The white-hot New Jersey Devils have been one of the league’s streakiest teams all season long, and have caught fire at the best possible time. The Devils’ resurrection can be traced back to two distinct events, the combination of which enabled them to complete a shocking rise to the top of the Atlantic Division standings on the season’s final night.

The first epochal moment came back in November, when a frustrated Larry Robinson tendered his resignation and walked away from the head coaching job. GM Lou Lamoriello took over as the interim coach and never looked back, ultimately choosing to retain the role at least for the duration of this season. Remarkably, Lamoriello showed no signs of rust despite the fact that it had been more than 22 years since he last ran a bench (for the Providence College Friars). In fact, Lamoriello’s coaching performance for the Devils has been so extraordinary, it is difficult to imagine a more deserving candidate for the Jack Adams Trophy as coach of the year.

The second seminal moment in the Devils’ season arrived when Patrik Elias suited up for the January 3 game against the Florida Panthers. Elias had missed the season’s first three months following a lengthy battle with hepatitis A (contracted while he played in Russia during the lockout), but he didn’t miss a beat upon his return, immediately sparking the Devils to a nine-game winning streak and tallying 46 points in 38 games.

Of course, there are plenty of other reasons why the Devils were able to steal the division away from the Rangers and Flyers. Goaltender Martin Brodeur was stellar in second half of the season, compiling a 29-9-4 record from January 1 forward. By far the most experienced goaltender participating in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the 33-year-old Brodeur gives the Devils a huge edge.

Also not to be overlooked are the stupendous performances of Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez. In his third full season, Gionta tallied a spectacular 48 goals, emerging as a top-tier goal scorer following the league’s crackdown on obstruction and interference. Gomez, known primarily as a playmaker, finally gained confidence in his ability to shoot the puck, scoring 33 goals in what was a career season.

The Devils’ improbable surge to the Atlantic crown earned them home-ice advantage for their first round playoff series against the Rangers, set to begin Saturday afternoon, despite the fact that the Blueshirts led them in the standings until the regular season’s final three minutes.

However, helping alleviate the Devils’ home-ice advantage is the Rangers’ superior fan support. Come Saturday in New Jersey, a sizable percentage of the attending crowd should be expected to side with the Blueshirts. It’s a crying shame that the Devils – Cup contenders for more than a decade – could actually be like visitors in their own building, and for all the accolades Lamoriello deserves for his work as the team’s GM and coach, it’s clear his regime has failed from a marketing perspective.

Looking back to the ice, the Rangers’ regular season-ending five-game losing streak could not have come at a worse time, and Tuesday’s 5-1 thrashing at the hands of the high-flying Ottawa Senators was a brutal confidence killer. As the Devils hit their stride, the Blueshirts limped to the finish line, looking like anything but the Cup contenders they appeared to be just one month ago.

One Ranger whose recent struggles are of particular concern is star winger Jaromir Jagr. He scored only twice in the season’s final 10 games, and labored noticeably when tenacious players like the Devils’ Jay Pandolfo and the Senators’ Mike Fisher were assigned to shadow him. Jagr has thus far been one of the primary beneficiaries of the NHL’s dramatic reinterpretation of the rules, but recent developments have provided ample reason to worry whether he’ll be as effective in the playoffs.

In the final two weeks of the season, the officials appeared to look the other way rather than call numerous obstruction penalties, leading one to believe that the playoffs might better resemble pre-lockout hockey. The Rangers averaged well over five power plays per game during the regular season, but enjoyed the man advantage only once against Ottawa. If Jagr will, in fact, be forced to operate with Pandolfo draped over him like a blanket, it’s safe to say the Rangers’ chances for victory over the Devils will be severely diminished.

Another cause for worry on the Blueshirts’ side is goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. A hip flexor forced the Swedish sensation to miss seven consecutive games, and while he did his best to keep the close Rangers against the superior Senators, it was also abundantly clear that he’s not yet back to his all-world form. But with three additional days to rest, and with the Devils’ offense far inferior to the Sens’, Lundqvist should be expected to deliver a strong performance.

The last time the Devils were on a roll, back in January, the Rangers ended their nine-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory at Madison Square Garden. Now, they’ll have to play the role of “coolers” again, and soon. Put bluntly, if the Rangers don’t come away with at least one win in the series’ first two games (both played at the Meadowlands), they’ll find themselves in a hole from which it will be nearly impossible to escape.

The Rangers’ season has been a Broadway revival in the truest sense of the phrase, and has served to increase expectations for the team’s potential. On Tuesday, the fans suffered throughout the final half of “Fan Appreciation Night,” their faces glazed with expressions reminiscent of the pre-2004 “Fenway Faithful.” If the Rangers truly want to show appreciation for their fans – and prove their perceived return to respectability was no fluke – it’s time for them to stand and deliver.

Mr. Greenstein is the editor in chief of InsideHockey.com.