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The New Jersey Devils' 4-3 shootout win in the regular season finale gave them home ice in this series ... but what did it really mean? Did the victory give the Devils a little confidence that they could, in fact, hand the Rangers a loss after going 0-7 against the Blueshirts during the rest of the regular season? Or did the loss actually keep the Rangers from believing they had an unshakable hex on the Diablos, which could have potentially fueled overconfidence in the postseason?
If this sounds like a little too much psychology for two teams that are probably just going to bash each others' brains in for six or seven games, think again. This is a series that hinges on the Devils not allowing Henrik Lundqvist to get into their heads; or Jaromir Jagr not allowing players like Dainius Zubrus and Jay Pandolfo to frustrate him into ineffectiveness (luckily, the player that Jagr injured himself trying to punch two years ago is now his teammate); or anyone wearing red and black not overreacting when Sean Avery goes into pest overdrive.
It's a chess match between two smart coaches, and a psychological battle between and within players. It's also a series that could easily become the most brutal and tightly-played in the Eastern Conference's first round. So who has the advantage?
