Devils vs. Rangers Game 2: Devils Must Win to Stay in the Series

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals did not go well for the New Jersey Devils, who were shut out by the top ranked New York Rangers. Unfortunately for the Devils, should they fall to 0-2 in the series, there is very little chance they will go to the Stanley Cup Finals.

With a team like the Rangers, you need to put them away quickly or they will stick around and take the series. The Rangers have already proven to be a team of warriors as they have gone to the brink in their first two series and won both Game 7s to establish their continuance in the playoffs.

If the Rangers win Game 2 of this series with the Devils, New Jersey will certainly be in all sorts of trouble.

Game 1 of the series looked to be a tight game until the third period of the affair. After two periods of hard-fought hockey, the game was knotted up at 0-0.

But, just 53 seconds into the final period, Dan Girardi scored his second goal of the playoffs for the Rangers. This was the beginning of the end for the Devils, who would let in two more goals while failing to put a single goal in the Rangers' net.

Henrik Lundqvist is a fantastic goalie, but he faced just 21 shots. That means that he only faced seven shots per period, which is not enough by the Devils when trying to beat the best team in the Eastern Conference.

The breakdown of the Devils in the third period is also concerning as down the stretch, a team must continue to play strong. Imagine if the Devils had been winning going into the third period and ending up losing that game. Fans in New Jersey would have been even more livid.

That kind of third period production, or lack thereof, is dangerous for any team trying to be successful in the playoffs. If a lack of third period production is a sign of things to come for the Devils, they are in serious trouble.

Guys like Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise need to step up big time and rally the team. They are the two star players for the Devils. Their production needs to improve in Game 2, as they could be the spark that ignites the Devils' offense.

Moreover, the Rangers are simply the better all-around team. Giving away a win like in Game 1 is not going to help the Devils in this series. The Rangers are here because of the perseverance they showed in their first two playoff series matchups. Giving away the game in the third period can simply not happen.

The Devils will get their next crack at the Rangers in Game 2. They will need to play much better in that game or else it could spell the beginning of the end of playoff hockey in New Jersey.