With the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils ready to square off in the Eastern Conference Finals, the key to winning Game 1 and the series for both teams will be defensive prowess.

And not just normal shut-down defense either; hard-nosed gritty defense that results in the most physical play of the 2012 NHL playoffs. That’s exactly what the fans really want.

We know the Rangers will come out ready to battle for every loose puck, especially after their two straight Game-7 wins. While the battle with the Washington Capitals was physical for NY, we can expect the upcoming series with the Devils to be just as heated.

Devils' head coach Peter DeBoer told the New York Daily News about the fact that Tortorella was mad his team started their fighters:

I guess in John’s world you can come into our building and start your tough guys, but we can’t do the same here. He either has short-term memory loss, or he’s a hypocrite.

Starting a playoff game with fighters? Now that’s physical!

A huge factor in this game and the entire series has to be the matchup of great goalies like Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Brodeur, but it’s the protection in front of these men that will make the difference.

From the forwards to the defensemen, each and every player on the team must be all-in defensively for them to win. Both the Rangers and the Devils have players willing to defend, so this could have the feel of an old school defensive showcase.

While the Rangers have been playing much better as of late, the slow-paced defensive battle almost always favors the Devils and Brodeur. What New Jersey can’t plan for is the momentum that the Rangers come into this series with.

Tortorella told the New York Daily News about the run his team is making this postseason:

We’re still in the middle of the process of the New York Rangers trying to become one of the elite teams. This is a tremendous experience for us, what we’re going through, playing two Game 7’s in the first two rounds. This is where your legacy is made, the playoffs.

As impressive as the Rangers run has been, the Devils weren’t expected to go anywhere after a terrible start to 2012.

Here we are a few months later, and the Eastern Conference Championship will be decided by two of the most physical, defensive teams in the NHL. How far these teams have come.

If you like smash-mouth hockey, don’t miss a second of this action.

 

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