It all started at the beginning of October, with the New Jersey Devils starting their season in Prague, Czechia, but it could end in a whimper in Carolina after a pretty poor effort in what could be the team's last home game of the season. The Devils lost to the Hurricanes 5-2 in Game 4 of their first-round series. It was the worst game of the season for the Devils, especially defensively.
The Devils were dominated at times, looking completely lost in the first period. They barely had any possession time in the first frame. The Devils couldn't get anything done offensively that period, and they only had four shots on Freddie Andersen.
Jacob Markstrom picked a bad time to have his worst game of the series, giving up four goals on 28 shots. He let the Hurricanes score on their first shot of the game, sinking any momentum the Devils might have come in with after beating the Hurricanes in Game 3.
Devils on the brink after losing to the Hurricanes in Game 4
This hasn't been the easiest season for the New Jersey Devils. The team has had times where they looked like a really good team, but since the New Year, they've been pretty frustrating.
That includes this playoff series, where they felt like they had been dominated for too many stretches. Even the one Devils win came with a 2-0 lead that was blown in the third period. There couldn't just be happiness. There had to be an asterisk on it.
Now, with the Devils on the brink, they are facing a close-to-insurmountable task. The Hurricanes are great at home. The Devils would not only win three games in a row, but two of them are on the road. With how the team is built and the defensive injuries, it might be time to call a spade a spade. It was a season of learning, but it will likely end how it has gone for months. A frustrating end seems inevitable.