To call it a climb puts what the Devils have in front of them kindly. Their feat would be like trying to climb Mount Everest in a bathing suit, with no oxygen and no stopping for sleep or rest. What's at the summit for them? A chance to sniff a playoff berth and salvage what remains of their tattered season.
Two nights ago, the Devils began their final push versus the Ottawa Senators. While the Devils controlled most of the play save for some tense moments during the first parts of the third period, the score made the game seem a lot closer. Dainus Zubrus scored off a deflection which crawled over the Senators goaltender and in for the go ahead late in the third. It was their eighth win in their last ten games, earning them their 17th point out of a possible 20.
While the fans see the nearly impossible feat for what it is, the team seems to have the right mentality to prevent psychosis and hopelessness.
In an interview with Tom Giulitti of NJ.com, head coach Jacques Lemaire said, "I'm not thinking about tomorrow's game yet. Right now my focus is on the Rangers." His players have echoed similar mentalities with their various interviews since their recent hot streak began.
If the Devils can pull out another victory tonight, they will pull the Islanders into a tie in last overall by virtue of points.
Taking it one team at a time will, again, be critical if the Devils hope to keep their spirits up during their trek. The good news is the the teams ahead of them have stagnated and hit rough patches of their own, so the Devils need to make the most of the opportunities game in and game out. Being 20 points back of the Atlanta Thrashers seems like an overwhelming deficit, but they do have games in hand over the Thrashers as well as the aforementioned streaks and skids.
The journey continues tonight at MSG, two big points are on the table in this very challenging match-up.
No comments:
Post a Comment