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NHL Playoffs: High-Energy & Tense Environment Ahead of Devils vs Rangers Game 7
In about an hour, the New Jersey Devils will host their first NHL Game 7 since falling to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2009. Even better, the Devils play host to their most bitter rival, the New York Rangers.
NHL Fans of both the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils converge on Newark for an intense Game 7
The environment around Newark, NJ, is that of high tension and excitement. Walking into the arena, the buzz is electric.
Devils and Rangers fans are constantly throwing chants at each other, gathering in the plaza, and high-fiving like-minded fans. But with that buzz also comes a heavy sense of nerves and tension.
Inside the arena, much of the same.
The pressure seems to be all on the shoulders of the New York Rangers.
The Rangers put a lot of money into their current roster, bringing in names like Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane. They improved on a team that made it to the NHL Eastern Conference Finals in 2022. They also held a 2-0 series lead after taking the first two games in New Jersey. The pressure is on.
"It's a lot of stress and a lot of pressure, but also it's one game," Tarasenko said. "Either win and advance or you're done. This is the moment and we're looking forward to that one."
"We've got some character and some pride," Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. "They didn't like the way the last three games went. They got outplayed. Tonight was a chance to redeem ourselves a little bit and now we give ourselves a chance for a Game 7, and that's huge for us."
Gallant is 2-1 in Game 7 in his career. The Rangers won two Game 7's in their run to the NHL Conference Finals in 2022. Igor Shesterkin backstopped both of them.
For New Jersey, they are "playing with house money," as Jack Hughes put it.
New Jersey is miles ahead of where most thought they would be. They made a record-setting 49-point turnaround from 2021-22 to 2022-23 and finished third in the NHL standings. After falling behind 2-0, New Jersey took three straight, including Games 3 and 4 at Madison Square Garden. While they want to do everything they can to win this game and make a deep run, they also know that they have already overachieved and everything at this point is truly "house money."
"We worked all year long to have home-ice advantage for Game 7," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. "This group has given me everything they got from Day One this year."
The Devils are 7-7 in Game 7's all-time, 3-2 on home ice.
22-year-old Akira Schmid takes on 2022 NHL Vezina winner Igor Shesterkin in the "Battle of the Hudson" Rangers vs. Devils Game 7.
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