Could the Devils realistically miss the playoffs?

Michoulicious

Registered User
Dec 9, 2014
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I know that most playoffs odds tracker have them at over 90% odds of making it, but teams like Columbus and Montreal are currently out of the playoffs are only 7-8 points back with 2 games in hand...

With Hughes and Hamilton out, guys like Sprong and Glass in the top 9 and and after getting spanked by the lowly Pens with Markstrom giving sporting a .727 back from injury... Could the wheels really fall off with 14 games remaining?
 
This was a big time fear of Devils fans at the deadline. Winning 3 out of 4 afterward has settled them for sure.

I tend to trust mathematical models and betting markets to answer this question more so than vibes, and money puck has the devils at 93.6% to make the playoffs. Fanduel has them at -4500 yes, +1200 no to make the playoffs, which is an implied probability of between 92% and 98%.

So it's possible but improbable.
 
They will very likely make the playoffs...they will also very likely get manhandled in the first round. They are not a very good team right now.
 
In the NHL, points are awarded to teams that win, or reach overtime. Realistically, yes, if NJ lose too many games they could miss playoffs... However, it seems far more likely if they struggle, they fall to the wild card spot instead of completely missing. But anything is possible.
 
The key is for them not to lose the #3 spot and get thrown into a chaotic Wild Card race.

For that reason, their win over Columbus the other day was absolutely huge, and their game in Columbus tonight is all but a last chance for the Jackets to make a long-shot run at #3.

If the Devils win tonight, then they only have to worry about the Rangers. Their game on April 5th will of course be a big deal because of the 4-point swing. But even in that scenario, the rest of the Devils’ April schedule is against teams that will likely have given up by then, while the Rangers have a brutal April calendar. So it would require the Devils to just completely implode to the tune of getting beaten repeatedly by bad teams, while specifically losing at least one of the key divisional games.
 
They are 3 games up with 16 games to play. Rangers, Columbus and Montreal all have more difficult schedules.

Now could they go cold and realistically miss the playoffs. Yes of course. It is in the realm of possibly. They are also probably a three game win streak from locking it up.

BTW, 90% chance of making it means a 1 in 10 chance of missing. It isn’t out of the real of possibility. It’s only when teams get up to 97/98% that missing become unimaginable.
 

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