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.”
Brodeur and the Devils beat the Rangers 1-0 last night, with Brodeur recording his 117th career shutout and first of the year by outdueling Henrik Lundqvist in a memorable battle in which the Devils dominated early and then withstood a furious onslaught in the third in which the Rangers outshot their rivals 14-1.
It marked the Devils’ second victory in eight days over “the best team in the NHL” following last Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout triumph at the Rock and fifth straight overall, a streak also featuring victories over the Flyers and Penguins.
Indeed, while the Rangers sustained their first regulation defeat in the last six (4-1-1), the Devils moved into fifth place in the East, only two points behind the Flyers and just six points behind the Rangers, though the conference leaders hold two games in hand.
“I think right now we’re trying to stave off the people around us,” Brodeur said. “I don’t think we’re looking at the top yet; we’re not there yet.”
One puck did actually get by Brodeur, an Artem Anisimov rebound of a Ryan Callahan shot with 3.5 seconds to go, but what for a moment appeared to be the tying goal was correctly negated because of a goaltender interference call on Marian Gaborik, who rammed into Brodeur after being nudged — but not shoved — by Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov.
Gaborik protested afterward, saying, “I don’t understand the call … I tried to stop and [Volchenkov] pushed me into [Brodeur] … we should be in overtime.”
Rangers coach John Tortorella, who was furious on the bench in the play’s immediate aftermath, refused to comment when asked about it following the match.
Lundqvist, who allowed only a power-play goal to David Clarkson at 8:14 of the first, said: “If the goalie sells it, then there’s a good chance they’re going to call a penalty.”
The Rangers got untracked in the third period, coming in waves after being stymied for 40 minutes. Brad Richards, who was benched for much of the third period in Sunday’s victory over the Flyers, was demoted to the fourth line in the late going, flipping spots with John Mitchell.
Lundqvist, who entered the match a career 21-5-5 head-to-head against Brodeur, a corresponding 10-16-5 against the King, was resolute in recording 21 saves. His lone third-period save came on a semi-breakaway by Jacob Josefson at 7:22 after he beat Dan Girardi wide on the left.
“He’s unbelievable,” Brodeur said of Lundqvist. “He goes without a shot for 20 minutes and then stops a breakaway like it’s nothing.”
Nothing — nothing that counted, that is — got by Brodeur, who will turn 40 on May 6.
Or as Yankees relief pitcher and hockey enthusiast Joba Chamberlain put it to The Post as he stood outside the Rangers room: “The Ageless Wonder.”