Can the New Jersey Devils Push This Momentum into the Playoffs?

The New Jersey Devils were definitely the talk of the NHL at the beginning of the season. Unfortunately for them, it was not good.

The Devils began the first two months of the season at a dreadful 8-14-2. From there it just seemed to get worse, as the team dropped all the way to not only the bottom of the East, but the bottom of the league as well.

The Devils had signed Ilya Kovalchuk to a 17-year deal worth more than $100 million. When the Devils were losing, Kovalchuk was the center of attention for the team, as he was failing to produce.

The GM of the Devils, Lou Lamoriello, requested a forfeit of the season after the team was falling worse and worse as the season progressed. Commissioner Gary Bettman rightfully declined the request from Lamoriello, and the "show" went on.

All hope seemed lost in New Jersey as the team continued to slide and was in danger of missing the postseason for the first time since 1996. It also didn't help when star forward Zach Parise was sidelined with a knee injury at the beginning of the season.

Then came mid January, and the Devils started winning—and I mean winning. The Devils have gone an impressive 14-1-2 since January 9th, and the only game where they haven't gotten points was against the Detroit Red Wings on January 26th. The Devils look like the team we have all seen over the last 15 years, which is tough defensive hockey.

The Devils' Martin Brodeur was off to one of the worst, if not the worst season of his career. Lately he has been playing like he is 27 again. Although he has been splitting time with Johan Hedberg, they have both been playing great as of late.

The Devils have improved their record drastically to 23-30-4. They have exactly 25 games left on their schedule and are currently 12 points back from the eighth spot in the East. I guess the real question is, "Can the Devils really make the playoffs?"

Well, I don't have a sure answer right now, but a good response would be to not count them out. The Devils have been the hottest team in the league for a while now and have a record of 7-0-1 in the month of February. With this kind of pace, I definitely wouldn't count out New Jersey just yet.

Even though it is a long stretch, the Devils have some of the best talent on their team and have finally found out how to use it as a unit. If my team was in an East playoff push right now, I certainly wouldn't overlook the Devils as contenders for a spot.