G76 New Jersey Devils @ Vegas Golden Knights: Playing spoiler

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A few notes to get you set for tonight’s game between the New Jersey Devils and the Vegas Golden Knights:

The Devils’ Stanley Cup

This is the last hurrah for the the New Jersey Devils. While they’ll still have a handful of games on their schedule remaining after tonight, this is the last one that really has meaning.

It’s not that it carries big implications for the Devils; but it sure matters to their opponents. The Golden Knights are on the outside of the playoff picture looking in and they need absolutely every point they can get down the stretch.

That can’t be said of any of the Devils’ other opponents. The Carolina Hurricanes are near the top of the league while Detroit, Ottawa, and Buffalo are non-playoff teams that are realistically out of the mix for top pick.

Vegas is the one opponent that is playing for something big. Coming off a shutout loss in Edmonton, you can bet they’ll be extra motivated to get a result against one of the NHL’s bottom feeders.

With that comes an opportunity for the Devils. They have a real shot at playing spoiler. It’s not a stretch to say it’s within their power to dramatically alter the playoff race out West.

Vegas enters today’s games with a 45% chance of making the playoffs, according to Young Dom. It is essentially a coin flip whether they get in or not.

That won’t be the case if the Devils can get a win.

Vegas probably needs nine points over the final six games to make the playoffs. That’s a 4-1-1 record. If the Devils were to prevail – especially in regulation – they would be taking away any room for error the Golden Knights have in their back pocket.

The Devils have talked about wanting their young guys to play meaningful games. This is not what they had in mind, to be sure, but it definitely holds meaning to Vegas.

This is a good opportunity for the Devils’ young guys to step up and show what they can do in an important contest. I imagine Lindy Ruff and co. will be using that as a selling point to make sure they’re ready to go.

The Devils don’t want to be looked at as a free pass for any team playing for something. Now’s their last chance to try and show they are not.