The New Jersey Devils may miss the playoffs after last year's Stanley Cup Finals run. The key word in that sentence is "may". The Devils are not technically eliminated, so let's look at how the Devils could potentially take eighth place from the Rangers.
While the fact that the Devils may miss the playoffs after last year is frustrating for many fans, there is still a sliver of hope left. For the pessimists out there, feel free to skip the rest of the post. The Devils are not mathematically eliminated yet, but it seems that the only way the Devils get in is winning out most of the season. The Devils and Rangers both have five games remaining after last night's games and are separated by six points. However, with the Devils playing two of those remaining games against the Rangers, there is still a chance.
Below are the remaining schedules for both the Devils and Rangers.
Rangers Remaining Schedule |
Devils Remaining Schedule |
|||||
Date |
Team |
Home/Away |
Date |
Team |
Home/Away |
|
FRI APR 19, 2013 |
Away |
SAT APR 20, 2013 |
Panthers |
Home |
||
SUN APR 21, 2013 |
Devils |
Home |
SUN APR 21, 2013 |
Rangers |
Away |
|
TUE APR 23, 2013 |
Panther |
Away |
TUE APR 23, 2013 |
Home |
||
THU APR 25, 2013 |
Away |
THU APR 25, 2013 |
Home |
|||
SAT APR 27, 2013 |
Devils |
Home |
SAT APR 27, 2013 |
Rangers |
Away |
Of the teams the Rangers have left to play, not a single one is currently in a playoff spot. As for the Devils, they face the number one and number two teams in the East in the Penguins and the Canadiens, as well as the bottom team in the NHL: the Panthers. The Devils clearly have the harder schedule. So, how did the two teams fare against the remaining opposition this season?
Rangers vs. Opponents |
Devils vs. Opponents |
|||
Team |
Results |
Team |
Results |
|
Sabres |
SOW(3-2), L(1-3) |
Panthers |
W(2-1), OTL(2-3) |
|
Devils |
L(3-1), W(2-3) |
Rangers |
W(3-1), L(2-3) |
|
Panthers |
L(1-3), W(6-1) |
Canadiens |
OTL(3-4), L(1-2) |
|
Hurricanes |
SOW(2-1), W(4-1) |
Penguins |
L(1-5), W(3-1), W(3-1) |
|
Devils |
L(3-1), W(2-3) |
Rangers |
W(3-1), L(2-3) |
|
Total |
5 Wins, 4 Losses |
Total |
5 Wins, 5 Losses |
So, it does look bleak for the Devils, but there is still hope. The Rangers and Devils both did OK against the teams they have yet to play. As the season comes to an end, some teams' fates are already decided. For the Rangers, the Sabres are fighting to get into the playoffs while the Hurricanes and Panthers are already eliminated. So the Rangers could face a few teams that have already mentally checked out for the season. However, Devils fans should hope that the Panthers and Hurricanes are looking to play spoilers to the Rangers. Meanwhile, the Devils have a little different situation. As for the Devils' remaining opponents; the Penguins have all but clinched the Eastern Conference. Perhaps they will be resting their stars by the time the Devils play them and the Devils play a good solid 60 minutes. Looking at the North East division opponent, the Canadiens are fighting for the number two seed in the East with the Bruins and will likely show up against the Devils, like they did the rest of the season.
Obviously, the key to the Devils playoff hopes are the two games against the Rangers. If the Devils win both against the Rangers and pick up their other games, they can still, technically, make the postseason.