The New Jersey Devils had a great year in 2017-18. They went to the playoffs in a year that was a lot of fun for fans of all ages.
When the New Jersey Devils won the 2017 NHL Draft Lottery, it was fair to assume that they would start to turn the franchise in the right direction. They selected Nico Hischier with that first overall pick and they were off from there. Hischier and the Devils were awesome in 2017-18. He has been developing nicely ever since then but the story that year was the team as a whole.
Cory Schneider was injured and didn’t play very well when he was in so that made things difficult. Luckily, Keith Kinkaid played out of his mind on most nights. Things didn’t work out well for Kinkaid in the end but in that one season, he was awesome. Everyone knows that the reason that New Jersey made the playoffs was the play of Taylor Hall.
He was referred to by New Jersey’s announcer Steve Cangialosi as “The unstoppable force that wears number nine” by the end of the season. He literally helped drag this group into the playoffs. He had 39 goals and 54 assists for 93 points for a total that was one of the best single-season totals for a player in team history. He was brilliant all season long which earned him the Hart Trophy as the MVP of the National Hockey League.
There were also depth players that had phenomenal seasons. We can’t forget how players like Stefan Noesen, Brian Boyle, Brian Gibbons, and Miles Wood were to that season. They also made some trades that really helped them. Trading Adam Henrique for Sami Vatanen was a really important trade that season. They had the center depth with Hischier, Boyle, and Travis Zajac, to make that deal. They also acquired Patrick Maroon and Michael Grabner at the trade deadline.
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As mentioned before, Brian Boyle was a big part of that team. He was diagnosed with cancer during training camp which took the league by storm. He missed the first few games of the season because of his treatments but he finally returned. His presence made all of the difference once he returned. It was a true story of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey, which is why he ultimately won the Masterton Trophy for his efforts.
There was also the play of Eddie Lack. He had one particular game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on February 17th, 2018. He recorded 48 saves against the high-octane Tampa Bay Lightning to get a huge win for New Jersey. Every little point was needed that season and even Lack was able to deliver.
As much as fans are encouraged to move on a lot of the time, there is no shame in remembering this team fondly. They were projected to be the last-place team in the Metropolitan Division once again but they proved everyone wrong. This was such a fun team to root for along the way. Every time it seemed like their backs were against the wall, they figured out a way to get the points they needed. They made the playoffs by one point which proves that point even further.
The Devils were ultimately defeated in the first round of the playoffs by the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games. It was a sign that this team had a future ahead of them. Unfortunately, they haven’t been very good since then but they showed what can be for this team when everything is done right. It is okay to think of this team fondly and hope that the current Devils can get back to this level sooner than later.