"Two hours before they dropped the puck on the latest salvo in the Battle of the Hudson at the Garden, Martin Brodeur talked about the State(s) of the Rivalry that has been so compelling for so long.

"It's us against the top team in the league," the all-time goaltender told The Post. "The way I look at it it's not really the Devils against the Rangers, it's the Devils against the best team in the NHL.

"I don't know if they look at the rivalry exactly the same as we do because they have their rivalries against the Flyers and the Islanders where they have targets on their backs, but I know that I always look forward to this and especially with how well they've been playing all year.""