The title of this article is overly optimistic, really. The New Jersey Devils' playoff chances are just about broken, and the air of defeat has been circulating around this team for a while now—the past 10 games to be exact. Since Ilya Kovalchuk went down with a shoulder injury in a March 23 game against the Florida Panthers, New Jersey has gone 0-6-4.
The most recent loss came last night in a second straight 2-0 shutout, this time by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Devils have scored more than one goal just once in the past seven contests.
What's unique about this ugly streak is the manner in which the Devils are losing. Obviously, they cannot score goals. However, during these 10 games, New Jersey has been outshot just once. On Monday night, the Devils outshot the Maple Leafs 31 to 12. On Friday night, New Jersey outshot the Senators 33-11, yet they lost 2-0.
This indicates a bit of bad luck is at play. And that's often how hockey works. Inside the Devils' locker room, the cliche "We just aren't getting the bounces" has probably been thrown around very loosely in the past three weeks.
But luck cannot be blamed ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Terence McGinley
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