Battle of the Hudson Opens 2026-27: Rangers Visit Devils at the Rock

New York Rangers New Jersey Devils

Matchup: New York Rangers (6-2-0) at New Jersey Devils (3-3-0) Start: 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT) Venue: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J. TV/stream: ESPN+

Tonight is the Hudson River rivals' first regular-season meeting of the year, and it sets the tone for a compressed season series. All four Rangers–Devils games are scheduled by the end of December (the others are Dec. 7, 15 and 22), so early points carry extra weight in the Metropolitan Division.

New York is off to a strong start and beat Tampa Bay 4-1 on Tuesday, with Alexis Lafrenière scoring twice. Lafrenière leads the Rangers with 10 points (seven goals, three assists) and tops the early NHL goal chart. Adam Fox leads the team in assists. The Rangers are 6-2-0 overall but just 1-2-0 on the road. They're playing without Igor Shesterkin (long-term injured reserve) and Joonas Korpisalo (injured reserve), and Dylan Garand has stepped up in recent wins at Madison Square Garden.

New Jersey is 3-3-0 after a 5-4 overtime win at Detroit on Tuesday and a 4-1 home loss to Ottawa the night before. Jack Hughes leads the Devils with eight points (two goals, six assists), and Nico Hischier has three goals. The Devils won two of three against the Rangers last season. Luke Evangelista and Connor Brown were listed as day-to-day or on injured reserve, with return estimates around today, so watch the morning reports.

Storylines

The first Battle of the Hudson of 2026-27. The Rangers' early Metropolitan Division pace against the Devils' need for consistency at home. New York's goaltending depth without Shesterkin.

Key players

Rangers: Lafrenière, Fox, Garand. Devils: Hughes, Hischier.

Recent form

Rangers: beat Tampa Bay 4-1, beat Vancouver 6-2. Devils: won 5-4 in overtime at Detroit, lost 4-1 to Ottawa.