The New Jersey Devils’ last win of 2019-20 was one to remember.
The 2019-20 season was a frustrating one, to say the least, for the New Jersey Devils. It started off on fire with a 4-0 lead over the Winnipeg Jets on Opening Night only to lose that game 5-4. The Devils were bad from that point on until the New Year, when they started to come on down the stretch. Things were starting to be a bit fun to watch at the beginning of March as we headed towards the offseason and then… pause. The National Hockey League put the season to rest due to concerns of health and safety caused by the coronavirus.
The New Jersey Devils are the heart and soul of a lot of people and they were just put on pause like that. As much as health and safety are by far the most important thing, it is fair to miss your team and all of the joy they bring you as a fan. From Nico Hischier to Jack Hughes, to P.K. Subban to Mackenzie Blackwood, this team is our favorite no matter what.
The last time life felt normal has to be the last time the New Jersey Devils played a hockey game. That was a 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on home ice. It is much more fun to recall their last win which came three days prior on March 7th. The Devils went into Madison Square Garden and defeated their bitter rival New York Rangers by a final score of 6-4.
At the time, we figured that only the top eight teams in each conference were going to make the playoffs and this big win by the Devils put that possibility in doubt for the Rangers. Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac each had two goals, Fredrik Claesson and John Hayden split the other two. It was a fun game to watch for all Devils fans as they took care of business in what would be the final Hudson River Rivalry game of the season.
As you know by now, the Devils were one of seven teams that weren’t invited to the return to play bubble. They had a chance at the lottery as a result but they ended up dropping a spot. It wasn’t a good year before the pandemic hit for the Devils but after they were gone it put some things into perspective. That is why that last win is extra fun to think about now. Hopefully, they can start to turn the corner soon and win more games than that.