Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Rangers/Devils Playoff Fun Facts

Kenny Albert at MSGNetwork.com offers these tidbits...

- Tom Renney will become the first Rangers head coach to guide the club in more than one Rangers-Devils playoff series (2006 and 2008). The prior coaching matchups were Roger Neilson-Tom McVie (1992), Mike Keenan-Jacques Lemaire (1994), Colin Campbell-Lemaire (1997) and Renney-Lou Lamoriello (2006).

- Of the four Rangers-Devils playoff games tied at the end of regulation, only one has been decided in the first overtime (Adam Graves, Game 5, 1997). Stephane Richer (Game 1) and Stephane Matteau (Games 3 and 7) scored in double overtime in 1994.

- Scott Gomez and Weekes will join Bruce Driver as the only players to take part on both sides of this playoff rivalry.

- Four Rangers (Brendan Shanahan, Gomez, Jaromir Jagr, Chris Drury) have won a combined eight Stanley Cup rings. Marek Malik and Martin Straka have also played in the Stanley Cup Finals.

- Jagr and Drury are tied for fourth all-time (with nine others) with four career playoff OT goals, behind Joe Sakic (7), Maurice Richard (6) and Glenn Anderson (5).

- Brodeur is 10-19 in career playoff overtime games.

- Devils coach Brent Sutter scored an overtime goal against the Rangers in Game 3 of a first round series on April 9, 1990 ... 18 years to the day prior to Game One.

- The shortest playoff overtime game in Rangers history, of course, was Game 3 against the Islanders in 1975 when J.P. Parise (Zach's dad) eliminated the Rangers on April 11 ... 33 years to the day prior to Game Two.

- Drury has played in five post-seasons with Colorado and Buffalo. His teams have never failed to reach the Conference Finals. Drury has never lost in the first two rounds. Not only did Drury score seven game-winning goals this season, but he also sent four other games into overtime with a goal in the final six minutes of the third period.

- The Rangers have won six of their last seven first round series.

- Lundqvist was named one of the three stars in six of the eight games against New Jersey this season. He became the first goaltender to defeat New Jersey seven times in one season.

- Shanahan scored the first of his 58 career playoff goals in the infamous Jim Schoenfeld/Don Koharski "Donut" game. Shanahan scored on the power play against Reggie Lemelin in Game 2 of the 1988 semi-finals, assisted by Ken Daneyko and Patrik Sundstrom. The Bruins beat the Devils, 6-1.

- In the eight regular season games, the Devils held the lead for just 93:44.- Jagr played in all 82 games for the third consecutive regular season.

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