For the last 15 years, the Devils and Rangers have had well-established identities as hockey teams. The Devils were smart, successful and conservatively run by Lou Lamariello. Martin Brodeur was the only superstar they needed and players shuffled in and out with no tears wept when someone left because Lou would have a replacement on the ice before they'd be out of the ducts.
The Rangers, on the other hand, have long favored style over substance when it came to team building. Free agents and splashy trade acquisitions have clogged the roster for ages, rarely paying off with anything more than early-round playoff losses. They've even admitted the superiority of the Devils when it comes to developing players by wildly overpaying for Bobby Holik and Scott Gomez during different disappointing years in the last decade.
That's why it came as quite a shock to hear that the Devils were the local outfit that landed Ilya Kovalchuk in a trade with Atlanta on Thursday night. The goal-scoring machine is exactly the kind of megastar that the Rangers have made their stock in trade in recent years and the Russian is exactly the kind of player that the Devils have eschewed because they didn't fit into their philosophy.
Kovalchuk has two 50-goal seasons, the Devils have never had a 50-goal scorer. Kovalchuk, an impending free agent who flirts with returning home to play for oligarch billions, turned down more than $100 million from the Thrashers, while Lamariello loves everything about the NHL other than the fact that you have to pay players. It will probably only be for a few months, but this is an intriguing storyline to follow in Newark.
The Rangers, meanwhile, also broke with tradition on Thursday. They've turned losing 2-1 games into an art form this season. Strong goaltending by Henrik Lundqvist, a goal from Marian Gaborik and dismal performances from everyone else on the team has been what's hot on Broadway this season.
Against the Capitals, though, the Rangers exploded for five goals and Gaborik didn't score any one of them. Olli Jokinen, the newest Ranger, scored his first New York goal and the Rangers held a 5-3 lead late in the second period. A nice change from the routine until you notice that Lundqvist gave up six goals and the Caps skated out with a 12th straight victory.
Those Caps were the Cup favorites entering Thursday night. The bold Devils may have changed the landscape by the time it ended, though.
Sports
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.
