When Devils center Jack Hughes went down, that was supposed to be it for the season. The last pair of games however has inspired hope that the team could still make the playoffs.
Hope is a dangerous little thing. New Jersey Devils fans are being reminded of this after the team’s play this past week. The season was already on life support since the turn of the calendar year, and Jack Hughes’ injury seemingly spelled the end. Add in a questionable trade deadline by Tom Fitzgerald (or Soft Tom as John is now referring to him) and an awful loss to Winnipeg, and it seemed it was time to throw in the towel.
Yet the Devils would turn the next two games in their favor. A 3-1 win over the fading Second Rate Rivals was followed up with a more impressive 5-3 win over the surging Columbus Blue Jackets. Most of the players who have been called out by fans and pundits alike put up at least one point. New Devil Cody Glass came out looking like one of the pieces the team need to solidify the Bottom Six all along. Most importantly, the Devils have themselves a slight bit of breathing room in the standings.
I’m not going to say that either victory was perfect, or even convincing. There were some solid performances, but also present were some of the mistakes that have been present most of the season. Yet in spite of those mistakes, and in spite of Jacob Markstrom still not looking like pre-injury Jacob Markstrom, the Devils found ways to win. That has not been the trend this season and was a refreshing difference to watch.
If the Devils can continue to find ways to do this, especially against the many non-playoff and bubble teams left in their schedule, then they should be in. There’s still some hiccups along the way (such as tonight’s game against Edmonton) but every NHL team has scheduled with opponents of varying difficulty. The Devils are just fortunate that their schedule in terms of opponents’ records is mostly getting easier. And this is why the team still could qualify for the postseason even without Jack.
The flaws of the 2024-25 Devils are apparent 66 games in. A team that already struggles to score losing its most dynamic forward is a recipe for failure. Yet somehow in the past pair of games, despite no Hughes and supplemental scoring not really being addressed at the deadline, the Devils, as I said before, have won. They’ve maintained their spot as third in the Metro. They increased their point buffer over the teams trailing them. They did the things that good teams, playoff teams are supposed to do.
Quite honestly, even without Jack, this team needs to be a playoff team. Regardless of how they perform in the playoffs, this group needs to get back there to show the fans and themselves that this core is moving things in the right direction. Yes, the supporting cast needs adjusting, but a few more playoff games for Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, Luke Hughes and anyone else you’d like to include as part of the core would be good experience. Making the playoffs can help grow that hunger for more success in the future. And who knows, maybe this group has it in them to make a run. Once you’re in the playoffs, anything can happen.
Now maybe this isn’t the outcome you want if you’re not a fan of current management. I can understand that perspective, especially after last Friday. However, I also believe that making the playoffs is better for the team than missing out. So the desire to get playoff experience outweighs the desire of (another) front office turnover in my eyes.
The New Jersey Devils are still alive in the chase for the playoffs, even without Jack Hughes. Now they need to go out and secure their spot, for Jack, for the fans and for the future success of this franchise.
What are your thoughts on the Devils chances to make the playoffs? Do you still see the loss of Jack as too much to overcome? Do you think the team will make it? Would making the playoffs help to bolster this Devils team’s confidence in future seasons? Leave any and all comments below and thanks as always for reading!