The New Jersey Devils dropped their fifth straight game on Saturday night, falling 4-1 to the Boston Bruins.
The defeat underscores the team’s current struggles—especially on offense.
Transitioning from the on-ice struggles, attention turned to the Devils’ mindset.
Following the game, Brenden Dillon spoke with NJD.tv about the atmosphere inside the locker room.
“It’s a crappy feeling, and there’s no one who wants to get out of this more than us,” Dillon said. “We want to win so bad, and if we play like that most nights, we’re going to get the bounces going our way."
Despite Dillon's disappointment, it's important to note what the team has accomplished in just 29 games.
In the wake of Saturday’s loss, Connor Brown also addressed the team’s mentality moving forward in his conversation with NJD.tv.
"It’s important for us to understand the longevity of the season and not get too low, and really build off a performance like that because I think that was our best game in the last bit, for sure,” Brown said.
Brown makes a strong point: there is still plenty of hockey left.
While five straight losses aren’t ideal, there is still more than half of the season left, and there are promising signs to build upon.
1. The season is far from over
Looking ahead, the Devils are just over a third of the way through the season, with 53 games remaining—not including the postseason.
In any 82-game season, most teams hit a rough patch. From this perspective, if a slump is inevitable, it’s better to face it now than later, when playoff positioning is on the line.
Despite their offensive struggles, the Devils’ 16-12-1 record puts them within reach of a playoff spot.
2. Metropolitan Division is wide open
The Devils are struggling, but the Metropolitan Division remains open. The gap between the top and bottom seeds is seven points, with two teams tied at 33 points, and two teams tied at 34 points.
The Devils' scoring drought has dropped them in the standings—from a top-three team in the league to 17th place—but they remain in the race, underscoring how competitive the division remains.
3. The end of the scoring drought
After 146 minutes and 48 seconds without a goal, the Devils finally got on the board Saturday night. Timo Meier ended the dry spell, scoring the game-tying goal late in the first period against the Bruins.
Not only did he break the streak, but Meier also became the lead scorer for the Devils this season, notching his 11th goal in 29 games.
4. The Devils have shown that they have what it takes to win
The team started the season red hot, sitting second in the league with a 10-4-0 record exactly one month ago. That early success shows they know how to win; now, the challenge is to rediscover that form and build momentum.
Although the Devils have battled injuries, the talent remains. The challenge is jump-starting the offense without several key players.
5. They aren't playing bad hockey
While the results haven’t gone their way, the Devils haven’t played bad hockey overall. They’re struggling to finish plays, but they’ve often controlled the action—opponents are simply capitalizing on mistakes.
This distinction is crucial when evaluating the team’s outlook moving forward.
One example is the shots from Saturday. New Jersey outshot Boston 20-9 through two periods, allowing just nine shots in the first 40 minutes.
Following the game, head coach Sheldon Keefe spoke with NJD.tv about his team's performance.
“I thought we controlled play, the shot clock was indicative of that,” Keefe said. “Obviously, we made some mistakes on some breakout turnovers; they got back with a quick-strike offense. They got the goals that they needed, so that ultimately ends up being the difference."
Mistakes have cost the Devils in recent games. Fortunately, mistakes are fixable—and it’s far from the end of the season.
The Devils can turn things around. Positives are encouraging, but only wins will matter in the end.
The team has the pieces; now it’s about making them all fit.
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