Ilya Kovalchuk knew that facing the Rangers in the Eastern Conference finals would be big, but the Devils' winger never truly understood how big.



Not until his daughter, Karolina, came home from first grade on Thursday asking for his signature. A classmate had sought a favor.



"She brought me my hockey card to sign," Kovalchuk said with a smile. "She didn't understand why, but I signed it and sent it back with her. It's like when people come up to me in restaurants and she asks, 'Daddy, why do they want a picture with you?' "



Because a victory over the Rangers in Game 3 this afternoon at the Prudential Center would leave Kovalchuk and the Devils needing just two wins for a spot in the Stanley Cup finals.



"It's always nice to come back home with a 1-1 tie. We just now want to protect our home ice (advantage)," Kovalchuk said. "I'm pretty sure it will be a crazy atmosphere.



"We want to protect our home ice like we did against Philly. These two games will be crucial. The Rangers play a little differently on the road, too, so we have to take advantage of it. Every team is a little bigger, a little stronger at home. Your fans give you the extra jump."



The Devils are 4-1 on home ice this season. The players have pointed out how much support they've gotten from the crowd.

"We know the Rangers are going to push. We know they're going to come out and play a great hockey game," coach Pete DeBoer said. "It's on us to do the same thing. I expect it to be the best game in the series from both ends because I think both teams are going to take their game to another level."



Kovalchuk has been a steady force for the Devils throughout these playoffs. His 13 points (six goals, seven assists) are more than anyone has scored for either team.



This is by far the deepest he's gone into the postseason, having played just four playoff games with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2007 and five with the Devils in 2010. Since overcoming a herniated disc in his back, which forced him out of Game 2 against the Flyers, Kovalchuk's level of excitement has been obvious to everyone.



"Absolutely. And I think the deeper you go, he's enjoying every minute of this," DeBoer said. "You play 10 years in the league without getting past the first round. This is what it's about.



"People tell you how much fun it is and how important it is, but until you actually go through it I don't think you realize that. I think that's what we're seeing with him."



There have been no signs of the pain that limited his movement, and consequently his impact, in the opening round against the Panthers and in a Game 1 loss to the Flyers.



"Yea, it is fun," Kovalchuk said. "It was fun before that, too. Injuries happen. You have to find a way to get through them. It's part of our job. It's nice when you're healthy and the team is playing good. The first round we found a way to get through it."

DeBoer has been a Kovalchuk backer since the start. He said there have long been misconceptions that he isn’t a team player.

“This guy is a good person and a good teammate,” DeBoer said. “Superstars often get bad raps, especially Russian superstars. It couldn’t be further from the case. This guy could’ve been born in Canada or the United States and you wouldn’t the difference, other than his accent. He’s here to win. He’s a team-first guy. He’s very unselfish. Just a great person and I don’t think that’s common knowledge around the league.”

No Devils player has more assists in these playoffs than Kovalchuk, and his on-ice partnership with defenseman Marek Zidlicky has become exceptional.

“There was so much on his shoulders in Atlanta,” Dainius Zubrus said. “If it wasn’t him winning the game, they might not get a win. It’s never about one guy here. It doesn’t relax him, but he doesn’t have to be a Superman every night.

“Especially now in the playoffs when you need everybody to (contribute). He’s better at understanding that. Ninety-nine percent of the players in this league wish they had his hands, his shot and his skill to create something out of nothing. But he’s getting better at recognizing sometimes maybe nothing is there, like when he’s 1 on 3.

“The coach has done a good job making him understand not every shift are you going to score or even have a chance to score. Right now it’s a grind. The Rangers play that way.”

It’s a grind that Kovalchuk is enjoying.