Staying In The Hunt: The New Jersey Devils Playoff Hopes

Many sportscasters wrote the New Jersey Devils off last month after the legendary Martin Brodeur went down with a torn bicep.  Scott Burnside of ESPN wrote that he did not think that either Kevin Weekes or Scott Clemmensen are NHL caliber goal tenders. 

Well it has been a little over a month now, and while initially Mr. Burnside did appear to be correct, his prediction has to be in doubt now. 

Over the last few weeks Scott Clemmensen has become the clear cut starter, even though coach Sutter will not admit it.  He has done much more then succeed in this role so far, going 7-1 over the last eight games. 

He is ready to compete, for the starting job, for his career, and for the team.  This led me to a question: what do the Devils have to do in order to make the playoffs this April?

As of right now the New Jersey Devils are fourth in the Atlantic Division and seventh in the Eastern Conference.  Can we really expect them to catch the Rangers, Penguins, or the Bruins?  Do they have to catch these teams to succeed?

With games in hand on every team in the Eastern Conference, the Devils are in a prime position to succeed.  If they continue to play at their current level they will surely be able to challenge the Rangers and Penguins for the division lead. 

Even without the backstopping of the great No. 30, the Devils still have the second lowest goals against average in the conference.

If this all seems to be a bit lofty and rose colored to you, or like the mussing of a biased Devils fan, then consider this. What do most teams fear facing in the playoffs? 

Great goaltending. 

Currently Brodeur is expected to return sometime in March. So if the Devils make the playoffs they will most likely be backstopped by a well rested Martin Brodeur. Consider the number of games Brodeur routinely plays in a year, 90 plus games counting the Olympics and playoffs. 

This year if the Devils make the playoffs and if Brodeur is ready to play, then he will have played well under 30 games.

This brings me to my main point. To be successful this year the Devils don't have to challenge for the division or the conference. All they have to do is compete and earn a playoff birth.  Home ice advantage will not matter if Marty comes back when expected.

All Clemmensen has to do is keep New Jersey in the playoff hunt. This year getting to the big show might just be enough.  For the Devils going 5-6-7 or even the eighth seed will be respectable. 

This will not be such a tall task, as long as the Devils continue to follow Clemmensen's lead and continue to compete to their highest level.