To be honest, I wanted no part of a first round matchup with a Bruins team that's spent the last few seasons making the doldrum-dwelling Devils look stupid even before all their picks panned out and made them look smart. Despite the latter going winless, the two teams actually played some pretty compelling games this season, but there was nothing enticing about going against a deep team whose special teams are semantically accurate that is led by the most dangerous two-way line in hockey for two whole weeks. In that sense, I temporarily got what I wished for, even if a seven game series against a team with five 20-goal scorers, the Norris Trophy front runner, and a Vezina Trophy candidate is the least careful thing that has ever been granted. The truth is, Florida didn't just help New Jersey avoid Boston with a victory last night. They also proved that each and every point that the Devils picked up in their heart-wrenching quest to secure a playoff spot was absolutely necessary. Obviously they wouldn't have handicapped themselves in Game 82 if Game 81 didn't reach such a celebratory conclusion, but the New Jersey Devils narrowly evaded their nightmare scenario as opposed to their nightmare scenario narrowly evading the New Jersey Devils. That can't be understated as the 'must-win' games against highly skilled competition somehow become more frequent going forward. Their reward for playing their best hockey at the most important part of the season is a series against one of the most dangerous teams in the sport, but their decision to put forth a half-hearted effort against the Capitals serves as proof that, in the battle of the New Jersey Devils Vs. Everybody, 'everybody' is actually nobody in particular. What the Devils lack in top-end depth, they make up for in desire and determination. Those are traits that play well against anyone, and apparently anyone was exactly who they were hoping to play. For those of us that are overly concerned about match-ups, however, one that should have a young, energized group confidently going up against a team they beat all three times they played them is certainly preferable. There are no shootouts in the postseason and they'll need a hell of a lot more than 48 saves if, for some odd reason, they end up thrusting Eddie Lack into action. However, the one benefit of an inexperienced team entering their first postseason is that they only know what they learned during the regular season, which happens to be that they can beat the Tampa Bay Lightning. Whether or not they will is a much different story, but whatever intimidation factor a conference leader might typically possess over an "8 seed" has been minimized by a season series in which the roles were reversed. And, from a hockey perspective, why wouldn't the Devils be confident? Not only are they riding a 10-3-1 finish despite the most unforgiving of schedules, but they are now riding a Top 9 that appears to be solidified for the first time all season. A loss to the Capitals that was meaningless in theory, was encouraging in the continued execution of a line that features the oddest of combinations of speed, skill, and size. Add Wood-Zacha-Maroon to the relentless, two-way efforts of Coleman-Zajac-Noesen, and Hall is given his best chance to make his long-overdue playoff debut a successful one playing alongside Nico and Palmieri. Whether or not Marcus Johansson will return to join Grabner, Gibbons, and Bratt as potential flanks to Brian Boyle is still very much up in the air, but the Devils actually look as though they've achieved some semblance of offensive continuity in preparation for a team that, if nothing else, is certainly willing to trade chances. Defensively, things are still very much an adventure as the Devils have been disproportionally led through the dark by Sami Vatanen while Keith Kinkaid has acted as the most thoroughly overused of insurance policies, but it's not like they aren't familiar with focusing their efforts into bending without breaking. The 'avoid-the-disaster' defensive philosophy is probably what's had their second most skilled blue-liner sitting in a suite with the season in jeopardy. So while they are at high risk against a Lightning team whose leading scorer can create highlights without even touching the damn puck, they know a thing or two about remaining safe instead of ending up sorry. Hopefully the player who was deemed the badder apple of the rotten second pairing that was John Moore and Damon Severson summons his Dr. Jekyll so he doesn't have to Hyde in the shadows of the stadium, but his prolonged absence from the lineup is proof that lazy turnovers and lackluster in-zone coverage won't be tolerated. Full disclosure? Other than a hell of a lot of effort, I have no idea what to expect from the Devils as they enter what's unchartered territory for the majority of their roster. After all, the playoffs are a whole different beast. Seeing as they've proven successful at playing an urgent brand of hockey over the last month, I think I envision a Stanley Cup contender being made uncomfortable by a fast team with nothing to lose. Worst comes to worst, they get struck by the Lightning, but they've earned every bit of this opportunity and it will be interesting to see what they are able to do with it. The tough is about to get going, but - for the Devils - the going has long been tough. So, bring on the Bolts, because - against all odds - whatever seed of doubt might exist isn't planted in the minds of the team whose postseason hopes were still very much hypothetical as of a week ago.
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