G69 New Jersey Devils vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: Do or die

The Devils desperately need a win over the Penguins to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

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A few notes to get you set for New Jersey vs. Pittsburgh:

Do or die

Making the playoffs is a long shot for the Devils even if they win this game. If they don’t, though, it feels like their chances will go from slim to none.

They’d pass the Penguins in the standings with a win, jumping over one of the five teams they’d need to hurdle to get in.

Depending on results elsewhere, they could be as little as five back of a Wild Card and six back of the Flyers for a divisional spot (with another head-to-head clash still looming) by the end of the night. Still a tough position to be in but they’d have some life.

If the Devils aren’t able to get a win, and don’t get any help, they could be as much as eight back of WC2 and 10 back of the Flyers for the 3rd in the Metro.

Given they’d also need to pass five teams, it feels like that would be a death sentence for their slim hopes.

Suffice to say, this game is as important as it gets. The Devils have no margin for error and can’t continue to showcase the many flaws we’ve seen all season long.

They need to start on time, they need to manage the puck, and they need to get something out of their power play.

If those things happen, they’ll have a fighting chance in this game. We’ll see if the team can answer the bell and put forth a much more stable performance than the one we saw in Vegas.

Ride the wave