Trent Reinsmith
- 2023 marks the first NHL playoff meeting between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers since 2012.
- The Devils finished the 2023 NHL regular season in second place in the Metropolitan Division, one spot ahead of the Rangers.
- The Devils went 3-1 against the Rangers during the 2023 regular season.
The New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils last met in the NHL playoffs in 2012. On Tuesday, the Eastern Conference rivals will kick off their first playoff series in over 10 years. The Devils finished the 2023 NHL regular season with a 52-22-8 record, which put them in third place in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Rangers, who finished one spot behind the Devils in the Metropolitan Division standings, wrapped up the regular season with a mark of 47-22-13. That finish was good enough for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
In 2012, the Devils eliminated the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals, downing them in six games. The Devils went on to lose the Stanley Cup Finals that year to the Los Angeles Kings in a six-game series.
The Devils turned things around in a big way in 2023. The team finished the 2022 NHL season outside the playoffs with 63 points. This year the club racked up 112 points. Meanwhile, the Rangers finished the 2023 season with 107 points, which was five fewer than last season.
Before we look at the first-round matchup of the 2023 NHL Eastern Conference playoffs between the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils, check out our guide to betting on the 2023 Stanley Cup and our tips for betting on the NHL.
New Jersey Devils vs. NY Rangers betting picks for NHL Eastern Conference Playoff Series
| To Win 2023 NHL Eastern Conference Playoff Series |  |  |  |
| NY Rangers | -105 | EVEN | -105 |
| New Jersey Devils | -115 | -120 | -115 |
New Jersey Devils betting breakdown
The Devils enter the 2023 NHL playoffs with a 24-13-4 home record and a 28-9-4 mark on the road. New Jersey wrapped up the 2023 NHL regular season with a 7-3-0 record in its final 10 games, and the team enters the postseason with wins in its two most recent games.
Jack Hughes had the best offensive season of his career in 2023. The No. 1 pick of the 2019 NHL entry draft, Hughes played in 77 games for the Devils and finished the season with a team-high 99 points. Hughes also led the Devils in goals (43) and assists (56). Besides Hughes, New Jersey had two 30-goal scorers in Jesper Bratt (32) and Nico Hischier (31).
The Devils picked up goaltender Vitel Vanecek from the Washington Capitals at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft in a swap of draft picks. He played well in his first season in New Jersey, going 33-11-4 with a 2.45 goals against average and a .911 save percentage.
New York Rangers betting breakdown
The Rangers head into the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs with a 23-13-5 home record. The team went 24-9-8 on the road and finished the season with a 5-2-3 mark in its final 10 games. New York enters its 2023 playoff series against the Devils with losses in its two most recent regular season matchups.
Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad paced the Rangers in scoring in 2023. Both forward played in all 82 regular season games. Panarin scored a team-leading 92 points, while Zibanejad was right behind him at 91. Zibanejad’s 39 goals were the most on the team, and Panarin led the squad with 63 assists. Chris Kreider was the only Ranger besides Zibanejad to break the 30-goal mark with 36. Panarin fell just short of hitting that number, with 29 goals on the season.
The Rangers have the 2022 Vezina Trophy winner, Igor Shesterkin, in goal. Shesterkin’s numbers this year did not match his stats from last year, but with a 37-13-8 record, a 2.48 goals against average and a .916 save percentage, he wasn’t that far off the mark.
2023 NHL Regular Season: Head-to-Head
The Devils took the 2023 NHL regular season series from the Rangers, beating them three times and losing once. Each time won a 4-3 OT game. The Devils’ other two wins came by scores of 5-3 and 2-1.
Devils vs. Rangers Playoff Series Schedule
Game 1 (at NJ): April 18, 7 ET (TBS)
Game 2 (at NJ): April 20, 7:30 ET (TBS)
Game 3 (at NYR): April 22, 8 ET (ABC)
Game 4 (at NYR): April 24, 7 ET (ESPN)
Game 5* (at NJ): April 27, TBD
Game 6* (at NYR): April 29, TBD
Game 7* (at NJ): May 1, TBD
*if necessary
Best bets for the New Jersey Devils vs. NY Rangers Playoff Series
The Rangers have more recognizable names and more playoff experience than the Devils, and that might hurt the team in the postseason, but the Devils are a plucky bunch, and they faced their fair share of tight games and adversity throughout the 2023 regular season. The best bet for this series is to pick the Devils to beat the Rangers in seven games.
Pick: New Jersey Devils to beat the New York Rangers in seven games.
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