The race is not over for the New Jersey Devils heading into the final two games of the 2022-23 campaign. The Devils find themselves fighting the Carolina Hurricanes for the Metropolitan Division crown.
If the Devils can take over the top spot, they will face the team in the higher Wild Card position (WC1) in the playoffs. It once seemed inevitable that the Devils would face their rivals the New York Rangers in the first round, but that’s far from set in stone. Here’s who they should hope to see on the other side of the ice in Newark for Game 1, in order of worst to best matchup.
4. New York Islanders
The New York Islanders would likely be the toughest opponent for the Devils in Round 1, as the Devils have struggled to solve New York’s physicality, defensive structure, and elite goaltending in 2 of the 3 meetings they’ve had this season. After a promising 4-1 win in Long Island in October, the last two games against this team were ugly, to say the least. Posting 6-4 and 5-1 losses hardly breeds confidence.
The Isles bullied the Devils physically, outhitting them 84-45, and there’s no reason to see that changing in a playoff series. The Devils lack the creativity and speed they’ve shown against almost every other team when they match up against the Islanders. It doesn’t help that their limited scoring chances are against the best goalie in Ilya Sorokin. The 27-year-old has the 3rd most goals saved above expected among all NHL goalies this season, boasting an incredible .925 save percentage for the second consecutive season (all analytics via Money Puck).
While this is would be the most challenging and exhausting first-round matchup for the Devils, there’s still reason to believe they could push through, as the Devils are undeniably much faster and more talented than the veteran Islanders. However, in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, physicality and goaltending are widely considered two of the most important factors, which is why the Islanders come in at #4.