If you’re a Devils fan, you’re trying to look for the positives in anything regarding the team, especially in a point-counterpoint system.
Point: The Devils are on pace for X number of points for the season.
Counterpoint: They’re only 16 back of the 8th and final playoff spot.
Point: Brodeur went down hurt, again, on Sunday
Counterpoint: Hedberg is coming off 2 periods of relief where his only blemish deflected off Kovalchuk.
Etc.
When the Devils take to the ice Tuesday night, it will be in a critical game for their playoff lives.
Yes, it is true that from here on out, every game is considered critical, however, this game and two more within the next 12 days, come against the team holding on [more like clinging] to the coveted 8th spot.
If the Devils win all 3 in regulation, they can trim the gap by 6 points without taking into account any of the games in between. Overtime wins earns them a 3 point advantage on their proverbial rabbits. Anything less will severly hurt their chances. The thought alone of the magnitude of these games could drive any person understandably to near panic.
Luckily for us, the players’ current mindset is one at a time, and they leave the insanity and madness to the fans.
Since the All Star Break, the Devils have amassed a 3-0-1 record, earning 7 out of a possible 8 points with the only loss coming to Florida in overtime last Friday night.
If you’re a fan who enjoys trying to find trends or patterns in a season and believes they’ll be repeated, you’ll be happy to note that the last time the Panthers stopped a potential Devils’ winning streak, they did so in overtime and gave the Devils enough motivation to then turn around and rattle off 4 straight wins.
On Sunday, New Jersey took another step towards repeating the past by jumping out to an early lead against the Montreal Canadiens, and then playing terrific shut-down defense following Brodeur’s injury en route to a 4-1 victory. The Devils were rewarded for their effort by climbing in the standings to 13th place, tied with Ottawa and 7 points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs follow play Monday night.
Carolina enters Tuesday’s contest winning 5 games out of their last 10, including their overtime win against the struggling Atlanta Thrashers which halted a 2 game skid. Eric Cole netted the game winner after Carolina had a horrendous defensive third period in which they squandered two leads.
Recent head to head history gives the edge to Carolina as they have had the better of the two clubs including a memorable come from behind victory in Game 7, in Newark, during the 2009 Eastern Conference Quarter Finals where the Devils blew a late 3rd period lead of their own, and the surrendered the game winner with under 2 minutes to go in regulation.
This Devils team, however, is much different than the one the Hurricanes embarrassed in 2009. First, they have Ilya Kovalchuk who is finally settling in and finding his groove with the team he has been with for just over a year, and will be with for the next 14. Kovalchuk had two goals on Sunday, added an assist on Friday and has been on fire offensively as of late. He also has been contributing regularly on defense, including some aggressive back checking against Florida.
Dainius Zubrus has also been a bright spot for the Devils’ offense as he netted his 10th Sunday afternoon.
The climb is steep, the task feels almost impossible, but the Devils need to remain focused on just one game at a time.
A team that once seemed destined for the first overall pick in the draft has now given itself a new lease on life, and its fans a reason to have some grounded hope that the season can be saved, and the playoffs, just maybe, with some luck and some favorable breaks, could be made.
One way or another, if the Devils team which has emerged recently continues to come out for the remaining 29 games, fans can be guaranteed it will be one hell of a ride to the finish line.
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