The saying about winning the battle and losing the war is somehow fitting for the New Jersey Devils, especially after last night. They won in overtime and battled back in the process to take the game 3-2 over the Nashville Predators. That was a needed win as it keeps them within range of a playoff spot.
That said, Jack Hughes suffered another injury. The injuries are piling up again for the Devils, as Hughes joins his brother Luke on the list, while Cody Glass was recently injured as well. So, the Devils are stumbling in a division that leaves them chasing teams and trying to catch up.
With Hughes, The Devils Remain Stuck
It’s been the theme of the Hughes era that the team goes as he goes. The offense is built around him and his playmaking on the top line, which usually helps them. He’s dealing with a lower-body injury and will miss some time, a frustrating blow considering he missed over a month with a hand injury earlier in the season.
It’s not a good sign that the Devils are relying on him, and they must ask themselves whether they can win with Hughes as their best player. The answer in recent years is no, and presumably will stay that way for the future.
So, where do the Devils go from here? The truth is that they must do some soul-searching in the offseason and change up the core. They expect this group to be successful when the past has shown otherwise.
Can The Devils Still Remain in the Hunt
The short answer is yes, since they are still within striking distance of a playoff spot or even the third spot in the Metropolitan Division, which might be easier to chase down the way things are going. The most likely answer is no, considering the ground they must make up without Hughes.
The Devils need Nico Hischier to carry them along with Jesper Bratt, the winger who is typically dependent on Hughes. The two forwards fueled the 3-2 victory with the third-period and overtime goals, but can they do so in the long run? The recent stretches suggest otherwise.
The same applies to the defense and the goaltending. It’s struggled all season, and now is when the Devils need it the most. It can keep the Devils in games and win enough of them to put them in the playoff hunt.
The Upcoming Stretch Goes a Long Way
The Devils have three more games before the Olympic break. They head to Ottawa to face the Senators, a team that, oddly, is in a similar boat as them. Then, the Devils host the Columbus Blue Jackets before wrapping things up against the New York Islanders, two teams that have played great hockey lately.
They can earn five points in that stretch and move only a handful of points out of a Wild Card spot. Conversely, this is where they can fall out of things entirely. Losses to the Blue Jackets and the Islanders in particular will have them behind in the division and in a hole that’s tough to climb out of.
If that happens, and there’s a good chance it does, the Devils must realize where they are as a team. It’s a team that needs a reset and must approach the trade deadline with it in mind. This stretch can tell them whether it’s worth keeping the group together or whether to break things up.