Devils gearing up for the playoffs
It’s hard to believe that the 2022-23 NHL regular season is in it’s waning days. Soon. Stanley Cup playoff fever will begin its crescendo and guess what – the New Jersey Devils are in the thick and thin of the playoff mix.
How will the Devils finish up this year?
With a 47-20-8 record and 102 points, the New Jersey Devils sit comfortably in second place in the Metro Division, three points ahead of the New York Rangers and only one point off the mark of the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes. With that being said, the Devils are already making playoff plans and it’s only a matter of which opponent the Devils can look forward to in the first round. With all three leading -Metro Division teams clinching playoff berths at this point, the million-dollar question that Devils’ fans and pundits alike are asking is who will the Devils face in the first round?
Are you ready for the Devils and Rangers to square off in the first round?
The distinct possibility of the New York Rangers squaring off against the New Jersey Devils in the first first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is almost a hockey fan’s dream matchup. Two teams are local rivals and play very different styles of hockey may well have to face each other early on to have a shot at the Stanley Cup finals.
This week’s marquee matchup between the Devils and the Blueshirts gave us a taste of what’s probably to come in the next few weeks as these teams more than likely will face each other early on in the poststeason. Accoring to the Sporting News, the Metro 2nd and Metro 3rd place teams will meet each other in the NHL playoff bracket in the first round. Who’s the 2nd and 3rd place teams in the Metro Division, you may ask? None other than the Devils and the Rangers. New York metropolitan area hockey fans should be in for a real treat because more than likely the New York Islanders, baring a suddent total collapse, will pick up an Eastern Conference wild card spot as well.
A clash of playing styles between the Devils and Rangers.
Despite losing six out of their last eight games including a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of the Islanders, the Devils got back on track with a key 2-1 win over the Rangers this week. Rangers’ netminder Igor Shesterkin provided plenty of key saves (29 of them) but the Devils outshot the Rangers 31-25 overall and these two teams’ playing styles could not be more different.
For the Devils, speed and puck possession were keys to this win and will no doubt play a part in their playoff plans against the rival Blueshirts. For the Rangers, this game was about grinding out for every piece of ice and physicality. Guess which style won?
The Devils had Dougie Hamilton firing off five shots of goal (SOG) and Jack Hughes provided textbook puck possession. Timo Meier, picked up from the San Jose Sharks before the trade deadline, proved again why he was picked up by the Devils and provided the game-winning goal. The Devils finished up 3-0-1 against the Rangers this season – maybe foreshadowing a taste of the playoffs about to unfold in just a few weeks?
NEWARK, NJ – MARCH 06: Dougie Hamilton #7 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates to the crowd after he scores the game winning goal in overtime on March 6, 2022 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Getty Images)
Discover more from New York Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categorized:Devils