ECQF Preview: Your New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes - We're Playoff Bound!

[Nocashstyle]

I mean we were told for months it was hysterical to worry about the playoffs since there was no chance in hell the Devils could miss, 99.9% on the odds sites and all that and it turned out we were one loss to Columbus away from doing just that so I don’t exactly think that’s a big feather in the cap in barely avoiding a nuclear meltdown we were lectured was impossible.

Did you just out yourself as a #confirmeddoomer?

 

[thebeernerd]

In a way I wish that was the case for me. I think I'm pessimistic to try and set the expectations lower so if they lose it doesn't hit as hard. Cause it SUCKS when they lose and that hits way way way harder than being right about anything.

I tend to start out optimistic but that can get shattered quite easily.

 

[Andre Palot]

during our last playoff run i got obliterated. 1 blunt for game 1 against the rangers, 2 for game 2, and so on. by the time we reached game 7 i was double fisting blunts like the world was ending. i'll probably do something similar this year, minus posting photographic evidence lol.

If you want the best blunt experience possible, Futurola makes these tobacco free blunt cones. Super smooth and not as harsh

 

[Clam Jensen]

Can you blame them? I'm definitely closer to the "we don't have a shot" crowd, both because of injuries and because we just don't have the mentality.

Giving them no shot is crazy. CAR does nothing that impresses me. They shoot at a high volume and forecheck well spoooOoooOoky. I don’t care. I hope Dillon absolutely flattens Aho and Noesen spears Martinook in the ball sack and Andersen is a sieve. That’s where I’m at .

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Giving them no shot is crazy. CAR does nothing that impresses me. They shoot at a high volume and forecheck well spoooOoooOoky. I don’t care. I hope Dillon absolutely flattens Aho and Noesen spears Martinook in the ball sack and Andersen is a sieve. That’s where I’m at .

If we get goaltending, this becomes much much closer IMO. I don't have a ton of faith in that right now, but it can be the great equalizer. Carolinas whole game plan is low quality, high volume. Make all the saves you should make and the odds of winning go way up.

 

[Devs3cups]

Giving them no shot is crazy. CAR does nothing that impresses me. They shoot at a high volume and forecheck well spoooOoooOoky. I don’t care. I hope Dillon absolutely flattens Aho and Noesen spears Martinook in the ball sack and Andersen is a sieve. That’s where I’m at .

Their forecheck is quite spooky tbh lol. That forecheck destroyed us in round 2 of our record setting season, and while I think the defensive structure is better, I’m not so sure our D-core is still fully equipped to handle that kind of forecheck.

 

[thebeernerd]

Giving them no shot is crazy. CAR does nothing that impresses me. They shoot at a high volume and forecheck well spoooOoooOoky. I don’t care. I hope Dillon absolutely flattens Aho and Noesen spears Martinook in the ball sack and Andersen is a sieve. That’s where I’m at .

I agree that the analytics severely overrate the Canes, particularly with their shooting. Doesn't do them a hell of a lot of good. And we're better equipped to neutralize the forecheck than we were two years ago.

All the same, though, the personnel matchup with injuries isn't favorable, we've been treading water since the new year, and we're not that much tougher mentally than last year. I want to say we've got an improved defensive system but the last handful of games have shown off an unacceptable amount of mental errors in our own zone.

It's not impossible. At the very least, I'm fairly sure there won't be a sweep. But I'm not putting money on it.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Just hope they have fun.

 

[Triumph]

I mean we were told for months it was hysterical to worry about the playoffs since there was no chance in hell the Devils could miss, 99.9% on the odds sites and all that and it turned out we were one loss to Columbus away from doing just that so I don’t exactly think that’s a big feather in the cap in barely avoiding a nuclear meltdown we were lectured was impossible.

My favorite aspect of this argument is 'well we were right, even though we were wrong, we were actually right' - the Devils have been coasting for the last 4 games. The Devils ended up not really having a sweat to make the playoffs - at no point was their probability under 90%. Just because you experienced that as cause to freak out is not changing the reality.

 

[NJDevs26]

My favorite aspect of this argument is 'well we were right, even though we were wrong, we were actually right' - the Devils have been coasting for the last 4 games. The Devils ended up not really having a sweat to make the playoffs - at no point was their probability under 90%. Just because you experienced that as cause to freak out is not changing the reality.

If you think the result of the last four games would have been appreciably different if we were in a playoff death struggle you’re ignoring the last three months before that and have a lot more faith in this team than they’ve deserved the last two years.

It’s not freaking out to say the Devils needed to pick it up before they got themselves in a fix. To their credit they did win both games against Columbus down the stretch but that’s about the only thing I give them credit for in 2025 - it shouldn’t have even had to come down to sweeping those.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Their forecheck is quite spooky tbh lol.

 

[Triumph]

If you think the result of the last four games would have been appreciably different if we were in a playoff death struggle you’re ignoring the last three months before that and have a lot more faith in this team than they’ve deserved the last two years.

Sure, okay. The Devils didn't even pull the goalie in one game but yes, you're right, nothing was different.

Some of you talk about this playoff team like it didn't make the playoffs. It's very funny to read. 'This team is a bunch of chokers! They choke all the time, except when, despite playing kinda bad and missing key players and getting bad luck in high leverage situations, they walked into the playoffs anyway!'

 

[NjDevsRR]

If you think the result of the last four games would have been appreciably different if we were in a playoff death struggle you’re ignoring the last three months before that and have a lot more faith in this team than they’ve deserved the last two years.

Since they were poopy all of 25 means they should exhaust themselves before the postseason? Wouldn’t that make them extra poopy?

This team is flawed. There was no universe where their play was going to suddenly improve in this last two weeks of meaningless games which is why folks here were very confused on the expectations of some over that stretch.

I think they approached those games correctly and I like their chances more rested and focused on Canes instead of them playing all out for nothing before the games actually matter, a lot.

 

[NJDevs26]

They stumbled into the playoffs with time to spare because the East sucked and because of the first half they had, but that team isn’t going to play in the playoffs.

Like I said, they’ve got their chance to prove the cynics wrong this series. Let’s see Nico, Timo, Bratt and Markstrom lead the way.

 

[NjDevsRR]

but that team isn’t going to be in the playoffs.

Correct, so why would we want a lesser team be less rested before said playoffs?

Again, the expectations by some over the last two weeks was bizarre. You want these guys rested and focused on Canes.

 

[MartyOwns]

If you want the best blunt experience possible, Futurola makes these tobacco free blunt cones. Super smooth and not as harsh

oh sick, i'll try them. thanks! last year i was in colorado, so i would just go buy a bunch of kief infused prerolls. now that i'm in pa i have to roll my own so i'm all about them swishers. but i'll check those out!

 

[thebeernerd]

during our last playoff run i got obliterated. 1 blunt for game 1 against the rangers, 2 for game 2, and so on. by the time we reached game 7 i was double fisting blunts like the world was ending. i'll probably do something similar this year, minus posting photographic evidence lol.

I have edible approval from the old lady for Game 3, because at least I'm going to be coming down from it by the time I get home. I plan to go to the dispensary near work, take one on the way there, do some celebrating in the plaza, and have another one before the game starts. So, probably two, no more than three.

 

[NJDevs26]

Correct, so why would we want a lesser team be less rested before said playoffs?

Again, the expectations by some over the last two weeks was bizarre. You want these guys rested and focused on Canes.

Nobody cares about the last four games, I almost wish they had meant something since we never really got out of the rut before then. The game before that we got pumped by Boston before the ‘official’ clinch too.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

My favorite aspect of this argument is 'well we were right, even though we were wrong, we were actually right' - the Devils have been coasting for the last 4 games. The Devils ended up not really having a sweat to make the playoffs - at no point was their probability under 90%. Just because you experienced that as cause to freak out is not changing the reality.

I love the shifting baseline. At their zenith in late December, people were talking about challenging the Capitals. They were just “fatigued”, their shooting percentage would equalize any second, yada yada yada. Slowly that target line got whittled down to now spiking the football that they limped into the playoffs. Comical.

You of all people should probably sit this one out. No one came into this season with the expectation this team would back into the playoffs playing lottery level hockey since January.

 

[TrufleShufle]

My favorite aspect of this argument is 'well we were right, even though we were wrong, we were actually right' - the Devils have been coasting for the last 4 games. The Devils ended up not really having a sweat to make the playoffs - at no point was their probability under 90%. Just because you experienced that as cause to freak out is not changing the reality.

I mean if you ignore the 5 teams behind us seemingly doing everything in their power to keep us in the playoffs, yea.

It's like watching a Nascar race and saying oh man 13 is going to win this I can feel it, then them doing terribly for most of the race but somehow the rest of the field completely wrecks and its just the 13 car going around the track alone, still pretty slow, until it wins. "Told ya!" Obviously you were right, but it makes perfect sense to point out the obvious.

I'm still happy the 13 car won, I don't care how because I wanted it to, but at the same time, I don't lie to myself going into the next race.

All that said, I'm rooting for a Devils win and won't be surprised when they do it. But people who believe we will get swept don't scare me or shake my confidence enough to say "Enough of this talk!" Because I get why they feel that way with the way this team has been playing.

I'm excited to watch playoff hockey and I would gladly sit down, have a beer or 7 and watch it with any Apologist or Doomer.

 

[Devils731]

I mean we were told for months it was hysterical to worry about the playoffs since there was no chance in hell the Devils could miss, 99.9% on the odds sites and all that and it turned out we were one loss to Columbus away from doing just that so I don’t exactly think that’s a big feather in the cap in barely avoiding a nuclear meltdown we were lectured was impossible.

Did they miss the playoffs?

I was teasing but if the standard is “I don’t want to hear excuses if the Devils are bounced in 5” then I would say this sounds like a big ole excuse to dooming actually having been the right perspective despite being wrong.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Sure, okay. The Devils didn't even pull the goalie in one game but yes, you're right, nothing was different.

Some of you talk about this playoff team like it didn't make the playoffs. It's very funny to read. 'This team is a bunch of chokers! They choke all the time, except when, despite playing kinda bad and missing key players and getting bad luck in high leverage situations, they walked into the playoffs anyway!'

The “missing key players” thing is particularly funny. You’ve totally retconned the unassailable fact that they were playing the same way totally healthy for weeks.

Jack getting hurt sucks for obviously many reasons, but an underrated aspect is that some people could now pretend injuries are the total nexus of the issue when any honest observer would tell you it wasn’t.

 

[Devils731]

If you think the result of the last four games would have been appreciably different if we were in a playoff death struggle you’re ignoring the last three months before that and have a lot more faith in this team than they’ve deserved the last two years.

It’s not freaking out to say the Devils needed to pick it up before they got themselves in a fix. To their credit they did win both games against Columbus down the stretch but that’s about the only thing I give them credit for in 2025 - it shouldn’t have even had to come down to sweeping those.

The Devils didn’t even pre-scout or practice for the teams they played the last few games. The team actively stopped worrying about those games; so yes it’s likely different if they had actually game planned and tried to win some of those games.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

There are like 1 or maybe 2 posters saying that. The rest are rightfully pointing out that our play since Christmas has been borderline dreadful and there really hasn't been a sign that they can or will turn it around. This isn't a last couple weeks thing. This is a last several months thing. As such, there is very real concern and understandable push back on the idea that this is somehow an even series or that we have a really good chance of actually winning it. Sure there is a chance. But nothing is pointing in the Devils direction except maybe goaltending, and that's a hard maybe. The eye test and the advanced stats are really in Carolina's favor.

On another topic, as much as you never want to lose Jack Hughes, it should make the team more willing to play a much grindier, greasy style game that they otherwise wouldn't for fear of stifling Jack. I don't want to say they are better off without him because they are not. But in a way I think it might help them against Carolina. His absence would become much more noticeable should they get past the Canes IMO.

Well I'm probably more negative on this team than most, there's next to zero reason to re hashing the same arguments over and over. We know what this team is, there's no reason to analyze them even further. The pathway to beating Carolina has been mentioned ad nauseam

 

[Triumph]

The “missing key players” thing is particularly funny. You’ve totally retconned the unassailable fact that they were playing the same way totally healthy for weeks.

Jack getting hurt sucks for obviously many reasons, but an underrated aspect is that some people could now pretend injuries are the total nexus of the issue when any honest observer would tell you it wasn’t.

You'll notice I put playing kinda bad first. Injuries were a big part of the issue, though - Markstrom came back, was terrible. Haula came back, was terrible. I can't speak for Markstrom, but Haula is fine now.

The biggest factor in why the Devils started playing poorly in January seems to be the bottom falling out of Luke Hughes's game. I don't know why that happened. Luke looked like a superstar in December and it's all been lousy since, forget his point totals or whatever, he's just not been effective defending.