Avery's Ghost Will Haunt Devils And Rangers Next Game

The ghost of Sean Avery will haunt the Rangers/Devils game in New Jersey on Monday as he caused so much controversy when the teams battled in the playoffs last year and it now looks like he will be returning to New York in time for the playoffs again this year.

New Jersey is 15-9-1 at home this season and has opened up a six-point lead on the second-place New York Rangers in the Atlantic Division.

In their last game, against Avery's team, the Dallas Stars spanked the New York Rangers by a whopping score of 10-to-2. The Stars had their highest-scoring game since the franchise moved to Dallas.

The Rangers allowed 10 goals for the first time in over a decade and a half.

As the International Herald Tribute pointed out, The New York Rangers made it clear that suspended Dallas agitator Sean Avery would have no problem finding a spot in their lineup right now.

The Rangers have scored two goals or less in 11 of their last 18 games. Hockey pundits say they need a spark and some grit—two ingredients Avery gave them last year.

The New Jersey Devils began a five-game home-stand with a visit from the Los Angeles Kings.

The Devils had won eight in a row prior to their game with the Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

The Devils have scored at least four goals in five of their last six games.

New Jersey is 15-9-1 at home this season and has opened up a six-point lead on the second-place New York Rangers in the Atlantic Division. The Devils will host the Rangers on Monday.

After the Rangers beat the Devils last year, New York lost to Pittsburgh and Avery almost died after one of their games.

He was taken to hospital with a lacerated spleen. Avery, injured in the first period, toughed out the rest of the game—and picked up a second period assist—despite increasing pain.

He achieved a kind of immortality in the previous series when the NHL created The Avery Rule after the Rangers' agitator's animated duel with goalie Martin Brodeur of the Devils.

Avery spent the summer as an intern at Vogue and became guest editor of Men's Vogue.

If there is a well-dressed spectre in the Prudential Centre on Tuesday, when the Devils host the Rangers, players and fans will be thinking about Avery.