On a very warm November day in New York City, it’s the day after the election. A new President was chosen on Tuesday night, Nov. 5. Historically speaking, the 47th President of the United States was elected. Of course, this space doesn’t cover the polarizing topic of politics.

We are a hockey blog that covers the unique rivalry between the Rangers and Devils. Separated by the Hudson River, a ride from Newark to Penn Station is only a Path train away. Or vice versa. Once, it was Exit 16 W to go see the Devils play in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

When I interned for Stan Fischler, I’d frequently take the Lincoln Tunnel from Upper Harlem to work home games as a production assistant. Sometimes, we’d take the George Washington Bridge to the Devils’ practice facility in South Mountain. That was fun. Once, I even asked the well-respected Devils coach Larry Robinson a question following the morning skate. Afterward, Fischler informed me that I wasn’t supposed to. It was a good learning experience. Robinson answered the question. So. It couldn’t have been that bad.

Sometimes, I miss the glory days of those games at The Meadowlands. There was the memorable 1-0 shutout that featured Dominik Hasek outdueling Martin Brodeur on Feb. 22, 2001. Hasek made 24 saves. Brodeur stopped 16 of 17. The only goal came from Dave Andreychuk. A trio of Hall of Famers.

That game also featured Scott Niedermayer, Scott Stevens, and Patrik Elias. Elias, who may one day get inducted. If only they’d select Alexander Mogilny. He too, was on that team. The 43 goals is still fresh in my memory. Mogilny was an exciting scorer who played with Scott Gomez and Sergei Brylin. That was considered the second line. It was 1B. The A Line was 1A. It was centered by Stanley Cup hero Jason Arnott, who had remarkable chemistry with Elias and Petr Sykora. Imagine that Bobby Holik centered the third line. John Madden was the fourth line checking center. Now, the salary cap era doesn’t allow for such teams to exist.

What I remember most about that game was how it ended. Robinson had lifted Brodeur for an extra attacker. The Devils thought Brian Rafalski had scored the tying goal at the buzzer. When we looked at it in the production truck, it was obvious that the puck didn’t cross the goal line until the clock was at 0.00. Rafalski had his goal waved off. The Sabres won the game by that 1-0 score.

Looking back, those were the two best teams in the Eastern Conference. The Sabres didn’t have much star talent. An aging Doug Gilmour was on the roster. Their best goal scorer was Miroslav Satan. If ever there was a player with a name that should’ve been a Devil, Satan was it. It used to be a running joke on the old NJDevs message board. It still is up and running. I was a rival fan who certainly had my share of heated debates with the regulars that included the one and only Hasan. It’s a good community made up of passionate diehards who bleed red and black. I’m glad it’s still around. Brad Smith is the genius behind it. He deserves a lot of credit for keeping it going.

When I reflect back, maybe some of the stuff I posted was misguided. Even though it was never my intention to rile up fans I knew by name. However, what were we fighting over? The plight of our hockey teams. It doesn’t seem that important anymore. Back then, the rivalry was one-sided. If you rooted for the players who represented the big city, there was nothing to look forward to. Those games were torture. Believe me. I sat through some real stinkers. When you had even Devils fans after the game coming up to you saying, “I feel bad for you,” it spoke volumes. Those were the Dark Ages for Rangers fans.

Two decades later, both teams are good again. The names on the backs of the jerseys have changed. For the Blueshirts, it’s Shesterkin who’s replaced Lundqvist as arguably the league’s best goalie. For the Devils, Hughes gets the most ink. That would be Jack. But Hischier is their best player. His hot start has finally given him the attention he deserves. I’m talking about Nico Hischier. A top five shutdown center who’s the Devils captain. He’s a complete player. Who would you rather have now? Elias Pettersson or Hischier. It’s a no-brainer.

Before we reached this point, you once had Henrik Lundqvist going up against Brodeur. A pair of legendary No. 30’s. Of course, it’s Marty that remains at the top with the most wins (691), shutouts (125), games played (1,266), and minutes played (74,438:25) in NHL history. He was the backbone of the Devils’ three Stanley Cups (95, 00, 03). There were four Vezinas over a five-year span. At 40, he even backstopped the Devils past the Rangers in a closely fought six-game series to take that team to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012. It was his revenge for 1994. As good as he was, the name Henrique remains etched in Devils’ lore. Game 6 overtime hero Adam Henrique still plays for the Oilers.

I always looked forward to those goalie battles. It reminded me of the 1990s between Mike Richter and Brodeur. While Brodeur was the better goalie, Richter won the biggest matchups head-to-head. If only he didn’t break down due to how poorly constructed the Rangers were after Mark Messier bolted for Vancouver in 1997. He still won over 300 games. A mark that the brilliant Lundqvist easily surpassed by setting a franchise record with 459 wins. He also owns the most shutouts (64) in Rangers’ history. It’s hard to picture Igor Shesterkin reaching those marks if he stays. The days of starting netminders being ironmen are gone.

The current Blueshirts are a good team that’s yet to play for the Cup. Twice, they’ve been one step away. Do Panarin, Zibanejad, Kreider, Fox, Lindgren, Lafreniere, Trouba, Trocheck, Miller, Chytil, Kakko, Cuylle, and Schneider have what it takes? They are the core. It was in 2023 that most of them failed miserably in a crushing seven-game first round defeat to the Devils. Peter Laviolette replaced Gerard Gallant, whose message had become stale. He’s been somewhat dissatisfied with his team’s defensive play so far. Despite an 8-2-1 record, they haven’t played well.

The Devils made changes to their roster over the past summer. Jacob Markstrom replaced 2023 first round hero Akira Schmid. Paul Cotter came over from Vegas to add much needed grit. He hasn’t disappointed. Tomas Tatar returned. So too did Stefan Noesen. Brett Pesce is being counted on to improve a blue line that struggled. Brenden Dillon adds physicality. There still are some familiar names. Hughes. Bratt. Hischier. Mercer. Meier. Haula. Siegenthaler. Bastian. Hughes’ younger brother Luke is a key piece on the back end. The goalies went from Schmid and Vitek Vanecek to Markstrom and Jake Allen. The results have been mixed thus far under new coach Sheldon Keefe. They’re 8-5-2. If they find consistency, they should finish in the top three of the Metropolitan Division.

The Rangers and Devils meet four times this season. Their first meeting isn’t until Dec. 2 at Madison Square Garden. The follow-up is right before Christmas on Dec. 23 at The Prudential Center. The third matchup is Jan. 9 at 33rd and 7th. The final regular season meeting is Apr. 5. So. We get three exciting rivalry games in just over a month. Then, we must wait until it’s almost spring for the fourth meeting. Assuming both teams make the playoffs, who knows. Maybe they play each other on a bigger stage again. At least, that’s the hope.

If we were to poll fans of each team, which player would they vote for depending on the category? Isn’t that what makes following one of the best rivalries in hockey fun? You can have sports bar debates over who’s the better leader. Messier or Stevens. If you’ve sat up in the Blue Seats, it’s Mark Messier.

The Hall of Famer led the Rangers to the Cup in 1994. His Game 6 Guarantee remains the stuff of legend. With their backs against the wall, facing elimination in the Eastern Conference Final, No. 11 believed that his team would go into enemy territory and win to force a deciding Game 7. When they fell behind 2-0 against the Devils, it looked like the 54-year curse would extend for another year. Late in the second period, Messier dropped the puck for Alexei Kovalev, who beat Brodeur to get them back in the game. The third period remains one for the ages. Messier tied the game on a backhand and then steered in a rebound to put the Rangers ahead. He later sealed it with an empty netter from his own zone to record a natural hat trick.

The Rangers still needed to go to double overtime before Stephane Matteau had his wraparound bank in off the skate of Slava Fetisov past a stunned Brodeur. They couldn’t even win their first championship since 1940 without making it interesting. They blew a 3-1 series lead against the Canucks. Vancouver was a good team that featured the ever-dangerous Pavel Bure. Bure remains the most electrifying finisher that I’ve ever seen. Game 7 went down to the wire after Canucks captain Trevor Linden scored his second goal of the game. There were a couple of goalposts. Luck was on the Rangers’ side. They held on to celebrate on Garden ice. Brian Leetch became the first American-born player to win the Conn Smythe.

All Stevens did was lead the Devils to three Cups in less than a decade. He wasn’t very outspoken. He led by example with his strong defensive play on the ice. A year later, he did his talking with some memorable hits, including one that shook up Slava Kozlov in the Stanley Cup Finals. While Stevens provided the physicality that he became well known for, Claude Lemieux scored in the clutch. That included his series winner in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Flyers. Lemieux won the Conn Smythe.

Stevens continued his dominance against opponents during the Devils’ run to a second Cup in 2000. Most notably, it was Game 7 against the Flyers in the Eastern Conference Final that is remembered by hockey fans. In a tie hockey game, with the series up for grabs, Stevens caught Eric Lindros with a vicious open ice hit that knocked him out unconscious. Lindros had his head down when Stevens came across his own blue line and leveled him with a shoulder to chest hit that ended his career as a Flyer. The image of Lindros shaking remains one of the scariest. He suffered another concussion that would keep him out for the entire 2000-01 season.

With over two minutes left, Arnott set up Elias for the series clincher before a stunned Flyers crowd. The Devils came back from a 3-1 deficit to take the series. They’d go on to defeat the Stars in six games for their second championship in five years. Elias set up Arnott in double overtime for the memorable Cup winner. For his part, Stevens won the Conn Smythe. He was the driving force behind that team winning it all.

The Devils last won in 2003. Even at 39, Stevens remained the leader of the red and black. While there was more attention given to Niedermayer and Brodeur for their postseason performances, it was the Devils captain who was the constant on the blue line. In what proved to be his final year as a player, he played through a concussion after taking an errant slap shot to the helmet from Pavel Kubina in the second round against the Lightning. The Devils survived a strong Senators team to win Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final at Ottawa. Jeff Friesen scored the series clincher late in regulation. They defeated the Ducks in seven to capture their third Cup.

Although Jean-Sebastien Giguere won the Conn Smythe for the losing Ducks to his brilliant postseason, he wasn’t as dominant against the Devils. It was a rare series when the home team won every game. That included a 3-0 shutout in Game 7. Mike Rupp became an unlikely playoff hero with a goal and an assist to highlight the victory. Ironically, he’d later play for the Rangers and be involved in a line brawl against the Devils in 2011-12. A game I attended. The energy at MSG for that game was through the roof. You even had John Tortorella screaming at Pete DeBoer as Rupp, Stu Bickel, and Brandon Prust fought Cam Janssen, Ryan Carter and Eric Boulton.

If you’re picking one player to start your franchise with, who are you selecting? Is it Messier for the Rangers? Or Leetch? Or maybe you prefer Lundqvist or Shesterkin. Panarin or Fox also are options. The choice is similar for the Devils. You can choose Brodeur, Stevens, or Niedermayer. Would any Red and Black Army fan select Elias, Hughes or Hischier? It all depends on your perspective. For me personally, I’m old school. I probably would go with Messier over Leetch because he changed the way the Rangers played. If I were to choose one Devil, I would probably lean towards Stevens for a similar reason. But Brodeur is an obvious choice for most. They’ve never had a goalie like him since.

What about most exciting? Kovalev was a player who could bring you out of your seat. So too, was Leetch. Was anyone more fun to watch than Jaromir Jagr during the Rangers’ rebirth after the lockout? Jagr almost singlehandedly willed the 2005-06 Rangers back to the playoffs. He still holds the franchise single season records with 54 goals and 123 points. Too bad they robbed him of the Hart that season. Panarin would get a lot of votes. He’s the greatest free agent signing in franchise history. Both Lundqvist and Shesterkin would be popular. Mogilny was that player for the Devils. He and Scott Gomez electrified crowds. Elias too, had that quality. But he wasn’t as explosive as Mogilny, who eventually bolted for Toronto. Brodeur could be chosen as well. Niedermayer might also poll well. Currently, it’s Hughes. Gone but not forgotten is Taylor Hall, who carried the 2017-18 Devils to the postseason. He’s the only Devil to ever win the Hart. He put up 39 goals and 93 points, with many coming in the clutch.

What if you could select a First All-Star Team? Who’s your center, left wing, right wing, two defensemen, and goalie? I’ll give you mine.

NEW YORK RANGERS

C Mark Messier

LW Chris Kreider

RW Jaromir Jagr

D Brian Leetch

D Adam Fox

G Henrik Lundqvist

Let the debate begin. Why Kreider over Panarin? Kreider’s been a better playoff performer. I factored that in. He’s also the greatest Rangers finisher since Adam Graves. He matched Graves’ then single season franchise record of 52 in 2021-22. His 26 power-play goals beat Jagr’s record. I took Lundqvist over both Richter and Shesterkin. Rangers fans aren’t spoiled with much. but goalie has been incredible. I keep going back to King Henrik’s record in Game 7’s. Clutch.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

C Nico Hischier

LW Patrik Elias

RW Petr Sykora

D Scott Stevens

D Scott Niedermayer

G Martin Brodeur

From my perspective, it’s hard not to go with classic Devils from the championship era. I easily could’ve picked Arnott as the center. But I feel like Hischier has a chance to become their best center. He is an exceptional five-on-five player who is superb on the penalty kill and wins faceoffs. He’s good on the power play. There aren’t any holes. The younger generation can make the argument for Hughes. It’s justified. He will put up over a point-per-game. If he stays healthy, he’ll become the first ever Devil to top the century mark in a season. He still needs to improve defensively. He’s not there yet. The only other right wing I’d consider is Brian Gionta, who scored a franchise single season record 48 in 2005-06. That remains a remarkable achievement.

There’s so much more you can do. There could even be a category for best quote. Messier and Lundqvist top the list. Graves certainly was always available following games. Along with Lundqvist, they’re probably the nicest Rangers. Graves remains the most charitable. Brodeur and Gomez were those guys for the Devils. So was Ken Daneyko. If we’re talking coaches, it’s Tortorella for me. He had a way with words. Ask Larry Brooks. I’d go Pat Burns for the Devils. They don’t win that third Cup without him. He was the perfect hire.

Funniest player? Tony DeAngelo. Some of the skits they used to run with him were classic. Derek Stepan was also pretty good when it came to the off-ice shenanigans. Who would be that player for the Devils? I’m not as familiar with them. Any classic pranksters?

Most talkative? Holik would be the answer for both sides. He didn’t pull any punches. That was part of the problem when he was in the Big Apple. He still was a good player. It was a bad fit. In New Jersey, his style worked much better.

Most stylish? There’s only one King Henrik. He remains impeccable as a studio analyst. He isn’t quite Clyde Frazier. But his personality along with his clothes makes him look like GQ. I’m not sure who that is for the Devils. Brodeur?

That’s going to do it for this fun edition. Both teams return to action on Thursday night. The Devils host the Canadiens. The Rangers host the Sabres.