5 lucky situations that led to deep New Jersey Devils playoff runs

The New Jersey Devils have a very successful past. They have three Stanley Cups to their name, which doesn’t sound like a ton when considering they have a 40+ year history, but only two franchises have more since 1990: the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Devils have amazing runs in 1995, 2000, and 2003 to win the ultimate prize in sports. They also had fun, yet ultimately disappointing, runs in 1988, 1994, 2001, and 2012. 

The Devils always seemed to find a way to overachieve once they found their footing in the late 80s, and now we’re seeing a similar glimmer in the eye of the Devils. They are built on young talent, and we’ve seen what can happen when a team lets that young talent prospect. The Devils made all the right moves under the Lou Lamoriello regime (at least it appeared that way then), and it led to more rings since 1990 than every single team in the Philadelphia or New York markets combined. 

However, to get there, the Devils needed a little luck some years and a ton of luck in others. When were the Devils the luckiest?

The times when the New Jersey Devils got lucky in the playoffs.

5. Sean Burke stops Pat LaFontaine
1988 Stanley Cup Playoffs

We start with the Devils very first playoff run ever. We are only taking moments or opportunities that happened within the postseason, so the Devils win in overtime to beat the Chicago Blackhawks on the last game of the season, putting them ahead of the Penguins and Rangers to take the final playoff spot, doesn’t count. However, they went into the playoffs as a massive underdog.

It appeared the Devils built a ton of momentum from that final playoff race to get into the show. They ended up going from a franchise with no series wins or even playoff appearances to its name to taking the Boston Bruins to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. None of it happens if they don’t get past the New York Islanders in the first round.

The Devils ended up fending off the former dynasty, but it came down to the final seconds of the series. With 10 seconds left, the Devils took a faceoff in the offensive zone, thinking the series was all but done. Then, Islanders star Pat LaFontaine tried to do the impossible. 

After already scoring an overtime game-winner in the series, he went coast to coast, beating all five Devils skaters trying to hold onto a one-goal lead, but it was Sean Burke who ultimately stopped LaFontaine as the buzzer sounded. If he scores, the Devils likely can’t recover with a young team in Game 7, and who knows what the future holds.

4. Avoiding Boston
2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs

The 2012 Devils run to the Stanley Cup Final was magic. They beat the Florida Panthers in double overtime to send them home on their home ice in Game 7, which began the legend of then-rookie Adam Henrique. After that, they faced the Philadelphia Flyers, who had all of the momentum after dispatching the favories in the Pittsburgh Penguins. They destroyed them in five games. Their Hudson River Rivals and the number-one seed the New York Rangers were waiting for them in the Eastern Conference Final, and Henrique’s legend grew as “it’s over” began to ring throughout the ears of the Garden State. 

However, the luck of the Devils didn’t involve any game they actually played in. The Devils were AWFUL against the Boston Bruins that season. Despite having more than 100 standings points on the season, the Devils could not beat the Bruins. They went 0-3-0-1 against Boston that year, taking home one lowly overtime loss in four attempts. What’s worse is they gave up 18 goals in those four games and scored just eight. It was a destruction of what was clearly a good hockey team.

The Bruins were the defending Stanley Cup Champions, and nobody thought they would get knocked out in the first round. The Washington Capitals had been known for playoff disappointments, so this should be easy for them.

Luckily for the Devils, it was not easy at all. The Bruins and Capitals scratched and clawed to a Game 7, and the Caps ended up putting the Bruins away in the closest series in history (only seven-game series up to that point where every single game came down to one goal). Joel Ward scored in OT in Game 7, giving the Devils a real path to make a run.

3. When everyone gets hot at once, you win
1995 Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Devils have plenty of insane runs that look strange today. Grant Marshall is a Devils legend today strictly because of what he was able to do in 2003. He had nine goals in the regular season, but he scored six in the playoffs. The fourth line of Steve Bernier, Ryan Carter, and Stephen Gionta (who wasn't even on the roster for most of the season) helped lead the Devils in 2012. Ondrej Palat found the power that earned him $6 million per season in last year's postseason. However, there's nothing like 1995.

Everyone became great all at once. This was the first legendary performance by Martin Brodeur. Yes, we went head-to-head with the Rangers the year before, but he posted a .927 save percentage throughout the postseason. Call it the trap, call it defense, who cares. A .927 save percentage in the playoffs is exactly what the stat proclaims. 

The forwards were phenomenal. Claude Lemieux’s ascension in this postseason is the stuff of legends, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP. After scoring six goals in the regular season, Lemieux scored 13 goals in 20 playoff games. Randy McKay had five goals in the regular season. He scored eight in the postseason as part of the Crash Line. He even had an overtime game winner in the first round.

Then, the stars were stars. Stephane Richer was great. John MacLean was great. Scott Niedermayer was great. Scott Stevens was fantastic. Neal Broten was a monster. Bill Guerin was a playmaker. Jacques Lemaire played four-line hockey, and it was the reason the Devils so easily dispatched everyone in their way en route to their first Stanley Cup.

1. Eric Lindros gets knocked out
2000 Stanley Cup Playoffs

There may not be a hit more impactful (pun intended) than Scott Stevens’ hit on Eric Lindros in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. It is considered one of the biggest hits in the history of the NHL. The Philadelphia Flyers are still feeling the impacts today. Lindros’ career started to take a turn from this point. He never played another game for the Flyers. He missed the rest of this game, which likely changed who won the series. And this opened the door for the Devils to stop the Dallas Stars’ push for a repeat.

Let’s start with how the Devils got here. Like the Senators tried to do in 2003, the Devils started the series down 3-1 but forced a Game 7. Brodeur shut the door, refusing to allow more than one goal in each of Games 5-7.

However, the Devils weren’t exactly lighting the lamp with consistency. It was a dogfight in Game 7, and the game was tied deep in the third period (wait a minute, we’ve heard this one already). As it was 1-1 with about 2:30 left, Patrik Elias scored to end the series and complete the comeback.

Is it a guarantee that Lindros would change the course of history if he kept his head up on the Stevens hit? Obviously not, but having a Selke-level superstar who can score at any moment on the ice is a major advantage.