Fansided

New Jersey Devils Prove You Can’t Quit On Them

By Nick Villano |
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 13: Members of the New Jersey Devils celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 in a shootout on February 13, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 13: Members of the New Jersey Devils celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 in a shootout on February 13, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)

The New Jersey Devils were well on their way to a fifth straight loss. They faced a two-goal deficit twice against the rival Phialdelphia Flyers team, but still found a way to win.

The New Jersey Devils won an extremely important game on Tuesday night. It had everything you could want in a comeback win. The team was down by two goals at two different points. They were playing on the opponent’s home ice. Everything looked like it was falling apart, until it wasn’t.

Obviously, the biggest takeaway from this game is Taylor Hall is a beast. He would not let this game against the Flyers end in a loss. Hall scored the tying goal with just 80 seconds left in the game. The team just pulled Keith Kinkaid, and were attacking in the zone. He showed a veteran presence, letting Michel Neuvirth make his move then lifting the puck over his pads and in.

This was a reminder of the Devils from earlier in the season. The Tampa Bay Lightning took a 4-3 lead into the third period back in October, but the Devils fought back and won in the shootout. Chicago took a 4-1 lead in the first period back in November, and the Devils came back to win 7-5. There are many instances where this Devils team showed the drive and determination to make a comeback.

That hasn’t been the sentiment lately, however.

In 11 games coming into the Flyers matchup, the team had eight regulation losses. The team wasn’t even able to pick up a point. The down streak knocked the team out of the Metropolitan Division playoff spots and into the Wild Card. It also knocked them under .500 for the first time this season.

One win can do wonders for a team looking for a turnaround, especially a win like this.

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This is the team fans expect to see from here on out. Taylor Hall is forced to miss most of the second period? Nico Hischier and John Moore step up with huge goals. Keith Kinkaid is having another off night? The defense actually makes plays around the net to control the rebounds. Brian Boyle, Brian Gibbons, Marcus Johansson, John Quenneville and Cory Schneider are all out? Players will step up in all phases.

Lots of Devils fans were wondering when the losing would stop. Even I became negative about the team’s play. It’s hard to find the positives when you lose back-to-back games, especially when one is a 6-1 loss to a division rival.

Well, the losing stopped in a big way on Tuesday night. I’m not going to get ahead of myself, as this week still has the Devils playing the Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes, but this still could be the turn they need.

Don’t quit on the Devils. They’ve proven this throughout the season. When things look like they’re about to fall apart, they find a way to turn it around.

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