Hot or Not: Devils vs. Rangers Edition

Ilya Kovalchuk (Credit: NJ.com)

To paraphrase the inimitable Harry Doyle: in case you haven't noticed, and judging by the attendance you haven't, the New Jersey Devils have managed to win a few here and there, and are threatening to climb out of the cellar.

Actually, the Devils have done more than win a few here and there.  Once left for dead in the East, they are 12-1-2 in their last 15 games.  Former punch line Ilya Kovalchuk has netted the game winning goal in their last two wins (at Toronto and home vs. San Jose).  Johan Hedberg has done a nice job of spelling Martin Brodeur (7 goals in 4 starts).  And new-ish coach Jaques "Been Here Done That" Lemaire has breathed new life into a team that started the season under John MacLean worse than any Devils team in the past 20 years.  Oh, and even though New Jersey has played 7 games in the past 11 days, they have gone 6-1 in those contests, including 3 overtime wins.  So the Devils are, as their name suggests, hot.

But what about those New York Rangers on the other side of the Hudson River?  Well, not so hot.  The Blueshirts have dropped their last 6 games, and are 4-10 in their last 14 overall.  They also can't catch a break, having to face Pittsburgh, LA, the red-hot Devils, and Philadelphia in their next four games.  Perhaps they are feeling the impact of losing team captain Chris Drury to knee surgery for the next six weeks.  Nevertheless, they are still clinging onto a playoff spot, currently two points ahead of 8th-seeded Atlanta, but Carolina (one point out of 8th) and Buffalo (three points out of 8th) are breathing down their necks.

So is it far-fetched to say that it's not too late for the Devils to make a serious playoff run?  Perhaps even catch their rivals, the Rangers?  Well, they have a game in hand, which is nice.  And overall, they're just 14 points behind the Blueshirts with 26 games to go.  They also play each other twice, including Game No. 81 on April 9.  With the way New Jersey is playing under Lemaire, and with how hot Kovalchuk is (11 of his 19 goals are under the new coach), it's not impossible.  And it would be exciting, historically significant, and a heck of a new chapter to add to this rivalry.

But I don't want to get ahead of myself, lest I end up eating these words later.  Suffice it to say that the Devils are hot, the Rangers are not, and early-season reports of New Jersey's demise were greatly exaggerated.