost exclusively on their top duo of C Brad Richards (six goals, five assists) and RW Marian Gaborik (four goals, six assists). Captain Ryan Callahan recorded just one goal and one assist in the Washington series, and New York was fortunate to get timely offensive contributions from its defensemen—Marc Staal and Michael Del Zotto scored the game winning goals in Games 5 and 7, respectively.
The Devils, on the other hand, are getting consistent scoring from three lines. While the trio of Ilya Kovalchuk, Travis Zajac and Zach Parise has led the way (14 G, 16 A combined), head coach Peter DeBoer moved Parise down to play with Patrik Elias and David Clarkson. This gave winger Alexei Ponikarovsky a chance to shine with the top line—netting the overtime game-winner in Game 3. The fact that New Jersey’s third line still boasts serious scoring threats like Adam Henrique (two goals, five assists) and Dainius Zubrus (three goals, four assists) spells serious trouble for a Rangers defense that has relied way too much on its top four.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
