Even though the Devils’ playoff chances are finished for 2013, we can still look back at some great moments in New Jersey’s playoff history.
On April 28…
2001- After losing game one, the Devils blow a 5-1 third-period lead in game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Toronto Maple Leafs. But Randy McKay’s goal at 5:30 of the first overtime lifts New Jersey to a 6-5 win over the Leafs, evening their best-of-seven series at 1.
For those who don’t remember:
2003- New Jersey falls behind against the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-0 after one period but rallies to tie the game at three with three second-period goals.
But Dave Andreychuk’s third-period goal lifts the Lightning to a 4-3 win, cutting New Jersey’s series lead to 2-1. Game 3 is more memorable because Devils defenseman Scott Stevens was injured after being hit in the head by a Pavel Kubina slap shot. Stevens left the game but returned in game 4.
2007- Jamie Langenbrunner’s goal at 1:55 of the second overtime lifts New Jersey to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators, evening the series at 1.
That win was the Devils’ final victory at the Continental Airlines Arena.
2009- Despite clinging to a one-goal lead late in the third, New Jersey surrenders two goals in the final 1:20– just 48 seconds apart– as the Carolina Hurricanes claimed game 7 4-3, claiming the best-of-seven series by the same margin.
No clips necessary. I’m sure we all remember that one.
Even though the Devils’ playoff chances are finished for 2013, we can still look back at some great moments in New Jersey’s playoff history.
On April 24…
2003- Martin Brodeur records a playoff shutout, and Jamie Langenbrunner registers a goal and an assist in New Jersey’s win over the Tampa Bay Lighting in game one of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
New Jersey went on to beat Tampa Bay in six games en route to its third Stanley Cup.
2006- John Madden records a hat trick in game two of the Devils’ Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the New York Rangers– a game the Devils won 4-1.
That game also offered this incredible two-minute stretch that those in attendance won’t soon forget.
The Devils went on to sweep the Rangers but fall to the eventual-Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes in the next round.
2012- Travis Zajac’s goal 5:39 into the first-overtime period lifts the Devils to a season-saving 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers in game six of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
New Jersey went on to win game seven in double overtime and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals before falling to the Los Angeles Kings.
Unfortunately for them and their fans, that’s the only help they got.
New Jersey remains six back of eighth place now with only five games remaining. The Devils’ 3-0 win in Philadelphia kept them alive in the playoff hunt with five games left but did them no other good.
The New York Rangers pummeled Florida, 6-1. The Winnipeg Jets blew a two-goal third-period lead, beating the Carolina Hurricanes.
Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders each stayed hot, winning their games.
The Devils are in a catch-22 tonight too. New Jersey simply must root for the Buffalo Sabres, who will host the Rangers tonight.
New Jersey roots for Buffalo tonight, because a Sabres win will keep the Devils six points behind the No. 8 seed with five games left. New Jersey will have one game in hand on the Rangers with two head-to-head meetings next week.
Meanwhile, the Devils would have two games in hand on Buffalo. Assuming New Jersey wins those two– no small assumption, but the Devils need to win out anyway– it would leap frog the Sabres.
Based on what is happening in Boston, it is unknown whether the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins will meet tonight. However, they’re scheduled to go at 7. A Pittsburgh win would seal it the East’s top seed.
The Bruins and Penguins have been postponed due to the manhunt in Boston. That game’s been rescheduled for Tuesday.
Here’s the full slate of Eastern Conference games for tonight:
The full story behind New Jersey’s 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers– a victory that snaps the Devils’ 10-game losing streak (NorthJersey.com) (NJ.com) (AP) (NHL.com)
Rich Chere discusses how New Jersey endured physical punishment in virtually ending Philadelphia’s playoff hopes (NJ.com)
Tom Gulitti explores Peter Harrold’s key play that led to New Jersey’s first goal on Thursday (Fire & Ice)
The Toronto Maple Leafs, who seemingly doomed the Devils’ playoff hopes just three days ago, have renewed life into New Jersey’s postseason chances.
The Leafs’ 4-3 regulation win over the Rangers at Air Canada Centre kept New Jersey within two points of both seventh and eighth in the East with only 18 regular-season days remaining.
With New Jersey idle again tonight, the team and fans can root for the Flyers and Lightning. Philadelphia, still clinging to faint-playoff life, will be on Long Island for a date with the Isles. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, will try to deal the reeling Senators their fifth-straight loss.
Washington, not pictured, leads Winnipeg by only two points for the Southeast Division lead. Both are in action tonight, with the Capitals in Montreal. The Jets will host the Sabres tonight at 8 p.m. in a key affair for both teams.
A Montreal win, coupled with a Pittsburgh loss in Carolina, will leave Les Habitantes just one point back of the Pens for the East’s No. 1 seed.
Here are tonight’s Eastern Conference games. All times are p.m. and eastern:
Five of the six teams pictured play– two of which, Philadelphia and Winnipeg, will meet head-to-head. The Rangers’ shootout loss on Friday in Pittsburgh gained them a point, jumping them ahead of the Islanders and Devils and into the No. 7 spot.
The Devils, with a win tonight over Toronto and an Islanders loss, will return inside the East’s top eight.
Meanwhile, the Jets host the Flyers in a huge interdivisional game at 3 p.m. Winnipeg, with a win and a Washington loss, can retake first place in the Southeast Division. With a loss, the Jets will be all but out of playoff contention, considering they have played more games, 40, than any other team in the East.
Meanwhile, the Flyers can creep within one point of the playoffs– and drop the Devils into the Atlantic Division basement– with a win and a New Jersey loss.
The Capitals, not pictured but presently in third overall, will keep the Southeast lead– and home-ice advantage that comes with it– with a win in Sunrise over the Panthers or a Winnipeg loss.
The Rangers, playing for the second straight night, are in Carolina to meet the fading Hurricanes. The Islanders, meanwhile, will host the Lightning tonight. Both Carolina and Tampa Bay, not pictured, can move within four points of the playoffs with wins.
Meanwhile, at the East’s top, Boston can retake first in the Northeast Division with a win in Montreal tonight.
Here’s the full slate for Saturday of East games with playoff implications. All times are p.m. and eastern time.
It’s not hyperbole to call Thursday the NHL’s biggest day to date.
The trade deadline is behind us, and with only 11-13 games left, there are seven teams within five points of the East’s Nos. 7 and 8 seeds.
When you consider that five of those seven are in action tonight– plus the Southeast Division-leading Jets– it makes for a huge night on the ice.
The Rangers’ dominant 6-1 win over Pittsburgh on Wednesday created a three-way tie for seventh and eighth. The Devils and/or Islanders can break that tie, and bounce out the Rangers, with wins tonight. The Devils are in Boston, the Isles are in Washington to take on the Capitals.
Ah yes, the Caps. They can move into a tie for first in the Southeast with a win and a Winnipeg loss. Or with a regulation win and a Devils loss, Washington can creep to within a point of eighth.
The Flyers, fresh off their come-from-behind win over Montreal on Wednesday, will meet the Maple Leafs in Toronto. Philadelphia, with a win, a Devils loss and Islanders loss, can move to within two points of eighth. But the Flyers are in a catch-22 with Washington and New York meeting tonight.
The fading Hurricanes need a win tonight, at home against Tampa Bay, to stay within striking distance. The Lightning, not pictured, also need a win to remain semi-close.
Thanks to tiebreakers, the Devils are still in the No. 7 spot, but the Islanders and Rangers are catching up fast.
The Caps, keyed by Alexander Ovechkin’s three-point game, crept to within three points of the eighth spot, and are only two points back of No. 3 Winnipeg for the Southeast Division lead.
Carolina still has one game in hand on the Caps — two on the Jets — and are only four points behind Winnipeg.
Another huge night comes tonight, starting with the Rangers and Penguins. New York, with a win, would create a three-way tie for eighth.
The Penguins, who had their 15-game win streak snapped Tuesday, will inch closer to the postseason with a win.
The Flyers, not pictured but six points back of New Jersey and the Isles, will host Montreal in a game they need. Philadelphia has two games in hand on the eighth-placed Islanders.
The Canadiens, with a win and Pittsburgh loss, will move to within three points of the Pens for No. 1 in the East.
I’m not sure about you all, but I’m starting to get the vibe that the Devils are trying to keep things interesting.
New Jersey dropped its fourth straight Monday night, 3-1, to the ninth-placed Islanders. Meanwhile, across the river, the Rangers polished off the Jets 4-2.
Both results moved the New York squads within two points of seventh place. New Jersey, which hasn’t been outside the top-eight all season, could be by the week’s end.
The Hurricanes, who fell in Montreal on Monday, are three points back and tied with Washington. The Philadelphia Flyers are four points behind the Isles and Rangers.
The Devils have suddenly played more games than everyone in this cluster except the Islanders. They’ll be scoreboard watching tonight as the Islanders will host the Jets in a game that could drop New Jersey into eighth.
Meanwhile, the Caps and Hurricanes will meet Tuesday. The winner, coupled with a Jets loss, will move within two points of first place in the Southeast Division.
The Canes have three games in hand on Winnipeg, and Washington has played two fewer than the Jets.
At the East’s top half, Ottawa can creep to within two points of Boston if the Senators can knock off the B’s tonight in Boston.
Here are the rest of the games with playoff implications in the East:
You might be asking why we removed the top six from today’s equation.
The Devils are just sitting there in seventh place. They’re five points behind the tied-Ontario teams for fifth place; they’re four points better than the two deadlocked-New York squads.
And New Jersey kind of seems content to sit there.
The Devils blew two opportunities to get extra points on Friday and Saturday in Florida. With those two points, the Devs would only be three points out of fifth and would’ve put the muddled mess at the bottom deep into their rear-view mirror.
Instead, they gagged leads late and lost in overtime.
If the Devils can beat the ninth-placed Isles Monday, they’ll put themselves in a better position. New Jersey would lead the Islanders by six points with only 12 games to play.
A loss, especially in regulation, and the Isles are sitting there just two points back.
The Rangers are in the mix too, hosting Winnipeg Monday at 7 p.m. New York has not yet beaten the Jets this year but can creep closer to the Devils.
The Rangers DEFINITELY want the Devils and Isles to stay out of overtime tonight and would probably prefer the Devils to win and keep the Isles at bay.
The Hurricanes, just two points behind the Rangers and Islanders, trek to Montreal tonight and will hope for help from the Devils and Jets. Carolina’s played the fewest games of any Eastern Conference team, meaning it’ll have a chance to make up ground in the coming weeks.
Philadelphia, fresh off a 5-4 overtime win over Washington on Sunday, is rooting for Winnipeg, Montreal and New Jersey tonight. The Flyers are also only two points back but have played one more game than the Rangers.
Here are the Eastern Conference games of note for April 1:
