The New Jersey Devils are preparing for their first game in five days on Saturday afternoon. The Devils have watched as the rest of the Metropolitan Division failed to make up much of the cushion the Devils built. Two wins against the Minnesota Wild really helped the Devils out, and they are just a few points away from clinching a playoff spot officially.

So, one might expect a Devils letdown on Saturday. Between the long layoff, the 12:30 p.m. puck drop, and the fact that they have a playoff spot pretty much locked, it’s very possible the Devils have trouble finding momentum off the top, and a deficit becomes too much to handle.

But this isn’t just some run-of-the-mill afternoon game for the Devils. This is the New York Rangers. Not only is this the Rangers, but this is a Rangers team that is ironically in a very similar situation as the Devils were last year. They faced huge expectations, but they’ve fallen incredibly short. Unlike the Devils of last year, the Rangers did get one win on their rival this season. A second win would put them back in a playoff spot.

A regulation loss puts them in a very bad way. According to Money Puck, the Rangers have just a 31% chance to make the playoffs as of this writing. If the Rangers lose without taking at least the loser point, the Rangers’ playoff odds drop to under 20%.

On the contrary, if the Rangers beat the Devils, they race up the standings and then have a 42% chance to make the playoffs, putting the pressure on the Montreal Canadiens.

This isn’t a big game for the Devils in the traditional sense, but it is a big game for the morale of the team and for the fanbase. Putting the Rangers into the dirt, even if it is theoretical, still has value. After the Rangers beat the Devils on April 3, 2024, it dropped the Devils’ record to 36-36-4. If the Devils won that game, they’d have 78 points at the time, and the ensuing win over the Penguins would put them at 80 points with five games remaining.

The Washington Capitals ended up with 91 points as the last Wild Card, so it doesn’t matter, but at the time, the Rangers felt like they could officially take credit for putting a final nail in the coffin that was a terrible Devils season.

The New Jersey Devils need to put the first nail in the New York Rangers’ season coffin

While the Rangers put the final nail into the Devils coffin, the Devils could put the first nail into the Rangers. Losing this game on Saturday could push the Rangers behind the Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets. That makes life much harder for New York, especially with just six games remaining.