New Jersey Devils Face a Challenging Road Ahead
By Dave Browne
Sports teams in the Metropolitan area has been more of a trick than treat with Halloween one day away. Fans in the area have had to endure some excruciating times lately with the New York Yankees falling short in the postseason, and two local football teams struggling; with one of their quarterbacks apparently seeing ghosts.
The one team that proudly represents New Jersey on the crest of their uniform has been no different. The New Jersey Devils’ season so far has featured countless blown leads at home, less than stellar play from key contributors, a leaky defense, bad goaltending and questionable head coaching which has some Devils fans clamoring for a new direction at the position.
The season is less than ten games old with two extended breaks, so hopefully the break has given the coaching staff and players time to get things right. The Devils have a chance to right the ship in the next few weeks, albeit against difficult competition.
The Devils will clash against the high-octane offense of the Tampa Bay Lightning fresh out of the gate followed by two divisional foes in the Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes. The team then travels to Western Canada for four games in six nights against the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. Those teams all will present a challenge to the Devils in some capacity, as those teams feature one of, if not both a good offense and goaltending.
The four-game Western Canadian swing could not have come at a better time for the team to unite. The team is reportedly close, so bonding on the road could just be what the team needs to cure what ails them. Teams have a tendency to keep things simple and loose on the road, something this team needs.
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Two seasons ago, the Devils righted the ship on a three-game road stint that included Western Conference powerhouses in the Nashville Predators and the Vegas Golden Knights after previously losing four of the five games. Less than a month later, the Devils punched their ticket to the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
The difficult run in the schedule could set the tone for the rest of the season. If the Devils could manage to string out a couple of wins, and get a possible nine or ten points out of fourteen, the team is back in business. It would give the team some much needed confidence, as would the fanbase in the area who are itching for this team to be successful.