Better To Be Lucky Than Good

It's their fault, there is no other way to spin it. It's a testament to this team and this team only that Devils fans were on the edge of their seat, overlooking the steepest of cliffs, at the thought of being one period away from dropping both games of a home-and-home series with the Hurricanes. This team has instilled in us the most unlikely of playoff hopes, and consecutive losses to Carolina, no matter how well they have been playing, would have put a significant dent in those hopes with the schedule they have on the horizon in the new year.

This goal gives @KylePalmieri 3g-1a in the last three games. He's on □□□! #CARvsNJD pic.twitter.com/p6FdtmrIY6

— New Jersey Devils (@NHLDevils) December 30, 2015

Well, crisis averted. The Devils managed to muster a come from behind win in a game they absolutely needed. It wasn't always pretty. Hell, let's be honest, if couldn't have been more ugly. However, the box score doesn't lie. A win is a win, no matter how many lucky bounces it takes to get it. Who cares if it took a bad angled Bobby Farnham backhander to get us on the board? Who cares that it took Kyle Palmieri making an undeniably intentional redirect off his skate look like enough of an accident to tie it up? Who cares that it took David Schlemko completely botching a pass before throwing a harmless shot off a Hurricanes defender to finally take the lead in a game that neither team deserved to win? I am certainly not ready to apologize for it. Not with how many agonizing defeats I have watched over the last two years. It's about damn time the Devils, and their fans, were the beneficiary of some serendipity. Make no mistake, this team has to play better hockey if they want us to keep believing, but this win, no matter how laughably unsightly it was, lengthened their leash just a little bit. That's something that has become a habit with this team, and I can definitely think of worse routines to fall into. Just ask Peter Deboer.

P.S. It's equal parts hilarious and ridiculous that a career AHLer, that has been in and out of lineup, has his OWN FUCKING GOAL SONG! However, it's also hilarious and ridiculous that Bobby Farnham has actually earned his spot on this team. 'Wild Thing' might not be the smoothest player on the ice, and he may not be the most sound defensively, but he gives it his all on every shift, and somehow his all has actually been beneficial to this team. He's a lunatic, but he's lunatic that hasn't met a breakout he couldn't disrupt. It has a lot to do with the Devils lack of depth, but Bobby Farnham deserves a spot in this lineup, if for no other reason than his uncanny ability make my heart sing...

1-1! #WildThing returns to the lineup and scores a filthy goal! #CARvsNJD https://t.co/PbTyR86QTv

— New Jersey Devils (@NHLDevils) December 30, 2015