31.   If he wins the cup this season, for his ninth, he will break the record he shares with Toe Blake.

32.   In winning the cup, the Devils eliminated Boston, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia before sweeping Detroit in the finals.

33.   Last season, Detroit was also favored to win the cup, but was swept in four games by the New Jersey Devils in the finals.

34.   Last month, Dallas won the cup with the oldest team in the league.

35.   Last season, Campbell was rigidly loyal to the veterans who won the cup under Keenan.

36.   Messier backed up the boast, scoring a natural hat trick in the victory, and the Rangers went on to win the cup.

37.   Most of the players who won the cup will be on hand Friday night.

38.   Neither team has won the cup.

39.   Not so much to Messier, who has been handsomely rewarded by the Rangers for winning the cup, but to the fans themselves.

40.   On Thursday night, Brodeur and the Devils have a chance to win another cup with a victory over the Dallas Stars.