NHL

DEVS TRY AGAIN VS. NY HEX

It’s rather remarkable. The Devils may be the best team in the Atlantic Division – they’ve been in first place for more than a month – but they’re the worst team in the Metro Ice Challenge.

If they could only beat the Rangers or Islanders, their resume would be complete. They could even hang a banner next to one of the three Stanley Cup flags that hang from the top of the Rock.

The Devils get their ninth chance to win an intramural game tonight after going 0-5-3 in their first eight against the two New Yorks when the Islanders cross a pair of rivers to play in Newark (7 p.m.; FSN; FSN2; WFAN-660 AM; WBBR-1130 AM).

The Devils are 0-3-1 against the Islanders, 0-2-2 against the Rangers.

New Jersey has won three straight overall and eight of the last 10 (8-2). The Islanders had gone 4-1-3 in their previous eight and 7-2-3 in their previous 12 before playing the Canadiens at the Coliseum last night.

John Madden, who suffered a laceration on the inside of his right ankle in New Jersey’s shootout victory in Buffalo on Saturday, is questionable for tonight. … Winger Cam Janssen, who suffered a shoulder injury in the Devils’ preseason opener, practiced with the team yesterday for the first time. … Jay Pandolfo, out since Nov. 28 with a pubic bone injury, skated on his own.