The NHL's take on the Subway Series (more accurately the NJ Transit Series), will begin tonight at 8 P.M. EDT when the New Jersey Devils travel across the Hudson to face the New York Rangers at MSG in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The series, which serves as the final obstacle on the path to the Stanley Cup Championship round, features two of the most celebrated goaltenders in the game. Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist will go toe-to-toe once again with the legend he is slated to replace as the top man between the pipes in hockey, Martin Brodeur.
For Brodeur, 40, this may be his last opportunity to close out a historic career on a high note. He has allowed 25 goals in 12 games throughout the postseason, the same number Lundqvist has surrendered in 14 playoff contests.
Despite that slight statistical advantage for New York, Brodeur and his Devils will certainly be a bit more rested tonight as they managed to clinch their last series on Tuesday. The Rangers did not escape their duel with Washington until late Saturday evening.
But while the rivalry between the franchises has grown bitter to say the least, Brodeur has demonstrated a healthy respect for his counterpart.
"He's( Lundqvist) a Vezina candidate. He's unbelievable." Brodeur told The Star-Ledger. "He's kind of the top goalie in the NHL right now, and I think I was in that position once. I played against Patrick (Roy) and Dominik Hasek. I played against all the guys during maybe the top years in their careers."
2012 saw the cross-state rivalry between the two clubs hit a fever pitch during the final month of the regular season. On what would become an infamous night for the NHL, both teams engaged in the first of three multi-man brawls immediately after their opening face-off.
While publicly, the NHL did not endorse the altercations, the scuffles garnered the sport increased national attention just as it was preparing to begin the playoffs. For that reason, tonight's matchup between established rivals will serve as the beginning of the end to one of the league's all-time biggest storylines.
The Rangers and Devils last faced off during the postseason in 2008. New York walked away victorious.
Tonight's game can be watched on NBCSN.
