Prior to the season, most New Jersey Devils fans thought this team could be competitive as currently constructed. There wasn’t a guarantee of playoffs, but there was definitely a hope this team could be competitive. After years of hope and disappointment, it’s hard for this fanbase to sense when things are actually going in the right direction.
Then, this season happened. It’s clear the direction is wrong, It started alright, but the team has lost 15 of its last 18 games. This is one of the worst stretches of games in a long, long time. The Devils are losing games in every possible way. Some are close, others are terribly not. The goalie plays terribly in some and others where the team just can’t score.
It’s not all based on expectations falling below what they should. The injury bug has been terrible to the Devils. Jack Hughes was hurt for more than a month after separating his shoulder. Jonathan Bernier might be out for a long time. Mackenzie Blackwood has been in and out of the lineup, causing the Devils to use six goalies this season.
There are a ton of excuses the Devils could use, but it doesn’t really answer the questions. What Devils fans want to know is how the team plans to fix it. The NHL announced today that the Devils were going to postpone Tuesday’s game against the Penguins, so the Devils have been given the gift of an extended Christmas break. Beyond the sick players up and down the lineup (COVID-19 cases and other sicknesses as well), they just need a hard reset.
Tom Fitzgerald spoke to the media unexpectedly on Monday. It wasn’t to announce the firing of the coach like many fans are asking for. Fitzgerald wanted to give an update on the team, and during it he doubled down on this coaching staff and the players in the locker room.
"“I believe it has to come from that room. They have to keep each other accountable. They have to push each other. They have to be committed to each other, the guy next to you, the guy across from you.” — Tom Fitzgerald"
There seems like there will be no major changes coming any time soon. There are rumors that Lindy Ruff‘s seat continues to get hotter, but the facts coming from the Devils themselves say otherwise.
The question becomes, does this Devils team have what it takes to turn this around on its own? Hughes is back in the lineup, although he’s struggled to find chemistry with linemates. Nico Hischier and Ryan Graves should be back in the lineup once the team comes back from its break. That should help things. Would a fully healthy New Jersey Devils team have a chance to at least start winning games?
The expectations have changed. The Devils are now considered one of the worst teams in the league. They’ve won two games in the last calendar month. Nothing is going right, and they are on a six-game losing streak. The Devils have been the worst Christmas present ever. At least they don’t have the ability to ruin our Christmas week.
That still doesn’t answer the question. Is Tom Fitzgerald right? Do the Devils have the pieces to make it work, or is this going to be another lost season? The Devils would need to win at something like a .650 clip for the rest of the season to make even an unlikely run to the postseason. That’s not even the goal, now. The team just wants to be… something. Anything, really.
The Devils have major flaws. The power play is a massive mess. Right now, the goal is to win one game. That’s hard enough for this team. They have a chance on December 27th against the St. Loiuis Blues.