Last night, the New Jersey Devils dropped their final game of the season 4-1 to the New York Islanders. After trailing 2-0 after one they dug a hole they couldn’t get out of.
The Devils finished with a record of 38-39-5 and at seventh in their division.
Recap
Period One
The first period was a good one until it wasn’t. The Devils didn’t allow a shot on goal until about 13 minutes in but that shot went in. A bad pinch by Kevin Bahl allowed a two-on-one and an open net for J.G. Pageau who buried it for an Islanders goal. Later in the period, New York would go on a power play where a point wrist shot from Mike Reilly would be tipped in by Kyle Palmieri for a 2-0 lead. That would be the score after a disappointing first.
Period Two
The second frame would open with a Devils goal. Timo Meier fittingly scored in the season finale. Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier would grab the assists.
Later in the period, however, the Islanders surged for a short period of time, but Brock Nelson capitalized. It was 3-1 Islanders after two.
Period Three
A disappointing season would end with a disappointing period as the Devils showed little-to-no-life in the third. Anders Lee split Kevin Bahl and Alexander Holtz getting a pass across to Kyle MacLean who was able to just shovel the puck past the pad of Jake Allen.
For how great Allen has been with the Devils, it was a poor ending to this season for the veteran netminder. Alex Romanov thought he scored to close things out but it turns out the puck never crossed to the line. The final score would be 4-1, and for the last time this season, the Devils would lose.
Game Notes
The Offseason
The Devils have an interesting offseason coming up. General manager Tom Fitzgerald essentially publicly promised to go after a goalie this summer. The Devils have the likes of Dawson Mercer as a restricted free agent, and some solid depth as unrestricted free agents.
We’ll see how things go on the player personnel front, but the most important acquisition this offseason will be the coaching hire.
The Playoffs
The Devils season may be officially over, but hockey season isn’t. There are going to be 16 teams still competing beginning this weekend. As of right now every playoff spot is clinched except one. That final spot is up in the air between the Washington Capitals, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Philadelphia Flyers.
The matchups that are locked in are the Islanders playing the Carolina Hurricanes and the Winnipeg Jets playing the Colorado Avalanche. No other playoff matchups have been decided yet.
There are plenty of intriguing options for the cup, you can click here to pre-register for the NHL’s bracket challenge.