NHL Playoffs 2012: What the New Jersey Devils Must Do to Advance

The New Jersey Devils have found out that their first-round Stanley Cup series with the Florida Panthers isn't going to be a cakewalk.

The Devils held on to win Game 1, but then fell short in Game 2 in Sunrise, Fla. The teams are now tied at one win apiece heading to Games 3 and 4 this week at the Prudential Center in Newark.

If the Devils are going to eliminate the Panthers and move on to the second round for the first time in five years, there are a few things they need to accomplish:

1) Play with a lead. The Devils function better when they're ahead and can lock down the other team with a defensive effort, as they did on Friday. They had to scramble from behind on Sunday, and despite the scorers they have on their roster, they're not at their best when playing catch-up.

2) Put on more offensive pressure. Florida goaltender Jose Theodore has given his team a chance in the first two games, and won his first playoff game since 2008 with Colorado by backstopping the Panthers to a 4-2 victory in Game 2 on Sunday night, as New Jersey took only 25 shots on goal. The Devils have shown a willingness to go to the Florida net, but need to  generate more rebounds and second chances in order to score more goals in the tighter-checking confines of postseason hockey.

3) Stay out of the Penalty Box. The Devils went down, 1-0, on a Stephen Weiss power-play goal just 23 seconds into Game Two after Andy Greene was called for tripping on the Panthers' first offensive foray Sunday. Weiss then made it 2-0 with his second power-play tally of the night early in the second stanza. Kris Versteeg also had a goal on the power play in the Panthers' 3-2 loss in Game One on Friday, which means that half of Florida's six goals so far in the series have come with the man advantage.

4) Don't get caught up watching Brodeur. The Devils allowed 28 shots on Friday as Martin Brodeur posted his 100th career postseason win in the New Jersey net. They allowed just 23 shots on Sunday in Florida's first playoff win since 1997, and despite giving up just five goals and an empty-netter in 120 minutes, the Devils can't sit back and hope Brodeur bails them out when things break down in the defensive zone. Part of that is not taking penalties; another is not letting Florida get quality chances in close.

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New Jersey isn't playing badly, but got behind early on Sunday with a chance to go up two games in the series. If they can tighten things up defensively, not take too many penalties, and perhaps get a few garbage goals in the next two games in Newark, the Devils have a good chance of heading south with a chance to wrap things up in Game 5.