Home for Winnipeg. At Nashville. At Las Vegas. At Los Angeles. At Anaheim. At San Jose. At Pittsburgh. Home for Tampa Bay. Not only did the Devils survive that absolute gauntlet of a late season schedule, but they somehow connected on more punches than they took in keeping their feet in a playoff spot that was in peril before they hit the road for a six-game stretch that's as intimidating as any you could realistically draw up while looking at the NHL standings. It wasn't without it's bumps and bruises. They definitely got knocked down, but - by rebounding to take two of top teams in Eastern Conference to task on consecutive nights - they got up again in a way that makes Chumbawamba look like nothing more than a bunch of binge drinking Brits that can't handle the occasional mixing of liquors. 5-3 overall. 4-2 in some of the most difficult buildings the league has to offer. 2-0 in a back-to-back against stellar in-conference teams that both owed them a beating. Considering that run of play, there's no reason for anyone even mildly invested in the success of the New Jersey Devils should be experiencing anything other than this type of loving feeling...
So why has my sphincter remained tighter than a fully refrigerated pickle jar all day, you ask? Why does a team that will be on the ass end of a back-to-back on the road with a depleted lineup, subpar goaltending, no practical motivation, and a recent string of luck that can be best summed up in the following GIF have me worried for the Devils' playoff lives?
Because playing up and down to their competition is what the Devils have done all year. It doesn't matter that Keith Kinkaid is currently as hot as a pistol, or that a bunch of the kids (mainly Nico, Coleman, and Butcher) have traversed whatever rookie wall they might have hit at the most opportune of time, or that Sami Vatanen has proved as studly as the man he was traded for, or that the only bottle Taylor Hall is consistently hitting is the one that resides atop the opposing goaltender's net, or that the lineup is getting healthy and mighty close to taking shape for the first time all season. If the Devils don't come out trying to jam a pillow over the mouth of a team that's looking to be put to sleep then they are begging to have the Goodwill they've collected the last two weeks bagged up and tossed in the dumpster. I don't think anyone expects New Jersey to rattle off seven more wins to end the season, but - theoretically - they shouldn't come any easier than this one. They'll still need some help, but if they don't help themselves - when the standings provide no excuse for a letdown - then they might not even deserve it. They've put themselves in a tenuous playoff position by losing games just like this one, but if there's ever a time to help Dallas and Edmonton help you then it's tonight.
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