The New Jersey Devils are embroiled in yet another losing streak, but this one is coming at the worst possible time. With about a month left in the season, can the Devils really blow it and not make the season?
Winning streak, losing streak, winning streak, losing streak; the New Jersey Devils have been so up and down fans are starting to get really frustrated. It’s getting increasingly frustrated when these losing streaks come so late in the season.
Just days after dominating the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Devils lose three straight games to the Hurricanes, Panthers and Golden Knights. Two of those teams are right outside the playoff picture at puck drop, and the Devils could have buried them. They didn’t, and now their hold on the playoffs is down to just four points.
The simple question for the Devils is this: are they in trouble?
The simple answer is yes, because there are 16 games left and four points can be had easily. Trades for Patrick Maroon and Michael Grabner did not provide the secondary scoring everyone thought they would. While Maroon has three assists since joining the Devils, twice it came because he passed the puck to Taylor Hall.
Devils fans will scream for the need for secondary scoring, and it’s true. However, it’s much more than that. Right now, the Devils are the Taylor Hall Show. That’s it. Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid will sit on their head to try and keep teams in games, but as long as Hall doesn’t score three by himself it seems like a Devils loss lately.
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Nico Hischier hasn’t scored a goal since being named first star in the NHL in the middle of February. Kyle Palmieri ghosted during this three-game losing streak. Jesper Bratt is third on this team in scoring, and he’s a healthy scratch now. Miles Wood and Pavel Zacha have been held pointless in the past five games.
Anyone could keep going, and the scoring gets sadder as you go along. The fact is, the Devils are not guaranteed a playoff spot. Not by a long shot. Look at the team’s schedule. After Tuesday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, the Devils play eight straight playoff teams. In that, is a six-game road trip that takes them out west against the juggernauts in that division.
Fans should be worried. Four points is a lot to lose at this point in the season, but it can still happen pretty easily. Especially with the schedule looking the way it does. Head coach John Hynes needs to get more out of this team. Stop focusing on shuffling lines, and figure out what needs to happen in practice. Push this team further than they’ve gone so far this season. They will need it to get through March and remain in a playoff spot.