The New Jersey Devils clinched a key victory in the battle for a playoff spot on Sunday, Feb. 18, against the Philadelphia Flyers. Better yet, the team won 6-3 and celebrated their significant result before 70,328 people at MetLife Stadium. Despite losing to the Washington Capitals in the game following the Stadium Series, the Devils are trying to cut the gap in the fight for the third position in the Metropolitan Division (the Devils are fourth, with 60 points, the Flyers are third, with 65).
In the wild card, the difference is virtually the same for the Tampa Bay Lightning (first, 65 points) and Detroit Red Wings (second, 64 points). In the game, the standout was the above-average performance of Nico Hischier, the team captain and first pick in the 2017 Draft, along with other less talked about players, such as Brendan Smith, Nico Daws, and Nathan Bastian, who were other main characters of the match.
Thus, it can be said that the chance to advance to the postseason is very much alive, and the result in the Stadium Series brings one question: what to expect from the Devils? With so many strategies and points to be analyzed, is it possible to outline the franchise’s future until the end of the regular season and predict what will happen? Now, it’s possible to take a few lessons and try to guess the final stretch of the fight to clinch a playoff berth.
Qualifying for the Playoffs Is Totally Possible
With all teams close to 60 games played, the final stretch of the regular season is already in the air. Thus, calculations need to be made as the trade deadline approaches and the future starts to become clearer. For the Devils, the atmosphere has been more frustrating than exciting, as there have been many injuries along the way, performances below expectations and especially a defense with many difficulties.
But the cloudy skies seem to be moving away from New Jersey, and the good performance in the Stadium Series was enough to continue with positive expectations. Five points is not something impossible to achieve; the same difference applies both to the Metropolitan Division and the wild card. The teams ahead of them have their merits, but the Devils have not thrown in the towel yet. In fact, they are strong in the fight and intend to take the dispute until game 82.
The Devils need to seize the moment and string together a series of victories, as the Red Wings have won six of their last 10, as well as the Lightning. The Flyers, on the other hand, have won only four, with a 40 percent efficiency rate. It might be more feasible to finish among the top three leaders of the division than to enter through the wild card. Either way, the important thing is to qualify. The time to get some wins is now.
Devils´Defense Is Not the Worst
Yes, the Devils conceded three goals. Yes, they allowed six against the Capitals in their last game. But the defense has provided more support to the goalkeepers, especially Daws, which generates more confidence to play. In other words, it has slightly improved.
Related: 5(ish) Questions with Devils Goalie Nico Daws
In addition, the players seem to be more in sync, with Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec acting more offensively, while John Marino and Kevin Bahl play more protectively in front of the net. Moreover, if Brendan Smith continues with the physical presence he had in the Stadium Series, he will take on a very important role with hits and checks during play.
Power Play Needs Improvement
There were five power play opportunities in the match against the Flyers (second in penalty kill, 86.4 percent), only six shots on goal and consequently no puck in the net. Against the Capitals (13th, 80 percent) two chances and no scoring. In the last 13 games, the team has scored only two goals on the man advantage. This caused the 25.7 percent success rate on the power play before the Stadium Series, which ranked them as the sixth most effective in the league, to become 22.6 percent and 14th among all teams.
It’s plausible to say the lack of success on the power play is because Jack Hughes (23 power-play points in 38 games) was out of the lineup due to injury. But now that he’s back, the bad performance still hasn’t changed. Also, there are other players with potential to perform on the man advantage, such as Jesper Bratt (only one power-play point in 21 games) and Tyler Toffoli (only three power play goals in 21 games). Head coach Lindy Ruff needs to urgently shuffle the lines for this situation to change.
Nico Hischier Is Very Decisive; Depth Players Can Be Protagonists
The presence of Nico Hischier on the ice is of utmost importance to the Devils. In the Stadium Series game, he scored two goals and one assist and was very close to achieving his first career hat trick. In his career, he has 324 points in 425 games, and this season, he has 38 points in 44 games (18 goals, 20 assists).
These numbers are of high-level players. He probably won’t surpass his numbers from the previous season (80 points, 31 goals, 49 assists), but he is on track for the 60-point mark.
Obviously, Hischier’s offensive presence favors the Devils and can change the course of any game. So, a good option would be to put him on the same line with Hughes and Bratt. In addition, not very talked about players like Nathan Bastian and Curtis Lazar were fundamental in securing control of the match against the Flyers. Combined, they had three points, in addition to seven hits, four shots on goal, and seven faceoff wins.
In summary, the Devils are still alive in the fight for a playoff spot. Despite not being able to embark on long winning streaks, the gap between their main rivals is not very big. The path to winning more and narrowing this gap is to slightly improve the defense, adjust the power play, trust in the main offensive forces, and have a bit more contribution from their depth players.
