New Jersey Devils: Pucks and Pitchforks Massive Playoff Preview
By Nick Villano
4. What’s one bold prediction you have for the Devils in the postseason?
Villano: Dougie Hamilton will lead the Devils-Rangers series in points. I think the offense takes a few games to get going, and the defense drives the play more than usual.
Parise: Timo Meier is going to lead the New Jersey Devils in scoring through the first round of the playoffs. If they advance from there, Jack Hughes will take over.
Rice: Timo Meier will score in overtime to end the series and become an instant, modern-era Devils legend.
Borges Jr.: Akira Schmid will start one game this series. It is incredibly easy to see a world where Mackenzie Blackwood has played his last game for the New Jersey Devils. It is not so easy to see a world where Vitek Vanacek gets shelled in back-to-back games, and Lindy Ruff goes to the young Swiss netminder to spark his team.
DeLuca: Tomas Tatar will be the dark horse. If you even try to credit the success this Devils team had without mentioning Tatar, I’d recommend you stop reading right now and re-evaluate the way you watch hockey. I don’t think there are many of you (if any) that would say this, but that’s just my point. It’s clear how important Tatar’s success is to this young core’s success as well. Watch it unfold for yourselves.
Stanislau: The Devils defense blocks more shots and helps the Devils score on breakaways. The Devils average five blocks and 23 hits per game in the series.
Bailey: Tomas Tatar leads the team in goals.
Annaluru: My bold playoff pick for the Devils is that Luke Hughes plays at least 1 game, and potentially even starts after his elite performance against Washington. For the postseason as a whole, I have the Oilers as my Stanley Cup Winner.
Williams: Erik Haula is going to score a massive goal for the Devils this series against the Rangers. I made this prediction early on when he struggled. I will stand by it, and book an Erik Haula series-altering goal.
Goldstein: Call this random if you want, but I think we get 2+ goals in the playoffs from Brendan Smith. Yeah, I said it. We’ve seen Devils defensemen who don’t score notch big goals in the postseason before (Danyeko and Bryce Salvador), and I think it would be fitting we see Brendan Smith score multiple goals in the playoffs after not netting one all year.
Garrison: Ondrej Palat continues his success in the playoffs. Knowing how well he played last year, in the playoffs, especially against the Rangers, I fully expect him to have a repeat performance.
Holiday: Luke Hughes gets some games in and shows he is NHL ready and ends up with multiple points in the first series.
Fink: Yegor Sharangovich steps up his game. It’s possible that he doesn’t, but I think it’s bold enough to say that if he were to start scoring again, it would be nothing short of electric.
Russell: The Devils will beat the Rangers in MSG at least twice!
Woo: The Devils bottom six forwards will be outstanding. Lindy Ruff will have the luxury to roll four lines. The BMW line will have a huge impact, like the Crash Line in 1995.