New Jersey Devils: Breakdown of Potential Playoff Opponents
For the first time in six seasons, the New Jersey Devils have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Their ticket has been punched, but their opponent isn’t set in stone just yet. So let’s breakdown their potential first round foes.
Washington Capitals (2-0-1 vs NJD)
The Capitals are the Metropolitan Division champions and have won two 5-2 decisions over the Devils this season. The Devils beat the Capitals just once this season, when Taylor Hall scored an overtime winner to lift the Devils to a 4-3 victory at home.
The two teams still have one game left to play against each other. The Capitals also possess the league’s top goal scorer in Alex Ovechkin, who has put the puck in the back of the net 47 times this year. The Capitals also have other top players such as Nicklas Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson. Their goaltender, Braden Holtby has won 33 games this season and has a 2.99 GAA and .908 save-percentage. In 2016, he tied Martin Brodeur for most wins (48) in a season by a goalie and won the Vezina trophy that same year.
The Caps are a well oiled machine with stars and playoff experience. They have a good goalie and will have home-ice advantage. It would be a tough challenge for the Devils, but the Caps are prone to playoff letdowns.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins (1-2-1 vs NJD)
The Penguins only defeated the Devils one time this season, which came off a Sidney Crosby breakaway overtime winner. Aside from Crosby, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions have a deep arsenal of weapons including Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Patric Hornqvist, Jake Guentzel, Derick Brassard, and Kris Letang.
The Penguins have three players in the top 10 in the NHL in points (Malkin 97, Kessel 90, Crosby 87). They also have six different players that have scored at least 20 goals this season. Pittsburgh is an offensive juggernaut. A dangerous team capable of scoring goals in bunches.
Matt Murray is a Stanley Cup winning goaltender and has 27 wins on the year with a 2.92 GAA and .907 save-percentage. Pittsburgh is a proven winner that has won three Stanley Cups since 2009. While the Devils have taken three of the four meetings with Pittsburgh this year, the Pens will be a tough out.
3. Columbus Blue Jackets (3-1-0 vs NJD)
The Blue Jackets have had the Devils’ number ever since they came over to the Eastern Conference in the NHL realignment a few years ago. They’re responsible for the Devils’ worst loss of the season, a 6-1 drubbing in Columbus earlier this year. They also have arguably the best goalie of all of the Devils’ potential playoff opponents, Sergei Bobrovsky.
Bobrovsky is a former Vezina winner and has 37 wins on the season with a 2.42 GAA and .921 save-percentage. He is more than capable of stealing a game or two in the playoffs, something that goalies are asked to do this time of year.
Columbus has three 20 goal scorers, led by Artemi Panarin, who has 82 points on the year. They also have two defenseman who have 16 goals each in Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. Columbus has consistently given the Devils fits and while they have the weakest offense of the potential playoff opponents, they are strong defensively and have one of the top goaltenders in the NHL.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning (0-2-1 vs NJD)
Tampa Bay is currently tied for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but they have not beaten the Devils all year. While New Jersey has taken all three meetings with the Lightning, Tampa is loaded with talent.
Nikita Kucherov has 98 points. Steven Stamkos has 86 points and has been one of the best players in the NHL for a number of years. Brayden Point has 31 goals. Victor Hedman has 16 goals as a defenseman.
To go with these young stars, the Lightning also have a bunch of veterans with playoff experience like Ryan Callahan, Ryan McDonagh, Chris Kunitz, and Dan Girardi. Andrei Vasilevskiy is tied for the league lead in wins (43) and shutouts (8). Tampa Bay has a plethora of talented players, playoff proven veterans, and a great goalie. Although the Devils are 3-0-0 against them this year, the Lightning would be a difficult team to eliminate.
5. Boston Bruins (3-0-0 vs NJD)
The Bruins are the only team on this list that is undefeated against the Devils this year. One of those wins was a shootout victory and the other two were regulation wins.
Boston is tied for the top seed in the East with Tampa Bay. They boast an incredibly strong top line made up of forwards Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak. All three of these top line forwards have scored at least 30 goals this year. The Bruins also have veterans David Krejci, David Backes, Rick Nash, and Brian Gionta.
They also posses two top D-men in Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug. This is a battle tested team with playoff experience. Tuukka Rask has won a Vezina trophy and a Stanley Cup with Bruins. He’s also won 34 games this season and has posted a 2.33 GAA and a .919 save-percentage. Boston will probably be the Devils’ toughest matchup.
Next: New Jersey Devils Clinched Their Spot In Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Bottom Line:
The Devils will have a tough road ahead no matter who they play in the first round of the playoffs. They will see superstar forwards, experienced veterans, elite defenseman, and stifling goaltenders. They just have to play their game and not worry too much about who is on the other side of the ice. Each matchup would result in an entertaining series and the fans are eager to watch the Devils in the playoffs for the first time since their Eastern Conference Championship in 2012. The only Devils remaining from that team are Travis Zajac and Andy Greene.