The New Jersey Devils play the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. If the teams loses against the worst team in the league, the playoffs are out of the question.
Playoffs are at best a pipe dream for the New Jersey Devils this season. The team’s best qualities are league average at best. The team ranks 18th in goals against per game, and 12th in penalty kill.
This wouldn’t be terrible, expect the team is anemic on offense. It ranks a paltry 28th in goals per game (2.3 per contest). The power play, once a decent strength, ranks 26th at just over a 16 percent conversion rate.
Despite these shortcomings, the Devils are a mere five points out of the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Devils welcome the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday at the Prudential Center. The Avs are 3-17 in their last 20 games. Winning just isn’t what that team does this season. The team ranks last in both goals and goals against per game.
Another loss would put too much space between the other teams and the Devils. The New York Islanders play the Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday. That means a team ahead of the Devils are guaranteed to gain ground on them if they lose. If it’s the Leafs, then the Wild Card deficit becomes seven points with 26 games left in the season. Two other teams ahead of them have a chance for points Wednesday.
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Obviously, a loss doesn’t make a playoff run impossible. However, with the trade deadline two weeks away, it makes it a very hard argument for the team to become buyers. Teams ahead of the Devils will make moves to improve, and they aren’t in a place to lose assets for a run that will probably end in the first round.
The team is clearly trying to win. Head coach John Hynes announced that Cory Schneider will start in net. If the team was a more established threat, this would be a perfect game for Keith Kinkaid to start.
The players and the coaches will put their all into this game, knowing how much it means. The effort will be there, but if a few things go against the Devils and they come out with a loss, it may be time to throw in the towel on the 2016-17 season.
By 10:00 p.m. Tuesday night, the Devils fate will have been sealed. Either play for it all, or play for next season. It all comes down to Tuesday night.