FanPost

What the Devils MUST do to make the Playoffs


Just when most of us thought the Devils season was over, after that 3-1 loss in Nashville, the Devils decided to play better and reel off 4 straight victories. The Devils are currently 8 points out of the 2nd wild card spot with 22 games to go, and the Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, and Philadelphia Flyers are ahead of them. Our chance aren't great, but as long as there is a chance, I will continue to believe in them. Personally, I believe anyone who roots for the team to intentionally lose is not a true fan and is wasting their breath: No player, with their future on the line, is going to play bad on purpose.

Anyway, the Devils are not a great team. They are, at best, an average team with a superb goaltender. The Devils are a team that makes many mistakes, and allows the opposing team to pepper their goaltender with shots. If the Devils wish to continue playing hockey past April 11, there are a few things they need to do.

Be More Consistent: If this team wants to make the playoffs, they have to beat the teams they are supposed to beat. The Devils can afford precious few losses down the stretch, and they certainly can't come at home, at least not against teams with fewer points than them. The team that beat the Canucks should have been able to beat Edmonton, and destroy Buffalo, but sadly neither of those things happened. If you can't beat the lowly Oilers at home, you don't deserve the playoffs. The Devils have upcoming games against the Blue Jackets (twice), Sabres, Coyotes, and Hurricanes. They must win them all, because they probably aren't capable of winning all their games against the Canadiens, Rangers (twice) Islanders, and Ducks.

Stop the Stupid Mistakes: I used to coach youth hockey in my spare time, and let me tell you, if my 10-year olds made the same mistakes the Devils have been making (icing the puck, taking stupid penalties) they wouldn't be going out to Carvel after the game. Just because lowly teams like Buffalo and Carolina didn't take advantage enough of the mistakes does not mean the more talented teams will not. That is how the Devils lost their leads in Montreal and Chicago. You cannot beat other teams if you cannot stop beating yourselves.

Don't Let Games Get Away: Since the All-Star Break, the Devils are 8-2-1 when leading or tied after 2 periods. That seems good enough, but it's not. The Devils lost a winnable game against Pittsburgh and Chicago because they couldn't hold on to their lead. The Devils also nearly lost their lead against the Vancouver Canucks on Friday, (and might have, if not for Mike Cammalleri's heroics). When we're ahead by a goal in the 3rd period, I literally have heart palpitations. Blown leads cannot happen if we're going to play in the postseason.

Root For Other Teams To Lose: In order to make the playoffs, the Devils must pass 3 teams, the Bruins, Panthers, and Flyers. That means that not only must the Devils win, but they might must pray for those 3 teams to lose as many games as possible, which is not fun. The Bruins have been in a slump, but routed the Blackhawks yesterday. Luckily, the Devils play the Bruins on Friday night and can gain 2 points right then and there. The Panthers are beginning to fade a little, but the Flyers seem to be on a roll. The Devils play both teams again (the Panthers on the final day of the season) so those games are pretty much must-win games. If you want to see the record the Devils need if those teams play at their current pace, visit Frank's Devils Data.

Can the New Jersey Devils make the playoffs? It's possible, but the reality is that it would take something close to a miracle for the Devils to get past those 3 teams, and not lose more than a few games down the stretch. I believe in this team, and lets see what happens. Comment below and tell me what you think of this FanPost, and if you think there is anything else the Devils must do in order to make the playoffs.

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