Devils series win 11 years in making

NEWARK, N.J. -- It was an effort 11 years in the making.

With their season on the line, the New Jersey Devils delivered when it mattered most on Monday, displaying the confidence and determination of a veteran-savvy, we-want-it-more bunch of "young rebels," a term used by coach Lindy Ruff to describe his team prior to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, to eliminate the New York Rangers with a decisive 4-0 victory in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Prudential Center.

New Jersey, which is No. 2 seed from the Metropolitan Division, will play the Carolina Hurricanes, the No. 1 seed from the Metropolitan, in the Eastern Conference Second Round.

"People wrote us out and we just continued to climb out of the hole we dug ourselves in, and we did a great job," Devils center Jack Hughes said. "Now we're a really confident group and we're really excited we're going to round two."

This win will stick with Devils fans for some time as it could mark the start of something special happening in the Garden State. It was the first playoff series win by the Devils since 2012, when they knocked out the Rangers in six games in the Eastern Conference Final.

"We talked about staying loose, having fun ... basically have the most fun you've had all year," Ruff said. "I think they had the most fun."

RELATED: [Complete Rangers vs. Devils series coverage]

The Devils also exorcised the demons of past must-win performances against the Rangers, winning a Game 7 for the first time against them after losing 8-4 in the 1992 Patrick Division Semifinals and 2-1 in double overtime in the 1994 Eastern Conference Final.

"We're all athletes, we're all competitors, and when you put that sweater on, you believe you can compete and you do everything to win," Devils forward Erik Haula said. "I knew we had it in us pretty early on in the season to have a chance at the postseason. That's the first step at it.

"Getting through the first round is hard, and we have another tough one coming."

Akira Schmid was a big reason why the Devils advanced, making 31 saves on Monday to become the fifth rookie goaltender in NHL history to record a shutout in a Game 7. The 22-year-old, who replaced Vitek Vanecek as starter for Game 3, finished the series 4-1 with a 1.38 goals-against average, .951 save percentage and two shutouts.

"The biggest thing was 'Schmido.' He obviously came in and played unreal," Hughes said. "He was a brick wall for us."

Schmid's performance in Game 7 came after he allowed five goals on 29 shots in a 5-2 loss in Game 6 on Saturday.

"He played a heck of a game," Ruff said. "I mean, he had a heck of a series. You envision things, but you don't really envision what he did. This was a tough series. It was two good teams going at it, and goaltending on both sides turned out to be a big factor."

What turned out not to be a factor was the amount of experience New York had in Game 7s. Entering Monday, Rangers players had played in 48 winner-take-all games compared to just 18 among those who dressed for the Devils.

But it was the one with the most experience for New Jersey, Ondrej Palat (seventh Game 7), who got it started on Monday.

Nearing the end of a 4-on-4 at 9:53 of the second period, Palat first forced a turnover by Adam Fox in the left corner, won a battle for the puck with Chris Kreider along the boards, then sent a saucer pass over a sliding Mika Zibanejad to Michael McLeod, who scored a short-handed goal past Igor Shesterkin's outstretched right pad to give the Devils a 1-0 lead.

"Just to see the team grow from the losses we had in Games 1 and 2 (5-1 each), it was pretty impressive how quick we adapted and changed our game a little bit," Palat said. "I'm very impressed with how our team responded. We never gave up."

Said Ruff: "An incredible effort. I mean, that's just playoff hockey to a tee. The first, second and third effort. To stay on it, create the turnover and then get it to Michael, that's why we have him here."

And then there is Devils captain Nico Hischier, who was elated to finally feel what it's like to celebrate a playoff series win. He was a rookie when the Devils last made the playoffs in 2018, when they lost in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round.

"I'm really happy right now," Hischier said. "To beat the Rangers in a Game 7 at home ... I think those are memories that are going to stick forever. But it's just the first round. We want more and we believe in each other. We'll enjoy tonight and get back to business."