New Jersey Devils Back In The Stanley Cup Playoffs

The New Jersey Devils are going back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

New Jersey got help from their Hudson River Rivals the New York Rangers, who beat the Florida Panthers by a score of 4-3. But the Devils did not want to back into the playoffs. They made sure to do it the right way by defeating the Ottawa Senators by a score of 5-3 to get 100 points on the season.

It has been a long road for this organization to get back to the playoffs. New Jersey last made the Stanley Cup Playoffs back in the 2017-18 season. There the Devils lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in the first round of the playoffs.

Prior to that the Devils made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2012. That year the Devils went a remarkable run to their fifth Stanley Cup Final. Unfortunately, the Devils could not complete the story as they lost to the Los Angeles Kings in six games.

🚨🚨Night Cap Recap: Devils Back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs 🚨🚨#njdevils #nhl #StanleyCup @FullPressNHL @FP_Coverage @DevilsState @RyanMPaton @thenvpshow @ChrisWasselDFS @Wakes3019 @WestCoastNJDFan @lettalksport @SportsBuffoons @bodkins_nick pic.twitter.com/1Qu2GMlY2b

— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) March 26, 2023

Between the 2012 and 2018 Stanley Cup Playoff appearances and the 2018 and now 2023 Stanley Cup Playoff appearances, there was a lot of work to be done to get back to this position. Many thought once the Devils made the playoffs in 2018 they would be a maintain. However, from that point went downhill for the Devils. It took general manager Tom Fitzgerald several seasons to get back to this point.

The goal now for the New Jersey Devils is to remain a constant playoff team. Nobody expected the Devils to be second in the division challenging the Carolina Hurricanes for the top spot. This team is having one of the best seasons in franchise history. Most expected the Devils to be better. They could not get any worse. But most expected them to challenge for a playoff spot as a wild card team. Now some experts think this Devils team can make a deep run.

Tom Fitzgerald has acquired pieces through various to gain playoff experience. This past season alone he brought in John Marino, Erik Haula, and Ondrej Palat. Not to mention trading for Timo Meier at the deadline. Prior to that the Devils signed Dougie Hamilton, who also has a ton of playoff experience. Outside of that, there is not much on the team.

Four players remain from the 2018 team that went to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They include captain Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Damon Severson and Miles Wood. Those players really only got a small taste of playoff action. Remember, Bratt and Hischier were rookies that season and have developed so much in that time. Not to mention, the Devils drafted Jack Hughes, who has turned into an elite player in the NHL. Along with the emergence of Dawson Mercer.

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There were a lot of lean years between 2018 and now, but the Devils have done things the right way by getting back to drafting and developing. As Fitzgerald put it, the core of this team is growing together. Each year was progress through pain. Now, the Devils have embraced a different mindset. A mindset of winning and not accepting failure anymore.

This New Jersey Devils was tired of losing. With each win this season they were changing the culture. They had to or else it was going to be another season of missed opportunities. The future was very bright for this team. And as Tom Fitzgerald put it, this team is a year ahead of schedule.

The Devils will be playing with house money once the playoffs begin. If they play the New York Rangers, all the pressure will be on the Rangers to get back to the Eastern Conference, especially with all the moves they made in the offseason.

But the Devils position is not set in stone as they still have work to do and things to clean up before the playoffs start. New Jersey can still win the division, but the Hurricanes have games in hand.

A true championship mindset will not allow the Devils to be satisfied with making the playoffs. They are going to want to win a round or two. You never know when the playoffs start what will happen.

One thing is for sure this has been a long time coming for the New Jersey Devils. They are finally back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.