The Hudson River rivalry will be renewed as the New York Rangers will face the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2012.
"Henrique! It's over!".
A phrase Ranger fans have been hearing for a decade, like a bad song that has been stuck in your head that you just can't get rid of.
11 years later, now is the opportunity to finally let it go.
One of, if not the most heartbreaking moments in this generation of Rangers fans was when Adam Henrique scored the overtime-winning goal in Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals.
This goal sent the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final to take on the Los Angeles Kings and it ended the Rangers' magical playoff run.
I spoke to Adam Fox after last night's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Fox grew up as a huge New York Rangers fan, I asked him what his memory of this moment was.
Fox said "I was at a buddy's house. I saw a clip of that the other day, it was devastating. I don't like that series. I don't like to think about it as a Ranger fan. I know you feel the same way."
Fox was in eighth grade when this moment in NHL history happened. It's safe to say that the Ranger fan in him would like to put this memory to rest.
This goal was one of those moments that are very hard to erase from your memory.
In 2012, I was a Sophomore at Syosset High School and I had about five or six friends over to watch that game. I'm ashamed to say that I actually didn't see the goal happen live.
Believe it or not, my friends and I were playing outside, hockey of course, during the intermission, and when we ran back inside to catch the start of extra time, the Devils had already been celebrating.
As a young Rangers fan, I was crushed.
That postseason had a different feeling to it. The team had won a game 7 on home ice in the first round against the Ottawa Senators. They scored a game-tying goal in the dying seconds of a pivotal game 5, when Brad Richards poked home a rebound against the Washington Capitals. Eventually winning in overtime thanks to the unlikely heroics of Marc Staal.
This led to yet another game 7 victory on home ice to get to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1997.
It felt like history was about to repeat itself.
When the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994, it was the Devils they had defeated to get to the final. It was another chance to beat their rival across the Hudson River and get to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since winning it all.
That Eastern Conference Finals against the Devils was an incredible, back-and-forth battle.
The Rangers won games 1 and 3 on the back of Henrik Lundqvist shutouts. It seemed as though New York was in control of the series, but the Devils were able to take game 4, making game 5 at Madison Square Garden extremely nerve-wracking.
That game changed the entire series.
The Devils jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening ten minutes of the first period. The Rangers had been able to climb back, tying the game at three a piece and it felt like they were going to find a way to win it.
However, it was the Devils' fourth line that came through with 4:24 remaining in the game, thanks to a Ryan Carter backdoor goal on a feed from Stephen Gionta, which would be the eventual game-winner.
In game 6, the Devils jumped out to another commanding lead, going into the first intermission up 2-0. Ruslan Fedotenko and the Rangers captain, Ryan Callahan were able to find the back of the net and tie the game up going into the final frame. Nobody would score in the third period, setting up the Adam Henrique goal that will haunt this organization until they win a Stanley Cup.
Fast forward to 2023, this will be the fourth playoff series between the two organizations in the last 17 years. The Devils have taken two out of the previous three and this one feels completely up for grabs.
New Jersey won the regular season series, going 3-0-1 in four heated battles.
This rivalry is not only on the ice. Rangers and Devils fans don't necessarily see eye-to-eye, in fact, they hate each other and so do the former players.
I spoke to Scott Gomez, Sean Avery, and Brandon Dubinsky on The Blue Crew Podcast and they had the following to say about the Rangers-Devils rivalry:
Scott Gomez: "When Jersey and New York were playing, it was some of the best hockey. 1994, it changed our game. It was primetime, it was unreal, that's all you dreamt about, Devils-Rangers."
Sean Avery: "That rivalry with Brodeur, going to New Jersey and how close it was, it was all so new to me. What I realized off the bat was that these two teams don't like each other. There's obviously a long history here. I watched '94 and I knew that there was something rooted there. I don't know, that first game I was like I don't like these f***ing guys."
Brandon Dubinsky: "The Devils were good, they were always right there, always in the mix in the division. I don't think either one of us ever blew the other one out in the regular season. I think that winning and going back and forth really builds those rivalries. Fans create rivalries too. I felt that we had the team to get it done that year (2012).
The Rangers and Devils have had a ton of incredible matchups this season and this series will have plenty of talent on both sides.
I'm not sure if I have ever felt more excited and nervous at the same time for a first-round playoff series.
Strap in, because we are in for a wild ride, as the battle of the Hudson River is ready to be reborn.