I've alway felt that the Devils were more like the Habs Southern Edition. They've had a lot of players and staff with connections to the habs over the past 15 years. Probably why they've always worked hard in those games against the Habs.
Regarding the Devil's intro'ing the trap, didn't Lemaire bring the trap to the Devils after developing it with the Habs?
Their employing the trap was also a reaction to the state of the league in general. The league expended too quickly, there was a serious lack of offensive talent around the league. The Devils had an average roster, yet they found a very effective strategy that bought them huge success.
I've also always respected that at the end of the '83-'84 season, they didn't tank it to "win" Mario Lemieux. They told their players that they didn't want to be labled the worst team in the league, and to play hard. 20 years later, the Devils have a great team attitude and 3 cups. The penguins have Mario and only 2.
Finally, how could you dislike any team that featured Claude Lemieux, that guy was always entertaining to watch.
I bleed the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge, but the Devils are cool too.