New Jersey Devils: 5 Things That Must Happen To Upset Lightning

The New Jersey Devils take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in a matchup of David vs. Goliath. If the Devils are going to have a chance at an upset, a few things have to fall their way.

It’s finally here, the Stanley Cup Playoffs starring the New Jersey Devils. They come in as massive underdogs, hitting at around +180 to +200 on the betting line each game. That being said, the Devils aren’t going to just lay down and die in this game. There is plenty that could happen that ends in a Devils series win.

The Devils are actually 3-0-0 against the Lightning this season. They won three one-goal games in every way you could think. Back in October, the Devils went shot for shot with the Lightning, going into overtime tied 4-4. Kyle Palmieri ended it with a shootout goal, and the Devils got two crucial points in the beginning of the season.

Then in February, the Devils rode Eddie Lack on a back-to-back in a 48 save performance. He was able to keep the Devils in the game long enough for Miles Wood to score his most clutch goal of the season, beating Tampa 4-3 in regulation.

Just a few weeks ago, the Devils beat the Lightning again. This time, a mixture of the defense and Keith Kinkaid shut down Tampa, holding them to one goal and winning 2-1.

This just shows that the Devils have the ability to beat this team. I understand that the regular season is different than the playoffs, but the Lightning knew this matchup could happen. They didn’t want to lose that last game. Still, the Devils made it happen. They could make it happen again. Here’s what they need to do in order to upset the Tampa Bay Lightning.

5. Taylor Hall Needs To Show Up

Taylor Hall is the league MVP. It’s hard to argue that he should be the Devils first ever Hart Trophy winner. Maybe you can make an argument for Nathan MacKinnon in Colorado, but I’m still going with number nine.

That said, we have no idea what Taylor Hall will show up starting tonight. He’s never played in the playoffs in his entire career. There’s no way to know how that is going to effect him mentally.

However, the Devils have basically been playing playoff atmosphere hockey for two months now. The team was barely hanging on to their playoff spot since mid-March. Some could argue it’s been playoff hockey since February, with the Eastern Conference so tight.

Since February 1st, Hall has 44 points. In those 32 games, Hall was held pointless just once. Just one of those games came in a Devils loss.

It’s hard to argue Hall won’t show up. He’s proven that he can step up when his team needs it most. His team needs him more than ever now.

4. Devils Defense Can’t Be Swiss Cheese

The Devils defense is obviously the Achilles heel of this team. They allow way too many two-on-ones, make bad pinching decisions and sometimes have trouble clearing the zone.

They just have to be better this series. I know, easier said than done. They just need to make it happen.

It looks like Ben Lovejoy and Mirco Mueller will slot into the lineup over Damon Severson. While I’m not a huge fan of the move, I believe that may drop the mistakes just a tad. Against the Lightning, you must drop the amount of mistakes you make. That means Lovejoy has to make sure he never, ever pinches. It almost always leads to a mistake.

I have full confidence in the line of Sami Vatanen and Andy Greene. They have become the Devils shutdown pair. Outside of those two, the Devils need to just survive. Don’t allow great shots on Keith Kinkaid, and allow him to make his saves. Speaking of which:

3. Keith Kinkaid Must Play Like He Has Down The Stretch

Keith Kinkaid is why the New Jersey Devils are in the playoffs. The team desperately needed a goalie who could steal a few games, and he’s done exactly that.

Since February 24th, Kinkaid had a game with under 90% save percentage just three times. He’s made some incredible saves to give the Devils a chance to win. In that time, he’s beaten seven playoff teams. One of those being a 35 save performance against the Lightning.

He can’t afford to let the playoff pressure get to him. This may be his first ever playoff game, but we’ve seen players step up in those positions before. Think 2006 Cam Ward. He came into the postseason with very little experience, and Martin Gerber as the starter. He came in and carried the Carolina Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup Championship when nobody had expectations for him.

That’s the kind of performance we need from Kinkaid. He can’t fall under a .900 save percentage. If he does, it’s likely the Devils lose that game.

2. Devils Must Test Andrei Vasilevskiy At Every Turn

Andrei Vasilevskiy was in net for the last two losses to the Devils. In one game, he didn’t play very well and the other the Lightning couldn’t give him goal support.

Vasilevskiy is a massive question mark for the Lightning going into the playoffs. The 23 year old is playing terribly down the stretch. Since March 1st, he’s allowed at least three goals per game in all but two games. One of those games was a game against the Devils, but he lost.

He did step up in a shutout against the Boston Bruins last week, but that seems more like a blip on the radar over the goalie we’ll like see in the playoffs.

That means the Devils have to absolutely pepper him with shots. Knock Vasilevskiy off his game. We definitely need Hall, Kyle Palmieri and Nico Hischier to use skill against this team, but we also need Stefan Noesen, Blake Coleman and Travis Zajac to get those nasty shots down low. The Devils need Miles Wood and Michael Grabner to use their speed to get past the defense and challenge the goalie. Don’t give the opponent time to breathe. Just smother them with shots, and eventually they will go through.