5 Things That Must Happen For New Jersey Devils To Make Playoffs
By Nick Villano
3. Power Play can’t be this bad
The New Jersey Devils’ power play was so bad last season, it couldn’t get any worse. The Devils let Mark Recchi go, and they replaced him with Jack Adams Award candidate and former Florida Panthers interim coach Andrew Brunette. Brunette might be the Devils’ best signing of this offseason. That’s because the Devils desperately need the power play to do better, and the Panthers’ PP was one of the best.
However, this preseason brought on some issues. Five teams allowed at least two shorthanded goals this preseason. Of course, the Devils were one of them. They were one of three teams to allow as many goals on the power play as they scored. In about 38 minutes of power play time, the Devils scored two goals. They allowed two goals.
That can’t be the norm. Not this season. They have too many great offensive players to be in the same conversation as the Philadelphia Flyers in any offensive category. The Devils need to start scoring on the power play, and they need to stop doing the slingshot. It hasn’t worked. Ever. They don’t have the right personnel to make it work. The Devils need to find a power play system that works, or it could end Lindy Ruff’s Devils tenure.