Gabe Perreault will get his first taste of an actual NHL rivalry tomorrow afternoon when the New York Rangers face the New Jersey Devils in a critical clash for both teams. New York remains firm in their efforts to clinch a playoff berth, and the New Jersey Devils are trying to stay ahead of the chasing pack, but ultimately, there is not much in this game for the New Jersey Devils. They cannot catch the Hurricanes for home ice and are miles ahead of the Rangers.
Perreault will be playing in his second NHL game tomorrow. It'll be across the river, at the Prudential Center, against a team that the Rangers dislike with a recent history of bad blood to reaffirm the disliking of one another. Perreault will be thrown into the fire of one of the most fierce rivalries in the NHL, and we'll have to see if he can make his mark.
Perreault set up Alexis Lafreniere to hit the post in one of his first shifts against the Minnesota Wild. Perreault is a player with the potential to be a dangerous scorer for the New York Rangers. There is no better time to cement yourself as a beloved player by the Rangers than by making an impact against a team the Rangers dislike, and there are examples of this littered through history.
Even Matt Rempe, who may not play tomorrow, has made his name synonymous with this rivalry. However, Rempe does it with his body. Those big hits and fights are not what the Rangers will want Perreault to do. Perreault must hurt the Devils with the puck and run the scoreboard up. That will get him into the hearts of fans everywhere, but it will not be easy as this iteration of the Devils is challenging to defeat.