As of Tuesday morning, the New Jersey Devils (13-14-7) currently sit 11 points back from the final wild card spot in the National Hockey League’s Eastern Conference with just 33 points in 34 games. According to SportsClubStats, the Devils’ playoff odds are down to a very daunting 1.5% as the club looks to defend their home ice from the sitting Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins, who visit the Prudential Center tonight (you can see our game preview for that here). A defeat tonight would see New Jersey’s playoff odds fall by 0.5% if they lose in regulation, or 0.1% if they lose in Overtime or Shootout. A victory would increase their playoff chances by 0.6%.

Also, according to SportsClubStats, the Devils would have to go 28-13-7 in their remaining 48 games to reach 96 points on the season, which would give them a 57.2% chance of qualifying for the Postseason. The way other teams in the Metropolitan Division have been playing though, the Devils will likely need to do much better than that. At best, the Devils can only afford to lose 12 or 13 games maximum in regulation and another 6 or 7 in extra time if they want to have any reason to be optimistic in playing past April.

And now, the painful question to ask: is this a realistic feat for the Devils to accomplish given their current roster?

As a realistic optimist, in my view it is indeed possible for the Devils to still qualify for the postseason, but they have to start winning immediately and that needs to come through contributions from the big stars — Michael Cammalleri, Adam Henrique, Taylor Hall, Travis Zajac, Kyle Palmieri (we’re calling you 5 out) — and from the team’s secondary scoring such as PA Parentau, Miles Wood, Pavel Zacha, Beau Bennett, among others. The talent and skill is there for this team, but for whatever reason, nobody can seem to find the back of the net.

Here’s what needs to happen for the Devils to have the best chance of qualifying for the postseason:

• Throw everything and the kitchen sink at the net. The more shots on goal you get, the better your chances for scoring. Stop trying to make pretty passing plays, put the puck towards the net, and crash for rebounds. There’s no such thing as a bad shot as long as you hit the net, and good things do happen when you shoot more. The puck will find its way in, whether off a body or stick in front or just by beating the goaltender. Putting up 20 shots per game will not lead to victories. TL;DR – SHOOT MORE!
• Bring the Boom. The Devils aren’t a physical team. In fact, they are probably the softest team in the league. If you want to park right in front of Jersey’s goaltender, go for it. Want to bump the goalie? Okay. Lay big hits on the star player three times in one shift? No worries. In the last two games, we’ve seen the Devils respond physically with more hits, fights, and even a line brawl. That’s the way every game needs to be played from here on out. CLEAR THE CREASE, don’t let anybody screen the goaltender. See something dirty? Make it known. Scrums are good, big hits are good, fights are good. It means that you’re passionate, and chances are the opposition will think twice before doing something physical of their own, and if they have the puck and see somebody coming at them for a hit, they might give it up out of fear of getting hit. PLAY PHYSICAL!
• Utilize home ice advantage. The Devils play 28 of their final 48 games at home, and their record at home is 9-2-2. Feed off the energy from the crowd, take advantage of the last change, and play strong where the team is comfortable.
• DEFENSE. For the defenders, stop screening your netminder! It’s hard for the goalie to save what he can’t see, and NJ’s defense is making it hard for him to make saves. Clear the crease and get out of the way. If you want to block a shot, lay down or crouch down so that the goalie can still see the puck.
• Goaltending is not the issue. It is a symptom of the main disease, which is a culmination of the points that I addressed above. Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid, keep playing strong.
• FOR THE FANS: Create home ice advantage! Go to as many home games as you can, and warm up those vocal chords because you’ll need to use them! Be LOUD, cheer for anything good the team does, start chants. Energy is contagious, so if the arena is dead quiet and boring, the team will play worse. If the arena is lively and loud, the team will play better.

Christmas break is over. Now begins the most critical stretch of the season for every team in the NHL, and you can bet that each team’s game will be elevated. The Devils need to treat each game like a playoff game from here on out and play with that intensity consistently if they want to have a shot at getting in to the postseason.

 

If New Jersey fails to string wins together right out of the gate, and drops any more than 4 or 5 of their next games, especially at home, we will safely be able to say that the team will not be playing hockey past April. If that’s the case, what happens?

The NHL’s trade deadline is February 28, 2017. If the Devils can’t get off to a hot start, you can bet that Ray Shero will start wheeling and dealing early prior to the deadline, and will probably be active up until then. New Jersey does have a number of assets that can be moved for future considerations (draft picks/prospects), such as Parentau, Vern Fiddler, Jacob Josefson, Devante Smith-Pelley, Sergei Kalinin, Kyle Quincey, Ben Lovejoy, John Moore and Jon Merrill. For the right price, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a player like Henrique be dished out as well, but that would take a lot for Shero to do. Cammalleri, who has a No Trade Clause, also could be on the chopping block, as the 34-year-old veteran could be well sought after at the deadline by playoff teams looking for the last piece of their scoring puzzle. Cammalleri has 3 years remaining on his contract at $5m per year. We will delve into potential trades further down the road once the New Jersey’s face becomes clear.

What do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, on Twitter @DevilsArmyBlog, or on our Facebook page. Thanks for reading, and Let’s Go Devils!