Hotter than Hell

18 games ago, the Devils were for all intensive purposes playing for pride.

Marred in one of the worst seasons in team history, they were destined for a lottery pick, and quite possibly the best odds to win the #1 pick overall in the June draft.

Climbing out of last place seemed to be just as much of a challenge as even thinking about the playoffs without feeling the pit in your stomach knowing it would be impossible.

Even with the initial coaching change, the Devils struggled to regain any semblance of their old winning ways under Jacques Lemaire. Ilya Kovalchuk was having one of the worst seasons in his career and was at one point on pace for under 30 goals. Martin Brodeur looked as human as ever and the rest of the team looked lost, confused and defeated even before giving up goals to their opponents.

After back to back losses to the Philadelphia Flyers, the latter being their 4th loss in a row and 29th on the year, the Devils could easily have listened to the critics and some of the more casual fans and packed it in for the season. They could have traded away their expiring contracts, pulled up some of the younger players to give them a taste of NHL action, and called this season an official bust. But they didn’t quit.

Less than 24 hours after falling in a hard fought 2-1 loss in Philadelphia, the Devils hosted the then-surging Tampa Bay Lightning.

It was this game that the Devils said, ‘Enough’ and turned their season completely around.

The offense not only finally clicked, but they exploded, putting up season highs in goals and winning margin in the 6-3 victory. Training after the first two periods, the game seemed to be destined for the same path of recent games, the team, however, refused to cave, and put up 5 goals in the 3rd period.

Their next game would not come until the following Friday when the two teams would meet again, this time in Tampa. The layover should have killed any momentum the team had built with the 6-3 win, but it didn’t. Even after allowing the first goal, the team re-focused and exploded for another 4 goals in the first period. That lead was never challenged and so began the first steps in this recent 18 game hot streak.

Even after falling to the Detroit Red Wings, for their 30th loss of the season, and then having the All Star Break to think about that loss, the Devils picked right up from where they left off and continued to mount a resurgence which has baffled many, but still leaves few outside of the organization and its fans believing the comeback can be completed.

Tonight, the Devils took another major step forward.

Coming off the hells of an incredible victory over the New York Rangers, the Devils headed to Raleigh, North Carolina to take on the Hurricanes. The location served as an embarrassing way to kick off 2011 when the Devils surrendered 4 goals in the first period en route to an embarrassing 6-3 loss which saw Martin Brodeur be chased from the net within the first 10 minutes. [A fact, might I add, we were reminded of no fewer than 5 times during the first 10 minutes of tonight’s game by Play by Play man Steve Cangilosi.]

Just 74 seconds into the game, Patrik Elias won an offensive zone draw back to Mark Faye. Fayne quickly wristed a shot on goal, but on its way to the net, it was tipped by Dainius Zubrus right through the butterfly of Cam War for the opening goal.

The Devils continued to push the play, but also trade chances with the Hurricanes until just past the midway point of the period. Nick Palmieri batted a crossing pass out of the air in his defensive zone, it was carried up ice by Ilya Kovalchuk who circled the Hurricane zone, almost tantalizing his opponents with it as he tried to find a shooting lane or a clear pass. He finally did after completing his first revolution of the zone and fed Henrik Tallinder for a one-timed goal that was destined to go wide of the net, but instead hit off of Brendan Sutter’s leg and beat Ward for another goal. With his assist, Ilya Kovalchuk tied his career long points streak at 10 games.

Brian Rolston would clean up a Patrik Elias shot for the team’s third goal of the period and his 10th of the season. With that assist, Patrick Elias moved to within 1 point of 800 on his career.

The two teams would play evenly matched throughout the second, with neither side tallying a marker.

Patrick Dwyer would net one for the Hurricanes to pull them back within two, as Carolina capitalized on their momentum to start the 3rd period. The Hurricanes looked like they deserved to win the period, let alone the game, from their play to begin the period, however, the Devils would answer. Zubrus would score on a wrist shot on a feed from Elias. The goal would give the Devils their 3 goal lead back and also give Elias his milestone point of 800.

Seven wins in a row. That is a phrase Devils fans have not been able to say about their team in almost 2 years. Yes, that’s years, not seasons, years.

A team that was once in last place for the league, has amassed 32 points in 18 games. They missed out on any points in the aforementioned Detroit game, and fell twice to the Florida Panthers in overtime missing out on two combined points there.

As mentioned by Tom Gulitti of The Record, 6 weeks ago, the Devils were 27 points behind 8th place in the Eastern Conference. With their win tonight, the Devils now sit 10 points back, with a game in hand with 23 to play.

The climb continues Tuesday night in Dallas where the Devils will face the Stars for the first time since they traded Jamie Langenbrunner in exchange for a conditional pick. This game will be the 2nd of a 4 game road trip which will take them back to south Florida, for a meeting with Tampa Bay and ending with the Florida Panthers. The Panthers game will be the final game for the Devils before the NHL Trade Deadline which falls on February 28th.