Saturday Afternoon NHL:  Rangers Are Game

DEVILS (+130) at RANGERS (-150), 1 p.m.
Pick: Rangers To Win (-150)

The Devils (24-29-8) were bested by the Rangers last time they met at The Rock. Here they will look to even the slate at MSG, but will have to do so without D Ben Lovejoy, who was traded early -- and we mean early! -- Saturday morning to the Dallas Stars for D Connor Carrick. (F Marcus Johansson remains a healthy scratch to maintain his value and avoid injury.) No F Kevin Hayes nor F Mats Zuccarello for the Rangers.

Even with the roster instability -- Who’s coming? Who’s going? Who’s playing? -- this should be easy pickings for the Rangers (26-26-8) at home (15-10-6). The Devils will ice another predominantly AHL-caliber roster and leave their goaltender out to dry. F Taylor Hall and D Sami Vatanen are both still out due to injury leaving the only real veteran presence on New Jersey’s team as F Travis Zajac and F Kyle Palmieri. The NHL-caliber talent on New York here that might actually make it onto the ice far exceeds that of what the Devils are putting out there these days.