New Jersey Devils vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Preview: Who Wants It More?

With spring just around the corner, the playoff picture is certainly becoming more vivid. However, this is not to say that the standings are even remotely close to being settled, or at least not to two clubs.

This late afternoon's rare inter-conference matchup will feature two teams that find themselves in similar situations, as the Columbus Blue Jackets play host to the New Jersey Devils. Both teams are eight points out of the playoffs right now, and time is running out.

The Jackets are coming off a huge win in Minnesota, while the Devils have now dropped two straight. However, which team will have that extra push as we approach crunch time?

The Blue Jackets have found themselves slowly slipping out of the playoff picture, especially after a seven-game skid which began in late February. Not only did they choose the worst time to go cold, but they also have a relatively difficult remaining schedule to try and fix things.

This is where they need their superstar, Rick Nash, to be at his best, as he was in their last outing, where he recorded four points against the Minnesota Wild. They will also need goaltender Steve Mason to play as stellar as he did in his rookie campaign a couple of years ago.

The Jackets have been under the radar all season long, even despite being competitive for most of the season. Now they are getting the recognition they deserve, as they have lost eight of their last 10 games, while teams that most expected to be in the playoffs have now found themselves in the top eight.

The Devils find themselves in a more encouraging situation. After their absolutely horrible first half of the season, New Jersey has been the hottest team in the second half, and have won 21 of their last 28 games. A huge factor in the Devils' midseason epiphany lies in the takeover by coach, Jacques Lemaire.

Ever since Lemaire took over, the team adopted an expected super defensive style, and it has clearly worked to their advantage. Astonishingly, the Devils' game totals have gone over five goals only once in their last 19 games. 

Although the Devils find themselves in a bit of slump over the past few days, they still have their heads up and will probably have momentum coming in to this game, but Columbus should also understand that it is do or die for them. Right now, the Devils are experiencing a fair amount of difficulty scoring goals, and should rely on their trap game to get them out of this one with a win.

It will be hard to predict which team will have more motivation, or which team the Super Moon will lend its energy to, but the fans at Nationwide Arena should expect a tight, low scoring, affair.