The New Jersey Devils have over a 90% chance to clinch a playoff spot. As long as they keep stacking wins and picking up OT points, their magic number will continue to shrink. It’s just a matter of time, especially once they get a few fresh legs in the lineup to help sustain a full 60-minute effort. The last two losses may have been gut-wrenching, but this team has made clear progress since last season.
There’s still some fine-tuning needed to help the Devils string together that elusive four-game win streak and bank additional points as a cushion. Tom Fitzgerald added physicality to the roster, but now he’ll need to bring in more finishers to complement that. The difference from last year is night and day, and under Sheldon Keefe, this team has fought its way into a playoff position—something Lindy Ruff couldn’t extract from last season’s core group.
Even without Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, and Jonas Siegenthaler, this team continues to battle. Goalies Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen bring stability to the defense, instilling trust and confidence in the group’s ability to execute. Now, the focus needs to be on regaining their pre-Christmas Break “60-minute mojo.”
New Jersey Devils need to play with a playoff mentality to survive the final 10 games
Despite the shootout loss to Vancouver (seriously, shootouts need to be abolished), there’s a lot to like about the Devils’ recent play. That game had the intensity of a Stanley Cup Final, and if this team can clinch a spot even without its three dynamic stars, next season should be even more exciting when they return to full health and add more quality depth.
Yes, things look a bit shaky at times, but these growing pains are building character and trust within the group. Some players are stepping up, buying in, and helping the team work through its struggles.
If Lindy Ruff were still running this team with the same roster, it’s hard to believe they’d be in this position—let alone holding a six-point cushion for third place in the Metro. That may just be an opinion, but the results speak for themselves. Players like Cody Glass are emerging as reliable bottom-six contributors, stabilizing areas where the team desperately needed production, especially after losing a key former Mississauga Steelhead center.
There’s still work to do, but the Devils are on track to clinch. The goal now is to close out games with fewer third-period breakdowns and bring their magic number to zero. Expectations are for them to finish strong, ironing out the final details so they can enter the postseason in top form—just as they did in 2023, when they eliminated the Rangers before running into Carolina. If this season reminds us of something this tight of a playoff race, it would be the better version of the 2017-2018 season when the Devils clinched with a few games left before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning. But if history is the indicator, then this team has a better structure and chemistry than that 2017-20218 team, in theory.