THE Rangers haven’t won a season series from the Devils since 1996-97, and the Rangers haven’t finished ahead of the Devils in the Atlantic Division since 1995-96.
Even if the last two years represented progress over the seven preceding playoff-less seasons during which the Blueshirts were a shameful 3-23-11 in the Battle of the Hudson, they still could not get by New Jersey. Not in the season series, not in the standings, and not in the first round of the 2006 playoffs.
The Rangers couldn’t get by the Devils in large measure because they couldn’t find the way to free Jaromir Jagr from the shackles of a shadow named Jay Pandolfo. Now they don’t have to do that, for Devils’ coach Brent Sutter has done it for them.
No shadow for Jagr in New Jersey’s new era puck-pursuit game, only a shadow being cast over the Devils’ hockey dominance of the Hudson.
It was 4-2 in Newark last night for the Rangers, their third victory in three games over the Devils, their seventh win in their last eight overall to move within a point of Flyers to thus set up a showdown for first place in Philadelphia tonight.
Henrik Lundqvist was superior again. The Kiddie Corps made its mark, with 22-year-old Nigel Dawes, 21-year-old Brandon Dubinsky and 20-year-old Marc Staal all scoring, the latter getting his first NHL goal.
But it was Jagr who dominated; Jagr, who looked 35 going on 19, powerful on the puck, and able to impose his will on the Devils, even matched against, though not shadowed by, Pandolfo. It was No. 68 signing his work with a flourish and reminding everyone that his team is likely to go only as far as he can take it.
Jagr came into the night with three goals in the first 17 games. He had gone through Scott Gomez – booed throughout his first game in New Jersey as a Ranger, but not viciously – and Chris Drury in the middle before uniting with Dubinsky.
“More goals would have been better for my confidence, but life is not always the way you want it to be,” said Jagr, who scored his first power-play goal of the season late in the second after a power move earlier in the period set up Dubinsky’s rebound goal. “But the number of goals isn’t important to me.”
The Jagr-Gomez marriage was annulled more quickly than any union found on Page Six. Never have two players meaning so well accomplished so little.
“The problem was, I was trying to change my game for Scottie and he was trying to change his game for me, and it wasn’t good for either of us,” No. 68 said. “He needs to play with a shooter and I like to play on the boards.”
Gomez, who stretched his point-scoring streak to seven (2-7-9) with two assists, has found compatibility with Brendan Shanahan and Sean (No Incidents) Avery. Jagr, meanwhile, is thriving with the fresh-faced Dubinsky.
“I like to work with him; he has potential,” Jagr said. “I mean, he’s good now, and I like playing with him, but maybe in 20 games I’m going to love it.
“It’s good for us together and it gives us three lines. It makes us a better team.”
It makes the Rangers the best team on either side of the Hudson.