The New Jersey Devils were flying high after defeating the Buffalo Sabres last week and were at the top of the Metropolitan Division. They began a homestand against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday and were humbled in a loss, 5-3, their first regulation loss at home. Monday night was their chance to respond against yet another division opponent.
The Devils responded quite well in the first five minutes of the game. They rocketed out to a 2-0 lead and were looking great. Then, the rest of the 55 minutes of the game were played. The Devils were outscored 5-2 in the final 55 minutes that included fights, cheap shots, and questionable officiating.
The Devils needed to start December well against the Blue Jackets, but they failed to rise to the occasion. Was it great to see the Devils stand up for Brenden Dillon, who was taken out of the game because Dmitri Voronkov doesn't understand sportsmanship? Yes.
The Devils are often criticized for not standing up for themselves or their teammates, so it was a breath of fresh air that they fought back. Sure, it could have raised spirits in the locker room as the team grows closer.
The Devils lost their matchup with the Blue Jackets in emotional fashion
Losing back-to-back games at home against division opponents is not normally a great thing to happen. While the Devils earned some grace based on their start at The Prudential Center, what is coming next is anything but grace.
The Devils have absolutely no room for error in December. With this year being an Olympic Year, the schedule is condensed. The Devils had a cushion in the standings last year when things started to go south. This year, there is no such thing as a 'cushion' because every team is so close together in the standings.
The Devils will follow up back-to-back emotional losses at home with games against the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights. Both the Stars and Golden Knights come into Newark in the top three in their division. If the Colorado Avalanche were not as invincible as they look, Dallas would be the best team in the NHL with 38 points. The Golden Knights are within one point of the lead in the Pacific Division.
Well, what comes after those two teams? Surely the Devils get a break, right? Wrong. They play in Boston on Saturday for a back-to-back after the Golden Knights on Friday. The Devils do not play well in Boston, nor do they play well in back-to-back games in recent memory.
In the 14 games they have left in the month of December, only three teams are at NHL .500 or below: the Vancouver Canucks, Sabres, and Toronto Maple Leafs. The rest of the teams are in playoff spots or within at least three points of one.
It was crucial for the Devils to beat division opponents because this schedule is not going to get any easier at any point. The entire roster should want to get revenge for back-to-back losses at home, but the opponents coming into town are not going to be a cake walk.
It seems as if Dillon will be okay in the long run and may play against the Stars on Wednesday night. The team is already without key pieces like Jack Hughes and Brett Pesce.
With the way the Devils' schedule and roster are currently constructed, December could potentially be a month full of disaster. The only thing to look forward to if that happens is a potential return of Hughes, Pesce, and Johnny Kovacevic at some point in January. They may just dig themselves too deep a hole to climb out of if this keeps up.