Tuesday night could very well be the final game of the season for the New Jersey Devils. They are set to play the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The odds are stacked greatly against them since they're in a 3-1 deficit and are missing most of their go-to defensemen.
The Devils reverted to their old ways during Sunday's matchup. They got off to a slow start, couldn't clear the puck, and lost the special teams battle, resulting in a 5-2 loss. Pucks and Pitchforks asked captain Nico Hischier how he was rallying the troops during these troubling times.
"It's not done. The last win for them is the hardest...If we want to win the series, we have to win in Carolina. We can do that, bring it back here [to New Jersey], and go from there."Nico Hischier after Sunday's loss
A follow-up question was asked about whether the group still has the confidence to win three games in a row, and Nico Hischier responded with a simple "yes" and nothing else. Head coach Sheldon Keefe echoed what Hischier said after today's morning skate.
"We need to win one hockey game. That's it. There's only one game on the schedule. That's where all of our energy and focus needs to be. Recognize the urgency and challenge ahead of us...win here tonight in this building against this team."Sheldon Keefe after morning skate
If anybody knows what it takes to make a series competitive, despite having some adversity, it's definitely Keefe. Last season, the Toronto Maple Leafs were in a 3-1 deficit against the Boston Bruins. To add insult to injury, the team had to play without Auston Matthews (who scored 69 regular-season goals) and William Nylander (their best playoff contributor) for a few games.
The Leafs also struggled on their power-play opportunities. They were 1/21 (4.76%) on the man advantage. Despite that, the Leafs still rallied together and erased the 3-1 deficit. They forced a Game 7 but lost in overtime thanks to David Pastrnak. That's all we can ask from the Devils at this point: if you're gonna go down, at least go down swinging.