The Devils are sixth in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 17-13-2.
The Devils are sixth in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 17-13-2.
"When you have expectations, You are setting yourself up for disappointment."
The New Jersey Devils entered their holiday break on a high note when they beat the Detroit Red Wings and earned their 17th win of the 2023-24 season. Their victory ended a three-game skid and was as close to a "must-win" game as a team could get at this point in the season.
"It was our last game before having a few days off; we wanted to get the two big points," Toffoli said after the Detroit game.
Most Devils fans would say the first 32 games of the season have been a colossal disappointment. That disappointment stems from the expectation that the club would be near the top of the standings and a Stanley Cup contender after last season.
The truth is that the team has been mediocre. It's been a season sprinkled with moments of outstanding play that have been outshined by struggling goaltending and defensive lapses.
Even with their struggles, the Devils are in a decent spot. Is it ideal? Of course not. Could it be worse? Absolutely. Before the holiday break, Ondrej Palat spoke about his team's current situation.
"We are right there in the hunt," Palat said. "We are fine. It is not like we are in last place in the league. Fans are booing, but we are right there. I know it's frustrating. We want to play better, and we will."
With the team playing their next game Wednesday night at Prudential Center, let's look at three areas they must improve to stay in the playoff hunt and climb up the standings.
Finding Consistency in Their Game
Consistency is something every NHL team struggles with at one time or another. For the Devils, it has been their Achilles' heel dating back to last season.
When it comes to consistency, it is playing a full 60 minutes and building off of that to put forth a consistent effort over multiple games.
Three times this season, New Jersey has put together a three-game winning streak (Oct. 27 - Nov 2, Nov. 25 - 30, and Dec. 5 - 9). Most of their schedule consists of a win, then a loss or two, and then another win. More often than not, the Devils have been unable to build off their victories thus far.
"I think we're playing really good, and then (there are) times we pass up points that you don't want to lose in certain games," Dawson Mercer said.
A Better Home Record
The Devils played four home games before the break and earned a record of 1-2-1. Overall, their record at Prudential Center is 7-8-2. Their struggles at home also go back to last season.
When I spoke with Mercer and asked him where his team needs to improve, he mentioned their play in front of their home fans.
"Be a better team at home," he said. "I think we've always been really good on the road, so, you know, working on that."
The Devils will play 23 more games at Prudential Center before the conclusion of the regular season. Those are valuable points that will be up for grabs, and the club can't depend on road wins alone to secure a postseason appearance.
A Stronger Defensive Effort
Is the club's biggest problem the goaltending or the defense? That has been a debate fans have been having on social media for weeks, if not months.
Could the Devils use an upgrade in net? Yes. Analytics will tell one that Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid have struggled, but the defense in front of them has not done them any favors.
As players will tell you, defensive play extends beyond the blueliners. It's a commitment by all five skaters in front of their goaltender. According to Statmuse, New Jersey has blocked 383 shots this season, one of the league's lowest. By comparison, the Columbus Blue Jackets have blocked 661 shots in front of their netminders.
Multiple times this season, goals were scored within feet of the Devils goaltender. The opposing player was unchallenged with no defenseman in sight. It is hard to put 100 percent of the blame on the netminder when they are being left out to dry, and Ruff has alluded to that this season.
"Did you see the number of times they skated right through us? Is that our goalie's fault?" Ruff said after his team's loss to the Washington Capitals in October. "There are five guys in front of our goaltender."
"We made an unbelievable effort to play good defensive hockey last year," he continued." If we're going to play like this, we're going to make it extremely tough on ourselves."
Trading for a goaltender like John Gibson could mask some of the team's defensive lapses, but it will not solve their overall issue. Last season, fans and media saw some of the top goaltenders in the league, including Igor Shesterkin and Andrei Vasilevskiy, not be enough to propel their team into the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Making a conscientious effort to play a strong defensive game will take some of the pressure off Vanecek and Schmid and give general manager Tom Fitzgerald time to find an upgrade if he feels that it is needed.
Expectations have led to disappointment among Devils fans, but as Palat said, the team is still in the hunt. The reality is it does not matter where a team finishes as long as they make the playoffs, even if it's a wild card spot; ask the Florida Panthers.
New Jersey will host the Columbus Blue Jackets Wednesday night at Prudential Center before wrapping up the 2023 calendar year on the road with games versus the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins.