The rivalry will only be slightly muted by Bobby Holik’s absence. Rangers-Devils doesn’t depend on homecomings – it has a bigger life of its own.

“These,” John Madden said, “are the games, the reasons why you play in the NHL.”

The first reason that tonight’s Rangers visit to the Meadowlands stirs such sentiments is the rivalry between each team’s fans, for whom proximity breeds contempt. New Jersey was Ranger territory, at least before 1982, and many Jerseyites remain Ranger fans. The second reason is the history they’ve written against each other, such as the 1994 playoffs when Mark Messier called his shot.

Then there is the radical difference in team philosophies – the Devils (despite a $50 million payroll) an old-fashioned draft-and-develop black-tape hockey team, the Ranger$ a buy-the-best television program.

“It doesn’t bother us. They sign players, overpay players, steal players. We know we’re doing the right thing here,” said Martin Brodeur, expected to stretch his season-long starting streak to its 17th game tonight. “The Rangers do whatever they want. It makes the rivalry a lot better.”

Joe Nieuwendyk, who has been a key figure in Calgary-Edmonton Battles of Alberta, is anticipating his first real Ranger clash. He isn’t quite as willing to dismiss the Rangers’ approach of the quick fix that seldom does.

“In hockey, it motivates you, playing a team like that. They spent a lot of money to build what they have, and in some ways, you want to beat a team like that,” Nieuwendyk said. “But they are a better team than they were a year ago.”

Last season, the Devils lost their opening meeting with the Rangers on Theo Fleury’s overtime goal, tied the next showdown, then won the final three. They stand 17-2-7 in their last 26 meetings with the Rangers, and have lost only once to them at the Meadowlands (12-1) in the past five years. That home blemish was a 4-3 loss on March 31, 2001, their final loss of that season when a tie would have given them the Presidents’ Trophy they’ve never won.

Pat Burns, who will be tasting his first official helping of this grudge, says more power to the Rangers.

“They show commitment. They want to win and there’s nothing wrong with that. If you’re going to buy a small car and you have the money, buy a big car,” Burns said. “People are hard on them because they spend all that money. But it’s like cigars. If you have ’em, smoke ’em.”

Burns was doing some smoldering himself during the Devils’ 4-3 overtime victory over Buffalo Tuesday, when they came back from an AWOL opening 40 minutes to raise their record to 11-5. While the Devils are riding along with one of the league’s top records, the Rangers are climbing back to respectability, one game below .500 after an awful start.

While the Devils no longer have Holik, this evening the Rangers won’t either, the center still suffering a hip flexor ailment. Surprisingly, the Devils haven’t missed him as much as expected. Madden has replaced Holik to the point of leading the Devils in scoring (6-6-12) and plus-minus (plus-12) while usually facing the opposition’s best.

“We’ve lost some good players and handled it pretty well,” Scott Stevens said. “He didn’t miss many games while he was here. It’s odd to see him out.”

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Sources say center Steve Guolla may require back surgery that would sideline him two months. Guolla’s ailment was initially termed a hamstring injury.