PUCK OFF!

The Eastern Conference’s Battle of the Hudson River rages on as the Rangers and the Devils face off for the third time this season in a split series (the Rangers took the October 5 game, 3-2, while the Devils had their revenge October 22, 4-2). The Rangers may really have to hustle. As we go to press, the Devils are ranked number one in the Atlantic Division, and the Rangers’ top forward, Vinny Prospal, may not be back from arthroscopic knee surgery. But this is always a fun game with the fans contributing to the intensity of the competition almost as much as the players—Devils fans are known to throw confetti that reads, “Rangers Suck.” This rivalry was even commemorated in a Seinfeld episode, “The Face Painter,” and director and Jersey native Kevin Smith noted on his blog: “No Devils fan can truly pinpoint why we hate our cross-river rivals as much as we do.” These guys hate each other so much that the Rangers are the only NHL team with which the Devils have never made a trade. Sounds like fun! Tickets are available on StubHub starting at $52, with good seats around $80 each.

Tue., Jan. 12, 7 p.m., 2010