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After months of uncertainty and planning, the National Hockey League announced a 56-game regular season to begin in January and end in early May. Teams had to carry taxi squads of players to account for injured players and those affected by the Coronavirus. A COVID-19 protocol was implemented and, if need be, games could be re-scheduled as needed. All games would be played within a team’s division along with the first two rounds of the playoffs. The goal was simple: Have a truncated, compressed season to set up a full Stanley Cup Playoffs tournament. Then hope things would get better enough to have a full and more normal 2021-22 season in the Fall.
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Tonight was the final game of the 2021 season for the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers. Outside of odds for the 2021 NHL Draft Lottery, this game had no real meaning beyond it being the 56th and final game of the season for both. To a player, this was a game where they could make one last good impression for their next contract. But the game was otherwise an obligation. Yet, the Devils managed to do what they have done throughout most of the season and disappoint the fans who paid attention to it anyway. The Devils lost their last game of the season 2-4. As usual, it is not so much that they lost that is the issue, but how it happened.
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If March was a tough month for the New Jersey Devils, then April was an absolute nightmarish month. They began the month to turn their shootout loss at Boston on March 13 into a four-game winless streak. After winning a game, they lost ten in a row. The Devils went into the final week of their month of 16 games with just one win in April. One. And it was on the road in Western New York. At least the Devils picked up a second and third win in April before April ended. It does not take away much of the pain that comes with a 3-11-2 month. They earned eight points; only two teams in the league finished with fewer points in April. And one of those two teams was Vancouver, who only played seven games due to the Coronavirus. It was a horrible month for the Devils.
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The New Jersey Devils entered The Week of Pity against the Philadelphia Flyers with one win in April and a nine-game losing streak. It is now a ten-game losing streak as the Devils botched a two goal lead in less than 90 seconds before the end of regulation against the Flyers last night. All of the nine losses before that one featured the Devils going down in the first half of games with significant deficits with some comeback efforts that all fell short. As the New Jersey Devils are now flirting with last place in the league standings, their futility has become increasingly noticeable. People understandably want something to blame. And the easy culprit is goaltending.
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