Puck drop: 7:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
TV: MSG / MSGSN2 / ESPN+
The Rangers (Metropolitan Division leaders early) visit the Devils in the first meeting of the 2026-27 season and a classic Hudson River rivalry matchup. New York is off to a strong start with elite defensive numbers, while New Jersey sits at .500 and is looking to build consistency at home.
Current Rosters & Projected Lineups
New York Rangers (key active contributors):
Forwards feature Alexis Lafrenière (hot early with multi-goal games), J.T. Miller, Mika Zibanejad, Gabe Perreault, Tye Kartye, Will Cuylle, Pavel Dorofeyev, Eeli Tolvanen, and depth options.
Defense: Adam Fox, Vladislav Gavrikov, Marcus Pettersson, Sean Durzi, Braden Schneider.
Goalies: Dylan Garand (stepping up as primary after major injuries) and Spencer Martin.
Projected lines (recent patterns):
Perreault – Zibanejad – Dorofeyev
Kartye – Miller – Lafrenière
Cuylle – Laba – Tolvanen
Bjorkstrand – Beaudoin – Rempe (or similar)
Defense pairs: Gavrikov-Fox, Pettersson-Durzi, Smits-Schneider. Garand is the projected starter after strong early performances.
New Jersey Devils:
Forwards led by Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, Anthony Mantha, Dawson Mercer, and supporting cast including Arseny Gritsyuk and Evan Rodrigues.
Defense: Luke Hughes, Brett Pesce, Dougie Hamilton, Jonas Siegenthaler.
Goalies: Jake Allen and Nico Daws.
Projected lines (recent usage):
Bratt/Mantha – Hughes – (variations with Gritsyuk or others)
Meier – Hischier – Mercer/Evangelista
Depth lines with Rodrigues, Glass, Boqvist
Defense: Luke Hughes-Pesce, Siegenthaler-Hamilton, depth. Allen is a likely starter.
Injury Reports
Rangers: G Igor Shesterkin (lower body, out for the season); G Joonas Korpisalo (lower body, out several weeks); C Joseph Veleno (lower body, IR); additional depth forwards (Aidan Thompson, Adam Sykora) out. Goaltending depth is severely tested, with Garand shouldering the load.
Devils: C Nick Bjugstad (pectoral, IR long-term); RW Connor Brown (lower body, IR); D Seamus Casey (knee, IR); RW Luke Evangelista (illness, day-to-day). Forward depth is affected but the core remains available.
Key Player Matchups
Alexis Lafrenière / J.T. Miller vs. Devils defense: Lafrenière has been scoring at a high rate early. Luke Hughes and Pesce must contain New York’s secondary scoring surge.
Jack Hughes / Jesper Bratt / Nico Hischier vs. Rangers defense: Hughes drives New Jersey’s attack. Fox, Gavrikov, and Pettersson form a strong blue-line group that has limited opponents effectively.
Goaltending: Dylan Garand (excellent early SV% and GAA in relief of Shesterkin) vs. Jake Allen/Nico Daws. Garand’s form gives the Rangers an unexpected edge in net.
Special teams: Rangers boast a strong PK early; Devils have shown PP potential. Faceoffs and transition will be key in this rivalry game.
Secondary: Zibanejad’s two-way play and Fox’s quarterbacking vs. New Jersey’s speed and skill.
Recent Team Forms
Rangers: 6-2-0. Recent: Win vs. Tampa Bay (4-1, Lafrenière two goals), win vs. Vancouver (6-2), loss at Washington, wins vs. Islanders and Utah. Strong home form (5-0-0) and elite goals-against (around 1.75 GA/GP). Defense and structure have carried them despite the Shesterkin loss.
Devils: 3-3-0. Recent: OT win at Detroit (5-4), loss vs. Ottawa, win vs. Vancouver, losses to Utah and Islanders. Mixed results with strong possession metrics at times but defensive lapses (higher GA). Home record is 2-2-0.
Series History
First meeting of 2026-27. The Hudson River rivalry is typically competitive and physical. Recent seasons have seen splits, with both teams capable of strong showings in the other’s building. Low-to-mid scoring games are common in the series historically.
Betting Trends
Approximate lines: Devils slight home favorites around -140 to -150; Rangers +120 to +130. Puck line often Devils -1.5 or Rangers +1.5. Total around 5.5–6.5. Trends favor under in many recent H2H and Rangers road games; public money is split but leans toward the home side. Rangers’ strong early defensive metrics create value as underdogs.
This Metropolitan Division rivalry pits a surging Rangers team (riding strong structure and secondary scoring) against a Devils side still finding consistency. New York’s defensive metrics and Garand’s form make them dangerous underdogs on the road, while New Jersey’s skill and home ice keep the matchup competitive.
Game Odds
New York Rangers 6
New Jersey Devils – 143
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, October 14, 2026
